Taraweeh:- 8 or 20?

Narrated 'Aisha, the mother of the faithful believers: One night Allah's Apostle offered the prayer in the Mosque and the people followed him. The next night he also offered the prayer and too many people gathered. On the third and the fourth nights more people gathered, but Allah's Apostle did not come out to them. In the morning he said, "I saw what you were doing and nothing but the fear that it (i.e. the prayer) might be enjoined on you, stopped me from coming to you." And that happened in the month of Ramadan.(Bukhari, 1129)


Although Salat At-Taraweeh isn't obligatory, the issue of the amount of Rak'ahs prayed during it is perhaps one of the most commonly disputed matters in the Muslim world. People have developed two extremes regarding it, each side possessing proofs to support their claims.

One group is of the opinion that it is forbidden to perform any less than 20 rak’ahs, their evidence being the following:





 [Muwatta Imam Malik vol 1, p98]




Ibn Qudaamah said: The favoured view according to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad), is that it is twenty rak’ahs. This was the view of al-Thawri, Abu Hanfeefah and al-Shaafa’i. Maalik said it is thirty-six. [Al-Mughni, 1/457]



Al-Nawawi said: Taraweeh prayer is Sunnah according to scholarly consensus. Our view is that it is twenty rak’ahs with ten tasleems, and it is permissible to pray it individually or in congregation. [Al-Majmoo’, 4/31]



This side also utilizes a narration by Ibn Abbas in which the Prophet is reported to have prayed 20 during Ramadan, but it has proven to be extremely weak.


The evidences which they have provided, however, don’t negate the evidence of the latter group which claim that Taraweeh is no more than 11 (including Witr) or 13 Rak’ahs (including the Sunnah after Isha) and that anyone who increases its number has committed an innovation in the religion:


Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not observe more than eleven Rak'ah (of Tahajjud prayers), be in Ramadan or any other month. First of all he would perform four Rak'ah. Ask not about their excellence and their length. He (ﷺ) would then perform four more Rak'ah; and do not ask about their excellence and their length. Then he would perform three Rak'ah (Witr prayer). ('Aishah added) I submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! Do you sleep before performing the Witr prayer?" He (ﷺ) said, "O 'Aishah! My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].


In order to disprove this stance, the former group makes a distinction between the night prayer and Salat at-Taraweeh. However, at the time of the Prophet, the word ‘Taraweeh’ was not used, and it was instead known to be part of the voluntary prayers at night. In then came to be known as Taraweeh due to the fact that it was customary to take breaks between the prayer.


The reality is that the Prophet prayed 11 or 13, and Umar bin Khattab did in fact order for it to be prayed 20, as the Prophet never specified a limit to the amount of Raka’hs. When he was asked about the night prayer, He said:


 “Prayers at night are to be offered two by two (two rak’ahs at a time). If any of you fears that the time of dawn is approaching then let him pray one rak’ah as Witr.”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 846; Muslim, 749)



Ibn Taymiyah further expounds this, saying:

“…The night prayers of Ramadhan have not been limited to a specific number (of rak’ahs).  He (the Prophet) himself used to pray no more than 13 rak’ahs in Ramadhan or any other time.  However, he used to pray with long rak’ahs.

When ‘Umar gathered the people behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b, he (Ubayy) used to pray 20 rak’ahs with them, and then pray three rak’ahs of witr.  He used to recite less in the rak’ahs to compensate for the increased number, since that was easier for the believers than long rak’ahs.

After that, some of the Salaf used to pray 40 rak’ahs, adding three for witr.

Others prayed 36 rak’ahs, adding three for witr.

All of this was acceptable.  Whichever of these ways a person chooses to pray in Ramadhan is fine.

The best scenario differs depending on the people’s situations.  If they can stand for a long time, then ten rak’ahs with three for witr is best, as it was the steady practice of the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) in Ramadhan and other times.

If the people cannot stand for long periods of time, then 20 rak’ahs is better.  This is what most of the Muslims do, since it is a middle ground between ten and 40.  It is permissible for someone to pray 40 or some other number (of rak’ahs), and there is nothing disliked about that.  This has been mentioned explicitly by a number of imaams, like Ahmad for example.

Anyone who assumes that the night prayers of Ramadhan have been limited by the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) to a set number that must be adhered to without any increase or decrease has surely erred…” (Majmoo' AlFatawa, 22/272)


The preponderant opinion is that 11 is the best, as the Prophet used to perform it, but there is nothing wrong in performing more than that.

It’s imperative that we don’t allow this to be a cause of discord amongst ourselves, and it is upon the followers to follow the Imam regardless if he’s praying 11 or 23 rak’ahs; as the obligation of unity takes precedence.  Allah says:






And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment.” (Qur’an, 3:105) 





References:

Al-Munajjid, (1997-2015), Numbers of rak’ahs in Taraaweeh prayer 9036, [Online], Available at: https://islamqa.info/en/9036 [Accessed: 25th December 2015]


Al-Munajjid, (1997-2015), What was the number of rak’ahs in Taraweeh prayer at the time of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him)? 82152, [Online], Available at https://islamqa.info/en/82152 [Accessed: 25th December 2015]


Al-‘Uthaymeen, (1421-1435AH), Concerning the number of Rak’ahs in Taraweeh, [Online], Available at: http://www.bakkah.net/articles/taraaweeh-rak-ahs-11-20.htm [Accessed: 25th December 2015]

Bakkah (1421-1435AH) Ibn Taymiyah on how many rakahs Taraweeh [Online] Available at: http://www.bakkah.net/en/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ibn-taymiyyah-on-how-many-rakahs-taraaweeh.pdf [Accessed: 25th December 2015]


Facebook, (2013), Everything you need to know about “Salat-at-Taraweeh”. Please read and share, [Online], Available at: https://www.facebook.com/notes/muslim-world/everything-you-should-know-about-salat-al-taraweeh-please-read-share/695295633820696/ [Accessed: 25th December 2015]


Follow your Imam in Taraweeh – Best answer on 8 or 20 Rakats, (2012), Online Video, Muslim Speakers, Viewed: 25th December 2015, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbLPowIdfx0>



Ibn Shahid, (2007), Do not differ in Taraweeh, [Online], Available at: https://theclearsunnah.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/do-not-differ-in-taraweeh/ [Accessed: 25th December 2015]

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Qur’an, [Online], Available at: http://legacy.quran.com/ [Accessed: 25th December 2015]

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Sunnah, [Online], Available at: http://www.sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/9/182 [Accessed: 25th December 2015]

Taraweeh 8 or 20 – Sheikh Assim Al Hakeem, (2012), Online Video, IslamDiscoveryTV, Viewed: 25th December 2015, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GRP0_fAgL4>

Ibn Baz, (2011), The difference between Taraweeh, Qiyaam, and Tahajjud, [Online]. Available at: http://ummuabdulazeez.com/2011/08/03/the-difference-between-taraweeh-qiyaam-and-tahajjud/#comment-2494 [Accessed 25th December 2015]

رأي الشيخ الفوزان في عدد ركعات قيام الليل من فتاوي علي الهواء للفوزان(2013), Online Video, Viewed: 25th December 2015, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-9o-303gOc>

عدد ركعات صلاة التراويح للشيخ ابن عثيمين رحمه الله       (2015), Online Video, Viewed: 25th December 2015 < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGIdT7w6tkI>


 كم عدد صلاة التراويح ؟ ... // الشيخ عبدالعزيز الطريفي (2012), Online Video, Viewed: 25th December 2015, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Sq3LpG-Ms>



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