Tahajjud salaah In Congregation Print
SALAAH.. The Book of Prayer - Congregation and Imamah [leading the Salaah]

Tahajjud salaah In Congregation

Q: Salaah-48: Should the Tahajjud salaah be performed in Jamaa'ah or individually?

Answer: The Tahajjud salaah should be performed individually and to perform it in Jamaa'ah is Makrooh. It will however not be Makrooh if a few people get together to perform it in Jamaa'ah very infrequently, without inviting each other and without giving emphasis to the action. If there are only two people besides the Imaam, all are unanimous that it will not be Makrooh. If there are three besides him, there is a difference of opinion and if there are more than three, then it is Makrooh according to all.

Majmoo'ah Fataawaa Sa 'diyyah (Pg.72-73) states that it is Makrooh to call people to together to perform the Tahajjud salaah in Jamaa'ah. However, when two or three persons happen to get together without inviting each other and then decide to follow one of them in Tahajjud, this is permissible without abomination.
In his commentary of Sharhul Wiqaayah, Faadhil Chalapi RAH. states that performing the Tahjjud salaah in Jamaa'ah is a Bid'ah.

Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf Thaani RAH. says: "It is sad indeed to note that acts of Bid'ah that are unheard of in the other schools of Tasawwuf have now surfaced (amongst the Naqshbandiyyah school). Assembling the people to perform the Tahajjud salaah with a large Jamaa'ah is a Makrooh Tahreemi act.

While some Ulema maintain that the month of Ramadhaan is an exception to this rule, research scholars say that it is not. The following appears in Fataawaa Rasheediyyah :

Q: Salaah-49: Is it permissible to perform Nafl salaah in Jamaa'ah, especially the Tahajjud and Awwaabeen salaahs during Ramadhaan?

Answer: It is Makrooh Tahreemi to perform Nafl salaah in Jamaa'ah unless it has been proven from the Ahadeeth. The books of jurisprudence state that apart from the Salaatul Kusoof, Taraaweeh and Istisqaa salaahs, it is Makrooh to call people to join all other Nafl salaahs with Jamaa'ah when there are more than four followers.

Another Fatwa states:

Q: Salaah-50: It is the practice in some villages to call Huffadh together to recite Qur'aan in Tahajjud during Ramadhaan. There are also a few others who join them. They go around waking each other up for the salaah and gather in the Masjid. Is this correct?

Answer: Apart from the Salaatul Kusoof, Taraaweeh and Istisqaa salaahs, it is Makrooh to call people to join all other Nafl salaahs with Jamaa'ah when there are more than four followers, according to the Hanafi school, of jurisprudence. This applies regardless of whether they invited each other or just happened to be at the place at the time. There is a difference of opinion if they are three and if they are more, then it is Makrooh according to all. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2