Praying Tarawih in Congregation After Having Missed Isha in Congregation

What is the ruling regarding tarawih rakats if you miss the Fard Salat in congregation in Ramadan? If you pray the fard (+2 sunnah) alone (i.e. you missed the Jamat completely) and then join the tarawih with Jamat is this ok?

In the name of Allah, ar-Rahman, ar-Raheem and may His abundant blessings be showered on the Best of Creation, His Beloved Messenger Muhammad, his family, companions, and followers.

The correct opinion in the Hanafi school regarding ‘taraweeh’ for a late-comer who missed the congregational Isha prayer is to join in with the taraweeh upon offering the ‘fard’ individually.

Part of the validity of the taraweeh congregation is that it should be preceded by a congregational Isha’ prayer. If no congregation was established in a given masjid for the Isha’ prayer, then it would be impermissible for a group of people to establish a congregation for the ‘taraweeh’ prayer.

This does not apply to the individual who comes in late and misses the jamaat; he is simply joining in on a prayer (taraweeh), which is permissible and valid. [Ibn Abideen, Radd al-Muhtar  vol. 2 page 48]

And Allah knows best.

Yusuf Mullan

[Mufti Yusuf Mullan is Director of the Toronto Shariah Program (www.shariahprogram.ca). After long years of study, he completed the specialization in fiqh & legal verdicts (ifta') under top scholars such as Shaykh Taqi Usmani Shaykh Mahmud Usmani.]

 

 أَمَّا لَوْ صَلَّيْت بِجَمَاعَةِ الْفَرْضِ وَكَانَ رَجُلٌ قَدْ صَلَّى الْفَرْضَ وَحْدَهُ فَلَهُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَهَا مَعَ ذَلِكَ الْإِمَامِ لِأَنَّ جَمَاعَتَهُمْ مَشْرُوعَةٌ فَلَهُ الدُّخُولُ فِيهَا مَعَهُمْ لِعَدَمِ الْمَحْذُورِ ، هَذَا مَا ظَهَرَ لِي فِي وَجْهِهِ ، وَبِهِ ظَهَرَ أَنَّ التَّعْلِيلَ الْمَذْكُورَ لَا يَشْمَلُ الْمُصَلِّيَ وَحْدَهُ ، فَظَهَرَ صِحَّةُ التَّفْرِيعِ بِقَوْلِهِ فَمُصَلِّيهِ وَحْدَهُ إلَخْ فَافْهَمْ