There is no mention of Taraweeh in the Quran. These were initiated at
the times of Allah’s Messenger or of Hazrat Umar’s. This is a question of
history. The Shias and Sunnees have disagreement over it. Everyone is aware of these
discussions and controversies. On the question whether the number of rak’ahs in
Taraweeh is eight or twenty, there is disagreement within the Sunnees itself. And no one
is unaware of these debates. Tolu-e-Islam does not revel in such debates. Its precept in
the matters not mentioned in the Quran is self-explanatory.
Islam is the name of the life of preservation of the self within the
boundary walls of the Quran. For this purpose, it is necessary that the human (Muslim)
must know as to what are the boundary walls of the Quran and along with it, he must also
get himself up for self-control. The month of Ramadan is the specific instrument for
inculcating and substantiating each of these two matters. In the modern terminology, call
it a Training Camp or a Refresher Course. The fasting makes the human get himself up for
leading striven-life through self-control. And its fixing is in this month, wherein the
beginning of revelation of the Quran was initiated. It brings this stark fact to the
fore-front that special arrangements during this Training Course should be made for
gushing forth the entire Quran to the striven-people (Mijahideen) so that they may fully
comprehend as to what the connexion of “the sword and the Quran” is with each
other and how these two come to be the instrument for safeguarding each other. It appears
that the Islamic system of the First Era, in order to bring the Quran to the mind of the
people all at the lame time, devised this method – and method is now being performed
only to acquire the reward of a virtuous act (Sawaab). It is because the way the Quran is
recited now, during the Taraweeh, is neither understood by the Quran-conner who cause
others to hear it as to what he had recited, nor do their disciples in the congregation
comprehend it as to what they have listened. And it is obvious that the way the words of
the Quran are repeated and heard without being understood cannot make the exposition of
the Quran understandable. And neither it can be known which design of life it carves for
us. When the system of caliphate based on the precept of Nabuvva is established, its job
will be to oversee where the revamping is essential in our traditional mores and cores. It
will then be the time, whence-fore the correct concept of “Sin and Sawaab” comes
to the fore-view. (1956)