What is Shabeena and is it permissible.

Question:

I want to know about “Shabeena”. We are in USA and for the last few years we are doing Shabeena in the last few nights of Ramadan. The way that we pray is the Imam (who is also reciting in Taraweeh) leaves a few rakaats of Taraweeh and prays those rakaats as “Nafl” at their masjid and in Shabeena they lead the prayer as Taraweeh and some muqtadees pray as Taraweeh and most of them pray as Nafl. Is this the right way? This is how it has been told to us by our Ustaad.

This year someone made the issue that this salaat is “Makrooh” and calling people for this salaat is “Bidat”. To avoid grouping here, we cancelled our shabeena program this year. We need your guidance on this issue. May Allah Bless U. Please do remember us in your prayers.


Answer:

First of all, you must know that performing Nafl Salaah in Jamaat of three or more people is considered to be Makrooh Tahreemi and impermissible according to the Mazhab of Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A). As such, this being done in order to complete the recitation of the Holy Qur’an in Nafl Salaah in the month of Ramadhan, which is also referred to as ‘Shabeena’ would not be permissible.

Based in the way you have described, we do not think that this is appropriate. In this case although the Imam can say that he is simply leading the Taraweeh prayer, the fact remains that the entire adjustment has been made in order to facilitate people performing Nafl Salaah in Jamaat. In the case described, we see that the Imam is intentionally delaying the completion of his 20 rakaats Taraweeh simply to fulfill the establishment of ‘Shabeena’, something which the Shariah of Islam itself did not establish. In our opinion, the practice you have described should be discontinued.

And Allah knows best.
Mufti Waseem Khan