Taraweeh

 

Taraweeh refers to qiyam al-layl in Ramadan at the beginning of the night, which should be made light and not lengthy. It may also be called tahajjud or qiyam al-layl.

 

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Virtues of offering tarawih prayer

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Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to encourage us to pray at night in Ramadan, without making it obligatory. Then he said, “Whoever prays at night in Ramadan out of faith and the hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.”

When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, this is how things were (i.e., Tarawih was not prayed in congregation), and this is how they remained during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), until the beginning of the Caliphate of `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

`Amr ibn Murrah al-Juhani said: “A man from Qudaa`ah came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah! What do you think if I testify that there is no god except Allah, and that you, Muhammad, are His Messenger, and I pray the five daily prayers, and fast in the month (of Ramadan), and pray at night in Ramadan, and pay zakah?” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies on that will be among the siddeeqeen (those who tell the truth) and the martyrs.”

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When is Laylat al-Qadr?

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The best of its nights is Laylat al-Qadr. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays at night during Laylat al-Qadr {and manages to catch it} out of faith and the hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.”

According to the most correct opinion, Laylat al-Qadr is the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan. Most of the hadiths state this, such as the hadith of Zurr ibn Hubaysh, who said: “I heard Ubayy ibn Ka`b saying , and it was said to him that, `Abd-Allah ibn Mas`ood said: “Whoever follows the Sunnah will catch Laylat al-Qadr!”

 Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “May Allah have mercy on him, he did not want people to take it for granted and only stay up to pray on one night. By the One besides Whom there is no other god, it is in Ramadan” he was swearing without a doubt and by Allah, I do know which night it is. It is the night in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded us to pray (qiyam). It is the night the morning of which is the twenty seventh, and the sign of it is that the sun rises on that morning white and without rays.”

In another report, this was attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). (Reported by Muslim and others)

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Virtues of offering tarawih in congregation

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 It is allowed to pray qiyam in congregation, indeed it is better than praying individually, because this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did himself and explained its virtues.

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “We fasted Ramadan with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he did not lead us in qiyam at all until there were only seven days left, when he led us in prayer until a third of the night had passed. When there were six days left, he did not lead us in qiyam. When there were five days left, he led us in prayer until half the night had passed. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, I wish that you had continued until the end of the night.” He said, “If a man prays with the imam until he finishes, it will be counted as if he prayed the whole night.” When there were four nights left, he did not lead us in qiyam. When there were three nights left, he brought together his family, his wives and the people, and led us in qiyam until we were afraid that we would miss al-falaah. I asked, ‘What is al-falaah?’ he said, ‘Suhoor. Then he did not lead us in qiyam for the rest of the month.” (Saheeh hadith reported by the authors of Sunan)

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Why the Prophet did not continually lead the people in praying qiyam in congregation

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The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not lead them in qiyam for the rest of the month because he feared that it would then become obligatory, and they would not be able to do it, as is stated in the hadith of `Aishah reported in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere.

Following the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that fear was no longer a factor, because Allah had completed the religion. The reason for not praying qiyam in congregation during Ramadan no longer applied, and the previous ruling, that congregational prayer is something prescribed in Islam, remained in effect. So `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) revived the practice, as is recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere.

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Can women pray qiyam in congregation?

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Women can attend the prayers too, as is stated in the hadith of Abu Dharr referred to above. Indeed, it is permissible to appoint an imam just for them, apart from the imam of the men. It was proven that when `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gathered the people to pray qiyam, he appointed Ubayy ibn Ka`b to lead the men and Sulaymaan ibn Abi Hathmah to lead the women. `Arfajah al-Thaqafi said: “`Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) used to command the people to pray during the night in Ramadan, and he would appoint an imam for the men and an imam for the women. I was the imam for the women.”

I say: this is fine in my view so long as the mosque is big enough so that they will not disturb one another.

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Number of rak`ahs in Tarawih prayer

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The number of rak`ahs in tarawih prayer is eleven, and it is preferable in our opinion not to exceed this number, following the practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), because he never did more than that in his life. `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about how he prayed in Ramadan. She said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never prayed more than eleven rak`ahs (of qiyam), whether during Ramadan or any other time. He would pray four, and don’t ask me how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray four, and don’t ask me how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray three.” (Reported by al-Bukhari, Muslim and others)

A person may do less than that, even if it is only one rak’ah of witr, because of the evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did this and spoke about it.

With regard to him doing it: `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked how many rak`ahs the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray in witr? She said, “He used to pray four and three, or six and three, or ten and three. He never used to pray less than seven, or more than thirteen.” (Reported by Abu Dawood, Ahmad and others)

With regard to him speaking about it, he said: “Witr is true, so whoever wishes can pray five, and whoever wishes can pray three, and whoever wishes can pray one.”

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Reciting Quran in tarawih prayer

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As regards reciting from the Quran during qiyam, whether in Ramadan or at other times, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not set a limit or state what was too much or too little. His recitation used to vary, sometimes it would be long, at other times short.

Sometimes in every rak`ah he would recite the equivalent of ‘Yaa ayyuhaal-muzammil’, which is twenty verses; sometimes he would recite the equivalent of fifty verses. He used to say, “Whoever prays at night and reads one hundred verses will not be recorded as one of the negligent.” According to another hadith, “and reads two hundred verses, will be recorded as one of the devout and sincere believers.”

When he was sick, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the seven long soorahs in his night prayers, i.e., al-Baqarah, Aal `Imraan, al-Nisaa, al-Maa’idah, al-An`aam, al-A`raaf and al-Tawbah.

In the account of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan praying behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in one rak`ah he recited al-Baqarah, al-Nisa’ and Aal `Imraan, and he recited them in a slow and measured tone. It is proven with the soundest (most saheeh) of isnaads that when ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed Ubayy ibn Ka`b to lead the people in praying eleven rak`ahs in Ramadan, Ubayy used to recite verses by the hundreds, so that the people behind him would be leaning on sticks because the prayers were so long, and they did not finish until just before Fajr.

It is also reported in a saheeh account that `Umar called the readers during Ramadan, and told the fastest of them to recite thirty verses, the moderate ones to recite twenty-five verses, and the slowest ones to recite twenty verses.

However, is a person is praying qiyam by himself, he can make it as long as he wishes; if others agree with the imam, he may also make it as long as he wishes. The longer it is, the better, but a person should not go to extremes and spend the whole night in qiyam, except on rare occasions, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said: “The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad.” If a person is praying as an imam, he should make it only as long as is easy for the people behind him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If any of you leads the people in prayer, let him make it short, because among them are the young and the old, the weak, and those who have pressing needs. But if he is praying alone, let him make it as long as he likes.”

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When to offer qiyam prayer

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The time for praying qiyam is from after `Isha until Fajr, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has added one more prayer for you, which is witr, so pray it between Salaat al-`Isha’ and Salaat al-Fajr.”

Praying at the end of the night is better, for those who can manage it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever is afraid that he will not get up at the end of the night, let him pray witr at the beginning of the night, but whoever feels that he will be able to get up at the end of the night, let him pray witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed [by the angels], and that is better.”

If it is the matter of choosing between praying in congregation at the beginning of the night and praying alone at the end of the night, it is preferable to pray with the congregation,  because that is counted as if one had prayed the whole night through.

This is what the Companions did at the time of `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn `Abd al-Qaari said: “I went out with `Umar ibn al-Khattaab to the mosque one night during Ramadan, and saw the people scattered throughout the mosque, some praying individually, and some praying in small groups. He said, ‘By Allah, I think that if I gathered all of them behind one reader it would be better.’ So he resolved to do that, and he gathered them behind Ubayy ibn Ka`b. Then I went with him on another night, and the people were all praying behind their reader, and `Umar said, ‘What a good innovation this is. What they sleep and miss’ meaning the latter part of the night  is better than what they are doing,’  the people used to pray qiyam at the beginning of the night.”

Zayd ibn Wahb said: “`Abd-Allah used to lead us in prayer in Ramadan, and he used to finish at night.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade praying witr as three rak`ahs, and explained this by saying: “Do not make it resemble Maghrib prayer.” Therefore, the person who wants to pray three rak`ahs for witr must find a way to make it different (from Maghrib). There are two ways he can do this: either by giving salam after the first two rak`ahs, which is the best way; or by not sitting after the first two rak`ahs (i.e., praying three rak`ahs non-stop). And Allah knows best.

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What to read during three rak`ahs of witr

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It is Sunnah to recite Sabbih ismi Rabbika al-`A`laa in the first rak`ah, Qul Yaa ayyuhal-Kaafiroon in the second rak`ah, and Qul Huwa Allahu ahad in the third rak`ah. Sometimes Qul a`oodhu bi Rabbil-Falaq and Qul a`oodhu bi Rabbil-Naas may be added as well.

It was reported in a saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) once recited one hundred verses of Soorat al-Nisa` in one rak`ah of witr.

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Du`a al-Qunut

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A person may also humble himself before Allah by reciting the du`a which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught to his grandson al-Hasan ibn `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), which is:

“Allahumma hdinee fiman hadayta wa `aafinee fiman `aafayta wa tawallanee fiman tawallayta wa baarik lee fimaa a`tayta wa qinee sharra maa qadayt, fa innaka taqdee wa laa yuqdaa `alayk. Wa innahu laa yadhillu man waalayta wa laa ya`izzu man `aadayt. Tabaarakta Rabbanaa wa ta`aalayt. Laa majaa minka illa ilayk (O Allah, guide me along with those whom You have guided, pardon me along with those whom You have pardoned, be an ally to me along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless for me that which You have bestowed. Protect me from the evil You have decreed for verily You decree and none can decree over You. For surety, he whom You show allegiance to is never abased and he whom You take an enemy is never honored and mighty. O our Lord, Blessed and Exalted are You. There is no refuge from You except with You).”

Sometimes one may send blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and there is nothing wrong with adding other du`as that are known from the Sunnah.

There is nothing wrong with reciting Qunut after rukoo`, or with adding curses against the disbelievers, sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or praying for the Muslims in the second half of Ramadan, because it is proven that the imam used to do this at the time of `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

At the end of the hadith of `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn `Ubayd al-Qaari mentioned above, it says: “They used to curse the disbelievers in the middle, saying, ‘Allahumma qaatil al-kafarata alladheena yasuddoona `an sabeelik wa yukadhdhiboona rusulak wa laa yu’minoona bi wa`dik. Wa khaalif bayna kalimatihim wa alqi fi quloobihim al-ru`b wa alqi `alayhim rijzaka wa `adhaabak ilaah al-haqq (O Allah, destroy the disbelievers who are trying to prevent people from following Your path, who deny Your Messengers and who do not believe in Your promise (the Day of Judgement). Make them disunited, fill their hearts with terror and send Your wrath and punishment against them, O God of Truth).’ Then he would send blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and pray for good for the Muslims as much as he could, and seek forgiveness for the believers.

After he had finished cursing the disbelievers, sending blessings on the Prophet, seeking forgiveness for the believing men and women and asking for his own needs, he would say: ‘Allahumma iyyaaka na`bud wa laka nusalli wa najud, wa ilayka nas`aa wa nahfud, wa narju rahmataka rabbanaa wa nakhaafu `adhaabak al-jadd. Inna `adhaabaka liman `aadayta mulhaq (O Allah, You do we worship, to You do we pray and prostrate, for Your sake we strive and toil. We place our hope in Your Mercy, O our Lord, and we fear Your mighty punishment, for Your punishment will certainly overtake the one whom You have taken as an enemy.” Then he would say ‘Allahu akbar’ and go down in sujood.

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What to say at the end of witr

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It is Sunnah to say at the end of witr (before or after the salaam):

‘Allahumma innee a`oodhu bi ridaaka min sakhatika wa bi mu`aafaatika min `aqoobatika, wa a`oodhu bika minka. La uhsee thanaa`an `alayka, anta kamaa athnayta `ala nafsik (O Allah, I seek refuge in Your good pleasure from Your wrath, and in Your protection from Your punishment. I seek refuge with You from You. I cannot praise You enough, and You are as You have praised Yourself.’

When he gave salam at the end of witr, he said: ‘Subhaan il-Malik il-Quddoos, subhaan il-Malik il-Quddoos, subhaan il-Malik il-Quddoos (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy), elongating the syllables, and raising his voice the third time.

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Offering Two rak`ahs after witr

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A person may pray two rak`ahs after witr if he wishes, because it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did this. Indeed, he said, “This travelling is exhausting and difficult, so after any one of you prays witr, let him pray two rak`ahs. If he wakes up, this is fine, otherwise these two rak`ahs will be counted for him.”

It is Sunnah to recite Idha zulzilat al-ard and Qul yaa ayyuhal-kaafiroon in these two rak`ahs. (From Qiyam Ramadan by al-Albaani)

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Following the imam until he finishes Tarawih

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The most correct opinion is that the number of rak`ahs for Tarawih is eleven, but I pray in a mosque where they do twenty one rak`ahs. Can I leave the mosque after the tenth rak`ah, or is it better to complete the twenty one rak`ahs with them?

It is better to stay with the imaam until he finishes, even if he is doing more than eleven rak`ahs, because it is permissible to do the extra rak`ahs, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyam with the imam until he finishes, Allah will record it as if he prayed the whole night.” (Reported by al-Nisaa’i and others. Sunan al-Nisaa’i, Baab Qiyam Shahr Ramadan

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Prayer at night should be two by two (rak`ahs), and when dawn approaches, pray one for witr.” (Reported by the seven; this version reported by al-Nisaa’i)

There is no doubt that adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is better and brings more reward, so long as it is done properly and without haste, but if it is the matter of a choice between leaving the imam because of the number of rak`ahs or going along with the extra that he does, it is better to go along with him, because of the ahaadeeth referred to above. At the same time, you should advise the imam to follow the Sunnah. 

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Which is better during the day in Ramadan ‘reading Quran or praying voluntary prayers’?

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The Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was to do a lot of different kinds of worship during Ramadan. Jibreel used to review the Quran with him at night, and when Jibreel met with him, he was more generous in charity than the blowing wind. He was the most generous of people, and he was at his most generous in Ramadan.

At this time, he used to give more in charity and treat people even more kindly; he would read more Quran, pray more, recite more dhikr, and spend time in I`tikaf (retreat). This is the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Ramadan.

As to whether it is better to read Quran or to pray voluntary prayers, this depends on people’s circumstances, and the true evaluation of this is up to Allah, because He knows all things. (Al-Jawaab al-Saheeh min Ahkaam Salaat al-Layl wa l-Tarawih, by Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz, p. 45)

A specific action may be better in the case of any given individual, and another may be better for another individual, according to the degree to which a particular action brings a person closer to Allah. Some people may be influenced more by nafl prayers and may focus on them and do them properly, which will bring them closer to Allah than other deeds might, so in their case those deeds are better. And Allah knows best.

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Adding another rak`ah to the imam’s witr because one wants to pray some more

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Some people, when they pray witr with the imam and he says salam, they get up and do another rak`ah, because they want to do more prayers before praying witr later in the night. What is the ruling on this action? Is it considered to be forsaking the prayer with the imam?

We do not see anything wrong with this, and the scholars stated that there is nothing wrong with doing this, so that his witr will be at the end of the night. He will be considered to have prayed with the imam until he finished, because he stayed with him until he finished, and added another rak`ah for a shar’i reason, which was so that he could pray witr later in the night. There is nothing wrong with this, and it does not mean that he did not stay with the imaam until he finished, but he did not finish with him; he delayed it a little longer. (Al-Jawaab al-Saheeh min Ahkaam Salaat al-Layl wa l-Tarawih by Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz, p. 41)

 

[1] https://islamqa.info/en/articles/71/an-overview-of-tarawih-prayer

 

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Difference between Taraweeh, Qiyam and Tahajjud

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Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: What is the difference between Taraweeh, Qiyam and Tahajjud? Please advise us, may you be rewarded. 

 

He replied: 

 

“Prayer at night is called tahajjud or qiyam al-layl, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salah (prayer) with it (i.e. recite the Quran in the prayer) as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer Nawâfil) for you” [al-Isra’ 17:79]

“O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad)! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little” [al-Muzzammil 73:1-2]

“They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope]” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:17]. 

With regard to Taraweeh , the scholars use this word to refer to qiyam al-layl in Ramadan at the beginning of the night, which should be made light and not lengthy. It may also be called tahajjud or qiyam al-layl. 

And Allah is the source of strength. (Fatawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baz, 11/317)

For more information on the reward of offering qiyam al-layl, please see this answer: 50070.

For more information on measures that will help you offer qiyam al-layl, please see this answer: 3749. 

And Allah knows best.

 

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/143240/what-is-the-difference-between-tahajjud-and-qiyam-al-layl

 

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How many rak’ahs in tarawih?

 

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Summary of answer

The one who prays eleven rak’ahs is doing well and is following the Sunnah. Whoever makes the recitation shorter and increases the number of rak’ahs is also doing well. For more, please see the detailed answer.

 

Answer

 

• Scholarly differences should not cause division and fitnah among Muslims

• How many rak’ahs in tarawih?

• Is there a set number for prayers at night?

• Can we offer more than eleven rak’ahs in tarawih?

• Long or short recitation in tarawih?

 

Praise be to Allah.

Scholarly differences should not cause division and fitnah among Muslims

 

We do not think that the Muslims should be so sensitive with regard to issues that are a matter of scholarly differences or make them the cause of division and fitnah among the Muslims. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin  (may Allah have mercy on him) said, when speaking about the matter of one who prays ten rak’ahs with the imam, then sits down and waits for Witr and does not complete the Tarawih prayers with the imam: 

“It grieves us deeply that we find in the Muslim ummah a group which differs concerning matters in which differences of opinion are acceptable, and they take these differences as a means to cause division. Differences within the ummah existed at the time of the Sahabah, yet they remained united. The youth in particular and all those who are committed to Islam must remain united, because they have enemies who are laying in wait.” (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ 4/225)

 

How many rak’ahs in tarawih?

 

Two groups have gone to extremes with regard to this matter. The first group denounced everyone who prays more than eleven rak’ahs and said that doing so was bid’ah. The second group denounced those who do only eleven rak’ahs and said that they are going against scholarly consensus (ijma’). 

Let us read what Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

“Here we say that we should not go to extremes or be negligent. Some people go to extremes in adhering to the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and say that it is not permissible to do more than the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and they aggressively denounce those who do more than that, saying that they are sinners. 

This is undoubtedly wrong. How can they be sinners, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), upon being asked about night prayers, said that they are to be done two by two , and he did not specify any particular number? 

Of course, the one who asked him about the night prayer did not know the number, because if he did not know how to do it, it is even more likely that he did not know the number. And he was not one of those who served the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so that we might say that he knew what happened inside his house. Since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told him how to do it but did not say how many times, it may be understood that the matter is broad in scope, and that a person may pray one hundred rak’ahs then pray Witr with one rak’ah. 

With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), “Pray as you have seen me praying”, this does not apply in absolute terms even for these people. Hence they do not say that a person should pray Witr with five rak’ahs sometimes and with seven rak’ahs sometimes and with nine rak’ahs sometimes. If we understand it in absolute terms, then we would have to pray Witr with five rak’ahs sometimes and with seven rak’ahs sometimes and with nine rak’ahs sometimes. But what is meant by the hadith is pray as you have seen me praying with regard to how to pray not how many rak’ahs, unless there is a text to state what the number is.  

Whatever the case, a person should not be strict with people with regard to a matter that is broad in scope. We have even seen some brothers who are strict on this matter accusing the imams who pray more than eleven rak’ahs of following bid’ah, and they leave the mosque, thus missing out on the reward of which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever stands with the imam until he finishes (the prayer), the reward of qiyam al-layl will be recorded for him.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 806; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 646).

Some of them even sit down after completing ten rak’ahs, thus breaking up the rows of worshippers by sitting there, and sometimes they start talking and disturb the people who are praying. 

We have no doubt that their intentions are good and they are doing their best to come to the right conclusion, but that does not mean that they are correct. 

The other group does the opposite. They sternly denounce those who pray only eleven rak’ahs and say that they have gone against scholarly consensus. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!” [al-Nisa 4:115]

All the generations who came before you only knew the number as twenty-three rak’ahs, and they denounce anyone who says anything different.” (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ 4/73-75) 

With regard to the evidence quoted by those who say that it is not permissible to do more than eight rak’ahs in Tarawih, they quote the hadeeth of Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, who asked ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), “How did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) pray during Ramadan?” She said: “He did not pray more than eleven rak’ahs in Ramadan or at other times. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray three. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, will you sleep before you pray Witr?’ He said, ‘O ‘Aishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1909; Muslim, 738)

They said: This hadith indicates that the Messenger of Allah was consistent in his prayers at night in Ramadan and at other times. 

The scholars refuted this use of the hadith as evidence by saying that this is what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did, but the fact that he did something does not imply that it is obligatory. 

 

Is there a set number for prayers at night?

 

The evidence that there is no set number for prayers at night – which include Tarawih – is the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar according to which a man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about prayer at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 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-Bukhari, 846; Muslim, 749) 

 

Can we offer more than eleven rak’ahs in tarawih?

 

If we look at what the scholars of the prominent schools of thought said, you will clearly see that this matter is broad in scope and that there is nothing wrong with doing more than eleven rak’ahs. 

Al-Sarkhasi, who is one of the imams of the Hanafi school, said: 

“It is twenty rak’ahs, apart from Witr, in our view.” (Al-Mabsut, 2/145)

Ibn Qudamah said: 

“The favoured view according to Abu ‘Abd-Allah (i.e., Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him), is that it is twenty rak’ahs. This was the view of al-Thawri, Abu Hanifah and al-Shafi’i. Malik said it is thirty-six.” (Al-Mughni, 1/457)

Al-Nawawi said: 

“Tarawih prayer is Sunnah according to scholarly consensus. Our view is that it is twenty rak’ahs with ten taslims, and it is permissible to pray it individually or in congregation.” (Al-Majmu’, 4/31)

These are the views of the four imams concerning the number of rak’ahs of Tarawih prayer. All of them said something more than eleven rak’ahs. Perhaps the reasons why they said something more than eleven rak’ahs include the following: 

1- They thought that the hadith of ‘Aishah did not mean that this was the specific number.

2- A greater number was narrated from many of the salaf. (Al-Mughni, 2/604; al-Majmu’, 4/32)

3- The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to pray eleven rak’ahs and make them very lengthy, so much so that it used to take him most of the night. Indeed, one night in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) led his Companions in praying Tarawih, he did not end his prayer until just before dawn, and the Sahabah feared that they would miss suhur. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) loved to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and they did not feel that it was too long. The scholars thought that if the imam made the prayer so long, this would be too difficult for the members of the congregation and that might put them off. So they thought that the imam should make the recitation shorter and increase the number of rak’ahs.

 

Long or short recitation in tarawih?

 

The point is that the one who prays eleven rak’ahs in the manner narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is doing well and is following the Sunnah. Whoever makes the recitation shorter and increases the number of rak’ahs is also doing well. A person who does either of these two things is not to be denounced. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

 If a person prays Tarawih according to the madhhabs of Abu Hanifah, al-Shafi’i and Ahmad, with twenty rak’ahs, or according to the madhhab of Malik, with thirty-six rak’ahs , or with thirteen or eleven rak’ahs, he has done well, as Imam Ahmad said, because there is nothing to specify the number. So the greater or lesser number of rak’ahs depends on how long or short the qiyam (standing in the prayer) is. (Al-Ikhtiyarat, p. 64)

Al-Suyuti said: 

“What is narrated in the sahih and hasan ahadith is the command to observe night prayers during Ramadan, which is encouraged without specifying a particular number. It is not proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed twenty rak’ahs of Tarawih, rather that he prayed at night, with an unspecified number of rak’ahs. Then he delayed it on the fourth night lest it become obligatory for them and they might not be able to do it. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami said: There is no sahih report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed twenty rak’ahs of Tarawih. The narration which suggests that he “used to pray twenty rak’ahs” is extremely weak (da’if).” (Al-Mawsu’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/142-145)

So you should not be surprised that people pray Tarawih as twenty rak’ahs. There have been generations after generations of those imams (who used to pray twenty rak’ahs), and all of them are good.  

And Allah knows best.

 

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/9036/numbers-of-rakahs-in-tarawih-prayer