The prayer performed as qiyam (night prayer) after the Isha prayer in Ramadan is commonly called Tarawih. The author has proven in “Noor al-Masabih fi Mas’alat al-Tarawih” that eleven rakats of qiyam (Tarawih) in Ramadan are Sunnah.
❀ The Prophet ﷺ, after finishing the Isha prayer until the (call to) Fajr, (generally) prayed eleven rakats. He would make salam after every two rakats and would pray one Witr. See Sahih Muslim
❀ The Prophet ﷺ led eight rakats in Ramadan (in congregation with the companions, may Allah be pleased with them all). See
↰ The chain of this narration is hasan.
❀ Amir al-Mu’minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered Sayyiduna Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him), who were leading the prayer, to have the people pray eleven rakats (in Ramadan after the Isha prayer). See
↰ The chain of this narration is sahih, and Muhammad ibn Ali al-Nimawi (a muqallid) also declared its chain sahih. See
↰ The companions, the Tabi’un and the righteous predecessors acted upon this.
Now, the references of Hanafi and muqallid scholars are presented in this article, from which it is proven that according to them too, eight rakats of Tarawih are Sunnah.
➊ Ibn al-Humam Hanafi (died 861 AH) writes:
فتحصل من هذا كله أن قيام رمضان سنة احديٰ عشرة ركعة بالوتر فى جماعة
“The outcome (result) of all of this is that qiyam of Ramadan (Tarawih) of eleven rakats with witr, in congregation, is Sunnah.
➋ Sayyid Ahmad Tahtawi Hanafi (died 1233 AH) said:
لأن النبى عليه الصلوة و السلام لم يصلها عشرين، بل ثماني
Because the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not pray twenty, but rather eight.
➌ Ibn Nujaym Misri (died 970 AH) quoted Ibn al-Humam Hanafi approvingly that
فإذن يكون المسنون على أصول مشايخنا ثمانية منها والمستحب اثنا عشر
“Thus, according to the principles of our scholars, eight of them become Masnun (Sunnah) and twelve become Mustahab (recommended).”
Note: Ibn al-Humam and others calling twelve (12) rakats after eight recommended is entirely contrary to the statement of Hanafis and muqallids that “twenty rakats of Tarawih is Sunnah Muakkadah, and less or more than this is not permissible.”
➍ Mulla Ali Qari Hanafi (died 1014 AH) said:
فتحصل من هذا كله أن قيام رمضان سنة إحديٰ عشرة بالوترفي جماعة فعله عليه الصلوة و السلام
“The outcome (result) of all of this is that qiyam of Ramadan (Tarawih) of eleven rakats with witr, in congregation, is Sunnah; this is the action of the Prophet ﷺ.”
➎ Muhammad Ahsan Nanautwi (died 1312 AH), favoured by the Deobandis, states:
لأن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يصلها عشرين بل ثمانيا
“Because the Prophet ﷺ did not pray twenty (20), but rather eight (8).”
◈ See also
➏ Abd al-Shakur Lucknawi (died 1381 AH), favoured by the Deobandis, writes:
“Although eight rakats of Tarawih from the Prophet ﷺ are Masnun, and in a weak narration from Ibn Abbas twenty rakats too. But…..”
➐ Abd al-Hayy Lucknawi (died 1304 AH), the favourite of the Deobandis, writes:
“The Prophet ﷺ performed Tarawih in two ways.
① Twenty rakats without congregation…… but the chain of this narration is weak….
② Eight rakats and three rakats of witr in congregation….”
➑ Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri Deobandi (died 1345 AH) writes:
“However, some scholars, such as Ibn al-Humam, have written eight as Sunnah and the extra as Mustahab; this statement is not open to criticism.”
◈ Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri further writes: “And that Tarawih being Sunnah Muakkadah of eight rakats is by unanimous agreement; if there is disagreement, it is regarding twelve.”
➒ Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi (died 1352 AH) says:
ولا مناص من تسليم أن تراويحه عليه السلام كانت ثمانية ركعات ولم يثبت فى رواية من الروايات أنه عليه السلام صلى التراويح و التجهد عليحدة فى رمضان…. وأما النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فصح عنه ثمان ركعات و أما عشرون ركعة فهو عنه عليه السلام بسند ضعيف و عليٰ ضعفه اتفاق….
“And there is no escape from accepting that the Tarawih of the Prophet, peace be upon him, was eight rakats, and in none of the narrations is it established that the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed Tarawih and Tahajjud separately in Ramadan…… As for the Prophet ﷺ, eight rakats are authentically established from him, and as for twenty rakats, they are from him, peace be upon him, with a weak chain, and there is agreement on its weakness.”
➓ Regarding the prayer of Tarawih, Hasan ibn Ammar ibn Ali al-Shurunblali Hanafi (died 1069 AH) says:
(وصلوتها بالجماعة سنة كفاية) لما يثبت أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى، بالجماعة احديٰ عشرة ركعة بالوتر..
“(And praying it in congregation is a sunnah kifayah, a communal Sunnah) because it is established that the Prophet ﷺ prayed eleven rakats with witr in congregation.”
⓫ Muhammad Yusuf Binnori Deobandi (died 1397 AH) said:
فلا بد من تسليم أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم صلى التراويح أيضا ثماني ركعات
“Therefore it is necessary to accept that the Prophet ﷺ also prayed eight rakats of Tarawih.”
Note ①: All these references have been presented as a charge and for the establishment of proof against those who regard these scholars as their elders and practically accept their statements as proof. It is also worth mentioning here that some of these scholars have made the false claim, without any sound evidence, that
“However, Sayyiduna Faruq-e-A’zam (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered twenty rakats to be prayed during his caliphate and established congregation”
↰ For the refutation of such claims without evidence, it is sufficient that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered eleven rakats to be prayed.
Note ②: Neither from Imam Abu Hanifa, Qadi Abu Yusuf, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, nor from Imam al-Tahawi is it established with a sahih chain that twenty rakats of Tarawih is Sunnah. وما علينا الا البلاغ
