✍ Adapted from the book "Namāz-e-Mustafā ﷺ" by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khāliq Siddīqī
The word Tarāwīḥ is a technical term used by scholars and muḥaddithīn. In the aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, other terms such as:
➤ "Qiyām al-Ramaḍān"
➤ "Ṣalāh fī Ramaḍān"
➤ "Qiyām al-Layl"
➤ "Ṣalāh al-Tahajjud"
➤ "Ṣalāh al-Layl"
...are used to describe this prayer.
The Noble Prophet ﷺ led this prayer in congregation with the Companions for three nights, which is a fact acknowledged even by the Ḥanafīs. When the Prophet ﷺ saw the enthusiasm of the Companions increasing in joining this prayer, he discontinued the congregation and stated:
خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ
“I feared that the night prayer (Ṣalāh al-Layl) might be made obligatory upon you.”
In another narration:
وَلَكِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ فَتَعْجِزُوا عَنْهَا
“But I feared that the night prayer might be made obligatory upon you, and you would be unable to perform it.”
Imām Ṭaḥāwī Ḥanafī رحمه الله narrates from Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Thābit رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said:
خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ
“I feared that Qiyām al-Layl might become obligatory upon you.”
Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله reports in his Musnad:
مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُفْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ قِيَامُ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ
“Out of fear that the standing (Qiyām) in this month (Ramaḍān) might become obligatory upon you.”
Hence, it is clear from all these narrations that the terms used for Tarāwīḥ in the Sunnah are Ṣalāh al-Layl, Qiyām al-Layl, etc. Therefore, all authentic narrations about the number of Rak‘āt in Qiyām al-Layl serve as indicators of the number of Rak‘āt in Tarāwīḥ.
The muḥaddithīn have dedicated chapters to "Qiyām Ramaḍān" and "Ṣalāh al-Tarāwīḥ" based on the ḥadīth of Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها. For example:
✔ Imām al-Bukhārī titled a chapter in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī as:
“Bāb Faḍl Man Qāma Ramaḍān”
and then narrated the ḥadīth in relation to Tarāwīḥ.
✔ Imām al-Bayhaqī compiled:
“Bāb Mā Ruwiya fī ʿAdad Rakʿāt al-Qiyām fī Shahri Ramaḍān”
✔ Muḥammad Ḥasan al-Shaybānī (student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah) authored a chapter:
“Bāb Qiyām Shahri Ramaḍān wa Mā Fīhi fī al-Faḍl”
➤ Mawlānā Anwar Shāh Kāshmīrī (Deobandī) wrote:
ولا مناص من تسليم أن التراويح عليه السلام كانت ثمانية ركعات...
“There is no way to deny that the Tarāwīḥ of the Prophet ﷺ consisted of eight Rak‘āt.”
“There is no narration that the Prophet ﷺ performed Tahajjud and Tarāwīḥ separately in Ramaḍān.”
➤ In Fayḍ al-Bārī (vol. 2, p. 420), he stated:
“According to me, both are the same prayer.”
➤ Mawlānā ʿAbdul Ḥaqq Dehlawī admitted:
“It is proven that the Prophet ﷺ’s prayer in Ramaḍān was eleven Rak‘āt, which were the same as the regular Tahajjud he performed.”
➤ Qāsim Nānawtawī Deobandī (Māturīdī, Ashʿarī) wrote:
“The eleven Rak‘āt with Witr that are authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ are more reliable than the twenty.”
Hence, if Tarāwīḥ and Tahajjud were two distinct prayers, there should be evidence of the Prophet ﷺ offering them separately in Ramaḍān. But no such report exists. Therefore, it must be accepted that the same eleven Rak‘āt the Prophet ﷺ prayed as Tahajjud were also his Tarāwīḥ in Ramaḍān. The only difference was in timing and length of standing.
Imām Abū Dāwūd and others report the incident of the Prophet ﷺ leading three nights of congregation in Tarāwīḥ, which shows he prayed it throughout the night, dividing it into parts — from after ʿIshāʾ until the last part of the night, encompassing the time for Tahajjud.
Mawlawī ʿAbdul Ḥayy Lakhnawī Ḥanafī also recorded this in his Fatāwā Urdu.
Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
“Whoever stands (in prayer) during Ramaḍān with faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven.”
Sayyidunā ʿAmr ibn Murrah al-Juhanī رضي الله عنه reported:
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah! If I testify that there is no god but Allah and you are His Messenger, and I offer the five daily prayers, give Zakāh, fast in Ramaḍān, and stand in prayer during it — then among whom will I be?” The Prophet ﷺ said:
مِنَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ
“You will be among the truthful and the martyrs.”
This shows the immense virtue of Qiyām al-Ramaḍān, as it grants forgiveness and the ranks of the righteous and martyrs.
The time for Tarāwīḥ begins after ʿIshāʾ and continues until Fajr. It can be performed at any point during this period, though it is preferable to perform it in congregation.
As for the number of Rakʿāt:
➤ Eleven Rakʿāt (including Witr) is the Sunnah.
This was the consistent practice of the Prophet ﷺ, and prominent scholars of the Ḥanafī school also accept this view — as demonstrated by the preceding evidence.
Whoever wishes to dedicate more time to worship can:
✔ Lengthen the Qiyām (standing)
✔ Increase the number of tasbīḥāt, supplications, and remembrance in Rukūʿ, Sujūd, and Jalsah
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
When asked about the night prayer of the Prophet ﷺ, she replied:
“Do not ask about the beauty and length of those four Rakʿāt — I cannot describe them.”
The Companions said:
“In the era of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه, the standing (Qiyām) was so lengthy that we had to lean on sticks for support.”
If one doesn’t have much Qur’ān memorized, he may increase the recitation of Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, with sincerity, to elongate the Qiyām. When the Prophet ﷺ spent an entire night repeating one single verse for the forgiveness of the Ummah, then surely, repeatedly reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ with devotion fulfills the Sunnah, rather than increasing the number of Rakʿāt and opposing the example of the Prophet ﷺ.
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مَا بَيْنَ أَنْ يَفْرُغَ مِنْ صَلَاةِ العِشَاءِ وَهِيَ الَّتِي يَدْعُو النَّاسُ العَتَمَةَ، إِلَى الفَجْرِ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، يُسَلِّمُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَيُوتِرُ بِوَاحِدَةٍ
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would offer eleven Rakʿāt between the ʿIshāʾ prayer (which people call ʿAtamah) and Fajr, offering salām after every two Rakʿāt and ending with one Witr.”
➤ Benefit: This ḥadīth proves that the total number of night prayers (Qiyām al-Layl) of the Prophet ﷺ was eleven.
Abū Salamah رحمه الله said:
“I came to Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها and asked her about the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer in Ramaḍān.”
She said:
كَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْهَا رَكْعَتَا الفَجْرِ
“His prayer was thirteen Rakʿāt, including the two Rakʿāt of Fajr (Sunnah).”
➤ Benefit: Subtracting the two Sunnah of Fajr leaves eleven Rakʿāt, which were the Tarāwīḥ/Qiyām of the Prophet ﷺ in Ramaḍān.
Abū Salamah رحمه الله asked Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
“How did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ perform night prayer in Ramaḍān?”
She replied:
مَا كَانَ يَزِيدُ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَلَا فِي غَيْرِهِ عَلَى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never exceeded eleven Rakʿāt in Ramaḍān or outside of it.”
➤ Observation: This ḥadīth is listed by the muḥaddithīn under the chapter of Qiyām Ramaḍān, proving its direct relation to Tarāwīḥ. Note that the question asked was about the night prayer in Ramaḍān, and Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah responded by explaining the same number for both Ramaḍān and non-Ramaḍān: eleven Rakʿāt.
Support is also found in the narration of Sayyidunā Jābir رضي الله عنه:
صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي رَمَضَانَ ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَالْوِتْرَ...
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Ramaḍān for eight Rakʿāt and Witr.”
The next night, we gathered hoping he would come again, but we remained in the mosque until morning. Later, we approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: ‘We hoped you would come out and lead us.’ He replied:
كَرِهْتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْوِتْرُ
“I disliked that Witr should be made obligatory upon you.”
➤ Benefit: This narration clearly proves the eight Rakʿāt of Tarāwīḥ and three Rakʿāt Witr, totaling eleven Rakʿāt, and it also reveals that Witr was included as part of the night prayer.
Note: Some have criticized this narration due to ʿĪsā ibn Jāriyah, but majority of scholars consider him trustworthy (thiqah) or acceptable (ṣudūq) — making the ḥadīth ḥasan (sound).
Narrated by Sayyidunā Jābir رضي الله عنه, that Ubayy ibn Kaʿb came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! The women of my household said to me on the nights of Ramaḍān: ‘We do not know much Qur’ān, so we wish to pray behind you.’”
فَصَلَّيْتُ بِهِنَّ ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَوَتَرْتُ، فَكَانَ شِبْهَ الرِّضَا، وَلَمْ يَقُلْ شَيْئًا
“So I led them in eight Rakʿāt and Witr. The Prophet ﷺ showed a gesture of approval and said nothing.”
➤ Benefit:
This incident reflects the tacit approval (taqrīrī Sunnah) of the Prophet ﷺ — a recognized source of Sunnah — since he remained silent after hearing of this practice, indicating his consent.
➤ Abu al-Khallāq al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAmmār al-Shurunbulālī al-Ḥanafī (d. 1079 AH) wrote:
“Since it is established that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led eleven Rakʿāt including Witr in congregation, any deviation from this Sunnah implies animosity towards Prophethood.”
➤ Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Shaybānī, the famous student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, wrote in his Muwaṭṭaʾ under the chapter Bāb al-Tarāwīḥ (p. 93):
“We also follow the ḥadīth from Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim — of eleven Rakʿāt including Witr.”
➤ Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī al-Ḥanafī wrote:
“The truth in the matter of Tarāwīḥ is that eleven Rakʿāt including Witr are Sunnah, and this is what the Prophet ﷺ led in congregation.”
“The conclusion of all reports is that the standing (Qiyām) of Ramaḍān — eleven Rakʿāt with Witr in congregation — is a Sunnah, and this was the action of the Prophet ﷺ.”
➤ Ibn al-Humām al-Ḥanafī (d. 861 AH) also wrote:
“The conclusion is that eleven Rakʿāt with Witr in congregation is the Sunnah Qiyām al-Ramaḍān.”
➤ ʿAbdul Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī al-Ḥanafī (d. 1304 AH) stated:
“The Prophet ﷺ offered Tarāwīḥ in two ways: (1) Twenty Rakʿāt in congregation — but its narration is weak; (2) Eight Rakʿāt plus three Witr in congregation.”
➤ ʿAbdul Shakūr al-Ḥanafī (d. 1381 AH) wrote:
“Even though eight Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ is the Sunnah from the Prophet ﷺ, there is also a weak narration from Ibn ʿAbbās regarding twenty.”
➤ It is not authentically proven via any ṣaḥīḥ chain from Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf, or Imām Muḥammad that twenty Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ is the practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
➤ In fact, a Ṣaḥīḥ narration in Muwaṭṭaʾ Imām Mālik reports that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه ordered eleven Rakʿāt, not twenty.
Due to this, scholars and followers of Shāfiʿī, Mālikī, and Ḥanbalī schools in many parts of the world perform eleven Rakʿāt. Even some Pakistani Ḥanafī scholars and members of the general public have started performing eleven Rakʿāt.
Imām Mālik narrated from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf, from al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه:
أَمَرَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أُبَيَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ وَتَمِيمًا الدَّارِيَّ أَنْ يَقُومَا لِلنَّاسِ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه ordered Ubayy ibn Kaʿb and Tamīm al-Dārī to lead the people in eleven Rakʿāt.”
Isnād: Ṣaḥīḥ – as verified in Āthār al-Sunan, p. 392
Imām Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated via Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd, from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf, from al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه:
أَنَّ عُمَرَ جَمَعَ النَّاسَ عَلَى أُبَيٍّ وَتَمِيمٍ، فَكَانَا يُصَلِّيَانِ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“ʿUmar رضي الله عنه gathered the people under the leadership of Ubayy and Tamīm, and they used to pray eleven Rakʿāt.”
➤ This same narration is reported by Imām Abū Zayd ʿUmar ibn Shabbah al-Namīrī al-Baṣrī in his work Tārīkh al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah, through the same chain — and its isnād is highly authentic.
Imām Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr reported via ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad, from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf, from al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه:
كُنَّا نَقُومُ فِي زَمَانِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، وَاللهِ، بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“By Allah, during the era of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه, we used to perform eleven Rakʿāt.”
➤ Benefit: These authentic narrations prove that both the practice of the Prophet ﷺ and the order of Sayyidunā ʿUmar رضي الله عنه were in alignment — eleven Rakʿāt. This is how Ubayy ibn Kaʿb and Tamīm al-Dārī led the companions in Tarāwīḥ, and this was the practice of the Ṣaḥābah as a whole.
Thus, it is evident that there was consensus (ijmāʿ) among the Ṣaḥābah on eleven Rakʿāt.
All narrations reporting twenty (20) Rakʿāt of Qiyām al-Layl from ʿUmar, ʿAlī, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, and ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنهم are either weak (ḍaʿīf) or fabricated (mawḍūʿ).
In the following section, we will examine and analyze those unauthentic narrations that are often cited as proof for twenty Rakʿāt being from the Sunnah.
Analyzing the Narrations and Their Authenticity
Narration:
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما reportedly said:
“Indeed, the Prophet ﷺ prayed twenty Rakʿāt (Tarāwīḥ) and Witr in the month of Ramaḍān.”
Response:
This ḥadīth contains the narrator Ibrāhīm ibn ʿUthmān, about whom scholars said:
◈ Imām Aḥmad: “Munkar al-Ḥadīth” (his narrations are rejected).
◈ Imām Shuʿbah: “A liar.”
◈ Imām Aḥmad, Ibn Maʿīn, al-Bukhārī, and al-Nasā’ī: Declared him weak.
◈ Ibn ʿAdī: Listed this narration among his fabricated reports.
Even Ibn al-Humām al-Ḥanafī in Fatḥ al-Qadīr (vol. 1, p. 333) and ʿAbdul Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī in Fatāwā (vol. 1, p. 354) rejected this narration.
➤ Mawlānā Anwar Shāh Kāshmīrī (Deobandī) wrote:
“The narration stating twenty Rakʿāt is weak in sanad, and there is consensus on its weakness.”
➤ Imām al-Suyūṭī strongly refuted it:
هٰذَا حَدِيثٌ ضَعِيفٌ جِدًّا، لَا تَقُومُ بِهِ حُجَّةٌ
“This ḥadīth is extremely weak; no argument can be established upon it.”
➤ Shaykh Zakariyyā (Tablīghī Jamāʿat founder) wrote in Awjaz al-Masālik:
“According to the principles of ḥadīth, 20 Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ is not proven marfūʿan from the Prophet ﷺ. The narration from Ibn ʿAbbās is weak and unreliable.”
Narration:
Yazīd ibn Rumān said:
“During the time of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه, people used to pray 23 Rakʿāt.”
Response:
This narration is disconnected (munqaṭiʿ) because:
◈ Yazīd ibn Rumān did not meet ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه.
Narration:
Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd reportedly said that ʿUmar رضي الله عنه ordered someone to lead 20 Rakʿāt.
Response:
While Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd al-Anṣārī is trustworthy (thiqqah), he belongs to the fifth ṭabaqah (generation) and did not meet ʿUmar رضي الله عنه.
➤ Imām al-Nīmawī stated:
“Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd did not meet ʿUmar.”
➤ Moreover, al-Nīmawī added in his taʿlīq on Āthār al-Sunan:
“Some scholars cited a narration that people prayed 20 Rakʿāt during the caliphates of ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī. But this mention of ʿUthmān and ʿAlī is interpolated (mudraj) and not found in Imām al-Bayhaqī’s original works.”
Narration:
Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī reported that ʿAlī رضي الله عنه summoned reciters during Ramaḍān and instructed one of them to lead 20 Rakʿāt, and ʿAlī himself would lead the Witr.
Response:
This narration is very weak, due to:
◈ Ḥammād ibn Shuʿayb — declared weak by:
◈ ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib — became confused in later life (mukhtaṭiṭ)
Narration:
Abū al-Ḥasnāʾ said that ʿAlī رضي الله عنه instructed a man to lead 5 Tarāwīḥ (i.e. 20 Rakʿāt).
Response:
❖ The Term Tarāwīḥ and Its Usage:
The word Tarāwīḥ is a technical term used by scholars and muḥaddithīn. In the aḥādīth of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, other terms such as:
➤ "Qiyām al-Ramaḍān"
➤ "Ṣalāh fī Ramaḍān"
➤ "Qiyām al-Layl"
➤ "Ṣalāh al-Tahajjud"
➤ "Ṣalāh al-Layl"
...are used to describe this prayer.
The Noble Prophet ﷺ led this prayer in congregation with the Companions for three nights, which is a fact acknowledged even by the Ḥanafīs. When the Prophet ﷺ saw the enthusiasm of the Companions increasing in joining this prayer, he discontinued the congregation and stated:
خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ
“I feared that the night prayer (Ṣalāh al-Layl) might be made obligatory upon you.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb: If there is a wall or screen between the Imām and the people, ḥadīth no. 729
In another narration:
وَلَكِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ فَتَعْجِزُوا عَنْهَا
“But I feared that the night prayer might be made obligatory upon you, and you would be unable to perform it.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb Ṣalāh al-Musāfirīn, Bāb: Encouragement to perform Qiyām Ramaḍān, ḥadīth no. 761/178
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah, ḥadīth no. 2207
Imām Ṭaḥāwī Ḥanafī رحمه الله narrates from Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Thābit رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said:
خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ
“I feared that Qiyām al-Layl might become obligatory upon you.”
Reference: Sharḥ Maʿānī al-Āthār by al-Ṭaḥāwī, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb on the Virtue of Praying in Ramadan, vol. 1, p. 242
Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله reports in his Musnad:
مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُفْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ قِيَامُ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ
“Out of fear that the standing (Qiyām) in this month (Ramaḍān) might become obligatory upon you.”
Reference: Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 6, p. 183, ḥadīth no. 24968
Hence, it is clear from all these narrations that the terms used for Tarāwīḥ in the Sunnah are Ṣalāh al-Layl, Qiyām al-Layl, etc. Therefore, all authentic narrations about the number of Rak‘āt in Qiyām al-Layl serve as indicators of the number of Rak‘āt in Tarāwīḥ.
❖ Tarāwīḥ Prayer:
The muḥaddithīn have dedicated chapters to "Qiyām Ramaḍān" and "Ṣalāh al-Tarāwīḥ" based on the ḥadīth of Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها. For example:
✔ Imām al-Bukhārī titled a chapter in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī as:
“Bāb Faḍl Man Qāma Ramaḍān”
and then narrated the ḥadīth in relation to Tarāwīḥ.
✔ Imām al-Bayhaqī compiled:
“Bāb Mā Ruwiya fī ʿAdad Rakʿāt al-Qiyām fī Shahri Ramaḍān”
✔ Muḥammad Ḥasan al-Shaybānī (student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah) authored a chapter:
“Bāb Qiyām Shahri Ramaḍān wa Mā Fīhi fī al-Faḍl”
❖ Testimonies from Ḥanafī Scholars:
➤ Mawlānā Anwar Shāh Kāshmīrī (Deobandī) wrote:
ولا مناص من تسليم أن التراويح عليه السلام كانت ثمانية ركعات...
“There is no way to deny that the Tarāwīḥ of the Prophet ﷺ consisted of eight Rak‘āt.”
“There is no narration that the Prophet ﷺ performed Tahajjud and Tarāwīḥ separately in Ramaḍān.”
Reference: al-ʿArf al-Shadhī, vol. 1, p. 166
➤ In Fayḍ al-Bārī (vol. 2, p. 420), he stated:
“According to me, both are the same prayer.”
➤ Mawlānā ʿAbdul Ḥaqq Dehlawī admitted:
“It is proven that the Prophet ﷺ’s prayer in Ramaḍān was eleven Rak‘āt, which were the same as the regular Tahajjud he performed.”
Reference: Tarāwīḥ kā Muqaddimah Ḥanafī Fuqahāʾ kī ʿAdālat mein, p. 16
➤ Qāsim Nānawtawī Deobandī (Māturīdī, Ashʿarī) wrote:
“The eleven Rak‘āt with Witr that are authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ are more reliable than the twenty.”
Reference: Laṭāʾif Qāsmiyyah, Maktūb Thālith, p. 18
Hence, if Tarāwīḥ and Tahajjud were two distinct prayers, there should be evidence of the Prophet ﷺ offering them separately in Ramaḍān. But no such report exists. Therefore, it must be accepted that the same eleven Rak‘āt the Prophet ﷺ prayed as Tahajjud were also his Tarāwīḥ in Ramaḍān. The only difference was in timing and length of standing.
Imām Abū Dāwūd and others report the incident of the Prophet ﷺ leading three nights of congregation in Tarāwīḥ, which shows he prayed it throughout the night, dividing it into parts — from after ʿIshāʾ until the last part of the night, encompassing the time for Tahajjud.
Mawlawī ʿAbdul Ḥayy Lakhnawī Ḥanafī also recorded this in his Fatāwā Urdu.
❖ Virtue of Qiyām al-Layl:
Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
مَنْ قَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
“Whoever stands (in prayer) during Ramaḍān with faith and seeking reward, his past sins will be forgiven.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Ṣalāt al-Tarāwīḥ, ḥadīth no. 2009
Sayyidunā ʿAmr ibn Murrah al-Juhanī رضي الله عنه reported:
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah! If I testify that there is no god but Allah and you are His Messenger, and I offer the five daily prayers, give Zakāh, fast in Ramaḍān, and stand in prayer during it — then among whom will I be?” The Prophet ﷺ said:
مِنَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ
“You will be among the truthful and the martyrs.”
Reference: Musnad al-Bazzār: 1/22, ḥadīth no. 25 – Mawārid al-Ẓamān, ḥadīth no. 19
This shows the immense virtue of Qiyām al-Ramaḍān, as it grants forgiveness and the ranks of the righteous and martyrs.
❖ Timing of Tarāwīḥ Prayer:
The time for Tarāwīḥ begins after ʿIshāʾ and continues until Fajr. It can be performed at any point during this period, though it is preferable to perform it in congregation.
As for the number of Rakʿāt:
➤ Eleven Rakʿāt (including Witr) is the Sunnah.
This was the consistent practice of the Prophet ﷺ, and prominent scholars of the Ḥanafī school also accept this view — as demonstrated by the preceding evidence.
Whoever wishes to dedicate more time to worship can:
✔ Lengthen the Qiyām (standing)
✔ Increase the number of tasbīḥāt, supplications, and remembrance in Rukūʿ, Sujūd, and Jalsah
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
When asked about the night prayer of the Prophet ﷺ, she replied:
“Do not ask about the beauty and length of those four Rakʿāt — I cannot describe them.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, ḥadīth no. 1147
The Companions said:
“In the era of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه, the standing (Qiyām) was so lengthy that we had to lean on sticks for support.”
Reference: al-Muwaṭṭaʾ, Kitāb Ṣalāt fī Ramaḍān, ḥadīth no. 4
If one doesn’t have much Qur’ān memorized, he may increase the recitation of Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, with sincerity, to elongate the Qiyām. When the Prophet ﷺ spent an entire night repeating one single verse for the forgiveness of the Ummah, then surely, repeatedly reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ with devotion fulfills the Sunnah, rather than increasing the number of Rakʿāt and opposing the example of the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Evidences for Eleven Rakʿāt in Tarāwīḥ:
◈ Evidence ①
Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي مَا بَيْنَ أَنْ يَفْرُغَ مِنْ صَلَاةِ العِشَاءِ وَهِيَ الَّتِي يَدْعُو النَّاسُ العَتَمَةَ، إِلَى الفَجْرِ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، يُسَلِّمُ بَيْنَ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَيُوتِرُ بِوَاحِدَةٍ
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would offer eleven Rakʿāt between the ʿIshāʾ prayer (which people call ʿAtamah) and Fajr, offering salām after every two Rakʿāt and ending with one Witr.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, Bāb: Number of Rakʿāt in the Night Prayer, ḥadīth no. 736/112
➤ Benefit: This ḥadīth proves that the total number of night prayers (Qiyām al-Layl) of the Prophet ﷺ was eleven.
◈ Evidence ②
Abū Salamah رحمه الله said:
“I came to Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها and asked her about the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer in Ramaḍān.”
She said:
كَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْهَا رَكْعَتَا الفَجْرِ
“His prayer was thirteen Rakʿāt, including the two Rakʿāt of Fajr (Sunnah).”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah, vol. 3, p. 341, ḥadīth no. 2213
➤ Benefit: Subtracting the two Sunnah of Fajr leaves eleven Rakʿāt, which were the Tarāwīḥ/Qiyām of the Prophet ﷺ in Ramaḍān.
◈ Evidence ③
Abū Salamah رحمه الله asked Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها:
“How did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ perform night prayer in Ramaḍān?”
She replied:
مَا كَانَ يَزِيدُ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَلَا فِي غَيْرِهِ عَلَى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never exceeded eleven Rakʿāt in Ramaḍān or outside of it.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Ṣalāt al-Tarāwīḥ, Bāb Faḍl Man Qāma Ramaḍān, ḥadīth no. 2013
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, ḥadīth no. 738/125
Reference: Muwaṭṭaʾ Imām Muḥammad, p. 142
➤ Observation: This ḥadīth is listed by the muḥaddithīn under the chapter of Qiyām Ramaḍān, proving its direct relation to Tarāwīḥ. Note that the question asked was about the night prayer in Ramaḍān, and Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah responded by explaining the same number for both Ramaḍān and non-Ramaḍān: eleven Rakʿāt.
◈ Evidence ④
Support is also found in the narration of Sayyidunā Jābir رضي الله عنه:
صَلَّى بِنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي رَمَضَانَ ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَالْوِتْرَ...
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in Ramaḍān for eight Rakʿāt and Witr.”
The next night, we gathered hoping he would come again, but we remained in the mosque until morning. Later, we approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: ‘We hoped you would come out and lead us.’ He replied:
كَرِهْتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْوِتْرُ
“I disliked that Witr should be made obligatory upon you.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: vol. 2, p. 138, ḥadīth no. 1070
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: vol. 5, p. 162–163
Reference: Qiyām al-Layl, p. 252
Reference: al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ: vol. 5, p. 168
➤ Benefit: This narration clearly proves the eight Rakʿāt of Tarāwīḥ and three Rakʿāt Witr, totaling eleven Rakʿāt, and it also reveals that Witr was included as part of the night prayer.
Note: Some have criticized this narration due to ʿĪsā ibn Jāriyah, but majority of scholars consider him trustworthy (thiqah) or acceptable (ṣudūq) — making the ḥadīth ḥasan (sound).
❖ Evidence ⑤ – Silent Approval of the Prophet ﷺ for 8 Rakʿāt and Witr
Narrated by Sayyidunā Jābir رضي الله عنه, that Ubayy ibn Kaʿb came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! The women of my household said to me on the nights of Ramaḍān: ‘We do not know much Qur’ān, so we wish to pray behind you.’”
فَصَلَّيْتُ بِهِنَّ ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ وَوَتَرْتُ، فَكَانَ شِبْهَ الرِّضَا، وَلَمْ يَقُلْ شَيْئًا
“So I led them in eight Rakʿāt and Witr. The Prophet ﷺ showed a gesture of approval and said nothing.”
Reference: Musnad Abī Yaʿlā: vol. 3, p. 336, ḥadīth no. 1801 – Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid: vol. 2, p. 77
➤ Benefit:
This incident reflects the tacit approval (taqrīrī Sunnah) of the Prophet ﷺ — a recognized source of Sunnah — since he remained silent after hearing of this practice, indicating his consent.
❖ Admission of 11 Rakʿāt by Ḥanafī Scholars:
➤ Abu al-Khallāq al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAmmār al-Shurunbulālī al-Ḥanafī (d. 1079 AH) wrote:
“Since it is established that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led eleven Rakʿāt including Witr in congregation, any deviation from this Sunnah implies animosity towards Prophethood.”
Reference: Marāqī al-Falāḥ Sharḥ Nūr al-Īḍāḥ, p. 606
➤ Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Shaybānī, the famous student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, wrote in his Muwaṭṭaʾ under the chapter Bāb al-Tarāwīḥ (p. 93):
“We also follow the ḥadīth from Sayyidah ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim — of eleven Rakʿāt including Witr.”
➤ Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī al-Ḥanafī wrote:
“The truth in the matter of Tarāwīḥ is that eleven Rakʿāt including Witr are Sunnah, and this is what the Prophet ﷺ led in congregation.”
Reference: Mirqāt Sharḥ Mishkāt, vol. 1, p. 182
“The conclusion of all reports is that the standing (Qiyām) of Ramaḍān — eleven Rakʿāt with Witr in congregation — is a Sunnah, and this was the action of the Prophet ﷺ.”
Reference: Mirqāt, vol. 2, p. 382
➤ Ibn al-Humām al-Ḥanafī (d. 861 AH) also wrote:
“The conclusion is that eleven Rakʿāt with Witr in congregation is the Sunnah Qiyām al-Ramaḍān.”
Reference: Fatḥ al-Qadīr, Bāb al-Nawāfil, vol. 1, p. 460
➤ ʿAbdul Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī al-Ḥanafī (d. 1304 AH) stated:
“The Prophet ﷺ offered Tarāwīḥ in two ways: (1) Twenty Rakʿāt in congregation — but its narration is weak; (2) Eight Rakʿāt plus three Witr in congregation.”
Reference: Majmūʿ Fatāwā ʿAbdul Ḥayy, vol. 1, pp. 331–332
➤ ʿAbdul Shakūr al-Ḥanafī (d. 1381 AH) wrote:
“Even though eight Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ is the Sunnah from the Prophet ﷺ, there is also a weak narration from Ibn ʿAbbās regarding twenty.”
Reference: ʿIlm al-Fiqh, p. 198 (ḥāshiyah)
➤ It is not authentically proven via any ṣaḥīḥ chain from Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf, or Imām Muḥammad that twenty Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ is the practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
➤ In fact, a Ṣaḥīḥ narration in Muwaṭṭaʾ Imām Mālik reports that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه ordered eleven Rakʿāt, not twenty.
Due to this, scholars and followers of Shāfiʿī, Mālikī, and Ḥanbalī schools in many parts of the world perform eleven Rakʿāt. Even some Pakistani Ḥanafī scholars and members of the general public have started performing eleven Rakʿāt.
❖ Sayyidunā ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb’s Order for Eleven Rakʿāt
❖ Evidence ⑥
Imām Mālik narrated from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf, from al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه:
أَمَرَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أُبَيَّ بْنَ كَعْبٍ وَتَمِيمًا الدَّارِيَّ أَنْ يَقُومَا لِلنَّاسِ بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه ordered Ubayy ibn Kaʿb and Tamīm al-Dārī to lead the people in eleven Rakʿāt.”
Reference: Muwaṭṭaʾ Imām Mālik, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh fī Ramaḍān: vol. 1, p. 114
Reference: al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī: vol. 2, p. 496
Reference: al-Ṭaḥāwī: vol. 1, p. 193
Reference: Maʿrifat al-Sunan wa al-Āthār: vol. 2, p. 376
Isnād: Ṣaḥīḥ – as verified in Āthār al-Sunan, p. 392
❖ Evidence ⑦
Imām Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated via Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd, from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf, from al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه:
أَنَّ عُمَرَ جَمَعَ النَّاسَ عَلَى أُبَيٍّ وَتَمِيمٍ، فَكَانَا يُصَلِّيَانِ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“ʿUmar رضي الله عنه gathered the people under the leadership of Ubayy and Tamīm, and they used to pray eleven Rakʿāt.”
Reference: Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: vol. 2, p. 392
➤ This same narration is reported by Imām Abū Zayd ʿUmar ibn Shabbah al-Namīrī al-Baṣrī in his work Tārīkh al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah, through the same chain — and its isnād is highly authentic.
❖ Evidence ⑧
Imām Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr reported via ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad, from Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf, from al-Sāʾib ibn Yazīd رضي الله عنه:
كُنَّا نَقُومُ فِي زَمَانِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، وَاللهِ، بِإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
“By Allah, during the era of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه, we used to perform eleven Rakʿāt.”
Reference: al-Taʿlīq al-Ḥasan ʿalā Āthār al-Sunan, p. 392 – al-Ḥāwī fī al-Fatāwā, vol. 1, pp. 349–350
➤ Benefit: These authentic narrations prove that both the practice of the Prophet ﷺ and the order of Sayyidunā ʿUmar رضي الله عنه were in alignment — eleven Rakʿāt. This is how Ubayy ibn Kaʿb and Tamīm al-Dārī led the companions in Tarāwīḥ, and this was the practice of the Ṣaḥābah as a whole.
Thus, it is evident that there was consensus (ijmāʿ) among the Ṣaḥābah on eleven Rakʿāt.
⚠ Note:
All narrations reporting twenty (20) Rakʿāt of Qiyām al-Layl from ʿUmar, ʿAlī, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, and ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنهم are either weak (ḍaʿīf) or fabricated (mawḍūʿ).
In the following section, we will examine and analyze those unauthentic narrations that are often cited as proof for twenty Rakʿāt being from the Sunnah.
✦ Refutations of the Evidences for 20 Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ ✦
Analyzing the Narrations and Their Authenticity
❖ Evidence ①:
Narration:
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما reportedly said:
“Indeed, the Prophet ﷺ prayed twenty Rakʿāt (Tarāwīḥ) and Witr in the month of Ramaḍān.”
Reference: Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: vol. 2, p. 394
Response:
This ḥadīth contains the narrator Ibrāhīm ibn ʿUthmān, about whom scholars said:
◈ Imām Aḥmad: “Munkar al-Ḥadīth” (his narrations are rejected).
◈ Imām Shuʿbah: “A liar.”
◈ Imām Aḥmad, Ibn Maʿīn, al-Bukhārī, and al-Nasā’ī: Declared him weak.
◈ Ibn ʿAdī: Listed this narration among his fabricated reports.
Reference: ʿUmdat al-Qārī: vol. 1, p. 128
Even Ibn al-Humām al-Ḥanafī in Fatḥ al-Qadīr (vol. 1, p. 333) and ʿAbdul Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī in Fatāwā (vol. 1, p. 354) rejected this narration.
➤ Mawlānā Anwar Shāh Kāshmīrī (Deobandī) wrote:
“The narration stating twenty Rakʿāt is weak in sanad, and there is consensus on its weakness.”
Reference: al-ʿArf al-Shadhī: vol. 1, p. 166
➤ Imām al-Suyūṭī strongly refuted it:
هٰذَا حَدِيثٌ ضَعِيفٌ جِدًّا، لَا تَقُومُ بِهِ حُجَّةٌ
“This ḥadīth is extremely weak; no argument can be established upon it.”
Reference: al-Ḥāwī: vol. 1, p. 347
➤ Shaykh Zakariyyā (Tablīghī Jamāʿat founder) wrote in Awjaz al-Masālik:
“According to the principles of ḥadīth, 20 Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ is not proven marfūʿan from the Prophet ﷺ. The narration from Ibn ʿAbbās is weak and unreliable.”
Reference: Awjaz al-Masālik: vol. 2, p. 304
❖ Evidence ②:
Narration:
Yazīd ibn Rumān said:
“During the time of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه, people used to pray 23 Rakʿāt.”
Reference: Muwaṭṭaʾ Imām Mālik: vol. 1, p. 15
Response:
This narration is disconnected (munqaṭiʿ) because:
◈ Yazīd ibn Rumān did not meet ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه.
Reference: ʿUmdat al-Qārī: vol. 11, p. 127
Reference: Āthār al-Sunan (ḥāshiyah), p. 253
❖ Evidence ③:
Narration:
Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd reportedly said that ʿUmar رضي الله عنه ordered someone to lead 20 Rakʿāt.
Reference: Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah
Response:
While Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd al-Anṣārī is trustworthy (thiqqah), he belongs to the fifth ṭabaqah (generation) and did not meet ʿUmar رضي الله عنه.
➤ Imām al-Nīmawī stated:
“Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd did not meet ʿUmar.”
Reference: Tuhfat al-Aḥwadhī: vol. 2, p. 75
➤ Moreover, al-Nīmawī added in his taʿlīq on Āthār al-Sunan:
“Some scholars cited a narration that people prayed 20 Rakʿāt during the caliphates of ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī. But this mention of ʿUthmān and ʿAlī is interpolated (mudraj) and not found in Imām al-Bayhaqī’s original works.”
Reference: Tuhfat al-Aḥwadhī: vol. 2, p. 76
❖ Evidence ④:
Narration:
Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī reported that ʿAlī رضي الله عنه summoned reciters during Ramaḍān and instructed one of them to lead 20 Rakʿāt, and ʿAlī himself would lead the Witr.
Reference: al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī: vol. 2, p. 496
Response:
This narration is very weak, due to:
◈ Ḥammād ibn Shuʿayb — declared weak by:
- Ibn Maʿīn
- al-Nasā’ī
- Abū Zurʿah
- al-Bukhārī: “Munkar al-ḥadīth, turika ḥadīthuhu”
Reference: Lisān al-Mīzān: vol. 2, p. 384
◈ ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib — became confused in later life (mukhtaṭiṭ)
- Al-Zaylaʿī said: “Everyone who narrated from him did so after his confusion, except Shuʿbah and Sufyān.”
Reference: Naṣb al-Rāyah: vol. 3, p. 58
❖ Evidence ⑤:
Narration:
Abū al-Ḥasnāʾ said that ʿAlī رضي الله عنه instructed a man to lead 5 Tarāwīḥ (i.e. 20 Rakʿāt).
Reference: al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Bayhaqī: vol. 2, p. 497
Response:
- Even Imām al-Bayhaqī himself admitted that:
“This narration contains weakness.”
- Abū al-Ḥasnāʾ is majhūl (unknown).
Reference: Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb
Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl: vol. 4, p. 515
Ḥāshiyah Āthār al-Sunan, p. 255 — al-Nīmawī said: “He is not known.”
Reference:
Narration:
Al-Aʿmash reports:
“ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه used to lead people in 20 Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ.”
Response:
This is sufficient for anyone who understands ḥadīth science.
None of the narrations that report 20 Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ from the Prophet ﷺ or his rightly guided Caliphs are authentic.
All such reports either:
On the other hand, authentic narrations consistently report eleven Rakʿāt, including Witr, from the Prophet ﷺ, and the unified practice of the Ṣaḥābah, including ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه.
❖ Evidence ⑥:
Narration:
Al-Aʿmash reports:
“ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه used to lead people in 20 Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ.”
Reference: Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq: ḥadīth no. 7741 – Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: vol. 2, p. 394 – al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī: ḥadīth no. 9588 – Qiyām al-Layl by al-Marwazī, p. 10
Response:
- This narration is also disconnected (munqaṭiʿ).
Reference: ʿUmdat al-Qārī: vol. 11, p. 127
- Additionally, its chain includes Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth, narrating from al-Aʿmash, and:
◈ Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth is a mudallis, and he narrated with “ʿan”, which is problematic in ḥadīth criticism.
This is sufficient for anyone who understands ḥadīth science.
Final Conclusion:
None of the narrations that report 20 Rakʿāt Tarāwīḥ from the Prophet ﷺ or his rightly guided Caliphs are authentic. All such reports either:- Contain weak or rejected narrators,
- Are disconnected (munqaṭiʿ), or
- Are fabricated (mawḍūʿ).
On the other hand, authentic narrations consistently report eleven Rakʿāt, including Witr, from the Prophet ﷺ, and the unified practice of the Ṣaḥābah, including ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه.
