The Best in Tarawih Prayer: Slowness and Reflection on the Qur'an
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The questioner : This questioner says: Is it better to recite the Qur'an in the Tarawih prayer, or to consider the congregation, or to dig into the sleeves? I mean not reciting the Qur'an with it? What is the ruling on reciting the Qur'an when some people sit, or some people work, or look at services in the mosques? Certainly, may Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : The most important thing in Tarawih is slowness. And reflection on the Qur'an. And supplication in prostration, and magnifying the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, in bowing. This is the most important thing.
Then considering the number of rak'ahs that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked how the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Ramadan? She said: He did not complete the recitation in Ramadan or otherwise, except for one chapter, and he might pray (peace and blessings be upon him) thirteen rak'ahs.
But the most important thing is tranquility and slowness in the recitation, and there is no harm in haste in the recitation if it does not lead to obscuring some of the letters. Then it is recommended for the followers, if they enter with the imam, not to leave him until he finishes, so that the standing of the night is written for them. As for the imam insisting on completing the entire Qur'an, this has no basis in the Sunnah. But if the people of the mosque choose to complete the entire Qur'an with them, there is no harm.
And as for following the endings of the chapters of the Qur'an, this is also not from the Sunnah. Rather, up to this day, I have not known that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), nor his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), used to supplicate at the completion of the Qur'an in prayer.
The Shaykh : The most important thing in Tarawih is slowness. And reflection on the Qur'an. And supplication in prostration, and magnifying the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, in bowing. This is the most important thing.
Then considering the number of rak'ahs that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked how the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Ramadan? She said: He did not complete the recitation in Ramadan or otherwise, except for one chapter, and he might pray (peace and blessings be upon him) thirteen rak'ahs.
But the most important thing is tranquility and slowness in the recitation, and there is no harm in haste in the recitation if it does not lead to obscuring some of the letters. Then it is recommended for the followers, if they enter with the imam, not to leave him until he finishes, so that the standing of the night is written for them. As for the imam insisting on completing the entire Qur'an, this has no basis in the Sunnah. But if the people of the mosque choose to complete the entire Qur'an with them, there is no harm.
And as for following the endings of the chapters of the Qur'an, this is also not from the Sunnah. Rather, up to this day, I have not known that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), nor his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), used to supplicate at the completion of the Qur'an in prayer.
Source
ابن العثيمين - جلسة رمضانية — archive.org (1:30:42)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.