Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar and is observed by Muslims globally. It is a month of Fasting to honor the first revelation of Quran on Muhammad (PBUH). It is a month of worship, spirituality and increased and improved dedication. Ramadan teaches Muslims how to exercise self-discipline and self-possession. It also strengthens our knowledge in Quran and makes us more philanthropic.
The night prayer in Ramadan also has a special consideration that is different from any other time of the year. Imam Bukhari reported that Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“Whoever offers optional prayers (like Taraweeh prayers) throughout the nights of Ramadan, believing in Allah and seeking His rewards, will have his previous sins forgiven.”
There are three types of prayers related to Ramadan which Muslim Ummah offers during the whole month to make certain that the true essence of fast is kept and worshipping of Allah increases. Following are the three types of prayers that Muslims should offer during the Holy month of Ramadan.
Obligatory Prayers:
It is understood that the first type of prayers that Muslims observe with pious spirit and enthusiasm throughout the month of Ramadan is the obligatory prayers. Offering prayers five times a day is compulsory for a Muslim, hence Ramadan or no Ramadan a Muslim is supposed to offer five times a day but the joy and piece that a person receives during the month of Ramadan increases because of the sanctity of this month.
Taraweeh:
The other important prayer that Muslims offers during the Holy month of Ramadan is Taraweeh Prayer. It is an extra prayer which Muslims offers specially in this month. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said regarding the Taraweeh that:
“Whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan (Taraweeh) with a firm belief and hoping for reward, all of his previous sins would be forgiven.”
Hazrat Ayesha also narrated that:
“The Prophet (PBUH) offered Salah in the mosque and many people prayed with Him. The next day He did the same and more people prayed with Him. The the people gathered on the third night but, the Prophet (PBUH) did not come out to them. In the morning, He said to them: ‘Surely I saw what you did, and nothing prevented Me from coming out to you, save that I feared that (that prayer) would be made obligatory upon you.’ And that was during Ramadan.”
These two Hadiths of Muhammad (PBUH) are more than enough to emphasize on the significance of Taraweeh in Ramadan. This prayer is also the way of seeking forgiveness for the previous sins and brings additional reward to a Muslim.
Nawafil:
It is third prayer which Muslims can perform in Ramadan. These are the additional prayers which Muslims can offer at any time of the day or they can also perform it separately. Offering Nawafil in the month of Ramadan is equal to offering Farz Namaz.
In addition to Fasting, the focus of the Muslims should be on offering maximum prayers so that one can get more and more reward in this Holy month. Therefore, Prayers need to be offered with fasting during Ramadan as this is the only mean to seek forgiveness from Allah and achieve your desired objectives