Taraaweeh 20 Raka'ath

Taraaweeh

Special prayer offered in the month of Ramadan

Table of Content

· Background

· Sunnah

· Meaning of Taraaweeh

· A Logical Confirmation of Sahaaba’s practice

· The recent Misconception of 8 rak’aat…

· Those who still claim

· Consensus of Ummah (Sahaaba, Mujtahideen, Ulma)

· Hadith to remember

· Conclusion

· Humble Appeal

Background

· The Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam led Salat Al-Taraweeh for three nights, but did not come out to lead the same on fourth night with the fear that it might become an obligation on the Ummah. [Sahih Bukhari & Muslim]

· From the time of Umar radiAllahu anhu it got established to perform 20 rak’aat taraaweeh in congregation, which was continued by later people (till now). [Al-Baihaqi, Tirmidhi, Kanzul Ummal, Ibn Munie’…]

Sunnah

· Ibn abi Shaibah, Tabrani in Kabeer, Baihaqi, Abdullah ibn Hameed & Imam Bagwi rahmatullahi alahim ajama’een reported on authority of Ibn Abbas radiAllahu anhu “Indeed Prophet sallaAllahu alahiwasallam used to perform 20 rak’aat apart from Witr in the month of Ramadan” Al-Baihaqi added ‘without congregation’

· Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahmatullah alaih, (well-known interpreter of Sahih Al-Bukhari) reported in his book Al-Talkhees Al- Habeer on the authority of Aisha radhiallahu anha that the Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wasallam performed twenty rak'aat Taraweeh on those three nights.

· To conclude: 20 rak’aat Taraaweeh is emphasized (Mu’akkedah) Sunnah for both men (more virtuous with congregation) & women.

Meaning of Taraaweeh

· The Arabic word Taraaweeh is the plural of the word Tarweeh which literally means to have rest or break.

· In the context of Taraaweeh prayer, it means to have rest or break between every four rak’aat.

· In eight rak’aat followed by Witr we get only two rests, which should be called as Tarweehatain/Tarweehain (Two rest periods).

· According to the Arabic language anything less than three is NOT plural. (There are different words for single, double, plural)

A Logical Confirmation of Sahaaba’s Practice

· There are 540 Ruku’ in Quran

· If we divide 540 (rak’aat) with 27 (days) to complete the Quran recitation in Ramadan.

· The result we would get will be:

*20 rak’aat *

The recent Misconception of 8 rak’aat…

1. Base of the Confused sect about idea of 8 rak’aat:

­ Bukhari’s narration: Abu Salamah bin Abdul Rahman asked Aisha Siddiqua Radiallahu anhuma “how was the prayer of the Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wasallam during Ramadan?” She Radiallahu anha replied, “The Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wasallam never performed more than eleven raka’aat, whether in the month of Ramadan or any other time of the year.”

Ø Reason for misconception

v Self opinioned interpretation of the Hadith

Ø Correct explanation

v The mentioned Hadith talks about Tahajjud not Taraaweeh. Note the words “whether in the month of Ramadan or any other time of the year”

v Everyone knows that Taraaweeh prayer is performed only in Ramadan.

2. Another base:

­ Muwatta’s narration: Hadrat Umar ordered Ubayy ibn Kaa'b radiAllahu anhuma to lead the people with 11 rak'aat.

Ø Reason for misconception

v Incomplete view for self-satisfaction

Ø Correct explanation

v The mentioned Hadith is Mudtarib (A Hadith transmitted in different manners so that the contents of each transmission clashes with other)

Thus it is unsound and insufficient evidence for the deduction of any Shara’ee ruling.

Visit: http://www.ummah.net/Al_adaab/fiqh/tarawih8or20.html for detail

Those who still claim

Ø People who claim 8 rakaat to be Sunnah should first prove the same through marfu’ hadith from Sihaah Sittah.

Ø They must perform Taraaweeh in congregation for 3 days ONLY as they claim to follow Prophet sallAllahu alaihi wasallam directly leaving consensus.

Ø Or simply accept that

They are actually Ahlul-hawa (people of desire)

Consensus of Ummah *Sahaaba*

Ø From the time of Umar radiAllahu anhu to this day, people have always prayed twenty rak’aat Taraweeh throughout the world, including Harmain Sharifain.

Ø Hadrat Umar, Uthman, Ali and all Sahaaba radiAllahu anhum unanimously practiced 20 rak’aat.

Ø There is no objection recorded in any authentic book from our beloved mother Aaisha radiAllahu anha or any other Sahaaba radiAllahu anhum.

Consensus of Ummah *Mujtahideen*

Ø Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Shaf’ee and Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal Rahmatullahi alaihim ajma’een have declared that Taraaweeh consists of twenty rak’aat.

Ø Imam Malik Rahmatullah Alaih on the other hand insisted on thirty-six raka’aat followed by Witr at Madinah.

o The reason being - when people of Makkah would perform tawaaf after every four rak’aat at the same time people at Madinah would perform additional four rak’aat nafl (not Sunnah) to make up for more thawaab.

Consensus of Ummah *Ulema*

Ø Ulema (Scholars) across the world asserts 20 rak’aat Taraaweeh as Sunnah. Few names:

ü Imam Tirmidhi in his Saheeh

ü Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan

ü Ibn Hajr Asqalani in Fath-ul-Bari

ü Imam Ghazaali in Ahyaa-ul-Uloom

ü Imam Nawawi in Sharh-ul-Muhazzab

ü Imam Subki in his Sahih

ü Ala al-Din Ali ibn Abd-al-Malik in Kanz-ul-Ummal

ü Mulla Ali Qari in Mirqaat

ü Shaykh Badruddin Al-Aini in Umdatul Qari

Hadith to remember

Ø Rasoolullah sallAllahu alaihi wasallam said:

v My Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in Hell fire except one sect. The companions asked Allah’s messenger which group that would be. He sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam replied, It is the one to which I and my companions belong [Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood & Hakim]

v My Ummah will not agree upon an error, so when you find dispute, then follow the largest group (Sawaade Aazam). [Hakim & Ibn Majah]

Conclusion

Ø The Sunnah of Taraweeh consists of twenty rak’aat only.

Ø Whole Ummah (Sahaaba, Mujtahideen, Scholars) anonymously accept Twenty rak’aat Taraaweeh to be Sunnah through out the world including Haramain Sharifain (even now).

Ø The people who object in the matter after 1400 years & call 8 rak’aat as Sunnah are actually Ahle Bida’ (those who make evil innovations) as it is against Sunnah and Ijmaa’.

Humble Appeal

If you agree with the content, please forward this to all your contacts.

Please request all your contacts to perform Salaah behind Sunni Imams only.

May Allah safeguard our Imaan from all devious Ideologies.

Aameen bijaahin Nabiyyil Kareem.

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