Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
If one owes prayers from previous years, can they still pray tarawih prayers in Ramadan? I realize that fard prayers take priority over sunnahs, but my local masjid brings in a hafidh from Libya whose recitation I adore and which uplifts me and gives me Himma to pray 20 rakat even after a day of fasting.
I know if I stay home, I’ll give into my fatigue and fall asleep, thus not praying any raka’a, but if I go to the Masjid, hearing the recitation of this or even other Qari’s, as well as seeing the other sisters there increases my himma.
I’ve heard that (perhaps in the Shafi’i school, but maybe in the hanafi school) that one can pray behind an imam with the intention of making up a prayer…i.e. for every 2 rakat’s I pray behind him (for a total of 20), I could make the intention of qada’a fajr prayers from previous years.
Walaikum assalam,
Summary:
- You cannot leave tarawih even with makeup prayers;
- You can pray it in the masjid, as long as it does not lead to non-performance of your makeups;
- You cannot pray an obligatory prayer behind an imam praying a different obligatory prayer or a lesser prayer, such as a sunna prayer (e.g. tarawih) or supererogatory prayer.
Explanation:
The tarawih prayer is a confirmed sunna. All 20 rakats are a confirmed sunna according to the overwhelming majority of early and late fuqaha, including the four sunni schools of law.
The ruling of leaving a confirmed sunna is that it is disliked and blameworthy (though less than prohibitively disliked) if left even once without a reasonable excuse. It is sinful to make it a habit to leave confirmed sunnas. [As explained by Imam Ibn Abidin in his Radd al-Muhtar and by Imam al-Lakhnawi in his Tuhftat al-Abrar fi Ihya’ Sunnat Sayyid al-Abrar]
In the Hanafi school, one is still expected to pray one’s confirmed sunna prayers even if one has makeups to do, for past mistakes does not excuse one from current duties. Note, however, that praying tarawih in the masjid is recommended (for men), not a confirmed sunna, so if busy, one may pray 20 short rakats and fulfill the sunna.
If one has makeups, one should pray one’s tarawih in a way that does not vitiate one’s ability to perform one’s makeup prayers, which would depend on one’s free time and resolve.
The Hanafis are very serious about the sunna, for Allah commanded us to follow the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). And he said, “None of you (truly) believes until his inclinations correspond to that which I have come with.”
It is not valid to perform makeups behind the imam, because it is a condition for the validity of the prayer that one be praying the same prayer (e.g. the current performance of Asr) or a lesser prayer (such a supererogatory prayer behind an imam praying the obligatory prayer). It is not valid to pray a similar prayer (e.g. a makeup of Asr behind an imam praying the current performance of Asr or even a different makeup of Asr). It is also not valid to pray a stronger prayer (such as praying an obligatory prayer behind one praying a sunna, such as tarawih). [cf: Radd al-Muhtar by Ibn Abidin]
Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani.