Complete Guide to NU Tawarih & Witir Prayers and Procedures

The NU version of the Tawarih and Witr prayers uses the formation 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-1 for a total of 23 rak’ahs. What is the complete guide and procedures?

The Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) fast will most likely start on Tuesday, March 12 2024, as the start of Ramadan 1445 H. The reason is, the new moon cannot be rukyat on the 29th of Shaban 1445 H or Sunday, March 10 2024, based on information from the Nahdlatul Executive Board Falakiyah Institute Ulama ( LF PBNU ).

Thus, NU’s Tawarih and Witr prayers are expected to begin on Monday, March 11 2024. Tarawih is a sunnah prayer which is only performed during the month of Ramadan. Muslims always maximize this opportunity to increase their practice of worship.

Some groups have differences regarding the number of rakats of tarawih prayers. NU as a community organization (mass organization) chose 20 rakats of tarawih and closed with 3 rakats of witr. As a result, the total number is 23 rak’ahs .

 

Also read:

• Example of Friday Sermon at the End of Shaban: Marhaban Ya Ramadhan 2024
• Friday Sermon Ahead of Ramadhan 2024: Wisdom of Differences at the Beginning of Fasting
• How to Check Imsak, Sahur & Iftar Schedule for Ramadhan 2024

 

Complete Guide to NU Tarawih and Witir Prayers

Tarawih and Witr prayers are performed after Isha. The law is sunnah. Apart from being in a congregation, it can also be done alone. However, the most important thing is to do it together, aka the congregation.

Tarawih and witir prayers can be performed during the month of Ramadan in mosques, prayer rooms or at home. One of the hadiths preaches the primacy of tarawih prayers. The hadith is as follows:

“Whoever worships (tarawih) in the month of Ramadan while being faithful and sincere, then his past sins are forgiven,” (HR al-Bukhari, Muslim, and others).

In the NU version, tarawih prayers are performed with a system of 2 rakats per greeting. This is repeated 10 times until there are 20 rak’ahs.

In the first rak’ah of every tarawih prayer, the order of reading the surahs of the Koran that can be used is At-Takatsur, Al-Ashr, Al-Humazah, Al-Fil, and Quraish. Then Al-Ma’un, Al-Kautsar, Al-Kafirun, An-Nashr, and Al-Lahab. Meanwhile, every second rak’ah can be filled with the reading of Surah Al-Ikhlas.

The following are the procedures for the NU tarawih prayer, 2 rak’ahs and repeated 10 times, as quoted from the article entitled “Tarawih Prayer Procedures and Their Priorities” written by Syifa Arrahmah via the NU Online page:

1. Read the intention of the tarawih prayer.

If you become a priest, the intention reading is:

أُصَلِّى سُنَّةَ التَّرَاوِيْحِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ ا لْقِبْلَةِ أَدَاءً إِمَامًا للهِ تَعَالَى

Ushalli sunnatat tarāwīhi rak’atayni mustaqbilal qiblati adā’an imāman lillāhi ta’ālā .

If you become a makmum, then the reading of your intention is:

لَ الْقِبْلَةِ مَأْمُوْمًا لِلهِ تَعَالَى

Ushallî sunnatat tarâwîhi rak’ataini mustaqbilal qiblati ma’mûman lillâhi ta’âlâ.

If done alone, reading the intention becomes:

اُصَلِّى سُنَّةَ التَّرَاوِيْحِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ ا لْقِبْلَةِ أَدَاءً لِلهِ تَعَالَى

Ushalli sunnatat tarāwīhi rak’atayni mustaqbilal qiblati adā’an lillāhi ta’ālā.

2. Takbiratul Ihram and setting intentions in your heart at this time.
3. Read Surah Al-Fatihah
4. Read one short surah or one verse that can be understood.
5. Rukuk with thuma’ninah (quiet for a moment during the recitation of 1 tasbih)
6. Read the prayer beads 1 time
7. Itidal with thuma’ninah (during the recitation of 1 tasbih)
8. Read the itidal prayer.
9. First prostration with thuma’ninah (during recitation of 1 tasbih) Read the prostration tasbih 1 time.
10. Sit between two prostrations with thuma’ninah (during the recitation of 1 tasbih).
11. Read the prayer sitting between two prostrations.
12. Second prostration with thuma’ninah (during the recitation of 1 tasbih).
13. Read the prostration prayer beads once.
14. Sit and rest for a moment (during the recitation of 1 tasbih or subhānallāh) before getting up.
15. Get up to continue the second rak’ah.
16. Read Surah Al-Fatihah
17. Read one short surah or one verse that can be understood. 18. Rukuk with thuma’ninah (quiet for a moment during the recitation of 1 tasbih)
19. Read the prayer rosary 1 time
20. Itidal with thuma’ninah (during the recitation of 1 tasbih)
21. Read the itidal prayer.
22. First prostration with thuma’ninah (during recitation of 1 tasbih) Read the prostration tasbih 1 time.
23. Sit between two prostrations with thuma’ninah (during the recitation of 1 tasbih).
24. Read the prayer sitting between two prostrations.
25. Second prostration with thuma’ninah (during the recitation of 1 tasbih).
26. Sit.
27. Greetings.

Also read:

• Ruling on praying Tarawih but not yet praying Isha is permissible or not?
• List of Reading Sequences for the 23 Rakaat NU Tarawih Prayers at Home
• Does the 4 Rak’at 1 Salam Tarawih Prayer have an initial tasyahud or not?

 

Procedures for the Nahdlatul Ulama Witr Prayer

The witr prayer is still a part of the tarawih prayer series. Witr is performed in 3 rak’ahs. The order is 2 rak’ahs first with one greeting and then 1 rak’ah closing with the greeting.

According to a hadith, “Be wise, all of you, O people of the Qur’an, for indeed Allah is strange, and loves strange things,” (HR Khuzaimah).

The following are the procedures for the Witr prayer according to the Nahdlatul Ulama version:

1. Say the reading of the intention for the Witr prayer for 2 rak’ahs.

If you become a priest, the intention reading is:

اُصَلِّى سُنَّةً مِنَ الوِتْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْ قِبْلَةِ أَدَاءً إِمَامًا لِلهِ تَعَالَى

Ushalli sunnatan minal Witri rak’ataini mustaqbilal qiblati adā’an imāman lillāhi ta’ālā.

Meaning: “I deliberately prayed the sunnah prayer, part of the two rak’ah witr prayer, facing the Qibla, and as an imam because of Allah Ta’ala.”

If you are a Muslim, then the reading intention is:

اُصَلِّى سُنَّةَ مِنَ الوِتْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مُسْتَقْبِلَ God

willing ta’ālā

Meaning: “I deliberately pray the sunnah prayer as part of the two rak’ah witr prayer by facing the Qibla, cash as a makmum because of Allah Ta’ala.”

If the witr prayer is performed alone, the intention reading becomes:

أصلى سنة من الوتر ركعتين لله تعالى

Ushallii sunnatam minal witri rak’ataini lillaahhi ta’aalaa.
Meaning: “I intend to pray 2 rak’ahs in (part of) witr for Allah ta’ala.”

2. Say takbir during takbiratul ihram while reading the intention in your heart.
3. Read Surah Al-Fatihah and after that read one of the surahs in the Koran
4. Rukuk
5. Itidal
6. First prostration
7. Sit between two prostrations
8. Second prostration
9. Stand again in the second rak’ah
10. Read the surah Surah Al-Fatihah and reading one of the letters in the Koran
11. Rukuk
12. Itidal
13. First prostration
14. Sitting between two prostrations
15. Second prostration
16. Sitting final tasyahud in the second rak’ah
17. Greetings at the end of the second rak’ah.
18. After that, stand up again to pray one rak’ah of the witr prayer.
19. Read the intention of the witr prayer for 1 rakaat.

If you become a priest, the intention reading is:

اُصَلِّى سُنَّةَ الوِتْرِ رَكْعَةً مُسْتَقْبِلَ الْقِبْلَةِ أَدَاءً إِمَامًا لِلهِ تَعَالَى

Ushalli sunnatal Witri rak’atan mustaqbilal qiblati adā’an imāman lillāhi ta’ālā.

Meaning: “I deliberately pray one rak’ah of the witr sunnah prayer facing the Qibla, and as an imam for Allah SWT.

If as a congregation, then the reading of the intention is:

God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing اءً مَأْمُوْمًا لِلهِ تَعَالَى

Ushalli sunnatal Witri rak’atan mustaqbilal qiblati adā’an makmūman lillāhi ta’ālā.

Meaning: “I deliberately pray one rak’ah of the Witir sunnah prayer facing the Qibla, in prayer for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.”

If the witr prayer is performed alone, the intention reading becomes:

أصلى سنة من الوتر ركعة لله تعالى

Ushalli sunnatam minal witri rak’atal lillaahhi ta’aalaa.

Meaning: “I intend to pray the sunnat witir prayer one rakaat because Allah Ta’ala,”.

20. Say takbir during takbiratul ihram while reciting the intention silently
21. Read Surah Al-Fatihah and then read one of the surahs in 22. Al-Quran
23 . Rukuk
24. Itidal
25. First prostration
26. Sitting between two prostrations
27. Second prostrations
28. Sitting final tasyahud
29. Salam.

After completing the witr prayer, then continue by reading the prayer in the following order:

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِ لَّا اللهُ

Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāh.

Meaning, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.”

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ

Astaghfirullāh.

Meaning, “I ask Allah’s forgiveness.”

God willing رِ

Allāhumma innī as’aluka ridhāka wal jannah, wa a’ūdzu bika min sakhathika wan nār.

Meaning, “My Lord, I ask for Your blessing and paradise. I also seek refuge in Your (mercy) from Your wrath and hell.”

سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ

Subhānal malikil quddūs.

Meaning, “Glory be to the holy God,” (HR An-Nasa’i and Ibnu Majah).

سُبُّوْحٌ ق ُدُّوْسٌ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّ المَلَائِكَةِ وَالرُّوْحِ

Subbūhun, quddūsun, rabbunā wa rabbul malā’ikati war rūh.
Meaning, ” “Holy and holy is our Lord, the Lord of the angels and Jibril,” (HR Al-Baihaqi and Ad-Daruqutni). وَ فَاعْفُ

عَنِّي

Allāhumma innaka ‘afuwwun karīmun tuhibbul ‘afwa, fa’fu ‘annī.
Meaning, ” “My Lord, truly You are forgiving and gracious. You love forgiveness, therefore forgive me.”

God bless you

īna. Meaning, “O Most merciful Being, (I ask) for the blessings of Your mercy, O Most merciful of all merciful Beings.”

God bless you نْ عُقُوبَتِك وَأَعُوذُ بِك مِنْك لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْك أَنْت َ كَمَا أَثْنَيْت عَلَى نَفْسِك

Allāhumma inī a’ūdzu bi ridhāka min sakhathika, wa bi mu’āfātika min ‘uqūbatika. Wa a’ūdzu bika minka, lā uhshī tsanā’an alayka anta kamā atsnayta ‘alā nafsika.

Meaning, “My Lord, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath and in Your mercy from Your punishment. I ask for Your protection from Your wrath. I cannot (able) count Your praise as much as You praise Yourself,” (HR Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, and Ibnu Majah).

God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing َلْبًا خَاشِعًا وَنَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَنَسْأَلُكَ يَقِيْن on ِّمًا وَنَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرًا كَثِيْرًا وَنَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْ God willing َ عَلَى الْعَافِيَةِ وَنَسْأَلُكَ الْغِنَى عَنِ النَّاسِ أَللَّهُم َّ رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا صَلَاتَنَا وَصِيَامَنَا وَقِيَامَنَا message نَا يَا God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing, God willing God bless you نَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ

Meaning, “O Allah, we ask of You, lasting faith, a humble heart, useful knowledge, true belief, pious deeds, straight religion, abundant goodness. We ask You for forgiveness and health, perfect health, we ask You to be grateful for the gift of health, we ask You for sufficiency for fellow human beings. O Allah, our Lord, accept from us: our prayers, fasting, worship, humility, humility and worship, and perfect all our shortcomings. O Allah, the most merciful God of all merciful. And may prosperity be bestowed upon His best creatures, Prophet Muhammad SAW, as well as his family and friends as a whole. And all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”