| 21 August 2010
Allah says what means: “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for people before you so that you will (learn how to) attain Taqwa” (Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:183)
Ibn ‘Umar reports that Allah’s Messenger said: Islam is based on (the following) five (principles):
· 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshiped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger.
· 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly.
· 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity)
· 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca)
· 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan. [Bukhari]
Fasting during Ramadan was ordained during the second year of Hijrah. At the beginning of Rajab --- two full months before Ramadan --- the Prophet Muhammad, (SAW), used to supplicate thus: "O Allah! Bless us during Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan (in good health)." Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, used to go out to the desert near Mecca (in today's Saudi Arabia) to remain there and used to worship therein .His worship only took the form of meditating on the darkness of ignorance to which his people had regressed, which was rejected by logic and the sound Fitrah (the natural state in which man is born) and how to save them from these harmful sicknesses. This is supported by the Word of Allah, Most High:”And He found you lost and He guided you “(93:7) and His Words: “Have We not opened your heart for you, and removed from you your burden which weighed down your back?”(94:1-3). (Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab At-Tamimi ,Abridged Biography of Prophet Muhammad ,Darussalam,Riyadh,2003,Foot note no 2,p- 97) .One night a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah. In the days that followed, Muhammad found himself speaking the verses that would be transcribed as the Quran.
At many mosques during Ramadan, about one thirtieth of the Quran is recited each night in prayers known as Taraweeh. In this way, by the end of the month the complete scripture will have been recited.
There is a great philosophy behind Ramadan and its fasting
But first of all we will see the different connotations and denotations of the word Taqwa which is the sine qua non of fasting and then we will explain the efficacy of Ramadhan fasting in achieving this goal of Taqwa on the basis of different views expressed by the great luminaries of Islam.
To start with the root of Taqwa is Waqā yaqī (waqy ,wiqāya )meaning to guard ,preserve ,take good care (of) ;to safeguard ,shield ,shelter preserve,protect,keep.In its fifth nd 8th form as ittaqa it means to beware ,be wary (of),guard ,be ones guard ,protect .Waqy means protection ,and prevention, Wāqin means preserving guarding protecting preventive, preservative,(Hans Wehr ,A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, Edited by J.Milton Cowan,Librairie Du Liban ,Beirut,3rd edition,1980, p-1094-1095.)
In lisan al Arab the word Taqwa and its various derivatives shed sufficient light on the term Taqwa in its etymological and religious connotations. Since the word is very important in the context of Islam in general and saum in particular, its meaning from etymology and law are very crucial to understand its various dimensions in the Islamic sense also by analogy. To start with wiqāya has been used as sānahu .In one of the Hadith of the Prophet is said that each of you should try to save yourselves from hell fire by giving away charity and offering obedience. The word used here is .Waqin has been used in the Quran in the waqā sense of dāfi’ one who protects or wards off.(Lisan al Arab,vol.15,Dar al Sader Beirut 1997,p-401)
Wāqahullahu al suu’ means God preserved them from all fear .And tawaqi minhu means he guarded against or was cautious of it. Ittaqa means he preserved ,or guarded himself exceedingly ,or extraordinarily or he put a thing between him and another to preserve him, or guard him .In the conventional language of the Shariah ,it means he preserved ,or guarded himself exceedingly from sin ,that would harm him in the world to come. However it may be often rendered as : he was pious ,or careful of his religious duties and ittaqa alaihim was hazara :he guarded himself against them in an extraordinarily degree ,and was cautious ,or wary .Waqin in Arabic means a saddle that does not gall the back (William lane ,Arabic Lexicon, book 1,part 8,supplement to parts v11 and viii ,1993,p-3059)
Prof. Izutsu says in this context. “…the basic semantic core of the word “Taqwa” was in Jahiliyyah “self-defensive attitude” of a living being animal or man, against some destructive force coming from outside” .This word comes into the Islamic system of concepts carrying with it this very basic meaning. But there, under the over whelming influence of the whole system, and particularly by the fact of its being seen now put into a specific semantic field composed of a group of concepts having to do with “belief” which is peculiar to the Islamic monotheism, it comes to acquire an extremely important religious meaning: Taqwa, passing through the intermediate stage of the pious fear chastisement on the day of judgment, ends by meaning a personal piety, pure and simple.”
Allah says: “The most honoured by Allah amongst you are those best in Taqwa.” [49:13]Ali ibn Abi Talib was asked about the definition of Taqwa, to which he answered: “[It is] Fear of the All-Mighty, acting upon the revelation, preparation for the day of travel [when we meet Allah], and contentment with a small amount.”
Allah legislated fasting for gaining Taqwa, "O you who believe fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa." Taqwa in this case means, to make a shield between oneself and Allah's anger and hellfire. So we should ask ourselves, when we break our fasts, 'Has this fasting day made us fear Allah more? Has it resulted that we want to protect ourselves from the hellfire?' The first step is for a Muslim to realize that Allah has prescribed fasting as a means of gaining Taqwa. Allah (swt) has also informed us that it is Taqwa that distinguishes people in the His sight.
Abstaining from the acts that break the fast also show some times the care one has to take: Allah says in the Qur’an [in the meaning of]: “Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then strictly observe the fast until nightfall.” [al-Baqara, 2:187] ‘Adiyy Ibn Hatim said “When the Ayah “Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you ...” was revealed, I took a black thread and a white thread and placed them underneath my pillow. During the night I looked at them to if I could distinguish between them. In the morning I went the Messenger of Allah and mentioned that to him and he said: ‘It is the black of the night and the white of the day.’” [Bukhari and Muslim] Therefore, the believer must fast from Fajr [dawn] to Maghrib [sunset].
According to Shah Wali Allah sometimes a person comprehends..that his physical animalistic form is keeping him from what would constitute his fulfilments in terms of its obeying the angelic side .Therefore he comes to detest animalistic side and seeks to shatter its force .He won’t find anything that helps in to do this as much as hunger ,thirst, forswearing sex,and practicing vigilance power his tongue ,heart ,and limbs.Persistance in this is a cure for the sickness of his soul...(.p-224 )
According to Shah Wali Allah physical nature should “obey the intelligence “and this is its perfection “while his [man’s] physical nature is rebellious, obeying sometimes and not obeying other times “.Thus he needs training, so he takes up some severe practice such as fasting and imposes it on his physical side and perseveres in fasting for many days oppressing himself in response to the sin in order to prevent himself from committing more like it.”(P-224)
Fasting is a great good deed which strengthens the angelic (side) and weakens the animalistic .There is nothing like it for polishing the face of the spirit and ....negating the physical nature ...”p-25
Through fasting “is achieved a great similarity to the angels, so that they like him.”(Shah Wali Allah, The Conclusive Argument From God (Hujjat Allah Al-Baligha) Volume 1,Trnslated by Marcia K.Hermansen,Islamic Research Institute ,International Islamic University ,Islamabad, 2003,224-225)
The meaning of Ramadhan is extreme heat .Our hunger thirst and abstinence from materialistic concerns is a reminder of the prophetic practice when he used to go to Hira and used to be without food and water for days together and abstinent from all material luxuries also. (Sulaiman Nadvi, Maqalat-i-Sulaiman, p-230)
Thus Siyam is our spiritual treatment and cure and if we don’t get spiritual healing from Ramadhan then it seizes to be Siyam and remains only a hunger.”
Thus actually, Saum is a state of angelic nature and though the body of Sayem is of humans but its soul or spirit is to live a life of the angels who don’t dine or drink and are devoid of material tendencies and worldly needs and the only purpose of their life is to obey the commands of Allah.”(Maqalat-i-Sulaiman, edited by Shah Mooinuddin Ahmad Nadvi, Matbah Maarif, Azamgarh, 1971, p-234),
The literal meaning of saum is to abstain and be silent .This has been called as sabr also which means self discipline steadfastedness and perseverance .In other words saum means to abstain from sensuous desires and carnal indulgences and bestial tendencies and preventing oneself from getting involved in lustful activities. In our daily parlance human desires are consisting on eating, drinking, and coitus and to abstain from these activities for a specific time is fasting. But apart from these external desires we need to shun the internal vices and infirmities also and preserve our tongue and heart as these elements are also included in fasting according to the most pious people.(Sulaiman Nadvi,Seerat al Nabi, volume 5th ,Matbah Maarif Azamgarh ,1986,p-210)
One of the great saint scholars of Kashmir Syed Ali Hamadani while delineating the importance of fasting says:
“Know my dear! Every one has a specific field and ground in which he operates and in humans the devils operate through human desires and sexual urges but these sexual and carnal forces and tendencies can be controlled only by the hammer of hunger and thirst .And by fasting and through these weapons of hunger and thirst the field of operation of devil is blocked”. (p-204)
Human heart is actually the place where angelic intuitions and inspirations are received and it is also the centre where divinely inspirations are dawned on us .But if we don’t purify our heart from the satanic insuations and whisperings and from the impurities of sensuous desires by the help of hunger thirst and sleeplessness during nights it does not qualify to receive the illuminations and divine mysteries .It is perhaps in this context that the Prophet (SAW)once said that had the devils not being playing with the hearts of people they would have seen towards the kingdom of the heavens .(Zakhirat al Malook ,translated by Mawlana Qasim Shah Bukhari,Baseerat al Salook ,Srinagar ,1396,pp-204-205)
Ghazzali has similarly said:
“Through fasting a believer oppresses devil who is the enemy of Allah and his simple mechanisation is through human desires get stronger by eating and drinking. According to Ghazzali human behaviour is determined by four basic factors, which are as follows: Greed for food, sexual passion, Passion for wealth, and Greed for show and supremacy.
On the top of all these desires according to Ghazzali, is the greed for food and when it is fulfilled, the other desires i.e. sexual desire, desire to accumulate wealth and desire to acquire power stem from it, Ghazzali calls it as the lust of the stomach (Šahahwāt al-Baṭn) and he says about the same:
"Greed for food is a destructive evil... In fact, belly is the container of greed and the breeding ground of diseases and disasters. In case of satisfaction of belly, sexual passion rises high and it encourages companionship with women.
“Desire for name and fame grows from greed. Then come the evil attributes of hatred, clash of interests, pride, self conceit etc. These can be removed by hunger"
The crux of Ghazzali’s statement is that the basic source and pivotal point in the psychological life of a man is his greed for food (Šahahwāt al-Ṭa´ām), which determines all other patterns of human behaviour, whether primary or secondary.
The three primary patterns of behaviour are greed for sex, greed for wealth and greed for honour and show, and the secondary patterns which are the ramifications of these primary patterns are hatred, caprice, and clash of interests, pride, ostentation, and impiety.
Ghazzali's impressive treatment of the science of psychology for the support of religion can be profoundly discerned, when he claims that the basic purpose of human sexual desire is to get two advantages i.e. the first is enjoyment and the second is continuation of human progeny. Moreover, the enjoyment is not an end in itself, or is not a means for the continuation of human race only, but serves a far more lofty and sublime purpose, that is man's comprehension of the luxuries and enjoyments which are reserved for him in the Life-hereafter on the analogy of the sexual enjoyment, he had in the world.
There are extremes in the sexual activity of man also in the opinion of Ghazzali. One extreme is that the sexual desire may make human reason subservient to it and lead him to indulgence in sexual relationships with ladies and concubines, thereby deprive man from following the path of life hereafter, or subdue his religious conscience to the extent that man may openly commit obscene acts.
The other extreme is to weaken one's sexual capability and instinct, which too is objectionable. The praise worthy behaviour in this regard is a balanced one which is supported both by reason and Shariah. Ghazzali suggested three methods for controlling the greed for sex, i.e. hunger, restraining from having looks at women, and indulgence in some such assignment which involves ones heart.
Ghazzali, while mentioning all these matters says:
"1-There are two benefits of sexual passion (i) Satisfaction of intercourse and (2) preservation of mankind. The pleasure that is felt in sexual intercourse between a man and his wife is a little sign of the next worldly pleasure. If it were lasting, pleasure would have been strong as physical pain inflicted by force is great. The fear of Hell fire and the greed for pleasure and happiness of paradise lead a man towards guidance. If a man would not have the taste of pleasure or pain, it would not have been possible. (2) Second benefit is preservation of mankind. But there is this damage in it that if it is not kept under control and exceeds limit, his [actor’s] next world and this world are both destroyed. "
He says:
"There are three stages of sexual passion, excessive, little and middle. In case of excessive sexual passion, a man loses his sense of right and wrong and enjoys any women and thus destroys his religion and world. Such a man often takes recourse to medicine to increase his sexual passion. That is all the more dangerous. Such a man takes recourse to love-making of which the object is the satisfaction of sexual passion. The medicine for this is to control eyes and thoughts. The prophet prescribed marriage for them and said:
"O young men, take recourse to marriage. He who is unable to do it, let him fast, as fast for him is constration."
In the second case Ghazzali quotes several Quranic verses and the prophetic traditions to show the importance of control on one's eyes. For example, he quotes the Quranic verse:
"Tell the believers to control their eyes sight"
He quotes a prophetic tradition in this regard. The prophet said:
"Eye sight is a poisonous arrow out of the arrows of the devil. God gives to a man who gives it up for fear of God such faith which gives satisfaction to his heart."
In third place, Ghazzali while showing the rewards of opposing passions, and insists that man should remember God and indulge in the recitation of the Quran, offer prayers, i.e. the way to hereafter.
Keeping all other limbs and organs away from sin: the hands and feet from reprehensible deeds and the stomach from questionable food at the time for breaking Fast. It is meaningless to Fast -- to abstain from lawful food - only to break ones Fast on what is unlawful. A man who Fast like this may be compared to one who builds a castle but demolishes a city. Lawful food injurious in quantity not in quality, so Fasting is to reduce the former. A person might well give up excessive use of medicine, from fear of ill effects, but he would be a fool to switch to taking poison. The unlawful is a poison deadly to religion, while the lawful is a medicine, beneficial in small doses but harmful in excess. The object of Fasting is to induce moderation. Said the Prophet, on him be peace: 'How many of those who Fast get nothing from it but hunger and thirst!' This has been taken to mean those who break their Fast on unlawful food. Some say it refers to those who abstain from lawful food, but break their Fast on human flesh through backbiting, which is unlawful. Others consider it an allusion to those who do not guard their organs from sin.
According to Ghazzali the spirit and secret nature of Fasting is to weaken the forces which are Satan's means of leading us back to evil. It is therefore essential to cut down one's intake to what one would consume on a normal night, when not Fasting. No benefit is derived from the Fast if one consumes as much as one would usually take during the day and night combined. Moreover, one of the properties consists in taking little sleep during the daytime, so that one feels the hunger and thirst and becomes conscious of the weakening of one's powers, with the consequent purification of the heart.
One should let a certain degree of weakness carry over into the night, making it easier to perform the night Prayers (Tahajjud) and to recite the praises (Awrad). It may then be that Satan will not hover around one's heart, and that one will behold the Kingdom of Heaven. The Night of Destiny represents the night on which something of this Kingdom is revealed. This is what is meant by the words of God, Exalted is He:
'We surely revealed it on the Night of Power.' [al-Qadr, 97:1]
Anyone who puts a bag of food between his heart and his breast becomes blind to this revelation. Nor is keeping the stomach empty sufficient to remove the veil, unless one also empties the mind of everything but God, Great and Glorious is He. That is the entire matter, and the starting point of it all is cutting down on food.
Not to over-indulge in lawful food at the time of breaking Fast, to the point of stuffing one's belly. There is no receptacle more odious to God, Great and Glorious is He, than a belly stuffed full with lawful food. Of what use is the Fast as a means of conquering God's enemy and abating appetite, if at the time of breaking it one not only makes up for all one has missed during the daytime, but perhaps also indulges in a variety of extra foods? It has even become the custom to stock up for Ramadan with all kinds of foodstuffs, so that more is consumed during that time than in the course of several other months put together. It is well known that the object of Fasting is to experience hunger and to check desire, in order to reinforce the soul in piety. If the stomach is starved from early morning till evening, so that its appetite is aroused and its craving intensified, and it is then offered delicacies and allowed to eat its fill, its taste for pleasure is increased and its force exaggerated; passions are activated which would have lain dormant under normal conditions.
The spirit and secret nature of Fasting is to weaken the forces which are Satan's means of leading us back to evil. It is therefore essential to cut down one's intake to what one would consume on a normal night, when not Fasting. No benefit is derived from the Fast if one consumes as much as one would usually take during the day and night combined. Moreover, one of the properties consists in taking little sleep during the daytime, so that one feels the hunger and thirst and becomes conscious of the weakening of one's powers, with the consequent purification of the heart.
. After the Fast has been broken, the heart should swing like a pendulum between fear and hope. For one does not know if one's Fast will be accepted, so that one will find favour with God, or whether it will be rejected, leaving one among those He abhors. This is how one should be at the end of any act of worship one performs.
It is related of al-Hasan ibn Abil Hasan al-Basri that he once passed by a group of people who were laughing merrily. He said: 'God, Great and Glorious is He, has made the month of Ramadan a racecourse, on which His creatures compete in His worship. Some have come in first and won, while others have lagged behind and lost. It is absolutely amazing to find anybody laughing and playing about on the day when success attends the victors and failure the wasters. By God, if the veil were lifted off, the doer of good would surely be preoccupied with his good works and the evildoer with his evil deeds.' In too full of joy to indulge in idle sport, while for one who has suffered rejection laughter will be precluded by remorse.
Of al-Ahnaf ibn Qays it is reported that he was once told: 'You are an aged elder; Fasting would enfeeble you.' But he replied: 'By this I am making ready for a long journey, Obedience to God, Glorified is He, is easier to endure than His punishment.'
In all these cases the importance of fast becomes abundantly clear and glaring as a great source of Taqwa .The great scholar and reformer Shaikh Ahmed Farooqi, known as Mujaddid Alif Thani has rightly said:
“If we combine all the blessings of the other eleven months, they would not add up to the blessings of Ramadan."
Along with the possibility of a great reward, there is the risk of a terrible loss. If we let any other month pass by carelessly, we just lost a month. If we do the same during Ramadan, we have lost everything. The person who misses just one day’s fast without a legitimate reason, cannot really make up for it even if he were to fast everyday for the rest of his life. And of the three persons that Prophet, (SAW) cursed, one is the unfortunate Muslim who finds Ramadan in good health but does not use the opportunity to seek Allah’s mercy.
Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers.
Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family.
A sense of generosity and gratitude colours these festivities. Although charity and good deeds are always important in Islam, they have special significance at the end of Ramadan. As the month draws to a close, Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to Mosques.
One who does not fast is obviously in this category, but so also is the person who fasts and prays but makes no effort to stay away from sins or attain purity of the heart through the numerous opportunities offered by Ramadan. The Prophet, (SAW), warned us: "There are those who get nothing from their fast but hunger and thirst. There are those who get nothing from their nightly prayers but loss of sleep."
Those who understood this, for them Ramadan was indeed a very special month. In addition to fasting, mandatory Salat, and extra Taraweeh Salat, they spent the whole month in acts of worship like voluntary Salat, Tilawah (recitation of Qur’an), and Dhikr etc. After mentioning that this has been the tradition of the pious people of this Ummah throughout the centuries, Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi notes: “I have seen with my own eyes such ulema and Mashaikh who used to finish recitation of the entire Qur’an everyday during Ramadan. They spent almost the entire night in prayers. They used to eat so little that one wondered how they could endure all this. These great [people] valued every moment of Ramadan and would not waste any of it in any other pursuit? Watching them made one believe the astounding stories of Ibadah and devotion of our elders recorded by history."
This emphasis on these acts of worship may sound strange --- even misplaced --- to some. It requires some explanation. We know that the term Ibadah (worship and obedience) in Islam applies not only to the formal acts of worship and devotion like Salat, Tilawah, and Dhikr, but it also applies to worldly acts when performed in obedience to Shariah and with the intention of pleasing Allah. Thus a believer going to work is performing Ibadah when he seeks Halal income to discharge his responsibility as a bread-winner for the family. However a distinction must be made between the two. The first category consists of direct Ibadah, acts that are required for their own sake. The second category consists of indirect Ibadah --- worldly acts that become Ibadah through proper intention and observation of Shariah. While the second category is important for it extends the idea of Ibadah to our entire life, there is also a danger because by their very nature these acts can camouflage other motives. Is my going to work really Ibadah or am I actually in the rat race? Here the direct Ibadah comes to the rescue. Through them we can purify our motives, and re-establish our relationship with Allah.
Islam does not approve of monasticism. It does not ask us to permanently isolate ourselves from this world, since our test is in living here according to the Commands of our Creator. But it does ask us to take periodic breaks from it. The mandatory Salat (five daily prayers) is one example. For a few minutes every so many hours throughout the day, we leave the affairs of this world and appear before Allah to remind ourselves that none but He is worthy of worship and of our unfaltering obedience. Ramadan takes this to the next higher plane, providing intense training for a whole month.
This spirit is captured in I’tikaf, a unique Ibadah associated with Ramadan, in which a person gives up all his normal activities and enters a mosque for a specific period. There is great merit in it and every Muslim community is encouraged to provide at least one person who will perform I’tikaf for the last ten days of Ramadan. But even those who cannot spare ten days are encouraged to spend as much time in the mosque as possible.
Someone has rightly said: “Through direct Ibadah we "charge our batteries"; the indirect ones allow us to use the power so accumulated in driving the vehicle of our life. Ramadan is the month for rebuilding our spiritual strength. How much we benefit from it is up to us”.
A special prayer known as Taraweeh is offered during Ramadhan .The Ramadan nightly prayer has a special merit over other nights. The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever observes night prayer in Ramadan as an expression of his faith and to seek reward from Allah, his previous sins will be blotted out." (Muslim)
In this Hadith, faith means faith in what Allah has promised the observers of night prayers. To seek reward mean, the observer's intent is not for eye service or seeking special recognition from someone.
Taraweeh is derived from the Arabic root word, Raaha, which means to rest, relax and use as recreation. It is so called because the believers used to prolong it. After every four raka'ats they would stop for rest and relaxation and resume until Taraweeh was complete.
Taraweeh In Jamaa`ah
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was the first to establish the Sunnah of congregational, Jamaa’ah prayer of Taraweeh in the Masjid. Then he did not continue with the Sunnah for fear that it might be made mandatory on the Ummah in Ramadan, and they might not be able to do it. In the books of Bukhari and Muslim, 'Aishah (raa) has been reported as saying:
"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) observed Taraweeh prayer in the Masjid one night and people prayed with him. He repeated the following night and the number of participants grew. The companions congregated the third and fourth night, but the Messenger did not show up. In the morning he told them, "I saw what you did last night, but nothing prevented me from joining you except my fear that it might be made mandatory on you in Ramadan."
This Hadith is a clear indication that the Taraweeh in congregation was not an innovation of 'Umar, the second Khalifah, despite his saying to the contrary. For it has been related that: "Umar bin Al-Khattab attended the Masjid at night in Ramadan and saw people praying individually in every corner of the Masjid with a few in groups. He did not like the sight a bit. 'Umar said, `I thought it would be better to gather these under one Imam'. So, he combined them under 'Obayi bin Ka'ab and Tamimu Ad-Dari to alternate and lead the believers in eleven raka'ats of night prayer. The next day `Umar was in the Masjid which was full with Taraweeh prayers. He was delighted. He said: `Well, this is the best Bid'ah (innovation).'"
`Umar's use of the word bid'ah in this report has been presented and unjustifiably cited as justification for concocting up various so called good innovations. In truth, the Khalifah 'Umar's act to gather the believers in Jamaa’ah is not bid'ah. For it was the Messenger of Allah himself who started Jamaa’ah by praying in congregation the first and second day, then stopped only as he feared it would become mandatory? After his death, the fear of Taraweeh becoming mandatory (Fard) was not only remote, it was impossible. With the death of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), there will be no more revelation to change any law or rule by abrogation.
Number of Raka'ats in Taraweeh
As for the number of raka'ats in Taraweeh and Witr, the worthy ancestor, Salaf as-Saalih disagreed on the amount of Raka'ats. These numbers are mentioned for raka'ats: 39, 29, 23, 19, 13, and 11 raka'ats. Of all the numbers mentioned, none is sounder than 11 raka'ats. 'Aishah (raa) was asked how the prayer of the Prophet (SAW) was. She replied: "He did not pray in Ramadan or some other times more than eleven raka'ats." (Muslim/Bukhari)
However, there is nothing wrong with praying more than 11 raka'ats. Perhaps that is why different numbers are observed. The Prophet himself was asked about night prayer and he said: "It may be done in two raka'ats, and if anyone fears the appearance of morning, he should pray one Rak’ahs as a Witr for what he has already prayed." (Bukhari/Muslim)
As this Hadith indicates, if a person is to pray individually at night, by daybreak he would have prayed one hundred and one raka'ats, or more.
In their desire to pray more raka'ats, some people make Taraweeh in extreme speed. That is wrong, especially when the speed leads to a breach of certain rules of prayer. In that case, the prayer will not be valid. Similarly, it is undesirable for an Imam to pray with such speed whereby the followers will have difficulty observing the necessary deeds in Salat.
Neglecting Taraweeh
No one should neglect Taraweeh without a good reason, for it is part of physical and spiritual training, for its observation soon after Iftaar insures timely and proper digestion of food. Besides, there are spiritual rewards awaiting the observers of this prayer. No one would like to leave the Masjid before the prayer is over.
Everybody should attend the Masjid prayers, including women, provided they are properly covered. The Messenger of Allah said: "Prevent not the women servants of Allah, from going to the Masjid of Allah." However, when they attend the Masjid they should wear no perfume, nor raise their voices, and or show their beauty. Allah (SWT) states: "...they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof..." ( 24:31)
What ordinarily appears, refers to the outer garments, for when the Messenger (SAW) commanded women to attend Eid prayer, Umm 'Atiyah (raa) said: "O Messenger of Allah, some of us do not have the outer garment (jilbab). The Messenger of Allah told her to let a sister (who has more than one) gives her one to wear." (Agreed upon)
It is Sunnah that they pray behind the men in the rear lines. The Messenger has been reported as saying: "The best lines for men are the front lines and the worst lines for men are the rear lines. The best lines for women is the rear and the worst lines of women are the front line. (Muslim)
The women should leave the Masjid as soon as the Imam says: As-Salaamu 'Alaykum. They should not delay without a valid reason. In a Hadith by Umm Salmah, she said: "When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saluted to end prayer, the women would stand up to leave and the Messenger would remain in his place for a while." Umm Salmah (raa) said: Allah is the best knower, but perhaps the Messenger did that so women would leave before men could overtake them". (Bukhari)Muslims practice Sawm, or fasting, for the entire month of Ramadan. This means that they may eat or drink nothing, including water, while the sun is up as well as making a special effort to avoid sins. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam. As with other Islamic duties, all able Muslims take part in Sawm from about age twelve.