A Fair Review of Hanafi Arguments on Twenty Rak’ah Taraweeh
There are Irrefutable Arguments for the Sunnah Status of Eight Rak’ah Taraweeh, whereas declaring twenty rak’ah Taraweeh as Sunnah is not correct. A brief but comprehensive scholarly and research-based review of its arguments is presented here.
First Hadith:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to pray twenty rak’ahs and Witr in Ramadan.
Analysis:
He is very weak; Abu Shaybah Ibrahim bin Uthman is a rejected narrator.
❀ Allama Quduri Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, has called him a liar.
❀ Allama Zailai Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
هو معلول بابي شيبة ابراهيم بن عثمان، جد الامام ابي بكر ابن ابي شيبة، وهو متفق على ضعفه، ولينه ابن عدي في الكامل ، ثم انه مخالف للحديث الصحيح عن ابي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن انه سال عائشة : كيف كانت صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في رمضان؟ قالت : ما كان يزيد في رمضان، ولا في غيره على احدى عشرة ركعة
This narration is defective (weak) due to Abu Shaybah Ibrahim bin Uthman, who is the grandfather of Imam Abu Bakr bin Abu Shaybah. There is consensus on his weakness. Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, has declared him weak in Al-Kamil. Also, this narration contradicts the authentic hadith in which Abu Sulaymah bin Abdur Rahman, may Allah have mercy on him, asked Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, about the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in Ramadan, and she replied: The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not pray more than eleven rak’ahs in Ramadan or outside Ramadan.
The narration of Abu Shaybah and the Hanafi scholars
(a) Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi Sahib says:
اما النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فصح عنه ثمان ركعات، واما عشرون ركعة، فهو عنه عليه السلام بسند ضعيف وعلى ضعفه اتفاق
Eight rak’ahs of Taraweeh are authentically proven from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and the narration of twenty rak’ahs is weak; there is consensus on its weakness.
(b) Allama Abdul Shakoor Farooqi Deobandi Sahib has called it weak.
(c) Mufti Darul Uloom Deoband, Allama Azizur Rahman Sahib says:
There is no doubt that this hadith is weak.
(d) Allama Ibn Abidin Shami Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ضعيف بابي شيبة، متفق على ضعفه، مع مخالفته للصحيح
The hadith is weak because Abu Shaybah (Ibrahim bin Uthman) is unanimously weak, and this hadith also contradicts the authentic hadiths of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (the authentic hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her).
The same has been stated by Allama Ibn Hummam Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him
, Allama Ayni Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him
, Ibn Najim Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him
, Ibn Abidin Shami Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him
, Abu al-Hasan Sharnblani Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him
, Lahtawi Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him
, and others.
❀ Imam Salih bin Muhammad Jazirah, may Allah have mercy on him, has declared this narration as rejected.
❀ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has called its chain weak.
Allama Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
هذا الحديث ضعيف جدا ، لا تقوم به حجة
This hadith is very weak; it cannot be used as proof or evidence.
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi Sahib, in his book Ja’a al-Haqq
, while discussing not reciting Al-Hamd in the funeral prayer, quotes Imam Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him:
Ibrahim bin Uthman Abu Shaybah is a denier of hadith.
However, in the appendix of the same book
, in the included treatise Luma’at al-Masabih ‘ala Rak’at al-Taraweeh, he presents this hadith as proof. This is not a fair approach, and Allah knows best! Also, in this narration, Hukm bin Utaybah is a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain), and the specification of hearing (sama’) is not mentioned.
Second narration:
Sayyiduna Jabir رضي الله عنه narrates that one night in Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم came outside and led the companions رضي الله عنهم in twenty-four rak’ahs and three rak’ahs of Witr.
Analysis:
It is a fabricated narration.
➊ Umar bin Harun Balkhi is abandoned and a liar.
He has been declared weak and unreliable by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Imam Abdul Rahman bin Mahdi, Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak, Imam Mujalli, Imam Ali ibn Madini, Imam Nasai, Imam Dar Qutni, Imam Ibn Hibban, and Imam Abu Hatim Razi رحمہ اللہ and others.
Hafiz Abu Ali Nishapuri رحمہ اللہ has called him abandoned.
Imam Yahya bin Ma’in and Imam Salih Jazra رحمہما اللہ have called him a liar.
Imam Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Musa رحمہ اللہ says:
الناس تركوا حديثه
The Muhaddithin have declared his hadith abandoned.
❀ Hafiz Dhahabi رحمہ اللہ says:
اجمع على ضعفه
There is consensus on his weakness.
➋ Muhammad bin Humayd Razi is weak and a liar.
➌ He is an unknown narrator.
Third narration:
Sayyiduna Abi bin Ka’b رضي الله عنه narrates that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه instructed him to lead people in prayer during Ramadan.
He said: People fast during the day, but they cannot recite properly; if you recite the Quran to them at night, it would be good.
Sayyiduna Abi bin Ka’b رضي الله عنه said: Commander of the Faithful! This has never happened before. He رضي الله عنه replied: It is known, yet this is a good thing. Accordingly, Abi bin Ka’b رضي الله عنه led the people in twenty-two rak’ahs.
The chain of narration is weak.
Analysis:
Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله writes in the biography of Rabi’ bin Anas:
الناس يتقون حديثه، ما كان من رواية ابي جعفر عنه، لان فيها اضطراب كثير
Muhammad Thain avoids those narrations which Abu Ja’far has narrated from him, because there is much confusion in them.
The above narration is also narrated by Isa bin Abu Isa bin Mahan from Rabi’ bin Anas through Abu Ja’far Al-Razi. This criticism is explanatory and it is not permissible to reject it.
Fourth narration:
Attributed to Hasan Basri, may Allah have mercy on him.
ان عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه جمع الناس على ابي بن كعب، فكان يصلي لهم عشرين ركعة
Sayyidna Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, gathered people under the leadership of Sayyidna Abi bin Ka’b, may Allah be pleased with him. He used to lead them in twenty rak’ahs.
Analysis:
① The words of عشرين ركعة are a clear example of distortion. The original words were عشرين ليلة.
Some publishers changed the words of twenty nights to عشرين ركعة, alas!
In no manuscript of Sunan Abu Dawood are the words about the number of rak’ahs mentioned.
All manuscripts mention only the nights.
Recently, a version of Sunan Abu Dawood was published based on the research of Muhammad Awamah, in which seven or eight manuscripts were compared, and it also mentions عشرين ليلة, that is, only the nights.
Allama Muhammad Awamah states:
من الاصول كلها
These words are present in all the fundamental manuscripts.
A strong proof of the distortion of the words عشرين ركعة is that Imam Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him,
narrated this very hadith with the chain of Imam Abu Dawood, may Allah have mercy on him, and it contains the words عشرين ليلة (twenty nights).
These same words have been mentioned by the Hanafi jurists in their books.
As for the issue of the words عشرين ركعة being found in Siyar A’lam al-Nubala and Jami’ al-Masanid wa al-Sunan, this is a mistake by the copyists, because no manuscript of Sunan Abu Dawood contains these words. Even Allama Ayni Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, in his Sharh Abi Dawood
only mentioned the words عشرين ليلة and did not mention any manuscript differences.
If the words ركعة were present in any manuscript, Allama Ayni Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, would certainly have quoted them.
For this reason, Allama Shawq Naimwi Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him,
also did not mention it among the evidences for twenty rak’ahs of Taraweeh.
② Even if the statements of some individuals are accepted as correct, they cannot be used as evidence.
Allama Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri Deobandi, may Allah have mercy on him,
writes:
If a phrase is present in some manuscripts and absent in others, it is considered doubtful.
Allama Sarfaraz Khan Safdar, may Allah have mercy on him, writes about another hadith:
When this phrase is not present in the common and widely circulated manuscripts, what credibility can be given to rare and unpublished manuscripts?
Therefore, according to the principle mentioned by the second party, the hadith also becomes doubtful.
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi, may Allah have mercy on him,
also mentioned the words ‘ashreen laylah’ (twenty nights) in this hadith.
③ Also, it is weak due to discontinuity.
❀ Allama Zaili Hani, may Allah have mercy on him, and Allama Ayni Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, say:
لم يدرك عمر بن الخطاب
Hasan Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, did not live in the time of Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
Therefore, this hadith is disconnected.
④ Allama Ayni Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, declared it weak.
⑤ Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, also said it is weak.
⑥ The ruling of Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, to perform eleven rak’ahs of Taraweeh including Witr is proven by authentic chains.
Fifth Hadith:
Yazid bin Roman, may Allah have mercy on him, says that people used to pray twenty-three rak’ahs in Ramadan during the time of Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
Analysis:
The chain is weak due to discontinuity.
Yazid bin Roman did not live during the time of Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
Imam Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
يزيد بن رومان لم يدرك عمر بن الخطاب
Yazid bin Roman did not live during the time of Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
Therefore, this hadith is disconnected, whereas in Imam Malik’s Muwatta, this disconnected hadith is established with an earlier authentic and connected chain that Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, ordered eleven rak’ahs.
❀ Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi Sahib says:
ترجيح المتصل على المنقطع
The principle is that a connected chain is preferred over a disconnected one.
❀ Allama Ashraf Ali Thanwi Deobandi Sahib says:
The hadith in Imam Malik’s Muwatta is disconnected.
It is not correct to take proof from a disconnected hadith against authentic hadiths.
Sixth Hadith:
Yahya bin Saeed, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, ordered a person to lead the people in twenty rak’ahs.
Analysis:
The chain is weak due to discontinuity.
Allama Naimwi Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
يحيى بن سعيد لم يدرك عمر
Yahya bin Saeed Ansari did not live in the time of Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him.
Seventh narration:
Abdul Aziz bin Rafi narrates that Sayyiduna Abu bin Ka’b, may Allah be pleased with him, used to lead people in Medina in twenty rak’ahs and three rak’ahs of Witr during Ramadan.
Analysis:
The chain is weak due to discontinuity.
❀ Allama Naimwi Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
عبد العزيز بن رفيع لم يدرك ابي بن كعب
Abdul Aziz bin Rafi did not live in the time of Sayyiduna Abu bin Ka’b, may Allah be pleased with him.
Eighth narration:
Sayyiduna Saib bin Yazid, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that during the caliphate of Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, people used to pray twenty rak’ahs in Ramadan.
Analysis:
Those who used to pray these twenty rak’ahs were people other than the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, because the Companion of the Prophet, Sayyid Naasib bin Yazid, may Allah be pleased with him, himself says:
كنا اي الصحابة نقوم في عهد عمر بن الخطاب باحدى عشرة ركعة
We (the Companions) used to pray eleven rak’ahs of Taraweeh prayer including Witr during the time of Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.
Allama Subki, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
اسناده في غاية الصحة
Its chain of narration is of the highest level of authenticity.
The actions of other people against the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, are not proof, nor is there any clarification in the narration whether these unknown people prayed the rak’ahs considering them as Sunnah Mu’akkadah or just as voluntary Nafl.
If someone considers eight rak’ahs as the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and twelve as additional Nafl, then what harm can there be in that? These people probably did the same.
❀ Allama Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri Deobandi says:
Ibn Humam wrote eight rak’ahs as Sunnah and the additional as Mustahabb, so this opinion is not blameworthy.
❀ He further writes:
It is agreed upon that the eight rak’ahs of Taraweeh are Sunnah Mu’akkadah; if there is any difference, it is regarding the twelve.
Ninth Tradition:
Saib bin Yazid, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that during the time of Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, we used to pray twenty-three rak’ahs of Taraweeh and Witr.
Analysis:
It is anomalous. Due to the opposition of Imam Malik, Imam Yahya bin Saeed Qattan, Imam Darawardi, may Allah have mercy on them, and others, it is considered anomalous.
Although Khalid bin Mukhlad is trustworthy, his narration will not be accepted due to the opposition of senior trustworthy narrators.
In the same narration, senior trustworthy narrators mention eleven rak’ahs.
Tenth Tradition:
Abu Abdur Rahman Salmi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, ordered the reciters to lead twenty rak’ahs of Taraweeh in Ramadan. Sayyiduna Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, would lead them in Witr.
Analysis:
The narration is weak.
➊ Hammad bin Shu’aib is weak.
Imam Yahya bin Ma’in, Imam Abu Zur’ah, Imam Nasai, and Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on them, have declared him weak.
➋ Ata bin Al-Sa’ib is mixed.
Hammad bin Shu’aib is not among those who heard from him before the mixing.
Eleventh Tradition:
Abu Hasna narrates that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered a person to lead twenty Taraweeh prayers.
Analysis:
The chain is weak. Abu Hasna is unknown.
❀ Hafiz Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لا يعرف
He is unknown.
Allah Almighty has not made us responsible for narrations of unknown narrators.
Twelfth narration:
⑭ Al-A’mash (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray twenty Taraweeh.
Analysis:
The chain is weak. In Umdat al-Qari
, this narration is from Hafs ibn Ghiyath on the authority of Al-A’mash, while both Hafs ibn Ghiyath and Al-A’mash are muddallis (obscurers) of hearing. No clarification was made.
Support for eleven Rak’ah Taraweeh
قال الإمام أبو بكر النيسابوري : حدثنا يوسف بن سعيد ثنا حجار عن ابن جريج حدثني إسماعيل بن أمية أن محمد بن يوسف ابن أخت السائب بن يزيد أخبره أن السائب بن يزيد أخبره قال : جمع عمر بن الخطاب الناس على أبي بن كعب وتميم الداري فكانا يقومان بمائة في ركعة فما ننصرف حتى نري أو نشك في فروع الفجر قال: فكنا نقوم بأحد عشر قلت : أو واحد وعشرين قال : لقد سمع ذلك من السائب بن يزيد ابن خصيفة فسألت يزيد بن حصيفة فقال : حسبت أن السائب قال : أحدا وعشرين
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه that Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه gathered people to pray Taraweeh with Ubayy bin Ka’b and Tamim Dari رضي الله عنهما. These two would recite one hundred verses in one rak’ah. Then, when we were about to finish the prayer, we would think that Fajr had already arrived. Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه says that we used to pray eleven rak’ahs.
When the narrator of this hadith, Isma’il bin Umayyah رحمه الله, heard it from Muhammad bin Yusuf رحمه الله, he asked whether it was eleven or twenty-one rak’ahs. Muhammad bin Yusuf رحمه الله said that such a thing was heard by Yazid bin Khusifah رحمه الله from Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه. Isma’il bin Umayyah رحمه الله says that then he asked Yazid bin Khusifah رحمه الله about this, and he said, “I think that Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه mentioned…”
Remember that Muhammad bin Yusuf mentioned eleven rak’ahs. When Isma’il bin Umayyah asked whether it was eleven or twenty-one, he said that the twenty-one was heard from Yazid bin Khusifah. Isma’il bin Umayyah asked Yazid bin Khusifah if he really heard the twenty-one, and he replied, “I think that Sayyiduna Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه mentioned twenty-one.”
Yazid bin Khusifah was mistaken in mentioning twenty-one rak’ahs because:
➊ Yazid bin Khusifah expressed doubt by saying “hasbatu” (I think).
➋ Yazid bin Khusifah often falls into error when narrating from memory.
❀ Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله says:
كان يهم كثيرا إذا حدث من حفظه
When narrating from memory, he is very prone to error.
Here, Yazid bin Khusifah narrated this hadith from his memory.
Therefore, this is his error, as is evident from the words.
Whereas Muhammad bin Yusuf narrates from Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه clearly eleven rak’ahs.
Moreover, Isma’il bin Umayyah is not unique in narrating from Muhammad bin Yusuf; six other students also narrated the same hadith from Muhammad bin Yusuf with the wording of eleven rak’ahs, and none objected to Muhammad bin Yusuf. Observe:
➊ Imam Malik bin Anas رحمه الله.
➋ Usama bin Zaid رضي الله عنه.
➌ Isma’il bin Ja’far Ansari رحمه الله.
➍ Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad Darawardi رحمه الله.
❀ Allama Suyuti رحمه الله says:
في الموطأ وفي مصنف سعيد بن منصور بسند في غاية الصحة عن السائب بن يزيد : إحدى عشرة ركعة
It is narrated with an extremely authentic chain in Muwatta Imam Malik and Sunan Sa’id bin Mansur that Sayyiduna Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه mentioned eleven rak’ahs.
➎ Imam Yahya bin Sa’id al-Qattan رحمه الله.
➏ Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq رحمه الله.
All the students narrate eleven rak’ahs from their teacher Muhammad bin Yusuf رحمه الله. None express hesitation or doubt. It is established that Isma’il bin Umayyah’s inquiry from Muhammad bin Yusuf was not due to denial or doubt. And all praise is due to Allah.
❀ Except for Yazid bin Khusifah, no one narrated the wording of twenty-one rak’ahs from Sayyiduna Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه.
In a narration of the compiler Abdul Razzaq
, Al-Harith bin Abdul Rahman bin Abi Dhabab al-Sadusi mentions twenty-three rak’ahs from Sayyiduna Saib bin Yazid رضي الله عنه, but that narration is false.
➊ Ibrahim bin Muhammad Aslami is abandoned and a liar.
➋ Imam Abdul Razzaq bin Hammam رحمه الله is a mudallis (one who conceals the source) and did not specify the hearing.
Those friends who accept Yazid bin Khusifah’s narration of twenty-one rak’ahs as correct and use it as evidence for twenty rak’ahs of Taraweeh will also have to issue a fatwa permitting one Witr. Will our brothers issue a fatwa for one Witr?
Conclusion.
It is absolutely not proven from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or any companion that Taraweeh consists of twenty rak’ahs; the Sunnah is only eight rak’ahs.
❀ Allama Zarkashi, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
دعوى أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى بهم في تلك الليلة عشرين ركعة لم يصح
It is not correct to say that the Noble Prophet ﷺ led the companions in twenty rak’ahs that night.
❀ Hafiz Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
الحاصل أن العشرين ركعة لم تثبت من فعله صلى الله عليه وسلم
The summary is that Taraweeh prayer is not proven from the Noble Prophet ﷺ.
As for Imam Ata ibn Abi Rabah, Imam Ibn Abi Mulaika, Imam Suwaid ibn Ghaflah, may Allah have mercy on them, and others, their practice of praying rak’ahs is not beneficial for our friends because there is no evidence that they considered twenty rak’ahs as an emphasized Sunnah and prayed accordingly. We pray that Allah, the Lord of Glory, grants us understanding of the truth. Ameen.
