Is dimming or turning off the lights in mosques during Tarawih prayer considered an innovation (bid‘ah)?
Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Barrak said: Dimming the lights or turning them off during Qiyam (night prayers) is a good and permissible practice. It is not considered extremism or artificiality, because bright lights distract a person and cause their gaze to wander. Darkness and soft light are more conducive to the heart and the eyes. Al-Khallal narrated that Muhammad ibn Ibrahim asked Imam Ahmad about people who gather, and a reciter reads to them with a sorrowful recitation, and they might turn off the lamps. Imam Ahmad replied to him: "If he recites with the recitation style of Abu Musa, then there is no harm in it."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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