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Taraweeh Prayer: Eight or Twenty?

Magazine Date of September, 2006
Issue :

Islamic Vision Magazine, Sept-Oct 2006

Commentator :

Mohammad Anwar Khan Qasmi

Is the Taraweeh prayer eight or twenty according to the Sunnah way?

Until two hundred years ago there was only one answer to this question. Every person belonging to all different
schools of thoughts until this time unanimously agreed that it is TWENTY RAKA'AHS. Around the twelfth
century, a group calling itself the Ahle Hadith or Salafi emerged and began propagating thefallacy that
Taraweeh is only eight Raka'ahs. Recently small groups in order to cast aside following the right way have
begun blindly following the so-called Ahle Hadith. Hence not only do they deprive themselves of the rewards of
the entire TWENTY RAKA'AHS, they also mislead others who are unaware of the facts and deprive others as
well.

In this gloomy age of the Islamic history, every morn heralds a new trial and tribulation that strikes at the very
root of our faith. Some so-called scholars of Ahle Hadith have declared the practice of 20 Raka'ahs of
Taraweeh prayer in the Holy month of Ramadan to be a reprehensible innovation, which was practiced by the
vast majority of the Muslim Ummah.

We will discuss, Insha Allah and prove that they are the ones who deliberately overlook Sahih Hadiths on this
issue, as well as avoid the practice and Consensus of the venerable Companions, and our beloved Messenger,
Muhammad (saws) who initiated this practice and number.

Evidence for 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh according to authentic ahadith

In the following paragraphs we will provide the most authentic evidence to support the claims of the Hanafi,
Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali and Zahiri schools of Islamic thoughts, and most importantly that the Prophet (saws) and
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in the unanimous view and practice of the Sahabah the Raka'ahs of Taraweeh are twenty.

Al-Baihaqi has related in al-Marifa Sa'eeb ibn Yazid, who said: "In the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) the
people used to observe 20 Raka'ahs and the Witr." The other version of the Hadith is as it is related in al-Sunan
of Baihaqi: Sa'ib Ibn Yazid said:
"In the time of Umar Ibn al-Khattab, they would perform 20 Raka'ahs in the month of Ramadan. He said (also):
And they would recite the Mi'in,(Qur'anic Surahs having more than on hundred verses) and they would lean on
their sticks in the time of Uthman Ibn Affan, from the discomfort of standing." (Baihaqi)

The above Hadith is absolutely trustworthy, as mentioned by the Indian research scholar, Shaykh al-Nimawi in
Athar al-Sunan and a large number of Hadith specialists and erudite.
The evidence which proves that Umar ordered the practice of 20 Raka'ahs has been recorded by Shaikh Ali alMuttaqi al- Hindi in the largest collection of Hadith available today: Kanz al-Ummal fi Sunan al-aqwal wal Af'al,
as follows from Ubayy ibn Ka'ab:

"Umar (ra) ordered him (Ubayy) to lead the people in prayer at night in Ramadan, because the people fast
during the day and cannot recite (the Qur'an) well, therefore it is better that you should recite (the Qur'an)
during the night. I (Ubayy) asked: "O commander of the believers, this thing was not done before." He said: "I
know, but it is a good practice", and so (Ubayy) led (the Companion's) for 20 Raka'ahs."

There are many other narrations, which prove the case for twenty Raka'ahs, but some of these narrations are
less authentic than others, nevertheless they are weighty enough to back each other up and raise the level of
authentication to at least Hasan (good); as Shaikh Nimawi and others have verified. A selection of the scholars
of Hadith who authenticated and used al-Baihaqi's narrations as a proof for 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh Imam
Yahya al-Nawawi has authenticated the narration recorded and mentioned above from al-Bayhaqi's MarifatusSunan, in his book al-Khulasa.

Besides this narration, he has also recorded the alternative narration recorded by Imam al-Bayhaqi in his
Sunan al-Kubra. He has declared this variant narration to be a decisive argument and proof for the Shafi'i
Madhhab, as well as saying: "Its Isnad is Sahih", in his voluminous work: al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhhab.

Imam Jamaluddin Yusuf al-Zayla'i

Hafiz al-Zayla'i in his analysis of the narration found in the Hanafi fiqh book: al-Hidaya, has recalled the
narration from al-Bayhaqi's Marifatus-Sunan, and quoted Imam al-Nawawi as his authority to declare this
narration to be Sahih.

Imam Badruddin al-Ayni (d. 855 AH)

He said in his famous commentary to Sahih al-Bukhari: Umdat ul-Qari : "The argument of our companions (the
Hanafi scholars) as well as the Shafi'is and Hanbalis is what al-Bayhaqi has related with an authentic chain of
transmission (Sahih Isnad)..."

Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Asqalani

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The Hafiz of Hadith, Ibn Hajar al- Asqalani has reproduced from Imam Rafi'i: "For two nights the Holy Prophet
(saws) led twenty Raka'ahs of prayer each night; on the third night the people gathered but the Holy Prophet
(saws) did not come out. Then the next morning, he told the people, 'It so occurred to me that it would be made
obligatory for you, and you would not be able to discharge this obligation.'" After reproducing this tradition, Hafiz
Ibn Hajar said: "All the traditionalists (Muhaddithin) are unanimous about the soundness of this report." ( Talkhis
al-habir)

Imam al-Aini

Allama Aini wrote in his Sharh al- Bukhari: "The number of rak'ahs in the Taraweeh is twenty. Imam Shafi'i and
Imam Ahmed (ra) assert the same thing. Their proof is the report which Baihaqi has, with genuine authority,
narrated from Sa'ib Ibn Yazid. The great Companions, including Umar, Uthman and Ali (ra), as also the revered
Successors (Tabi'in), used to perform twenty Raka'ahs." Then he said: "The most excellent and the most
advisable course to conform to is that of the Holy Prophet's and his Companions' (practice)." (Umdat ul-Qari
Sharh- al-Bukhari, vol. 7, pg. 178).

Hafiz Taqi-ad-Din Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya al-Hanbali

He has said in his Fatawa (1: 191): "It has been proven without doubt that Ubayy ibn Ka'b (ra) used to lead the
Companions, during Ramadan, for 20 Raka'ahs and 3 rak'ahs of witr. Hence it is the principle (maslak) of most
of the Ulama that this is the Sunnah, because Ubayy ibn Ka'b led 20 Raka'ahs of prayer in the presence of the
Muhajirin (the emigrants) and the Ansars (the helpers) and not a single Companion repudiated it!"

Imam Ali al-Qari

He has noted in Sharhul-Nuqayah: "Imam al-Baihaqi has reported on genuine authority (Sahih) the performing
of 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh during the periods of Umar, Uthman and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them), and
hence there has been consensus on it."

Imam Kamaluddin ibn al-Humam (d. 861 AH)

Imam Ibn al-Humam asserts that it has been established from genuine authority (Sahih) that the Companions
and their Successors used to say 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh during the auspicious time of Umar (ra); this
authority of Yazid ibn Ruman (as in Imam Malik's narration) has been reported from Sa'ib Ibn Yazid that,
"During Umar's auspicious time we used to say 20 Raka'ahs." The genuineness of this authority has been
verified by Imam Nawawi, Imam Taqi al-Din as-Subki, Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi and Jalaluddin as-Suyuti.

Imam Ibrahim al-Halabi

He has noted in al-Kabiri : "The argument of the majority of people is the report which Imam al-Baihaqi has
reported with sound authority (Sahih), that during Umar as well as Uthman and Ali's (may Allah be pleased with
them), 20 rak'ahs was performed."

The only proof to suggest that the Holy Prophet (saws) performed 20 Raka'ahs has been reported on the
authority of Abdullah Ibn Abbas (ra) as in the following: "Verily, the Holy Prophet (saws) in the month of
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Ramadan, used to perform 20 Raka'ahs and the Witr (afterwards without co n g r e g a t i o n) ."(Baihaqi)

This narration has been shown to have a weak (da'eef) isnad by the verifying scholars like al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar alAsqalani, Hafiz al-Zayla'i and others, due to the presence of the narrator: Abu Shaiba Ibrahim ibn Uthman. He
was the grandfather of the Imam of Hadith: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaiba, as well as being a Qadi; but as for his
status as a reporter of Hadith, he has been declared to be weak by Hadith specialists and al-Baihaqi has
declared him to be weak in al-Sunan al-Kubra.

One may wish to note that al-Albani, a well-known Salafi scholar has gone to the added length of declaring Ibn
Abbas' narration to be Maudu (fabricated), whereas no previous scholars of Hadith have gone beyond
declaring its isnad (chain) to be da'eef (weak). This is nothing strange, for al-Albani usually goes to the added
lengths and extremities of declaring narrations which do not suit his whims and desires to be either da'eef or
maudu(fabricated).
Let us now see what a number of Imams of sacred law have said about the aforementioned narration from Ibn
Abbas (ra).

Imam Ahmad al-Tahtawi has said in Sharh Durr al-Mukhtar :

"On the authority of Ibn Abbas' statement, 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh has been established from the Holy
Prophet's (saws) practice." Shaykh Abdal Haqq al-Dehlawi has been quoted by the author of Fatawa
Rahimiyya as follows: "Shaykh Abdul Haqq Muhaddith of Delhi writes in his book, Fath-e-Sirrul- Mannan:

'The obvious thing is that, according to the holy Companions, the Holy Prophet's (saws) saying 20 Raka'ahs
had been established, as is mentioned in Ibn Abbas' tradition, and for this reason Umar (ra) adopted 20
Raka'ahs . . .' He also quoted Shaykh Abdal Haqq as saying from his book: Ma sabata minas Sunnah:

'According to our belief, the Taraweeh consists of 20 Raka'ahs, for Baihaqi has reported with sound authority
that the holy Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to perform 20 Raka'ahs during Umar's time;
moreover, this practice continued during Uthman and Ali's (may Allah be pleased with them) periods also.'"

Sheikh Abdur Rahim continued to say in his Fatawa:

"The fact is that Hazrat Ibn Abbas and Hazrat Umar are both Companions; there is no 'weak' narrator between
them, wherefore Ibn Abbas' tradition may be called weak and the Companion's action may be considered to be
based on a weak tradition. Their action was based on a sound basis; how can those who follow them be called
'the deluded'? In short, according to the Companion's reckoning, the afore said Hadith is not at all weak,
though, due to the inclusion later of a weak narrator. Ibrahim Ibn Uthman may be according to the latter-day
authorities called weak 'by way of narration', but 'intelligibly' it must be authentic because the well-guided
Caliphs and other Companion's conformity to and continuance of 20 Raka'ahs is the proof of its being reliable.

Allama Bahrul-Ulum says:

The Companions continued conformity to 20 Raka'ahs is the context and sign of the soundness of this
tradition." In closing this section, consider what Imam Abu Hanifah (ra) said to his student Imam Abu Yusuf (ra).
Shaykh Anwar Shah Kashmiri stated in Fayd ul-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari:

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"Imam Abu Yusuf (ra) asked Imam Abu Hanifah (ra), 'Did Hazrat Umar (ra) have any compact from the Holy
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh?' The Imam replied, 'Hadrat
Umar (ra) was not one to invent on his own; certainly he had some proof for this!'"

The consensus of Sahabah on the Raka'ahs of Taraweeh being Twenty

A number of Imams of sacred law have inferred from the evidences available, that there is a definite consensus
of the Companions (Ijma us-Sahabah) on this issue. For the readers benefit we will provide some quotes below
from well known authors and authentic collections of fiqh and Hadith.
Imam Ali ul-Qari al-Hanafi.

He said in Sharh ul-Nuqayah: "Imam Baihaqi has reported on genuine authority (Sahih) about the performance
of 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh during the periods of Umar, Uthman and Ali (ra), and hence there has been
consensus (Ijma) on it."

Allama Abdul Hai Lucknawi

He has reported in Tuhfat ul-Akhyar and in his Majmu' Fatawa, the fact that Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haythami has
declared the consensus of Sahabah on the Raka'ahs of Taraweeh being twenty.

Imam Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi

The leading Imam of the Hanbalis in his time has declared in his famous book of fiqh: al-Mughni: "There has
been the Companion's consensus (Ijma us-Sahabah) on 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh."

Shaykh Bahrul-Ulum Abdul Ali ibn Nizamuddin

He said in Rasa'il ul-Arkan: "Then there was unanimity regarding the 20 Raka'ahs."

Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlawi

He has declared in his Majmu' Fatawa Azizi : "Thereafter, they (the Companions) adopted twenty (Raka'ahs of
Taraweeh) and three Raka'ahs (of Witr), on which number consensus had been formed."

Sheikh Qutubuddin Khan

He has stated in his commentary to the Hadith collection known as Mishkat ul- Masabih: Madhahir ul-Haqq:
"But the Companions consensus was formed on this that the Taraweeh consists of 20 Raka'ahs."

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Imam Kamaluddin ibn al-Humam

He has said in Fathul-Qadir : "At last unanimity was formed on 20 Raka'ahs of prayer and this alone is in
succession."

Shaykh Shabir Ahmad al-Uthmani

Allama Shabir Ahmad Uthmani says that none of the Companions ever took exception to 20 Raka'ahs, and
hence all of them were unanimous on twenty Raka'ahs." Finally, in one Hadith - our Beloved messenger of
Allah is reported to have said:

"After me there will be much differences. Hence hold on to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly
guided Khulafa." (Mishkaat).

The Hadith presented by the group of Salafi sect to prove eight Raka'ahs of Taraweeh.

The vast majority of the Muslim Ummah has practiced according to the above mentioned view of praying twenty
Raka'ahs but the Salafi sect insists that it is only eight Raka'ahs. They present a Hadith to prove their opinion.
The Hadith is as follows:
Abu Salamah narrates that he asked Ayesha, "How was the prayer of Allah's Apostle in Ramadan?" She
replied, "He did not pray more than eleven Raka'ahs in Ramadan or in any other months. He used to pray four
Raka'ahs - let alone their beauty and length - and then he would pray three Raka'ahs (Witr)." She added, "I
asked O Allah's Apostle do you sleep before praying the Witr?" He replied, "O Ayesha my eyes sleep but my
heart does not sleep." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Explaining the case of twenty Raka'ahs of Taraweeh the commentator of Bukhari Allama Kirmani says, "In the
Hadith above the Tahajjud prayer is meant. Abu Salamah's question and Hazrat Ayesha's answer concerned
the Tahajjud prayer." He adds further, "If the Tahajjud prayer is not meant then this tradition will be at variance
with the traditions that state that the Holy Prophet led twenty Raka'ahs each for two night, and in the case of
such clash the traditions of twenty Raka'ahs which is affirmative shall have precedence because according to
the principle of Hadith the affirmative takes precedence over the negative."(Al-Kwakib Ad-Durari)

A great fact that should be understood and noted by the readers is that the Hadith specialists have placed the
Hadith in review from Ayesha under the section of Tahajjud prayers, which indicates their belief that the Hadith
applies to Thajjud only. This Hadith has nothing to do with the prayer of Taraweeh.

Imam Bukhari, Nasai, Imam Muslim and all great Hadith scholars have placed this Hadith from Ayesha under
the Tahajjud prayer sections. Also Imam Malik has placed this Hadith under Tahajjud in his monumental Hadith
collection "Muwatta" one of the oldest and most authentic Hadith books. So, this is a great fallacy to practice
upon this Hadith and infer from it that it was the prayer of Taraweeh.

Those who do not pray Twenty Raka'ahs are violators of the established Sunnah

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The great Hadith specialist of India, Shaikh Abdul Hai Lucknawi (ra) has declared in his footnote on Hidayah:
"One who performs 8 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh will be an abandoner of the insisted Sunnah." So, if you come
across a man who has been shown the proofs and what the vast majority of scholars, including the Imams like
Abu Hanifah, Malik, Shafi'i and Ahmad Ibn Hanbal have said; but still persists on avoiding the Companions
unanimity on 20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh, and prefers 8 Raka'ahs - then know that he is not a Salafi, rather a
follower of his desires and avoider of the Companion's unanimous practice. And Allah knows best."

After these details one may easily understand that the correct opinion is that Taraweeh should be offered
twenty Raka'ahs as the holy companions, the majority of the Muslim scholars did until the current time.

"O you who believe, Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you.
If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah
and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination" (al- Qur'an)

"Hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, clamp your molars upon it, avoid new
novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance." (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood)

"Allah will never let my Ummah agree upon misguidance, and the hand of Allah is over the group (Jama'ah), so
follow the great mass of believers (Sawad ul-'Azam), and whoever dissents from them departs to hell."

Finally, the reader may be interested to know that even today, just as in the time of the Salaf (pious ancestors),
20 Raka'ahs of Taraweeh is still being adhered to in Makkah and Madinah.
May Allah keep us on the practice of the Companions and guide those who deliberately avoid so and claim to
be on the path of the righteous Salaf. Aameen.

2010 ISLAMIC VISION ACADEMY

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