Some Common Doubts and Misconceptions Affiliated with the Tarāwīḥ Prayer
Doubt/Misconception 01: The Tarāwīḥ Prayer Is a Good Innovation
Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz (رحمه الله) was asked: “Is innovation divided into good and evil?”
The Shaykh (رحمه الله) stated:
“What is correct is that every innovation is misguidance. Some scholars say: Good innovation, such as the compilation of the Muṣhaf and the tarāwīḥ prayer, but what is correct is that all innovations are misguidance. There is nothing in them that is good. He (ﷺ) said: ‘Every innovation is misguidance,’ and he did not differentiate [between good and bad].
Therefore, the compilation of the Muṣhaf is not an innovation, but rather, the Companions compiled it since they were commanded to preserve the Book of Allāh. Thus, preserving and taking care of it so that nothing is lost is a command, making it compulsory.
Likewise, the tarāwīḥ prayer is not an innovation since the Prophet (ﷺ) performed it. [As for] the statement of ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه): ‘What a great innovation this is’ when he gathered the people under one imām, then what he did was an innovation from a linguistic sense, since the continuous performance of the tarāwīḥ prayer under one imām [from the beginning of Ramaḍān till its very end] did not occur in the time of the Prophet (ﷺ). Hence, he called it an innovation from a linguistic sense; otherwise, it is a Sunnah since the Prophet (ﷺ) performed it with the Companions for a few nights.’”
● [هل توجد بدعة حسنة وبدعة سيئة]