Tarawih In The Nights Of Ramadan

"EVERY innovation is misguidance, even if the people consider it to be SOMETHING GOOD."Sunni world practice Taraweeh each and every night of Ramadan in expectation of reward from Allah, the Almighty. They gather in the local mosque in bulk to perform this Salah after the Isha Prayer.There is no proof from the Qur'an in support of this type of prayer. Moreover the Hadith defined this way of prayer AN INNOVATION (A BIDAH) :Narrated Abu Hurayra: Allah's Apostle said,"Whoever prayed at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping for reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven".Ibn Shihab ( a subnarrator) 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 founf the people praying in different groups- a man praying alone or a man praying with a lottle 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". - Sahi al bukhari, volume 3, book 32 number 227"IT WAS CALLED BID'AH BECAUSE THE PROPHET (SAW) DID NOT USE TO PRAY IT IN CONGREGATION, AND NEITHER WAS IT PRAYED LIKE THAT IN THE TIME OF AL-SIDDIQ, NOR IN THE EARLY PART OF NIGHT OR WITH THESE NUMBER OF UNITS." - al-Qastallani, Irshad al-sari sharh sahi al bukhari, volume 5, page 4 & al-Nawawi, Sharh sahih Muslim, volume 6, page 287

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