Tomorrow is the first day of the fasting month for Muslims, but tonight is special all on its own: its the first night of the tarawih prayers.
The night prayer in Ramadan has a special consideration different from any other time of the year. Imams Bukhari and Muslim reported that the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said: "Whoever offers optional prayers (like Taraweeh prayers) throughout the nights of Ramadan, believing in Allah and seeking His rewards, will have his previous sins forgiven."
Its interesting to note that the Prophet Muhammad was the first to initiate the tarawih prayers, and yet he wanted Muslims to understand that the act was a recommended act (sunnah) rather than a compulsory one -- in order to stress this upon Muslims, the Prophet actually missed a couple nights of tarawih prayer. When the Muslims asked him about it the next day, he told them he did it on purpose because he didn't want people to misundertand the nature of the prayers and think that it was compulsory.
The prophet (S.A.W.) was the first who made praying the Taraweeh in congregation Sunnah (recommended), and then he left it fearing that it may become obligatory upon his Ummah. Imams Bukhari and Muslim have reported that A’eeshah (R.A.) said that the prophet (S.A.W.) prayed once in the Masjid in one of the night of Ramadan. People joined him, and then more people joined him in the next night. Then more people waited for the prophet (S.A.W.) in the third and the fourth (night), but the prophet (S.A.W.) did not come out to them. In the next morning, the prophet (S.A.W.) said: "I have seen what you did, nothing had prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared that it may become obligatory upon you."
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