Title: Regarding Missed Fasts & Taraweeh Prayers Question: I would like to ask you some questions. If someone forgets the number of fasts that he had missed, then what should he do? Is it valid, for someone to offer 8 raka'h in Taraweeh [1] prayer? Thanks. Answer: If a person is ill or is on a journey, due to which he is not in a position to fast during the prescribed month of Ramadan , the Qur'an has allowed him to miss the number of fasts, during which he is ill or is on a journey and then to complete the number of fasts later, when he is well or when he returns from his journey, as the case may be. The Qur'an, while giving this allowance, has stressed to complete the number of fasts, when it becomes possible to do so. In view of this stress of the Qur'an, it is important that a person keep an accurate record of the number of fasts missed during Ramadan and then to complete the number later. However, if a person forgets the exact number of fasts missed during Ramadan , he may assess the number so missed and complete the number according to his assessment. In such a situation, it may be hoped that if the assessment is made diligently and still a mistake has been committed, God in His infinite mercy shall forgive us and not punish us for such a mistake. Moreover, it should also be remembered that all our unintentional mistakes and the shortcomings in our obligatory acts of worship are not only covered but also greatly rewarded, if we offer some supererogatory ( nafl ) acts of worship on our own. For instance, an unintentional and unnoticed mistake in our obligatory prayer is not only covered by our sincere offering of a supererogatory ( nafl ) prayer but we are also greatly rewarded for offering the supererogatory prayer. The same is the case of our unintentional mistakes in fasting and other forms of worship. Taraweeh is not an obligatory prayer. The number of rak`ah of the Taraweeh prayer is also not fixed. Actually, the Prophet (pbuh) himself did not ever offer the Taraweeh prayer, as is now a regular practice among Muslims. The Prophet (pbuh) only offered the Tahajjud prayer. However, because the Prophet (pbuh) allowed those who could not wake up in the middle of the night for their Tahajjud prayer to offer this prayer after the `Ishaa prayer, therefore it is not incorrect to offer any number of rak`ah after the `Ishaa prayer, as is now a practice among Muslims, especially during the month of Ramadan . There is thus, no harm in offering fewer or more number of rak`ah in the Taraweeh prayer. The Prophet (pbuh) did not fix any particular number of rak`ah of the Tahajjud prayer and therefore, this number cannot be fixed by any one else either. 10 th December 1999 [1] The supererogatory prayer, which is offered immediately after the `ishaa prayers during Ramadhan .