Question:
If a person does not read his Taraweeh because he has work in the morning, is that permissible?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The Taraweeh prayer (20 rakats) is sunnah ain (an individual emphasized sunnah) for men and women. Thus, it is disliked for a person to leave it out without a valid excuse. Also, if a person consistently leaves it out, then they would be sinful.
To pray the Taraweeh prayer in the Masjid with a congregation is sunnah alal kifayah (a communal sunnah), i.e. if all the people of the community abandon the Taraweeh prayers in the Masjid, they would all be sinful. However, if some people do not join the congregation and pray at home, then they would not be sinful as long as the prayer is rendered with a congregation in the Masjid. Nevertheless, they will be deprived of the great reward that is attained when praying at the Masjid.
Regarding your query, having to go to work in the morning is not a valid excuse for leaving the Taraweeh prayers. If it is difficult for you to pray all 20 rakats in the Masjid, then alternatively you can pray some rakats in the Masjid and then complete the rest at home. If this is also difficult, you can pray all 20 rakats at home and recite from the Quran that which is feasible for you, e.g. from Surah Feel until Surah Naas. Making khatm (completing the recitation of the Quran) is sunnah, not a condition for the validity of the Taraweeh prayer, thus a person can still pray the Taraweeh prayer without making a khatm.
Raddul Muhtar: v. 2, p. 495 & 497 (Maktaba Imdadia)
Only Allah knows best
Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah Darul Ifta Birmingham
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