Reference: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 490
Is there greater reward in performing Tahajjud prayer or Tarawih prayer?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
◈ In reality, Tahajjud and Tarawih are one and the same prayer.
◈ If it is possible to establish Tarawih in congregation during the last part of the night, that is more virtuous.
◈ However, if the congregation cannot be arranged at that time, then performing Tarawih in congregation during the early part of the night is better than performing it individually later.
According to authentic Ahadith, the Sunnah number of Rak‘ahs for Qiyām Ramadan (Tarawih) is eight Rak‘ahs plus three Witr.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never prayed more than eight Rak‘ahs of Qiyām (whether in Ramadan or outside of it), besides Witr. No authentic Hadith mentions that he ﷺ performed more than eight Rak‘ahs of Tarawih, either in congregation or individually.
مَا كَانَ يَزِيدُ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَلَا فِي غَيْرِهِ عَلَى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 154; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 204; Muwaṭṭa’ Muḥammad, p. 142)
She said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never prayed more than eleven Rak‘ahs (including Witr) in Ramadan or outside of it.”
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in eight Rak‘ahs and Witr in Ramadan. On the following night we gathered again hoping he would come out, but he did not. In the morning he said: ‘I feared it might become obligatory upon you.’”
(*Ṭabarānī in al-Ṣaghīr, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ibn Khuzaymah; Dhahabī: Isnād wasṭ)
Jābir bin ʿAbdullāh (رضي الله عنه) reported: “Ubayy ibn Kaʿb came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Some women gathered in my house and asked me to lead them in prayer because they could not recite Qur’an. I led them in eight Rak‘ahs and Witr. The Prophet ﷺ showed approval and said nothing, which indicates his consent.”
(Abū Yaʿlā, Ṭabarānī al-Awsaṭ; Isnāduhu ḥasan according to al-Haythamī, Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id, Vol. 2, p. 74)
Imām Muḥammad (student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah) has included the Ḥadīth of Abū Salamah (as in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī) in his Muwaṭṭa’, under Bāb Qiyām Shahr Ramadan, proving that this Hadith relates to Tarawih, not a separate Tahajjud — contrary to the claim of some later scholars.
Thus, these narrations are decisive proof that the Prophet ﷺ never prayed more than eleven Rak‘ahs (including Witr) throughout his life for Qiyām al-Layl, whether in Ramadan or outside it.
◈ Tarawih and Tahajjud are one and the same prayer.
◈ The Prophet ﷺ always prayed eight Rak‘ahs plus three Witr — never more.
◈ Congregational Tarawih in the early night is preferable if arranging the last part of the night is difficult.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
❖ Question
Is there greater reward in performing Tahajjud prayer or Tarawih prayer?
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
◈ In reality, Tahajjud and Tarawih are one and the same prayer.
◈ If it is possible to establish Tarawih in congregation during the last part of the night, that is more virtuous.
◈ However, if the congregation cannot be arranged at that time, then performing Tarawih in congregation during the early part of the night is better than performing it individually later.
✦ Correct Number of Rak‘ahs in Light of Authentic Ahadith
According to authentic Ahadith, the Sunnah number of Rak‘ahs for Qiyām Ramadan (Tarawih) is eight Rak‘ahs plus three Witr.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never prayed more than eight Rak‘ahs of Qiyām (whether in Ramadan or outside of it), besides Witr. No authentic Hadith mentions that he ﷺ performed more than eight Rak‘ahs of Tarawih, either in congregation or individually.
① Ḥadīth of ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها)
مَا كَانَ يَزِيدُ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَلَا فِي غَيْرِهِ عَلَى إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, p. 154; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 1, p. 204; Muwaṭṭa’ Muḥammad, p. 142)
She said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never prayed more than eleven Rak‘ahs (including Witr) in Ramadan or outside of it.”
② Ḥadīth of Jābir (رضي الله عنه)
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in eight Rak‘ahs and Witr in Ramadan. On the following night we gathered again hoping he would come out, but he did not. In the morning he said: ‘I feared it might become obligatory upon you.’”
(*Ṭabarānī in al-Ṣaghīr, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ibn Khuzaymah; Dhahabī: Isnād wasṭ)
③ Report of Ubayy ibn Kaʿb (رضي الله عنه)
Jābir bin ʿAbdullāh (رضي الله عنه) reported: “Ubayy ibn Kaʿb came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Some women gathered in my house and asked me to lead them in prayer because they could not recite Qur’an. I led them in eight Rak‘ahs and Witr. The Prophet ﷺ showed approval and said nothing, which indicates his consent.”
(Abū Yaʿlā, Ṭabarānī al-Awsaṭ; Isnāduhu ḥasan according to al-Haythamī, Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id, Vol. 2, p. 74)
✦ Clarification
Imām Muḥammad (student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah) has included the Ḥadīth of Abū Salamah (as in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī) in his Muwaṭṭa’, under Bāb Qiyām Shahr Ramadan, proving that this Hadith relates to Tarawih, not a separate Tahajjud — contrary to the claim of some later scholars.
Thus, these narrations are decisive proof that the Prophet ﷺ never prayed more than eleven Rak‘ahs (including Witr) throughout his life for Qiyām al-Layl, whether in Ramadan or outside it.
✦ Conclusion
◈ Tarawih and Tahajjud are one and the same prayer.
◈ The Prophet ﷺ always prayed eight Rak‘ahs plus three Witr — never more.
◈ Congregational Tarawih in the early night is preferable if arranging the last part of the night is difficult.
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
