Please can you advise the ruling around taraweeh unfortunately at our masjid and many other masjids during taraweeh people leave at various times and the main jamat hall has many spaces however there are still people praying in side rooms, corridors, upstairs and various other places with large gaps between them and the main congregration. Is their salah in congregation valid or is it incumbent for them to move into the main prayer hall. Secondly after 8 or 12 rakats many people leave the congrgration and this also leaves large gaps if ia person has already started his Salah and people leave In front or on the side should the person move safs or sideways whilst reading Salat or wait until the two rakats have finished. There is also a video circulating around the fact that regardless of weather you feel taraweeh Ismail 8 or 20 if you pray behind a 20 Rakat Imam then it is incumbent on the person to start and finish with the imam. Lastly we seem to be seeing a growth of people copycat the 8 rakah ideology and I often feel this is to do with laziness as the people that really want to read 8 would go to a 8 rakah taraweeh rather then leaving inbetween a 20 rakat taraweeh. To combat this is it possible that a 20 Rokat tarawehh could make the first 8 very long and then make the last 12 short thus discouraging the 8 rakat individuals.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Hereunder are the responses to your queries:
- Leaving gaps in a congregational prayer is a blameworthy practice that should be completely avoided. The Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, “Do not leave gaps for the devil”.[i] The responsible brothers of every masjid should ensure that no gaps are left when salāh is being performed in a congregation. Nevertheless, large gaps between the congregants and the main body of the prayer doesn’t necessarily invalidate the prayers of the distant congregants.
- If a congregant is praying in the second floor even though there is space in the main prayer hall, the congregant’s prayer will be valid.[ii]
- The same applies for the congregants in the side rooms and corridors.[iii]
- Validity doesn’t always mean preferability. These congregants should be advised to fill the empty spaces in the main prayer room.
- The congregant should move forward or sideways to close the gaps. After every step, the congregant should pause. The steps should not occur in quick succession.[iv]
- The hadith in reference is as follows:
مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كُتِبَ لَهُ قِيَامُ لَيْلَة
The Prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said, “Whosoever stands with the Imām until he departs, (the reward of) praying the entire night will be recorded for him”.[v]
It is not incumbent to stay with the Imām till the end of the prayers notwithstanding the substantial virtues.[vi]
- The Tarāwīh prayer consisting of twenty rak’ah is a highly emphasized sunnah.[vii] We must try to fulfill this sunnah to the best of our abilities and we should exhort others to practice on this sunnah as well. This does not require extreme measures to be adopted. An increased recital in the first eight rak’ah may cause some undesired consequences, such as complete abandonment of the prayers. We recommend the responsible members of your masjid to periodically hold programs discussing the virtues and importance of completing the full Tarāwīh prayers.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Tahmid Chowdhury
Student Darul Iftaa
New York, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
حاشية الطحطاوي (١/٣٩٧)
قال البزازي: المسجد و إن كبر لا يمنع الفاصل فيه
الفتاوى الهندية (1/ 88)
ولو قام على سطح المسجد واقتدى بإمام في المسجد إن كان للسطح باب في المسجد ولا يشتبه عليه حال الإمام يصح الاقتداء وإن اشتبه عليه حال الإمام لا يصح كذا في فتاوى قاضي خان وإن لم يكن له باب في المسجد لكن لا يشتبه عليه حال الإمام صح الاقتداء أيضا
فتاوى محمودية (٩/٥٠٤)
أحسن الفتاوى (٣/٣٠٦-٣٠٩)
المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني (1/ 418)
فناء المسجد له حكم المسجد حتى لو قام في فناء المسجد، واقتدى بالإمام صح اقتداؤه، وإن لم تكن الصفوف متصلة
ولا المسجد ملأناً……….. فعلى هذا يصح الاقتداء لمن قام على الدكان الذي يكون على باب المسجد؛ لأنها من فناء المسجد متصلة بالمسجد
غنية المتملي ٦١٤
الفناء هو المكان المتصل به ليس بينه و بين طريق
فتاوى محمودية (٩/٥٠١-٥٠٢)
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (1/ 627)
[فروع]
مشى مستقبل القبلة هل تفسد إن قدر صف ثم وقف قدر ركن ثم مشى ووقف كذلك وهكذا لا تفسد، وإن كثر ما لم يختلف المكان، وقيل لا تفسد حالة العذر ما لم يستدبر القبلة استحسانا ذكره القهستاني
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (1/ 628)
وقال في هذا الباب: والذي يظهر أن الكثير الغير المتلاحق غير مفسد ولا مكروه إذا كانا لعذر مطلقا. اهـ.
تحفة الفقهاء (1/ 144)
وَإِن مَشى حَتَّى اتَّصل بالصف يكره لِأَن الْمَشْي يُنَافِي الصَّلَاة حَتَّى قَالَ مَشَايِخنَا إِن مَشى خطْوَة خطْوَة لَا تفْسد صلَاته وَإِن مَشى خطوتين أَو أَكثر تفْسد صلَاته
رواه أبو داوود و الترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه
عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري (7/ 177)
(قلت) هُوَ مَذْهَب أَصْحَابنَا الْحَنَفِيَّة وَقَالَ صَاحب الْهِدَايَة يسْتَحبّ أَن يجْتَمع النَّاس فِي شهر رَمَضَان بعد الْعشَاء فَيصَلي بهم إمَامهمْ خمس ترويحات ثمَّ قَالَ وَالسّنة فِيهَا الْجَمَاعَة لَكِن على وَجه الْكِفَايَة حَتَّى لَو امْتنع أهل الْمَسْجِد من إِقَامَتهَا كَانُوا مسيئين وَلَو أَقَامَهَا الْبَعْض فالمتخلف عَن الْجَمَاعَة تَارِك للفضيلة لأن أفراد الصحابة روي عنهم التخلّف