Tarawih in congregation until the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, gathered them behind Tamim al-Dari and Ubayy ibn Kab (1). Thus, the author holds that Tarawih takes precedence over Witr.

The correct view, however, is that Witr takes precedence over Tarawih and over the prayer for rain, because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded it and consistently observed it—so much so that some scholars said that Witr is obligatory.

Some scholars said that it is obligatory for one who has a regular portion of night prayer—that is, one who regularly stands in prayer at night. Others said that it is an unrestricted sunnah.

How, then, can Tarawih—regarding the desirability of praying it in congregation there is disagreement—be considered superior to a prayer whose standing in the sunnah and among the scholars is such as this?

Accordingly, the order of supererogatory prayers is: the eclipse prayer, then Witr, then the prayer for rain, then Tarawih. This is the stronger view, because the prayer for rain is intended to remove hardship, and people are in greater need of it than they are of Tarawih.

Tarawih is the night prayer in Ramadan. It was called Tarawih because people would prolong its standing, bowing, and prostration; when they had prayed four units, they would rest, then resume the prayer with another four units, then rest, and then pray three, based on the hadith of Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,”