MAQUETTE BETTERPAD-RAY - Implementation of Tarawih Prayers at the Shahada Mosque / Masjid Syahadat (Design)

Tarawih Prayers are night prayers held during the month of Ramadan every night. So, this night prayer is done before carrying out fasting for the next day, because the beginning of the month of the Hijri begins at sunset, not at midnight afterwards. This prayer is the law of sunnat muakkad (highly recommended) as a deed of worship that can add merit in a blessed month. Tarawih prayer can be done in congregation or alone. Indeed, mosques hold tarawih prayers in congregation to enliven the mosque and so that Muslims can gather together in the house of God in order to seek merit in the holy month. However, Tarawih prayer can be done alone and is still valid, especially if there is an interest in the house or a place, so that it is hindered or very difficult if you go to the mosque. The place for carrying out tarawih prayer is indeed possible anywhere as long as the place is holy, different from Friday prayers which must be done in congregation and must be in the mosque or the agreed place. But it has become a custom that people go to mosques to perform Tarawih prayers in congregation. Tarawih prayer is done after Isha' prayer until dawn.

If the design of the Shahada Mosque (Masjid Syahadat) which is part of the Betterpad-Ray (Benteng Terpadu Raya / Great Integrated Fortress) model/maquette can be realized, I will describe how the implementation of Tarawih prayers in congregation in the mosque that I dream of. This is important to note in order to make the atmosphere more beautiful and increase the spirit of worship in the month of Ramadan.

The number of rakaat in Tarawih prayers that the Prophet worked on was eight rak'ahs. While Umar bin Khattab worked on it for up to 20 rak'ahs. Because of this, there are two opinions or groups regarding the number of rakaat Tarawih prayers based on these two histories. There were some mosques which agreed to carry out one of the two opinions, such as the mosque in my hamlet which chose eight Rak'ats. But there are also people who are divided into two groups so that mosques need to make agreements or regulations to overcome these differences of opinion. The number of eight rakaat is generally chosen by the younger generation or who are busy working who do not like to worship for too long. While the amount of 20 rakaat is generally chosen by the older generation or old (muslim) clerics who like to worship for a long time. For this reason, the mosque made two sessions for each opinion, namely the eight rak'ah sessions and twenty rak'ah sessions. The eight rak'ah sessions took place in the first session so that they could be finished earlier. While the 20 rakaat session was held in the second session and could be finished late at night. The Shahada Mosque in Betterpad-Ray will carry out this method to organize Tarawih prayers in congregation.

The way of working Tarawih Prayers is that each of the two rak'ahs ends with greetings (salam). After completing the Tarawih prayer which is done in the mosque, it is usually continued with the Witir prayer, at least one rak'ah but generally done three rak'ahs with two greetings and may be done three rak'ahs of one greeting (witir means odd number). There are some people who after completing the tarawih prayer at the mosque, then go home to do other night prayers (tahajjud prayers) first, then do the witir prayer as a closing.

In the hamlet and the area around me, there were lectures at the mosque which were carried out before the Tarawih prayer and some afterwards. The purpose of the lecture was for worshipers to obtain additional religious knowledge in the holy month. This lecture is not something that must be done in the implementation of Tarawih prayer in the mosque. Previously in my hamlet, after carrying out Tarawih prayers in congregation, food was distributed in the form of packaged bread to take home. This is one form of good practice in the holy month.

After performing the Tarawih prayer, the Imam usually reads the dhikr and the prayer followed by the worshipers and the worshipers also recites Aamiin to the part of the prayer that the Imam reads, at the end. In the next hamlet, on the wall in front of the shaf, pasted paper that reads the words prayer and remembrance after tarawih to be read by the worshipers to know what the Imam read.

This is the article from me. Hopefully the design of the Shahada Mosque (Masjid Syahadat), which is part of the Betterpad-Ray (Benteng Terpadu Raya / Great Integrated Fortress) model/maquette, can inspire and be realized. Aamiin.

Reference:

·         T, Drs. M. Nawai. Penuntun Shalat Lengkap beserta Dzikir dan Do’a-do’a. Surabaya: Karya Ilmu.