قيام الليل والتراويح وليلة القدر

Praying at night. "Whoever prays the nights of Ramadan out of faith and hoping for reward, his past sins are forgiven." (Bukhari 37, Muslim 759)

Tarawih. The Prophet ﷺ prayed on a few nights of Ramadan in the mosque, and people prayed behind him; then he stopped coming out, explaining that he feared this prayer would be made obligatory for them (Bukhari 2012, Muslim 761). Later, 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭaab gathered the people behind a single imam, Ubayy ibn Ka'b (Bukhari 2010). This is the origin of tarawih in congregation, night prayers with pauses ("taraawiiḥ" means "rests").

How many rak'as? Practices differ, and they are all long-established: • eleven rak'as (with witr), according to 'A'isha, who said the Prophet ﷺ did not exceed eleven rak'as at night, in Ramadan or otherwise (Bukhari 1147, Muslim 738); • twenty rak'as (plus witr), a practice reported from the time of 'Umar and followed by most schools; • other numbers too, such as thirty-six in Medina according to the Maliki school. Scholars explained that there is no fixed limit to the night prayer; what matters is quality and regularity. It is not a subject for disputes between Muslims. The centre follows its own practice [À VÉRIFIER : nombre de rak'as au centre].

Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree. Allah says that He sent down the Qur'an on this night, and that it "is better than a thousand months" (97:1-3): [TEXTE ARABE À INSÉRER : sourate 97:1-5] The angels descend in it, and it is peace until the break of dawn (97:4-5). Whoever prays on it out of faith and hoping for reward, his past sins are forgiven (Bukhari 1901, Muslim 760).

Which night? "Seek it in the odd nights of the last ten nights." (Bukhari 2017, Muslim 1169). Many people focus on the 27th night, and some companions mentioned it, but it is not known with certainty [À VÉRIFIER : formulation]. The wise course: make an effort on all ten nights.

The dua for this night. 'A'isha asked what to say if she found it. The Prophet ﷺ replied: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي Allaahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuḥibbu l-'afwa fa'fu 'annii "O Allah, You are the One who pardons, You love to pardon, so pardon me." (Tirmidhi 3513) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro ; certaines versions ajoutent « karîm »]

The last ten nights. The Prophet ﷺ redoubled his efforts: he stayed up at night, woke his family and devoted himself to worship (Bukhari 2024, Muslim 1174). He made i'tikaaf, the retreat in the mosque, during these ten nights (Bukhari 2026, Muslim 1172). The conditions of i'tikaaf (minimum length, fasting, the case of women) differ between schools [À VÉRIFIER : conditions au centre].

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Night prayer is the heart of Ramadan nights. The variety of practice over the number of rak'ahs in tarawih shows something important: on this question, scholars held different views from the earliest generations, and they respected one another's views. What matters most is presence of heart, quality of recitation and regularity. Everyone can follow their mosque's practice without criticising that of others.

Why is Laylat al-Qadr hidden? Scholars see wisdom in this: if it were known, many would make an effort on one night only. Hidden among the last ten nights, it encourages redoubled effort every night.

The supplication taught to 'A'ishah is remarkable: on the best night of the year, the Prophet ﷺ does not teach her to ask for wealth or success, but for pardon (al-'afw), meaning the complete wiping away of faults.

I'tikaf is a retreat in the mosque to devote oneself to Allah. Its conditions (minimum length, fasting, the situation of women) differ between the schools: ask the imam what the centre offers.

Lessons to draw from it • Prefer a regular, attentive night prayer to a long but distracted one. • Follow your mosque's practice for tarawih, without criticising that of others. • Make a special effort on each of the last ten nights, without staking everything on one. • Ask Allah's pardon often, especially during these nights.

Key points to remember • Laylat al-Qadr is "better than a thousand months" (97:3); it is sought in the odd nights of the last ten (Bukhari 2017). • The supplication: اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي (Tirmidhi 3513). • The number of tarawih rak'ahs and the conditions of i'tikaf differ between the schools.

The main message The nights of Ramadan, especially the last ten, are a time of prayer and pardon: we seek Laylat al-Qadr with constancy and sincerity.