Virtues of performing the Taraaweeh prayers

10-11-2012 | IslamWeb

Question:

assalam alaikm,, if a person pray tharaweeh heard his all sins will be forgiven,heard if pray 2nd day his parents sins be forgiven,if the parents already passed away will the sins of them forgiven?if the sins forgiven really are they without sins in the grave? if a muslim not practiced religion but a believer at his last moment if others make him to say thawbah or repents will it enough him to enter jannah?inshaallah,or if the person starts in his old age to perform prayers?

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

With regard to the forgiveness of sins of whoever performs Taraaweeh prayers, then it is confirmed that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Whoever stands for night prayer throughout the month of Ramadan, out of faith and seeking Allaah’s reward, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

This proves that the forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon two matters:

  1. Praying the night prayers in Ramadan during the whole month.
  2. Praying should be out of faith and seeking Allaah’s reward.

As regards the forgiveness of sins of the parents of someone who observed the Taraaweeh prayers in the second night of Ramadan or any other night, then we are not aware of any Islamic evidence for this.

On the other hand, if a person repents properly (i.e. makes a sound repentance) to Allaah before his death, then Allaah accepts his repentance and pardons him his sins. If he had repented sincerely from all sins, then it is hoped that he will be admitted to Paradise – we ask Allaah to make us all from the people of Paradise.

However, a Muslim must be steadfast on the obedience of Allaah in his life and not surrender himself to the false promises of the devil that he will repent before death. Indeed, postponing repentance is among the lures of the devil; Ibn Al-Qayyim  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said regarding delaying repentance by saying “I will" or "I hope I will" (repent in the future): “Being serious in this case is to act sincerely (i.e. to perform an act of worship for the sake of Allaah Alone) and to purify the acts of worship from the stains of lassitude, and from the promises of procrastination and negligence which fall under saying “I will do such and such”, “I will do so in the future”, “I hope I will do so”, “Perhaps I may do so”; as all these statements are the most dangerous matters for a person, and it is (like) a tree whose fruits are loss and regret.”

In the case where a person repents to Allaah for abandoning the prayer and he always observes it in his late age, then Allaah will accept his repentance, if Allaah wills. Allaah Says about those who abandoned the prayer and then they have repented (what means): {But there came after them successors [i.e. later generations] who neglected prayer and pursued desires; so they are going to meet evil. Except those who repent, believe and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all.} [Quran 19:59-60]

Imaam Al-Qurtubi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said about the interpretation of this verse: “The saying of Allaah {Except those who repent}, i.e. from abandoning the prayer and pursuing one’s desires, then they returned to the obedience of their Lord, and then {… believe...}, i.e. believe in their Lord, {…and do righteousness; for those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged at all.}, i.e. nothing will be deducted from their acts of righteousness, and in addition to this, for every good deed that they do, ten good deeds up to 700 deeds will be written for them

Therefore, a person who has repented to Allaah should expect good as Allaah is happy with the repentance of His slave. For more benefit on the acceptance of the repentance of a person as long as his death-rattle has not begun, please refer to Fatwa 185291, and to Fatwa 4625 about how a believer should not judge that a Muslim is in Paradise or in Hellfire with certainty. So, if he dies upon committing a sin, then Allaah may forgive him if He so wishes, or punish him if He so wishes. Moreover, repentance is accepted as long as the sun does not rise from the west. Also, please refer to Fatwa 42381 which clarifies that if disobedient Muslims enter Hellfire, they will not abide there forever, and to Fatwa 83943 on the ruling of abandoning the prayer, and to Fatwa 185281 on the obligation of making up the missed prayers according to the view of the majority of the scholars  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them.

Allaah Knows best.

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