Must Tarawih Prayers Be Performed Immediately After Isha Prayers?
As a form of worship that can only be found in the month of Ramadan, many Muslims compete to perform Tarawih prayers in the mosque after Isha prayers. However, many may be curious about the question of whether Tarawih prayers must be performed immediately after Isha prayers?
It should be noted that there is a difference between Tarawih prayers and Isha prayers. As we know, Isha prayers are obligatory (fardhu) for all Muslims. On the other hand, Tarawih prayers are sunnah (recommended) prayers.
As explained in the book ‘Panduan Sholat Rosulullah 2’ by Imam Abu Wafa, Tarawih prayers are highly recommended (sunnah muakkad). This means that Muslims are strongly encouraged to perform them, but it is not an obligation. Moreover, Tarawih prayers must be performed after Isha prayers. However, must they be performed immediately after Isha prayers? The answer can be found below.
Key points:
The majority of scholars agree that Tarawih prayers are performed after Isha prayers and end before dawn (the beginning of Subuh prayer). It is not obligatory to perform them immediately after Isha, but they can be performed until the end of the night.
Based on the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah and Aisyah in Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged performing qiyam Ramadan (night prayers) without making it obligatory.
Tarawih prayers can be performed in congregation (with an imam and followers) or individually (munfarid), two rak’ahs at a time, and can be performed before the Witir prayer as long as it is within the time frame of Ramadan night.
Timing of Tarawih Prayers According to Islamic Sharia
In fact, there is no hadith or verse in the Quran that explicitly states that Tarawih prayers must be performed immediately after Isha prayers. However, a hadith describes it as a highly recommended act of worship that carries great reward, but it is not an obligation. Still quoting from the same book, Abu Hurairah r.a. narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to encourage people to perform qiyam Ramadan without ordering them to do so. He said: ‘Whoever performs qiyam Ramadan with faith and sincerity, Allah will forgive his past sins.’”
In another hadith, it is also explained that Tarawih prayers are not obligatory. As Aisyah r.a. said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prayed one night in the mosque, and some people followed him in prayer. Then, he prayed again the following night, and more people came. Then, they gathered on the third or fourth night, but the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not come out to them. When it was morning, he said: ‘I saw what you did, and I did not prevent you from coming out except that I feared that it would be made obligatory for you.’ And this was in Ramadan.”
Furthermore, in the book ‘Rahasia Puasa Menurut 4 Mazhab’ by DR Thâriq Muhammad Suwaidân, the majority of scholars agree that Tarawih prayers are performed after Isha prayers. Some also believe that the best time to perform them is in the last third of the night.
Similarly, in the book ‘Kitab Shalat Empat Mazhab’ by Syeikh Abdurrahman Al-Jaziri, it is explained that the time for performing Tarawih prayers begins after Isha, even if it is combined with Maghrib prayers. The end time is after dawn. In fact, Tarawih prayers can be performed before the Witir prayer. This means that within the time frame after Isha prayers until before dawn, Muslims can still perform Tarawih prayers. Moreover, there is no obligation to perform Tarawih prayers immediately after Isha prayers.
However, if Muslims perform Tarawih prayers immediately after Isha prayers, it is still a good deed. And Allah knows best.
What is the latest time to perform Tarawih prayers?
After understanding the timing of Tarawih prayers, it is also important to understand the latest time to perform them. As mentioned earlier, Tarawih prayers must be performed after Isha prayers.
Regarding the latest time, some scholars believe that it is before dawn. This is because when dawn has arrived, it marks the time for Subuh prayers. As explained in the book ‘Fikih Salat Sunah’ by Ali Musthafa Siregar, et al., the latest time for Tarawih prayers is before the beginning of Subuh prayers. However, there is no hadith that explicitly states the latest time for performing Tarawih prayers.
Similarly, in the book ’Fiki