Written by: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
In the month of Ramadan, the prayer performed after the Isha prayer, known as Qiyam, is commonly referred to as Tarawih. The writer has established in "Noor ul Masabeeh fi Mas'ala-tarawih" that eleven rak'ahs of Qiyam Ramadan (Tarawih) is the Sunnah.
❀ The Prophet (peace be upon him) generally used to pray eleven rak'ahs from after the Isha prayer until Fajr (Adhan). He would offer Salam after every two rak'ahs and one Witr at the end. See Sahih Muslim [1/254, Hadith 736]
❀ The Prophet (peace be upon him) led the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them) in eight rak'ahs during Ramadan. See [Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 2/138, Hadith 1070; Sahih Ibn Hibban Al-Ihsan 4/62, Hadith 2401, 4/64, Hadith 2406]↰ The chain of this narration is Hasan.
❀ Amir al-Mu'minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) and Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs after the Isha prayer during Ramadan. See [Muwatta Imam Malik 1/114, Hadith 249; Sunan al-Kubra by al-Nasa'i 3/113, Hadith 4687]↰ The chain of this narration is Sahih, and Muhammad bin Ali al-Nimawi (a follower of Taqleed) also declared its chain as Sahih. See [Athar al-Sunan Hadith 775, second copy: 776]↰ The Sahaba, Tabi'in, and pious predecessors continued to practice this.
In this article, references from Hanafi and Taqleedi scholars are presented, proving that according to them, eight rak'ahs of Tarawih is also Sunnah.
These references are presented as evidence and conclusive argument against those who consider these scholars their elders and accept their statements as evidence in practice. It is also noteworthy that some of these scholars, without any authentic evidence, have falsely claimed that:
"However, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered twenty rak'ahs during his caliphate and established congregation."↰ Such baseless claims can be refuted by the fact that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered eleven rak'ahs.
[See Muwatta Imam Malik 1/114, with an authentic chain]
Note 2:
It is not proven with an authentic chain that Imam Abu Hanifa, Qadi Abu Yusuf, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, or Imam Tahawi ever considered twenty rak'ahs of Tarawih to be Sunnah.
In the month of Ramadan, the prayer performed after the Isha prayer, known as Qiyam, is commonly referred to as Tarawih. The writer has established in "Noor ul Masabeeh fi Mas'ala-tarawih" that eleven rak'ahs of Qiyam Ramadan (Tarawih) is the Sunnah.
❀ The Prophet (peace be upon him) generally used to pray eleven rak'ahs from after the Isha prayer until Fajr (Adhan). He would offer Salam after every two rak'ahs and one Witr at the end. See Sahih Muslim [1/254, Hadith 736]
❀ The Prophet (peace be upon him) led the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them) in eight rak'ahs during Ramadan. See [Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 2/138, Hadith 1070; Sahih Ibn Hibban Al-Ihsan 4/62, Hadith 2401, 4/64, Hadith 2406]↰ The chain of this narration is Hasan.
❀ Amir al-Mu'minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) instructed Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) and Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs after the Isha prayer during Ramadan. See [Muwatta Imam Malik 1/114, Hadith 249; Sunan al-Kubra by al-Nasa'i 3/113, Hadith 4687]↰ The chain of this narration is Sahih, and Muhammad bin Ali al-Nimawi (a follower of Taqleed) also declared its chain as Sahih. See [Athar al-Sunan Hadith 775, second copy: 776]↰ The Sahaba, Tabi'in, and pious predecessors continued to practice this.
In this article, references from Hanafi and Taqleedi scholars are presented, proving that according to them, eight rak'ahs of Tarawih is also Sunnah.
- Ibn Hummam Hanafi (d. 861 AH) writes:"The conclusion from all this is that the Qiyam of Ramadan is Sunnah with eleven rak'ahs including Witr in congregation." [Fath al-Qadeer Sharh al-Hidayah, vol. 1, p. 407, Bab al-Nawafil]
- Sayyid Ahmad Tahtawi Hanafi (d. 1233 AH) said:"Because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not pray twenty, rather eight." [Hashiya al-Tahtawi ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, vol. 1, p. 295]
- Ibn Najim Misri (d. 970 AH) quoted Ibn Hummam Hanafi as an acknowledgment:"Thus, according to our Shuyukh, eight of them are Sunnah and twelve are Mustahabb." [al-Bahr al-Raiq, vol. 2, p. 67]
Note: The statement of Ibn Hummam and others regarding twelve additional rak'ahs being Mustahabb contradicts the Hanafi and Taqleedi claim that "twenty rak'ahs of Tarawih is a confirmed Sunnah, and neither less nor more is permissible." - Mulla Ali Qari Hanafi (d. 1014 AH) said:"The conclusion from all this is that the Qiyam of Ramadan is Sunnah with eleven rak'ahs including Witr in congregation. This is the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him)." [Mirqat al-Mafatih, vol. 3, p. 382, Hadith 1303]
- Muhammad Ahsan Nanotvi (d. 1312 AH), respected by Deobandis, said:"Because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not pray twenty, rather eight." [Hashiya Kanz al-Daqaiq, p. 36, Hashiya: 4]Also see [Sharh Kanz al-Daqaiq by Abu Sa'ud Hanafi, p. 265]
- Abdul Shakoor Lukhnowi (d. 1381 AH), respected by Deobandis, writes:"Although eight rak'ahs of Tarawih is Sunnah from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and there is also a weak narration from Ibn Abbas regarding twenty rak'ahs. However....." [Ilm al-Fiqh, p. 198, Hashiya]
- Abdul Hayy Lukhnowi (d. 1304 AH), respected by Deobandis, writes:"The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Tarawih in two ways:
- Twenty rak'ahs without congregation... but the chain of this narration is weak.
- Eight rak'ahs and three Witr in congregation..." [Majmu'ah Fatawa Abdul Hayy, vol. 1, p. 331-332]
- Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri Deobandi (d. 1345 AH) writes:"However, the statement of some scholars like Ibn Hummam, that eight is Sunnah and the additional is Mustahabb, is not subject to criticism." [Baraheen Qati'ah, p. 8]Also, Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri writes, "And the fact that eight rak'ahs of Tarawih is a confirmed Sunnah is agreed upon, the disagreement is over the additional twelve." [Baraheen Qati'ah, p. 195]
- Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi (d. 1352 AH) states:"There is no escaping the fact that the Prophet's (peace be upon him) Tarawih was eight rak'ahs, and it is not proven in any narration that he prayed Tarawih and Tahajjud separately in Ramadan... As for the Prophet (peace be upon him), eight rak'ahs are authentically proven, and as for twenty rak'ahs, it is weakly transmitted and agreed upon as weak." [Al-Urfa al-Shadhi, vol. 1, p. 166]
- Regarding the Tarawih prayer, Hasan bin Ammar bin Ali al-Shurunbulali Hanafi (d. 1069 AH) states:"(And its congregation prayer is Sunnah Kifayah) because it is proven that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed eleven rak'ahs including Witr in congregation." [Maraqi al-Falah Sharh Nur al-Idah, p. 98]
- Muhammad Yousuf Banuri Deobandi (d. 1397 AH) said:"It is necessary to admit that the Prophet (peace be upon him) also prayed eight rak'ahs of Tarawih." [Ma'arif al-Sunan, vol. 5, p. 543]
These references are presented as evidence and conclusive argument against those who consider these scholars their elders and accept their statements as evidence in practice. It is also noteworthy that some of these scholars, without any authentic evidence, have falsely claimed that:
"However, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered twenty rak'ahs during his caliphate and established congregation."↰ Such baseless claims can be refuted by the fact that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered eleven rak'ahs.
[See Muwatta Imam Malik 1/114, with an authentic chain]
Note 2:
It is not proven with an authentic chain that Imam Abu Hanifa, Qadi Abu Yusuf, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, or Imam Tahawi ever considered twenty rak'ahs of Tarawih to be Sunnah.
وما علينا الا البلاغ