Can tarawih prayer be performed before the night (isha) prayer is performed?

If the imam starts tarawih prayer when we enter the mosque, what should we do? We have not performed the night prayer (isha) yet. Do we need to follow the imam and perform tarawih prayer or do we need to perform the night prayer first and follow the imam after that?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Tarawih prayer cannot be performed before the fard of the night prayer (isha) is performed. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the fard of the night prayer first and follow the imam to perform tarawih prayer after that.

Tarawih prayer is peculiar to the month of Ramadan; according to the preferred view, its time is after the night prayer up to the time of the morning prayer (fajr).

Witr prayer is performed after tarawih prayer. However, it is permissible to perform it before tarawih prayer, too. However, tarawih prayer cannot be performed before the night prayer. If it is performed, it has to be performed again.   

It is mustahab to delay this prayer to after midnight or one-third of the night. According to the soundest view, it is sunnah al-kifaya to perform tarawih prayer in congregation. That is, if nobody performs tarawih prayer in congregation in a mosque, all of them become sinners.

Tarawih prayer can be performed individually. However, it is more virtuous to perform it in congregation.

A person who catches up with the imam in the middle of tarawih prayer performs the fard of the night prayer first and follows the imam to perform tarawih prayer after that. He completes the rak'ahs of tarawih prayer he has missed individually after that.

It is sunnah to perform tarawih prayer by khatm al-Quran.

When tarawih prayer is missed, it is not performed as qada. As it is known fard and wajib prayers are performed as qada when they are missed.

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