Asked to lead Jamaat in Taraweh BUT...............

[AnonymousPoster]

...I feel my imaan is too weak to be leading the hundred or so in attendance.

The thing is my teacher (who's a hafiz and understands Arabic language) told me to lead Jamaat in Taraweh. He himself won't be attending any Taraweh prayers in that mosque, so he won't know for certain if I actually lead the prayers or not but that's not the point.

He teaches me in Islam the bond between a teacher and a student is very strong and the student should do whatever the teacher tells him to without question, if it's Islam based of course. If he realises I haven't lead the Jamaat he will get very frustrated a me.

The thing is, I wouldn't mind leading Jamaat. I'm not scared or anything, I've done it before. However, I feel my imaan has deadly deterioated. I don't even pray 5 times a day, and I commit the many major sins modern day teenagers commit. I think I'll be cheating Allah if I was to lead Jamaat, in front of people who are much more pious than me. Because I know for definite I am on the lowest level of piousness when I enter the mosque.

So what should I do? I can't not lead the Jamaat because my teacher will be very upset and I will be disobeying his command which isn't right in Islam, and I can't exactly pray it because I think I'll be disgracing Allah, having a sin driven man lead the Taraweh prayers.

PS: I won't be leading the whole Taraweh. I will only be leading the Taraweh for 4 rakaats on the 25th or 27th night.

Any advice from the brothers or sisters is appreciated.

:wa:

[AnonymousPoster]

Oh, and for the record I'm not a hafiz either. I know merely 3 spareh/juzz of the Quran.

[Snowflake]

MashaAllah bro. It's so humbling of you to feel you are not good enough to lead prayer. But, Allah knows best and if you have been asked, then make sincere repentance and go for it Bismillah. InshaAllah repenting and having hope of forgiveness from Allah subhana wa ta 'ala will lighten the burden in your heart. But know that you must be utterly sincere in your repentence and keep making astaghfaar all the while. A shaykh once said that the soiled garment is more in need of soap than perfume. i.e. making tawbah. :)

May Allah bless you and increase you in imaan and piety. Ameen

[Sari]

This may bring you closer to Allah and pave the way for your repentance and guidance back to Allah. You are feeling bad afterall, i think it can only do good if you do this. If you don't then you're just going to stay as you are, if you do it and stand up there and feel the immense responsibility when you stand up there and feel bad for your sins, it could be the making of you and help you alot.

Look at it this way - You are feeling too sinful to do something that will actually help remove your sins and help you on the right path. Doesn't make sense does it? You should leap at this chance.

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[khaliduk]

...I feel my imaan is too weak to be leading the hundred or so in attendance.

The thing is my teacher (who's a hafiz and understands Arabic language) told me to lead Jamaat in Taraweh. He himself won't be attending any Taraweh prayers in that mosque, so he won't know for certain if I actually lead the prayers or not but that's not the point.

He teaches me in Islam the bond between a teacher and a student is very strong and the student should do whatever the teacher tells him to without question, if it's Islam based of course. If he realises I haven't lead the Jamaat he will get very frustrated a me.

The thing is, I wouldn't mind leading Jamaat. I'm not scared or anything, I've done it before. However, I feel my imaan has deadly deterioated. I don't even pray 5 times a day, and I commit the many major sins modern day teenagers commit. I think I'll be cheating Allah if I was to lead Jamaat, in front of people who are much more pious than me. Because I know for definite I am on the lowest level of piousness when I enter the mosque.

So what should I do? I can't not lead the Jamaat because my teacher will be very upset and I will be disobeying his command which isn't right in Islam, and I can't exactly pray it because I think I'll be disgracing Allah, having a sin driven man lead the Taraweh prayers.

PS: I won't be leading the whole Taraweh. I will only be leading the Taraweh for 4 rakaats on the 25th or 27th night.

Any advice from the brothers or sisters is appreciated.

:wa:

To lead Taraweh salah you have to be a muslim, a man and hafiz. We had a 12 boy the other day leading the salah his name is Abdullah from Birmingham and mashallah you has a beautiful voice.
jazak allah khair

[Ummu Sufyaan]

:sl:
what is the point of memorizing the quran if you aren't consistent in your prayers :(

[Ramadhan]

To lead Taraweh salah you have to be a muslim, a man and hafiz.

You dont have to be a hafiz to lead Taraweh salah or any other salah for that matter.

[Sampharo]

It's been a while since I was here. Hope everyone is doing well.

Anonymous, your letter is intrigueing. First regarding your second concern of leading the prayer while feeling your iman is not strong enough, don't worry yourself. A strong faith is gained through life, and a prayer leader is not required to be the strongest of faiths of the people. Their prayer does not depend at all on your faith. If you have declared yourself as muslim, done clean ablution, and can recite sufficient quran to go through the prayers, you may lead it.

I am however concerned about the first concern you have: You have to obey everything your teacher tells you without question, otherwise it is unislamic. There is no such thing my friend in Islam, I don't know where you got this idea! You obey God and the prophet dictation, and you obey your parents as long as they are not ordering you for a direct disobedience of God, same for a wife obeying her husband as long as it's not disobeying God. But there's isn't any islamic requirement for a teacher. As a matter of fact the very foundation of the relationship is learning, means to question and ask queries, not to do his bidding. If he has suggested that or told you you need to do as he says without question, I would find another teacher my friend because this sounds deviant! You are entirely responsible for your own decisions and if you are told something that you doubt and it turns out wrong, you will still be held accountable for it.

Imam Malik once said: "All people's sayings can be taken or left, in part or as a whole, except for this man" and he pointed at the grave of prophet Mohammed -pbuh-. Across history sheikhs and scholars have learned and studied with many different higher sheikhs and scholars and had disagreements and agreements, none ever said that obedience is even part of the equation. A teacher deserves respect, and you might provide marginal obedience in simple tasks or as a matter of learning out of appreciation for what he does for you, or as a favour. No such thing ever as obedience without question. He's not a kung fu sensei honing your skills and shaping your "philosophy" or way of life. He is teaching you Quran or hadith or fiqh, which you take and learn and comprehend and study, that's it.

I had plenty of scholar teachers and none of them ever suggested total obedience without question.

Wassalamu Alaikom

[mathematician]

:sl:
what is the point of memorizing the quran if you aren't consistent in your prayers :(

Salamu 'alaykum brother. I agree with Umm ul-Shaheed. Why are you trying to memorize the Qur'an if you don't do all your prayers? :hmm:

Memorizing the Qur'an might inspire you to do good deeds. Insha'Allah it will, but I fear that it is not doing so in your case.

If you are committing many major sins that typical teenagers commit then perhaps you need to change your environment. Sit down one day and ponder as to what exactly is it that makes you commit those major sins?
In order to achieve Taqwa my brother, try following the advice giving in this link.
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/S...EAskTheScholar

My brother, I pray to Allah to turn your heart away from sin. My brother, do you also try learning the meaning of the Qur'an, or simply memorizing it? Sometimes pondering on the meaning of the Qur'an might change your heart.

Remember how the Prophet Muhammad's, peace be upon him, companions used to memorize the Qur'an. They would memorize 10 verses (ayah) and then they would not go further until they had practiced and understood the 10 verses. Try following that example. There is no point in keeping on memorizing the Qur'an if you will not adhere to it.