Madarij al-Salikeen, 4/215.
]]> http://uncoveredtreasures.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/even-if-it-is-painful/feed/ 0 uncoveredtreasures http://uncoveredtreasures.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/how-a-pearl-develops/ http://uncoveredtreasures.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/how-a-pearl-develops/#comments Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:44:12 +0000 uncoveredtreasures http://uncoveredtreasures.wordpress.com/?p=1945 ]]> How a Pearl Develops..

When news of the Christian army that had prepared on the horizons to wipe out Islam reached Abu Qudaamah Ash-Shaamee, he moved quickly to the mimbar of the masjid. In a powerful and emotional speech, Abu Qudaamah ignited the desire of the community to defend their land – jihaad for the sake of Allah. As he left the masjid, walking down a dark and secluded alley, a woman stopped him and said, “As salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullaah!” Abu Qudaamah stopped and did not answer. She repeated her salam again, adding “this is not how pious people should act.” She stepped forward from the shadows. “I heard you in the masjid encouraging the believers to go for jihaad and all I have is this…” She handed him two long braids. “It can be used for a horse rein. Perhaps Allah may write me as one of those who went for jihaad.”

The next day as that Muslim village set out to confront the crusader army, a young boy ran through the gathering and stood at the hooves of Abu Qudaamah’s horse. “I ask you by Allah to allow me to join the army.”

Some of the elder fighters laughed at the boy. “The horses will trample you,” they said.

But Abu Qudaamah looked down into his eyes as he asked again, “I ask you by Allah, let me join.”

Abu Qudaamah then said, “On one condition; if you are killed you will take me with you to Jannah amongst those you will be allowed to intercede for.”

That young boy smiled. “It’s a promise.”

When the two armies met and the fighting intensified, the young boy on the back of Abu Qudaamah’s horse asked, “I ask you by Allah to give me 3 arrows.”

“You’ll lose them,” said Abu Qudaamah.

The boy repeated, “I ask you by Allah to give me them.”

Abu Qudaamah gave him the arrows and the boy took aim. “Bismillah!” The arrow flew and killed a Roman. “Bismillah!” The second arrow flew, killing a second Roman. “Bismillah!” The third arrow flew, killing a third Roman. An arrow then struck the boy in the chest, knocking him off the horse. Abu Qudaamah jumped down to his side, reminding the boy in his final breaths, “Don’t forget the promise!”

The boy reached into his pocket, extracted a pouch and said, “Please return this to my mother.”

“Who’s your mother?” asked Abu Qudaamah.

“The women that gave you the braids yesterday.”

Think about this Muslimah. How did she reach this level of taqwa where she would sacrifice her hair and her son? Indeed, she spent her life in the obedience of Allah, and when exam time came, she passed. Not only did she pass herself, but her children shone with that same beauty of eman; children that she herself raised.

Most often the lectures, khutbahs, and talks are all directed to the Muslim men. We forget that from the hady (guidance and way) of RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam was that he would allocate a specific day of the week to teach the women. Women would come up to him in Hajj, in the street, and even in his home to ask him questions about the deen. At the Eid salah, after addressing the men, he would take Bilal and go to the women’s section and address the women. Allah revealed an entire surah by the name of An-Nisaa’ (The Women), another by the name of Maryam (Mary), and yet another by the name of Al-Mujaadalah (The Woman Who Pleads). It is in enlivening this Sunnah that today this speech shall be addressed to the believing women – al-mu’minaat.

Dear sister, dear mother, and dear daughter, everyone is looking for happiness and fun, and I am sure that you are not excluded. Where is that happiness and fun though? And where and when do you want that happiness? Do you want to have ‘fun’ in this life at the expense of the hereafter? Or is it in the hereafter, when you meet Allah, that you want to be happy?

Everywhere you go you shall find a swarm of people, media, and culture swearing to you that happiness is the happiness of the dunya. Is it really happiness though? On the Day of Repayment, Allah shall take the most ‘happiest’ kafir of the dunya and dip him in Jahannam (Hellfire). Then He shall ask him, “Have you ever seen any happiness?” The Kafir will say, “Never!”

Nay, the happiness is only the happiness of the hereafter no matter what happens in this dunya. Allah shall bring on the Day of Repayment the most tested human and dip him in Jannah (Paradise). He shall then ask him, “Have you ever seen sadness?” And that person shall say, “Never!”

And don’t think that this happiness and fun is exclusive to the Hereafter. It is very much tied to this life as well. Listen and understand the words of Allah:

Dear sister, you have to understand that you or anyone may enter Hellfire. By Allah, we are not better than Fatimah, the daughter of Rasul Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam. And he said to her, “O Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, ssk me whatever you wish from my wealth, for I shall avail you nothing to Allah.” Meaning that it doesn’t matter if you’re my daughter; if you don’t work for Jannah, saying to Allah that my father is so and so will not help you in any way.

Islam is filled with many mu’minahs who completed their taqwa of Allah. When the other girls put up posters of kafir singers, athletes and actresses, you should put up posters in your heart of Fatimah and many other mu’minahs.

One of these women was Aasiyah, the wife of Fir’own. Her eman in Allah thrived under the shadow of someone who said, “I am your Lord, Most High!” When news reached Fir’own of his wife’s eman, he beat her and commanded his guards to beat her. They took her out in the scalding noon heat, tied her hands and feet, and beat her perpetually. Who did she turn to? She turned to Allah! She prayed, “My Lord, build for me a home with you in Paradise, save me from Fir’own and his deeds, and save me from the transgressive people.”

It was narrated that when she said this, the sky opened for her and she saw her home in Paradise. She smiled. The guards watched astonished – she’s being tortured and she smiles? Frustrated, Fir’own commanded a boulder to be brought and dropped on Aasiyah to crush her to death. But Allah took her soul before the boulder was brought and she became an example for all the believing men and women till the end of time:

When we talk about jihaad and shuhadaa’ (martyrs), do you know who the first Muslim in Islam to be killed in the path of Allah was? It was Summayah, the mother of Ammar. When Abu Jahl heard of her, her husband Yaasir, and her son Ammar’s Islam, he whipped them all and beat them, so much so, that RasulAllah would pass by them as they went through this test of their eman and would say to them, “Be patient, O Jannah!”

One day, as Abu Jahl beat Sumayyah, she refused to recant her deen; something that enraged Abu Jahl. He took a spear as she lay on the burning sand looking up to the sky, and he speared through her midsection. She was the first of her family and the entire ummah to meet Allah as a martyr.

Dear sister, our role models come from the Qur’an. You may have heard the story of the boy and the king. When the entire village became Muslim by the death of that young boy, the king ordered that an enormous fire be kindled and all those who would not recant their religion be burned alive. A mu’minah, stood with her baby over the fire. She looked at her baby, and seeking her child’s weakness and innocence, she considered turning her back. The baby said to her, “What are you waiting for mother. Go forward, for you are on the truth!” She nodded. Then, with her baby in hand, she was pushed to her death.

And dear sister, your role models can also come to you from today. As her son tells us, a senior woman in a Muslim land decided that all the vanity that normally happens in the gatherings of women was not for her. She turned to salah and praying at night, and in her old age, she found herself calling to her son one night from her prayer room. He son says, “I came in and she was in sajdah saying that she was paralyzed!” Her son took her to the doctors and she began a cycle of rehabilitation, but there was little hope. She then commanded her son to take her back home, back to her prayer room, back to that sajdah. As she prayed to Allah in her sajdah, the night came and she again called to her son. “Astawdi’ukallaah alladhee laa yadee’u wa daa’i'uh,” which means, “I leave you in the trust of Allah, and whenever something is left in Allah’s trust it is never lost.” She passed away in her sajdah. Her muscles froze in that position and so they had to wash her body as she was in sajdah. They prayed janazah for her as her body was in sajdah. They carried her to the graveyard as her body was in sajdah. They buried her as she was in sajdah. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said that we shall all be resurrected on what we died on; she shall be resurrected on the day of Judgment in sajdah to Allah – jalla jalaaluhu wa taqaddasat asmaa’uhu – because that it how she lived and died.

There are many other stories that we know about of powerful believing mothers, wives and sisters, and many that Allah only knows about. Whenever a halaqah is going on, the Muslim women outnumber the men. Go to an Islamic teachers or schools conference, attend a lecture and you shall see the mismatch of sisters to brothers. Sometimes it is sad to see all these brothers lacking the motivation that many muslimahs have. But if there is a beautiful sign in all this, it is that, in sha Allah ta’aala, those sisters are going to raise an army of believing men and women in the coming generation, Allahu Akbar!

When Imam Ahmad was still young, his father died. He would tell his students of the work his mother went through in raising him, and he would pray for her. In the cold Baghdad nights, she would wake long before him to warm the water so that her son Ahmad could make wudu for Fajr. Then she would wrap him in blankets, she herself cloaked in her jilbaab. She would guide him through the dark, cold alleys to reach the main masjid long before Fajr so that her son could get a good seat in class. Her son Ahmad, at that age in grade 2 or 3, would sit all day long studying Qur’an and Sunnah, and she would wait for him to finish so that she could drop him home safely. At the age of 16, she prepared money and food for him and told him, “Travel for your search of knowledge.” He left for Makkah and Madinah and many other places, and met many great scholars. She raised Ahmad to become one of the four greatest imams in Islam.

Dear sister, after all this, ask a non-Muslim what it is that he wants from you. Does he want you to be liberated? Liberated from what? From Allah and his Messenger? From the Qur’an and the Sunnah? From Jannah? From this deen that Allah chose for you?

And what is he going to give you in return? Happiness? By Allah, he does not own any happiness to give. Is he going to give you love and protection from punishment in the grave and from the gatekeepers of Hellfire and from death? Why is it that they want to liberate young beautiful women? Why don’t they liberate the seniors? Why don’t they liberate the indigenous? Why don’t they liberate the inmates? Why is their target audience a young, skinny and tall woman (their definition of beauty) between the ages of 13 – 28? And why is their first call for you to take off your hijab?

Remember that friend – if you consider him so – carefully, for without any doubt, by Allah, he shall be your bitterest enemy on the Day of Repayment.

One kafirah summed up exactly what they think of women, “It’s not who you are, it’s what you wear and what you look like!” And listen to Fabian, a French ‘model,’ as she spit on the fashion industry. “Fashion houses made me into a mannequin, a wooden idol. The mission: to manipulate hearts and alter minds. I learned how to be worthless, nothing on the inside, but cold. We lived in a world of filth.”

When the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam stood on the plain of Arafah and gave his farewell speech, he said to the ummah, “Treat the women kindly!” History records that in Europe, in the same year, at the same time that Islam was saying this, the Christian clergy were arguing whether a woman was a human or an animal! Those clergymen are the ancestors of the kuffar that now want to ‘liberate’ you.

There is much more than can be said. I shall conclude with the advice of RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam to every Muslim mother, daughter, and wife:

“If the woman prays her five (salah), fasts her month (of Ramadan), protects herself (from committing zina), and listens to her husband, it will be said to her, that from any door you wish, enter Paradise!”

Allah and His Messenger are calling you to life. Dear sister, reply!

When something or someone is sufficient for a person, it means that that thing or person is adequate for a certain purpose; it means that that thing or person is enough to achieve a goal, whereby no other thing or person is also necessary for that goal. Bearing that in mind, the reader would do well to ask the question, how was Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) sufficient for the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wasalam)?

When Allaahu ta’ala said: “O Prophet (Muhammad), Allaah is sufficient for you,” it was as if Allaah was saying the following to him: “Allaah is sufficient for you regarding every aspect of your life, such that you will need no one else for help or assistance. Allaah protected you in times of crises, took care of you during times of hardship, and guarded you during the most gloomy of times. Therefore, be not afraid; be not sad; and be not anxious or nervous.”

Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is your Helper against every enemy, your source of aid against every opponent, your supporter in every affair. When you ask for anything, He gives you. When you ask for forgiveness, He forgives you. When you are thankful to Him, He gives you an increase of blessings. When you remember Him, He remembers you. When you fight against your enemy, He grants you victory. And when you make a decision or a judgement in any given matter, He guides you to what is right.

Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is sufficient for you: He grants you honor when you have no family to help you; He makes you rich without the need for money; and He protects you without the use of guards. You are granted victory because Allaah is sufficient for you. You are guided to what is right because Allaah is sufficient for you. And because Allaah is sufficient for you, you need not fear the evil eye of the jealous one, the plotting of your enemy, the deception of the treacherous, the wickedness of the disbeliever, and the trickery of the conniving evil-doer.

When you hear about the onslaught of the enemy, the threats of your foes, the evil plots of the hypocrites, or the gloating of jealous ones over your misfortunes – remain steadfast, for indeed, Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is sufficient for you.

When times are hard, when relatives turn their backs on you, when friends begin to lose hope of victory, and when help is slow in coming – remain steadfast, for indeed, Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is sufficient for you.

When calamity descends upon you, when tragedy strikes you, and when you are surrounded by misfortune and the threat of utter destruction – remain steadfast, for indeed, Allaahu ta’ala is sufficient for you. During such times, do not turn to people for help, and do not rely on anyone save Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) for indeed, He is sufficient for you.

When sickness befalls you, when debts weigh down on you, when poverty brings you down, when you need something you cannot get – then do not be sad, for indeed, Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is sufficient for you.

When help is slow in coming, when victory is delayed, and when a calamity seems too much to bear – do not be sad, for indeed, Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is sufficient for you.

O Muhammad, you are protected because you are my Khaleel (a relationship that denotes the highest form of love). You are under My Care because you are My Messenger. And you will always remain under My Divine Protection because you are My chosen slave, My chosen Prophet.

These brave, dignified, and peaceful words were spoken by the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wasalam) at a time when he was alone in a cave with his companion Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (radiAllaahu anhu), and when his enemies had him surrounded. He did not tremble when he said them, his lips did not falter, and he did not speak with a fearful stutter; instead, he uttered them with a firm resolve, with an unwavering belief that “Allaah is with us.”

In saying those words, it was as if the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wasalam) was saying the following to Abu Bakr (radiAllaahu anhu): “As long as Allaah is with us, then why the sadness? Why the fear? Why the anxiousness? Be at peace, be firm, and be calm, for Allaah is with us”

“Since Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is with us, we will not fail, we will not be defeated, we will not be forsaken, and we will not have cause to lose hope. Victory and ultimate success is ours because Allaah is with us.

Since Allaah is with us, who can be stronger than us? Who can be better guided than us? Who can be more hopeful of His Help?

Our enemies are weak; our opponents are cowards; our foes will falter – all of these things are true because Allaah is with us. we will seek help from no human being, we will pray to no man, we will fear no created being because, and only because, Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is with us.

We are braver, our weapons are more effective, and our way is more upright because Allaah is with us. We are the mightier, we are the stronger, we are the more honored, we are the ones who will be helped – there is no doubt about these realities since Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) is with us.

O Abu Bakr, cast off your gloom, do not be sad, and forget your worries and troubles – for Allaah ta’ala is with us.

O Abu Bakr, raise your head, calm your nerves, be at peace in your heart – for Allaah ta’ala is with us.

O Abu Bakr, expect help, eagerly anticipate divine intervention, and receive glad tidings of imminent success – for indeed, Allaahu ta’ala is with us.

O Abu Bakr, tomorrow our message will spread far and wide, our Religion will be victorious, and our voices will be heard – for indeed, Allaahu ta’ala is with us.

O Abu Bakr, tomorrow the people of earth will hear the majestic sound of the Adhaan, the wonderful speech of the Most-Merciful, the beautiful rhythm of the Qur’an – all this will come to pass because Allaahu ta’ala is with us.

O Abu Bakr, tomorrow we will take mankind out of the darkness of disbelief, we will bring them into the light of Faith, we will save them from shackles of slavery to created beings, and allow them to enjoy the freedom of being slaves to none but Allaah – and again, this will indeed happen because Allaah (subhanahu wa ta’ala is with us!”

By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali

Acquire knowledge because doing so is good. Seeking it is worship. Reviewing it is glorifying Allah. Researching it is jihad. Teaching it to the ignorant is charity. Serving the scholars is a way of drawing near to Allah because knowledge is the path of ascension to the stations of Paradise. It is a companion in isolation and a comrade in distant lands. It speaks to you in solitude. It is a guide to prosperity and a shield against adversity. It beautifies one among friends and is a weapon against enemies.

With it Allah elevates people and makes them guides and bellwethers of good. The scholars are people whose words are sought and whose actions are imitated. The angels long for the scholar’s company and comfort them with their wings. Everything, the fish of the sea, the beasts of the earth, the predators of the land and sea, and the cattle pray that blessings come upon him.

This is because knowledge enlivens the heart against ignorance, illuminates the eyes against darkness, and strengthens the body. It transports the servants to the mansions of the select and the righteous and to the highest ranks in the world and in the Hereafter. Contemplating it is equivalent to fasting, and reviewing it is equivalent to the Night Prayer vigil. With it, kinship is united and the lawful is distinguished from the unlawful. Knowledge is an imam which leads to righteous actions. It is craved by the people destined for Paradise and shunned by people destined for Hell.

[Warathatu’l-Anbiya’; Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali]

The verses had to be short because the audience would not be willing to listen to long, drawn out statements. As soon as they heard any of the Qur’aan, they would stick their fingers in their ears and turn away. Thus, the verses had to strike home immediately. The meanings were very clear whereas the oracles and chants of the fortunetellers were mostly onscure and vague.

The Wisdom Behind Long Soorahs:
The Medeenan verses tended to be longer than those of Makkah. In fact there are a number of Madeenan verses which are longer than whole soorahs (chapters) of the Makkan peroid. The longest verse of the Qur’aan is the verse on loans in the Madeenan soorah, Al-Baqarah (2:282). The shortest soorah of the Qur’aan is the Makkan soorah, Al-Kawthar (Ch. 108), which contains a total of only 11 seperate words in three short verses.

The need to catch the attention of unwilling listeners was no longer there, because Islaam had become strong and its followers were many. Thus, the audience at this stage was quite willing to listen attentively to longer verses teaching the vital laws of Islaam.

[Taken from 'Usool At-Tafseer, p. 210 & 214]

BENEFIT GAINED:
One benefit gained from understanding this is to know a bit about the person to whom you are giving da’wah to. If you’re giving da’wah to a brother who is already established himself on deen, then ulhumdulillaah you can speak to him longer.

If however, you are speaking (giving da’wah) to an individual who is not on deen, then you would need to be concise and short in your speech. I remember, before I was practising, my mind used to switch off after about 3/4 mins when being given da’wah. I also remember about 5 years ago when I started practising, I was in Madeenah, walking back to my hotel, and I had a brother speaking to me about the deen, and within about a coulpe of mins my mind was switched off.

So know, O Da’ee’s, that giving da’wah needs wisdom…

Source

“And whoever is mindful of Allah (and keeps to His boundaries) in his youth during his years of strength, then Allah will preserve him in his old age when his strength weakens. And He will allow him to enjoy and benefit from his sense of hearing, sight, capabilities, strength and mind/intellect.

One particular scholar had passed the age of 100 and still continued to benefit from his strength of body and mind. One day, he took a great leap and jumped up high, and the people rebuked him for that. So he said: “We preserved these limbs of ours from sin when we were younger, so Allah has preserved them for us in our old age.”

Nouman Ali Khan

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Praise be to Allaah.

The Ramadaan fast, and indeed any righteous deed, is not accepted if you do not pray. That is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer.” Narrated by Muslim, 82. See also question no. 5208.

No righteous deed is accepted from the kaafir, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust”

[al-Furqaan 25:23]

“If you join others in worship with Allaah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers”

[al-Zumar 39:65]

al-Bukhaari narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever forsakes ‘Asr prayer, his deeds are in vain.” (al-Bukhaari, 553). What is meant by “his deeds are in vain” means that they become invalid and will not avail him anything.

This hadeeth indicates that in the case of one who does not pray, Allaah will not accept any deed from him, so the one who does not pray will not benefit at all from his deeds, and no good deeds of his will ascend to Allaah.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning the meaning of this hadeeth: “The apparent meaning of this hadeeth is that those who do not pray are of two types: those who do not pray at all, which renders all of their deeds invalid, and those who do not pray some days, which renders his deeds on that day invalid. So the loss of all good deeds happens to those who do not pray at all, and the loss of some deeds happens to those who miss some prayers.” From Kitaab al-Salaah, p. 65

Our advice to the sister who asked this question is to repent to Allaah, to feel regret for her negligence in her duties towards Allaah for exposing herself to His wrath, anger and punishment. Allaah accepts the repentance of those among His slaves who repent to Him, and forgives their sins; indeed, He rejoices greatly at that. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has given glad tidings to those who repent when he said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin at all.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 4250; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3424.

So she should hasten to do ghusl and pray, so that she may become pure both inwardly and outwardly. She should not delay repentance and say, “I will repent tomorrow or after tomorrow, because she does not know when death will come. She should repent to Allaah before regret will be of no avail.

“And (remember) the Day when the Zaalim (wrongdoer, oppressor, polytheist) will bite at his hands, he will say: ‘Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger (Muhammad).

Ah! Woe to me! Would that I had never taken so-and-so as a Khaleel (an intimate friend)!

He indeed led me astray from the Reminder (this Qur’aan) after it had come to me. And Shaytaan (Satan) is to man ever a deserter in the hour of need’”

[al-Furqaan 25:27-29 – interpretation of the meaning].

Source



Praise be to Allaah.

Praying in congregation in the mosque is better than praying at home.

This is indicated by the Sunnah and the actions of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them).

1 – al-Bukhaari (1129) and Muslim (761) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed one night in the mosque, and the people followed him in prayer. Then he prayed the next night, and many people came. Then they gathered on the third or fourth night, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not come out to them. The next morning he said: “I saw what you did, and nothing kept me from coming out to you except the fact that I feared that it would be made obligatory for you.” And that was in Ramadaan.

This indicates that praying Taraweeh in congregation is prescribed according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he refrained from doing it because he feared that it would be made obligatory for the ummah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, this reservation was no longer required, because the sharee’ah was established.

2 – al-Tirmidhi (806) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyaam – i.e., Taraweeh – with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he spent the whole night in prayer.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

3 – al-Bukhaari (2010) narrated that ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Abd al-Qaari said: I went out with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) to the mosque one night in Ramadaan, and the people were scattered, each man praying by himself. Some men would pray and have groups of people behind them following them. ‘Umar said: “I think that if I unite all these people with one reader, it will be better. Then he resolved to gather them behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b.

al-Haafiz said:

Ibn al-Teen and others said that ‘Umar based this decision on the Prophet’s approval of those who prayed with him on those nights. Although he disliked that for them, that was based on the fear that it might be made obligatory for them. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, there was no longer any fear of that happening, and ‘Umar thought, because of the potential division that might arise from people praying separately, and because uniting them behind one reader is more motivating for many people. The majority agreed with ‘Umar’s decision. End quote from Fath al-Baari.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’, 3/526:

Praying Taraweeh is Sunnah according to scholarly consensus… It is permissible to offer this prayer alone or in congregation, but which is better? There are two well-known opinions on this matter. The correct view according to the consensus of our companions is that praying it in congregation is better. The second view is that it is better to pray it individually.

Our companions said: The difference of opinion has to do with one who has memorized the Qur’aan; there is no fear that he may become lazy and neglect it if he prays on his own, and the congregation in the mosque is not going to be affected if he stays away.  But if one of these factors is absent, then praying in congregation is better, and there is no difference of scholarly opinion on this point.

The author of al-Shaamil said: Abu’l-‘Abbaas and Abu Ishaaq said that praying Taraweeh in congregation is better than praying it individually, because of the consensus of the Sahaabah and the consensus of the scholars of the regions on this point. End quote.

Ibn al-Mubaarak, Ahmad and Ishaaq favoured praying with the imam during the month of Ramadaan.

It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi:

In the book on night prayer (qiyaam): it was said to Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Do you prefer a man to pray with the people in Ramadaan or on his own? He said: He should pray with the people. He said: And I prefer that he should pray with the imam and pray Witr with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a man prays qiyaam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded as if he spent the rest of the night (in prayer).” Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “He should pray with the people until he prays Witr with them, and he should not leave until the imam leaves. Abu Dawood said: I saw him (Imam Ahmad) – in the month of Ramadaan, praying Witr with his imam, except on one night when I did not attend. Ishaaq (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: I said to Ahmad: Is praying qiyaam in Ramadaan in congregation dearer to you or praying on one’s own? He said: I prefer that this prayer should be offered in congregation, so as to revive the Sunnah. And Ishaaq said the same. End quote.

See al-Mughni, 1/457.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said in Majaalis Shahr Ramadaan, p. 22:

At first the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray Taraweeh in congregation in the mosque, then he stopped because he feared that it might be made obligatory upon his ummah…

Then he quoted the two ahaadeeth quoted above. Then he said:

No man should keep away from Taraweeh prayer lest he misses out on the reward for it. And he should not leave until the imam finishes Taraweeh and Witr, so that he may attain the reward of spending the whole night in prayer. End quote.

Al-Albaani said in Qiyaam Ramadaan: Rather it (praying Taraweeh in congregation) is better than praying it alone, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did it himself and explained its virtue.

Rather he did not lead them in praying it in congregation for the rest of the month because he feared that praying at night during Ramadaan might be made obligatory for them, and they would be unable to do that, as it says in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah which is narrated in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere. This concern no longer applied after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died and Allaah had completed Islam. Hence the reason for not praying in congregation when offering night prayers in Ramadaan was no longer present, and the previous ruling remained in effect, which is that it is prescribed to offer this prayer in congregation. Hence ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) revived it, as it says in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere. End quote.

It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (27/138):

From the time of ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the Muslims regularly offered Taraweeh prayer in congregation. ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) is the one who united the people in offering the prayer behind a single imam.

Asad ibn ‘Amr ibn Abi Yoosuf said: I asked Abu Haneefah about Taraweeh and what ‘Umar did. He said: Taraweeh is a confirmed Sunnah, and ‘Umar did not base his decision on speculation and he was not introducing bid’ah (an innovation). He did not enjoin it except because of what he knew from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). ‘Umar introduced this and gathered the people behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b and he offered this prayer in congregation, at the time when the Sahaabah – the Muhaajireen and Ansaar – were still alive, and no one among them objected to that, rather they helped him and agreed with him, and also enjoined it. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.

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