O Taraweeh Imaams! Your Results Will Show From Eid!

O Taraweeh Imaams – The Real Test Is From / After Eid – Did You Pass Or Fail?

Allah Ta’ala says, “And do not be like the woman who broke her yarn into pieces after spinning it firmly.” (An-Nahl, Aayat 92)

“O Believers! Obey Allah and His Rasool and do not destroy your A’maal (good deeds).” (Muhammad, Aayat 33)

One lesson learnt from the above Aayaat is that we shouldn’t let our deeds be wasted after making effort in acquiring them.

We cannot offer sufficient gratitude unto Allah Ta’ala for the Great Bounty and Boon He has bestowed upon us in South Africa where we witness many Muslim communities accommodating several venues for Taraweeh in the Blessed Month of Ramadhaan. This clearly indicates that the amount of Huffaaz our communities have are so many, that all of them do not get the golden chance to lead the Ummah in the Taraweeh Salaah in the Masjid. Hence, several alternative venues are used where the Huffaaz lead the Taraweeh Salaah.

The Huffaaz were supposed to be aware that their leading the community in Taraweeh, was not only a mere 4-Rak’aats, 6-Rak’aats, 8-Rak’aats, 20-Rak’aats or any other amount of Rak’aats performed by various Huffaaz, nor a mere 29-day contract. Together with fulfilling this Honourable Task which they were the Imaams of, after Ramadhaan, their (the Huffaaz’s) A’maal and Ibaadaat are supposed to be checked and maintained. It is senseless a Haafizul-Qur’an led the congregation in Taraweeh with a minimal amount of errors, due to which he received several ‘pats on his back’, and the story was over – back to square one, nay zero! In the above Aayaat this is the Naseehat given! Don’t damage your deeds after performing them with all the challenges and ‘stress’ they may have come with.

Imagine all the effort, time and stress the woman went through in spinning the yarn the entire day just to undo it at the end of the day, thereby wasting all her effort! What a foolish woman is she not?! Similarly, Allah Ta’ala urges us not to destroy our deeds. Imagine, an entire month of Taraweeh Salaah consisting of 20 long Rak’aats with an estimate usage of eighty minutes, with all the stress of learning one’s work for the night, correctly pronouncing the Huroof and stressing on reading with Tajweed, only to destroy all this effort by acting in total contrast to the Demands of the Qur’an Majeed as soon as the Eid Hilaal is sighted!

Thus, Huffaaz – especially those who were Imaams of Taraweeh – are urged to keep themselves away from all activities that will spoil their hard work. Behaving like Muslims, and that too, as Huffaaz, out of Ramadhaan is just as important as it was to do so in the month of Ramadhaan!

The day of Eid is the day of Imtihaan, especially for the Huffaaz! The Huffaaz should check as to what did they exit Ramadhaan with. Their behaviour, dress-style, language, places of visiting, manner of conducting themselves, observance of proper Hijaab, etc. on Eid day (and thereafter also) will reflect their report of Ramadhaan. Thus, the day of Eid will either fail or pass their month of Ramadhaan! The least expected is to at least observe the Precious Day of Eid with respect. This will, Insha Allah, lead to the balance of the days to be spent correctly, provided the Taraweeh Imaam (Haafizul Qur’an) is sincere in achieving this – to achieve an obedient Islamic life.

Trimming, styling or shaping the beard in anti-Sunnah styles, going for an anti-Sunnah haircut at the barber shops, dressing in Kuffar style clothing and other weird dressing sold at Islamic shops, re-starting the vaping, re-connecting with illicit beloveds, etc. on Eid day – or Eid night, as soon as the Hilaal is confirmed! – is a Fail (with a capital and bold F) report of Ramadhaan and Taraweeh. Imagine, all the effort made in Ramadhaan and the effort put in for leading the Ummah in Taraweeh Salaah have been ‘FAILED’, just like how the foolish lady failed by undoing her strong yarn which she had spun all day long.

This also teaches us that it doesn’t really matter as to whether the Qur’an Majeed of such Huffaaz was firm / strong (commonly known as Pakka among students). Their upholding or undoing all their efforts on Eid night / day and thereafter, matters much. This is because the foolish lady described in the Aayat made her yarn ‘firm’. Hence, Huffaaz whose Taraweeh performance displayed their Qur’an Majeed to be ‘firm’ (Pakka) doesn’t really matter, because their actions of undoing their efforts made in Ramadhaan renders their Qur’an Majeed as ‘feeble’ or ‘undone’ (Kacha, as commonly referred to by students).

On the other hand, a Haafizul-Qur’an whose Qur’an Majeed may have appeared to be weak in his Taraweeh, by making several mistakes in most of his Rak’aats, but he is trying not to undo his efforts nor pour his little Taqwa gained down the drain, etc. upon the sighting of the Hilaal – Eid day and thereafter – has actually PASSED his test. He has achieved great distinctions in the sight of the Angels and the pious. Seven distinctions of a matric student also stands nowhere near such a Genuine Haafizul-Qur’aan’s Distinctions!

In order to help one in keeping a check on the points made above, below are few common indulgences, errors and sins that Huffaaz should stay and steer clear from throughout their lives and not only in Ramadhaan. After all, becoming a pious and Allah-conscious Haafizul-Qur’an will have a positive effect on the congregation one led in the Taraweeh Salaah – whether in the Masjid, or any alternative (permissible) venue.

1. Salaah: It is of vital importance that you find yourself present in the Masjid for the daily 5-Salaahs. It is truly ‘double standards’ to find that the Haafizul-Qur’an was present in Ramadhaan Esha time, to lead the Taraweeh Salaah thereafter as an Imaam. However, after Ramadhaan, he is nowhere to be seen in the Masjid! Make sure you are in your local Masjid for Jamaat Salaah, especially Fajr Salaah. It is mindboggling that in Ramadhaan, 20 long Rak’aats were led by the Haafizul-Qur’an, yet he is absent in the Masjid the very next Fajr Salaah time which is nowhere near the long duration of the 20 Rak’aats of Tarweeh, after the day of Eid. Effort must be made to be present in the Masjid for Salaah. Sleep early, discard talks, play, games, sitting and chit-chatting, screen-time, etc. after Esha and retire to bed early. This plays a great role in awakening for at least Fajr, if not Tahajjud. This was the Sunnah of Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Presence in the Masjid is not only for Ramadhaan and Taraweeh, the Muazzin’s call of ‘Hayya Alas Salaah’ and ‘Hayya Alal Falaah’ (come to Salaah and success) vibrates the atmosphere from the Minaarats after Ramadhaan as well, upon every Salaah time. After all, it is senseless a Taraweeh Imaam was Pakka in his Taraweeh, but is utterly Kacha in his presence in the Masjid for ALL the Salaahs after Ramadhaan.
2. Beard: Keep the beard a fist-length throughout the year and not only as a ‘license’ to step onto the Taraweeh Musallah in Ramadhaan! The beard is a highly emphasised Waajib-Sunnah, not only for Ramadhaan but for the balance of the eleven months as well. Funny styles and cuts, like pencil beard, ‘bok’ beard, number one / two trimmed beard, etc. are Haraam. Such weird styles cannot be even called a beard, Islamically. Yes, we shall call them ‘facial hair’, ‘jaw hair’ or ‘chin hair’. A fist-length beard is Waajib. This is the only apparent Waajib-Sunnah one will be lowered with in one’s Qabr! Imagine, one will meet Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) with a face resembling his Mubaarak appearance! Young Huffaaz whose beards are in the growing process should not trim nor pluck the beard-hair! Sometimes, young Huffaaz whose beards are in the growing process, deprive this hair from growing longer. This is done by them keeping this hair trimmed at a certain length. Hence, many people, perhaps even the parents of such young Huffaaz won’t even realise this Haraam act, whereas the Malaaikah will be recording it as a major sin. Let the hair grow naturally, Insha Allah, in a few months, the shape and form of the beard will be visible.
3. Dressing: A Kurtah is a Muslim’s garb not only for Imaamat purposes, but for one’s entire life. The Kurtah style of the pious Ulama-e-Haq should be donned. The fashionable and funny pieces of material dubbed as ‘Kurtahs’ and sold at Islamic stores should be avoided at all costs. Saudi maxi Kurtahs, short sleeved Kurtahs, designer Kurtahs, branded Kurtahs, etc. should be avoided at all costs. Such is not the dressing of our pious Ulama-e-Haq! There is no Noor (Spiritual and Celestial Light) in such ‘Kurtahs’. It doesn’t mean that everything sold at an Islamic store is Sunnah, or Islamic! The Teaching of the Hadith is that our dressing be simple, not fashionable like the fashionable ‘branded’ and other funny Kurtahs which are seen today.
4. Smoking: One cannot stress on the evils of this. Smoking of all and any kind is Haraam! A Haafizul-Qur’an who smokes is perhaps worse that someone burning the Qur’an Majeed’s pages! Imagine, in his heart is the Qur’an Majeed, yet he is setting alight (burning) his lungs by smoking, vaping, etc. which are located at / near / around his heart. Besides that, the harm one causes to one’s health cannot be explained with justice here. Firm intention and correct effort must be immediately made to stop smoking – all sorts of smoking, be it cigarettes, vapes, hookah, e-cigarettes, etc. In the eyes of the righteous, and even perhaps the Angels, a smoker-Haafiz is a total double standard chap. On the one side he is reading the Aayat describing Jahannam in Taraweeh, and immediately after Taraweeh he is taking a ‘taste’ of the fire by putting ‘fire’ on his lips, thereby burning his lungs out with a smoke and flavour (in the case of vape / hookah) of his choice. All Huffaaz should stop all forms and types of smoking immediately.
5. Hijaab: Various Aayaat which were read in the Taraweeh Salaah by the Haafizul-Qur’an himself sound strong commands for proper, Islamic Hijaab. Thus, a Haafizul-Qur’an should adhere to the laws of Hijaab even more strictly. He cannot be reading those Aayaat in Salaah, and act in conflict to them out of Salaah by chatting, chatting on any social media, flirting, intermingling and rubbing shoulders with non-Mahram – strange – females – Muslim or non-Muslim. Female cousins and sister-in-laws also demand Qur’anic Hijaab.
6. Sunnats: The Aayaat were replete in the Qur’an Majeed of ‘follow Allah and His Rasool’. Hence, at least the basic day-to-day Sunnats should be followed, particularly: sitting on the floor for meals, wearing simple Islamic clothing (see point 1 also), adopting a simple lifestyle, adopting good Akhlaaq, etc.
7. Haraam: Great care should be taken for the Haafizul-Qur’an NOT to get involved in any Haraam activities and places. Sports – ALL Kuffar sports – should be stayed away from. This includes playing such sports at sport fields during weekends with friends and mates, etc., following the leagues and tournaments of various countries and teams, etc. It is farfetched that a genuine Haafizul-Qur’an, who led the Ummah in Taraweeh Salaah, is ever found at gambling dens (casinos), cinemas, sport stadiums and arenas, ice-skating venues, go-karts, ice cream parlours and waffle shops (wimpy, milkylane, etc.), merry-go-rounds, etc. All games on gadgets, videos and other Haraam items in the digital-world, techno-world, internet-world, etc. should also be strictly avoided, not for only Ramadhaan and Taraweeh purposes, but for the sake of living an Islamic, an Allah-conscious life after Ramadhaan.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us and all our Huffaaz and Ulama – especially those who led the Taraweeh Salaah – Hidaayat and Tawfeeq to make Amal, Aameen.

(To read (and download) as PDF, please click on this link: http://custodiansofthehaq.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/O-Taraweeh-Imaams.pdf)