Analyzing the Authenticity of 20 Rak'ah Tarawih Narrations in Contemporary Debates

Written by: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai

Recently, an advertisement was published by those who adhere to Hanafi traditions, claiming that the Sunnah for Tarawih prayers is twenty rak'ahs. This misleading advertisement deserves a brief response, which is presented here for the discerning readers. The argument of those who claim twenty rak'ahs as Sunnah starts from their own statement, and here is the response to it:

Their Claim:

Hadith 1:

Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that indeed the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) performed twenty rak'ahs (of Tarawih) and Witr during Ramadan. [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/393]

Response:
This hadith is fabricated.

In Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah [2/394], this narration comes from Ibrahim bin Uthman from Al-Hakam from Miqsam from Ibn Abbas, regarding its narrator Ibrahim:

  • Alama Zaila'i Hanafi (d. 762H)states:
    • Imam Ahmad labeled him as "one who narrates unacceptable hadiths" [Nasb al-Raya: 1/53].
    • Alama Zaila'i himself declared one of his hadiths weak [Nasb al-Raya: 2/66].
    • And reported from Al-Bayhaqi saying "he is weak" [p. 67].
    • Abu al-Fath Salim bin Ayub al-Razi al-Faqih agrees on his weakness [2/153].
  • Imam 'Ayni (may Allah have mercy on him)noted:
    • Shu'bah called him a liar, and Ahmad, Ibn Ma'in, Bukhari, Nasa'i, and others considered him weak. Ibn Adi included this hadith in the list of his unacceptable narrations in his book Al-Kamil [Umdat al-Qari: 1/128].
  • Ibn Humam Hanafi and Abdul Hayy Lucknowi have criticized this hadith in their works [Fath al-Qadir: 1/333] and [Fatawa: 1/354], respectively.
  • Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi (may Allah have mercy on him)writes about this hadith:
    • "The twenty rak'ahs are narrated from him (Prophet Muhammad) with a weak chain, and there is consensus on its weakness." [Al-Arf al-Shadhi: 1/166]
  • Other Deobandi scholars have also criticized this hadith and its narrators, such as Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi in [Awjaz al-Masalik: 1/397].
  • For severe criticisms of the narrator, Ibrahim bin Uthman, see [Mizan al-I'tidal: 1/47-48], [Tahdhib al-Tahdhib: 1/144-145].
  • Alama Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him)heavily criticized this narrator and stated:
    • "This hadith is very weak and cannot be used as proof." [Al-Hawi: 1/347]
Therefore, this narration is not accepted at all; rather, it is rejected by major scholars such as Hafiz Dhahabi, Alama Zaila'i, Alama 'Ayni, Alama Ibn Humam, among others. Thus, misleading people with such narrations is highly condemnable.

Their Claim:

Hadith 2:

Yahya bin Said reports that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded a man to lead the people in twenty rak'ahs...

Response:
This chain is broken (munqati').

  • Neemawi (d. 1322H)comments:
    • "I say that its narrators are trustworthy, but Yahya bin Said al-Ansari did not meet Umar." [Hashiyah Athar al-Sunan: p. 253, Hadith 780]
Presenting such broken and unsupported narrations in a highly significant matter raises the question: which service to the religion is this fulfilling?

Their Claim:​

Hadith 3:
Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) states that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) led the people in praying twenty rak'ahs. [Version of Abu Dawood]

Response:
This statement is categorically false. The version of Sunan Abu Dawood available to us does not contain this narration. Our version states, "He would lead them for twenty nights," which is entirely different from what is claimed.

  • Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) has also transmitted the same hadith from Imam Dawood, and it also mentions "twenty nights." [Sunan al-Kubra: 2/498]
  • Similarly, this hadith is transmitted with the word "twenty nights" in Mishkat al-Masabih and Tuhfat al-Ashraf.
  • Hafiz Zaila'i Hanafi also mentions this hadith with the phrase "twenty nights" [Nasb al-Rayah: 2/126], indicating consistency across sources. Misleading people with false statements is highly reprehensible, and such actions are condemned.

Their Claim:​

Hadith 4:
Yazid bin Ruman (may Allah have mercy on him) says that during the time of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), people used to pray 23 rak'ahs in Ramadan.

Response:
This narration is disconnected (munqati').

  • Alama Ayni (may Allah have mercy on him) clearly stated this in Umdat al-Qari [11/127, Dar al-Fikr edition].
  • Neemawi (may Allah have mercy on him) remarked, "Yazid bin Ruman did not meet Umar" [Hashiyah Athar al-Sunan: p. 253]. Presenting a broken chain in such a significant religious matter does a disservice to the authenticity and integrity of Islamic teachings.

Their Claim:​

Hadith 5:
Sa'ib bin Yazid, a Companion (may Allah be pleased with him), reports that during the time of Umar and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them), people used to pray twenty rak'ahs of Tarawih.

Response:
There is no such statement in Bayhaqi [2/496] claiming that people prayed twenty rak'ahs during the time of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Therefore, attributing such statements to Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is a clear falsehood.

  • Furthermore, one of the narrators, Ali bin al-Ja'd, is criticized for his leanings towards Shia'ism and for denigrating companions like Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with them all). While his narrations may appear in Sahih Bukhari as supporting narrations, the majority of scholars authenticate him, but presenting a controversial narration contradicting established authentic reports from Imam Malik's Muwatta cannot be justified.

Their Claim:​

Hadith 6:
Abu Abd al-Rahman Aslami reports that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) during Ramadan...

Response:
This narration is extremely weak.

  • One of the narrators, Hammad bin Shaib, is considered weak by scholars like Imam Ibn Ma'in, Imam Nasa'i, and Imam Abu Zura'ah, as noted by Imam Bukhari as someone whose hadith should be abandoned [Lisan al-Mizan: 2/348].
  • Another narrator, Ata' bin al-Saib, suffered from memory confusion towards the end of his life. Except for narrations confirmed by reliable narrators like Shu'bah and Sufyan, his other narrations are under scrutiny [Nasb al-Rayah: 3/58].
Using weak, rejected, or fabricated narrations to support significant Islamic practices not only misguides the community but also questions the integrity of those who spread such information. What justification can one prepare for the Day of Judgment for promoting untruths in matters of faith?

Their Claim:

Hadith 7:

Abu al-Hasna says that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded that...Response: This chain is also weak. Abu al-Hasna is unknown. [Taqreeb al-Tahdhib: 8053, p. 401 by Hafiz Ibn Hajar]

  • Hafiz Dhahabi stated: "He is not known" [Mizan al-I'tidal: 4/515].
  • Neemawi Deobandi also stated: "He is unknown" [Hashiyah Athar al-Sunan: p. 255].

Their Claim:​

Hadith 8:
Imam Hussein (may Allah be pleased with him) says that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) commanded twenty rak'ahs of prayer... [Musnad Zaid: p. 139]
Response:
It is astonishing that the advertisement cites Musnad Zaid, a fabrication attributed to the Zaidi Shia.

  • The narrator, Amr bin Khalid al-Wasiti, is unanimously considered a liar and fabricator by scholars. Imam Ahmad and Imam Ibn Ma'in said: "He is a liar." [Tahdhib al-Tahdhib and other sources]
  • He is known for narrating fabricated reports from Zaid bin Ali. [Tahdhib, Mizan al-I'tidal: 3/257]
  • Another narrator, Abdul Aziz bin Ishaq bin al-Baqal, is also a radical Shia and weak. [Lisan al-Mizan: 4/25, Tarikh Baghdad: 1/458]
  • The book contains many fabricated reports, e.g., Musnad Zaid: p. 405.

Their Claim:​

Hadith 9:
Abdullah bin Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to lead twenty rak'ahs of Tarawih. [Qiyam al-Layl: p. 91]
Response:
This chain is broken.

  • In our version of Qiyam al-Layl by al-Marwazi on page [200], this report is transmitted from "without chain" from A'mash.
  • In Umdat al-Qari: [11/127], it is mentioned with the chain "Hafs bin Ghiyath from A'mash."
  • Abdullah bin Masud passed away in Medina in 32H or 33H. A'mash was born in 61H and is known as a reliable but known mudallis (one who omits the link in the chain). Abdullah bin Masud had passed away long before A'mash was born.
  • Relying on such a disconnected narration is like grasping at straws. The narrator Hafs bin Ghiyath is also known for tadlees and reports with 'an' (from).

Their Claim:​

Hadith 10:
Ata' states that he observed people performing twenty rak'ahs of Tarawih and three Witr. [Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/393]
Response:

  1. This is neither a Quranic verse, Hadith, consensus (Ijma'), nor the practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs or the Companions.
  2. Furthermore, the translation incorrectly includes the word "only."
  3. The practice of unknown individuals does not constitute a legal proof in Sharia.
  4. This practice contradicts the directive of a Rightly Guided Caliph.
  5. The people of Medina used to perform 41 rak'ahs. [Sunan Tirmidhi: 1/166] Is their practice considered a legal proof?
This brief review of the claims made in the advertisement concludes here. Our duty is only to convey the message.
 
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