Didn’t the Shi’ah Imams Pray Tarawih ?

And during a part of the night, engage in the night prayer

Imam al-Baqir (‘a) and Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) were asked about the permissibility
of praying optional prayers in congregation during the nights of Ramadan. They
(Tahajjud) beyond what is incumbent on you; perhaps your
both narrated a tradition of the Prophet (s) where he said: Lord will raise you to a position of great glory. (17:79)
 “Verily, the offering of nafila (recommended prayers) in congregation
during the nights of Ramadan is an INNOVATION… O people! do not say Prophet Muhammad (s) said regarding the month of Ramadan:
nafila prayers of Ramadan in congregation…. Without doubt, performing a “Whoever establishes the night prayer (Qiyam al-Layl) in it out of sincere
minor act of worship which is according to the sunna is better than Faith and hope for reward from Allah, all of his previous sins will be
performing a major act of worship which is an innovation.” forgiven.”
[al-Hurr al-`Amili, Wasa’il al-Shi`ah, volume 8, page 45] [Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 3, book 32, number 226]
This view of the Imams from the Prophet’s progeny is confirmed by a scholar
well-known amongst the Ahl al-Sunnah who writes:
 “The progeny of the Prophet (s) say that congregation in Tarawih is an
INNOVATION”.
[al-Shawkani, Nayl al-Awtar, volume 3, page 50]

What do Sunni scholars say about praying

Tarawih at home ?
Why do the
“The scholars agree on its merit, but they differ on whether it is better to pray
it in one’s home individually or in congregation in a mosque.” Al-Nawawi, the
famous commentator of Sahih Muslim, then goes on to list scholars who support
Shi’ah avoid
the second and dominant view. He then writes: “Malik, Abu Yusuf, some
Shafi’i scholars, and others say that it is better to pray it individually in the
home”.
Tarawih
[al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, volume 6, page 286]

Conclusion
congregations?
The Shi’ah always aspire to pray the night prayer – called the Tahajjud or
Qiyam al-Layl or Salat al-Layl – in the last part of the nights of every month,
particularly during Ramadan. They are also commended to offer additional
nawafil prayers during the nights of Ramadan. However, they offer these
optional prayers mostly in their homes and never in congregation. By doing so The Ahl al-Sunnah generally consider it a sunnah to offer
they abide by the Qur’an and the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (s).
specific evening prayers – the Tarawih – in congregation
To find out more about authentic Islam, visit: during the holy month of Ramadan. The Shi’ah, while being
commended to offer similar nawafil (recommended prayers),
http://al-islam.org/faq/ are not allowed to offer them in congregation. This practice of
v1.0 the Shi’ah is in accordance with the orders and sunnah of the
 Prophet (s).
Brothers and sisters from the Ahl al-Sunnah come together in Tarawih
congregations during the early evenings of the month of Ramadan. They stand
in prayer and recite the Qur’an, and may Allah (swt) reward them for their
sincere intentions and actions. However, the word Tarawih was never
mentioned by the Qur’an or the Prophet (s) to describe these extra
congregational prayers during the evenings of the month of
Ramadan. It is a term developed later amongst Muslims. Linguistically, the
word “Tarawih” is the plural of the word ‘tarwiha’ referring to the short period
of rest between every four units of the prayer. Later, the entire congregational
prayers in the nights of Ramadan were called by this term.
Origins of Tarawih as a Congregational Prayer
It is a well-established fact that the Tarawih, as a congregational night prayer of
Ramadan, owes its existence to the order of the second caliph, ‘Umar b. al-
Khattab.
 Narrated Abu Hurayra: Allah's Apostle said, “Whoever prayed at night the
whole month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from
Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” Ibn Shihab (a sub-
narrator) said, “When Allah's Apostle died, the people continued observing
that (i.e. Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation), and it
remained as such during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and in the early days of
‘Umar's Caliphate.” ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Abdul Qari said, “I went out in the
company of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and
found the people praying in different groups – a man praying alone or a man
praying with a little group behind him. Then, ‘Umar said, ‘ In my opinion I
would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (reciter)
[i.e. let them pray in congregation!]'. So, he made up his mind to congregate
them behind Ubayy bin Ka’b. Then, on another night, I went again in his
company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, ‘Umar
remarked, 'What an excellent BID'A (INNOVATION in religion) this is;
but the prayer which they do not perform, but rather sleep at its time, is
better than the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last part of
the night."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 3, book 32, number 227]
 “It was called BID’AH because the Prophet (s) did not use to pray it in
congregation, and neither was it prayed like that in the time of al-Siddiq
(referring to the first Caliph), nor in the early part of night or with these
number of units.”
[al-Qastallani, Irshad al-Sari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 5, page 4]
[al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, volume 6, page 287]
 “‘Umar was the first who set the example of the night prayer of Ramadan,
the Tarawih, and gathered people for it, and instructed different regions
regarding it. This was during the month of Ramadhan of the year 14 (hijri).
He appointed for the people reciters of the Qur’an who led the Tarawih
prayer for men and women.”
[Ibn Sa’d, Kitab al-Tabaqat, volume 3, page 281]
[al-Suyuti, Tarikh al-Khulafa', page 137]
[al-‘Ayni, ‘Umdat al-Qari fi Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 6, page 125]
Congregation in Mosque or Individually at
Home?
Offering the optional prayers individually inside the home and away from
congregation in mosque is highly recommended by the Prophet (s) as it brings
more blessings for the home and family and helps in the Islamic upbringing of
children.
The Prophet (s) said: “O people! Perform your prayers at your homes, for the
best prayer of a person is what he performs at his home, except the
compulsory (congregational) prayer."
[Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 9, book 92, number 393]
[al-Nasa’i, Sunan, volume 3, p. 161, p. 198]
 Once Abdullah bin Mas’ud asked the Prophet (s): “Which is better; to pray
in my house or in the mosque?” The Prophet (s) replied: “Do you not see
how near to the mosque my house is? To pray in my house is more
beloved to me than to pray in the mosque except for the
obligatory prayers.”
[Ibn Majah, Sunan, volume 1, page 439, number 1378]
Narrated Zayd bin Thabit: Allah's Apostle (s) made a small room (with a palm
leaf mat). He (s) came out (of his house) and prayed in it. Some men came and
joined him in his prayer. Then again the next night they came for the prayer, but
the Prophet (s) delayed and did not come out to them. So they raised their voices
and knocked the door with small stones (to draw his attention). He came out
to them in a state of anger, saying, “You are still insisting (on your deed)
that I fear this prayer might become obligatory on you. So, O you people!
offer this prayer at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is the
 one which he offers at home, except the compulsory (congregational)
prayer.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 8, book 73, number 134]
The following article was published in the community News & Views of
January 1996. It has since been circulated almost every year during the month
of Ramadhan.
I ask you all to have the following perspective in view when reading this
article.
(1) In the US University and college campuses MSA's are very active. Every
MSA becomes even more active during the holy month of Ramadhan. All
Muslim students come together at Iftar time and break their fast together as a
group. It gives a great sense of solidarity among Muslim students in the
American and European campuses. However, soon after the Isha prayers, the
group separates. The Sunni students regroup for the TRAWEEH prayers
while the Shia students go back to their dorms. It is natural for those Sunnis
who have never come in contact with the Shia Muslims to ask the Shia as to
why don't they participate in the TRAWEEH prayers. This article gives a very
brief but comprehensive answer to that basic question.
(2) I ask my Sunni brothers not to take this article trying to demean their
FIQH, Not at all. This is just an effort to explain a basic difference between
the groups. It is a FIQHI difference not a difference in basic faith. I believe
that not all Sunnis will one day become Shia neither will all Shia become
Sunnis. The differences are their and they will last. However, let us try to
understand each other and work and live with each other by being a little
more tolerant towards each other by accepting what we are without labeling
any one as KAFIR or FASIQ.
(3) Having said all that, let me add this post-script. Lately some Sunni
institutions have tried to show (falsely) that mention has been made about
TARAWEEH in the Hadith literature. However noble that effort may be
towards legitimizing something which is a bidah (whether you call it bidaht-
e-Hasan or not), it is baseless. There is a Hadith in Bukhari (and in other
books too) that the Prophet of Islam (SAW) did special NAFL prayers in the
middle of the night. The Arabic term used here in the HADITH is FI JAWF-
IL-LAYL. The exact translation of this term in the English language is IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Some Sunni writers have tried to prove that
this Hadith is actually about TARAWEEH. Nothing could be further from the
truth. This Hadith is about NAMAZ-E-SHAB also known as TAHAJJUD. It
is this prayer which is eleven Rakat that is done in the middle of the night. It
is not specific to Ramadhan. It is done or can be done all year round. And
TARAWEEH is not done in the Middle of the Night; it is done after Isha
before the midnight sets in.
Community News & Views Vol.4 No.9 January 1996 ISSN 1067 5523
ALL ABOUT TARAWEEH:
A great majority of our Sunni brothers perform the Taraweeh Salat every
evening after Isha prayer during the month of Ramadhan. We, the Shia
Muslims don't. Many of the Sunni brothers do not know that (according to
their own ulema) Taraweeh is Mustahab, but the great majority of them
perform it as if it was as Wajib as the Ramadhan fasting itself.
In 1983 when I was in Saudi Arabia, a Saudi scholar, answering a question in
the local English newspaper, gave the following details of how this special
prayer was introduced in Islam.
Soon after the death of Hazrat Abu Bakr in the 13th year of Hijra, Hazrat
Umar took control of the Islamic State as the second Khaleefa. In the
Ramadhan of 14 Hijra, while he was going round the streets of Madinah, he
noticed people performing supererogatory prayers (Nafl) here and there, a
few of them in various places. A bright idea dawned upon him. He decided to
bring all the Muslims together in a congregation and commanded them to
recite one thirtieth of the Holy Quran every night. This way, the entire Holy
Quran was recited by each and every Muslim man at least once in the month
of Ramadhan. A few days later, as he was going round again, he saw the
various congregations and was very pleased. He is reported to have said at
the sight: O! What a beautiful bidah (innovation) I have established.
The Saudi scholar writing this did not mention his source references. But we
have confirmed that the establishment of Taraweeh Salat was done by Hazrat
Umar ibn Khattab in the 14th year of Hijra as stated in "Tareekh-ul-Khulafa"
by Jalal-uddeen Suyooti (d. 911 Hijra) and Murooj-uz Zahab by Masoodi
(d.346 Hijra).
Of course, there are some slight differences between various Sunni sects in
how this special prayer is performed. The Hanafi do Twenty Rakat every
night, and after the recital of sura Al-Hamd, nearly one-twentieth of each Juz
is recited. The others perform eight rakat of prayer every night and in each
one nearly one eighth of a Juz is recited. The end result is that one full Juz of
the Holy Quran is recited every night.
Although I have not seen this anywhere in writing, but I have a feeling that it
was because of Taraweeh that the Holy Quran, which was compiled by our
Holy Prophet (SAW) into verses (Ayat) and chapters (Suras), was divided
into 30 equal parts and each section named a Juz (Para in Farsi).
As I said earlier, we the Shia do not do this prayer although we are supposed
to perform an extra 1000 Rakat of supererogatory salat during the month of
Ramadhan (as prescribed in Mafateeh-ul-Jinan and other books) and we also
recite Holy Quran at least once over.
Our rejection of Taraweeh is not out of spite. We do not do it for two reasons;
one is purely jurisprudential (Fiqhee) and the other logical (Aqlee).
(1) All our religious teaching is either taken from the Holy Quran or from the
Ahlul-Bayt (peace be unto them all). Hazrat Umar's (or anybody else's for
that matter) statements and acts have no value for us in matters of worship or
law. Taraweeh is not mentioned in the Holy Quran. It was not done by the
Holy Prophet (SAW) in his lifetime and it was never done by any of our
Imams neither did they ever speak about it.
(2) When the Prophet of Islam (SAW) compiled the Holy Quran as we see it
today, he (SAW) also made statements giving the attributes of each chapter
(sura). In this, he gave details about which verses and suras should be recited
as part of salat. Some are recited in pairs like al-Feel (ch. 105) and Quraysh
(ch. 106). Only those suras are supposed to be recited in salat which express
Allah's Power and Majesty etc. It is quite obvious that some verses are not
meant to be recited in salat, like those describing the laws of divorce and
menstruation. Although we do not understand Arabic, those who do will
agree that every verse cannot be recited in salat. So, we do recite the entire
Holy Quran in the month of Ramadhan and we do perform supererogatory
prayers but not as Taraweeh.
By: Syed-Mohsin Naquvi