Coming late to the tarawih prayer  

Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed

Question:

If one comes late to the tarawih prayer, what should he do? Should he pray the obligatory `isha prayer with them, completing two rak`ahs after having prayed two with them? Or should he pray the obligatory `isha alone, or with a group of other people who are late and then join the group? In both cases, he won’t be able to pray the witr with them, so how should he pray that?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

It is best that he not pray [s. the obligatory isha] behind the group, but rather pray that with other people in a group. Praying an obligatory prayer behind one praying a supererogatory prayer is khilaf al-awla (slightly disliked) in our school, and some have said that it is makruh. As for the witr prayer in Ramadan, it is best that one prays it in a group, so if one can make it, one should do so, and if not, then one should pray it alone.

Amjad Rasheed

[Translated by Sr. Shazia Ahmad]

 

السؤال : اذا جاء متأخراً إلى صلاة التراويح وهم يصلون ماذا يفعل ، هل يصلي الفرض مقتديا بالامام فيقوم بعد الاثنين ويتم الأربعة ، أو يصلي الفرض منفرداً في جماعة مع آخرين متأخرين , ثم يدرك الجماعة . ففي الحالتين لن يدرك صلاة الوتر معهم , فكيف يصلي الوتر؟ الجواب : الأفضل أن لا تقتدي بمن يصلي التراويح بل تصلي مع جماعة أخرى تصلي العشاء؛ إذ اقتداءُ مَن يصلي الفرضَ بمن يصلي النفلَ خلافُ الأولى عندنا وقيل مكروه . أما صلاةُ الوتر في رمضان فالأفضلُ فعلُها في جماعة فإن حصَّلتها فذاك وإلا فصلِّها منفردا .

 

MMVIII © SunniPath.
All rights reserved
No part of this article may be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission, please submit a request at our Helpdesk.

Now What?

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Knowledge is only through study." While some knowledge can be gained from reading or casually listening to lectures, the best means to gain knowledge is through finding a qualified teacher and then setting up a systematic program of learning. Picking up a book or reading an article and trying to figure things out on our own is no substitute for learning from someone who has a direct link to our living tradition.

Through joining an online class at SunniPath Academy, you can benefit from convenient, online courses that will give you access to reliable scholars and our popular curriculum learning tracks. Knowledge gained in these courses will both build your iman and assist you in putting into practice what you learn. Don't give yourself less than you deserve, register today.

Related Links:

  1. Why you'll love our courses
  2. How SunniPath courses work (video)
  3. What our students say
  4. Our current available courses
Donate Now
Academic Calendar?
Feb 5 Spring Late Registration Ends
March 16 Summer Registration Begins
April 23 Summer Financial Aid Deadline
April 25 Spring Semester Ends
May 11 Summer Semester Begins
May 28 Late Registration Ends
View entire academic calendar

Featured Courses