What is the ruling on the night prayers in Ramadan (Tarawih)?
Chapter on the Times When Prayer is Prohibited
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
The Tarawih prayer is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah Mu'akkadah). The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was the first to establish the custom of encouraging it, stating that whoever stands in night prayer during Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward will have their past sins forgiven. The Prophet feared making the night prayers obligatory when he saw the people joining him, as evidenced by the report from Aisha concerning his initial congregational attempts during Ramadan.
Supporting text
The practice of the Prophet regarding standing in prayer varied in the last nights of Ramadan, sometimes leading the prayer only partially through the night, as narrated by Abu Dharr. Furthermore, the report concerning the Prophet's approval of people praying behind Ubayy ibn Ka'b without memorizing the entire Quran indicates permissibility for that specific situation, though the chain of narration via Muslim ibn Khalid is considered weak.