Consensus on Twenty Rak‘ahs of Tarawih and a Critical Examination of Sahih Hadith
ماخوذ : فتاویٰ علمیہ (توضیح الاحکام) ج2ص519
A Detailed and Evidenced Response to the Objections of Ahmad Mumtaz Deobandi
Objection No. ①: “Calling the Hanafis ‘People of Taqleed’”
Original Objection:
Janab Ali Zai stated that calling Hanafis (Deobandis and Barelvis) “People of Taqleed” is correct. He says they do not act upon ijtihad; rather, they give precedence to their elders’ statements over the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Response:
① Application of “People of Taqleed”:
◈ Ali Zai asserts that he did not label “Hanafis” per se, but “muqallids,” “Deobandis,” and “Barelvis” as “People of Taqleed,” and this is correct because these individuals follow non-mujtahid figures, not the original ijtihads of Imam Abu Hanifah رحمہ اللہ.
② Taqleed among Deobandi and Barelvi Circles:
◈ They do not follow Imam Abu Hanifah’s ijtihads as such; rather, they act upon the statements of later elders.
◈ For example: Imam Abu Hanifah was not initially of the view of wiping over جورابین, then retracted; yet Deobandi scholars, following their elders, still act contrary to this. (الہدایہ، اولین، ص 61، باب المسح علی الحفین)
③ Method of Ahl al-Hadith:
◈ Ahl al-Hadith act upon the understanding of the learned Salaf and the Qur’an and Sunnah; the public asks scholars about issues—this is رجوع الی العالم, not taqleed.
◈ Ijtihad continues in every era according to capacity, whether by a scholar or a layperson.
Objection No. ②: “Where is the Sahih Hadith proving twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih as Sunnah?”
Original Objection:
Ahmad Mumtaz Deobandi asked whether a sahih hadith is necessary to establish Tarawih as Sunnah; if yes, present that hadith.
Response:
① Position of Ahl al-Hadith:
◈ Ahl al-Hadith maintain that there is not even a single sahih hadith establishing twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih as Sunnah Mu’akkadah.
◈ Establishing Sunnah requires a sahih hadith—whether مرفوع, موقوف, or اثر.
② Rak‘ahs established by sahih ahadith:
◈ 8 rak‘ahs of congregational Tarawih are established from the Prophet ﷺ. (صحیح ابن خزیمہ: 1070، ابن حبان: 2401)
◈ 11 rak‘ahs are established as the directive from Sayyiduna ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ. (موطا امام مالک: 249)
③ Practice of Madinah:
◈ 36 rak‘ahs were also prayed in Madinah at times. (مصنف ابن ابی شیبہ: 7688)
◈ There is intense disagreement regarding the number of rak‘ahs. (عمدۃ القاری ج 11، ص 126)
Objection No. ③: “Imam Tirmidhi transmitted consensus on twenty rak‘ahs from the Companions and scholars”
Original Objection:
Tirmidhi رحمہ اللہ said that most of the people of knowledge acted upon twenty rak‘ahs from ‘Ali, ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہما and other Companions. Should this transmission be accepted as sound or not?
Response:
① Statement of Imam Tirmidhi:
◈ This statement is without chain, and Tirmidhi رحمہ اللہ did not present it as a مرفوع or connected report; therefore, it is not a proof.
② Other statements:
◈ If chainless statements are considered proof, then Imam Malik’s statement must also be proof—he called eleven rak‘ahs the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. (کتاب التہجد، ص 176)
③ Presence of disagreement:
◈ ‘Ayni (Hanafi) also acknowledged disagreement in this issue. (عمدۃ القاری ج11، ص 126)
◈ Hence, the claim of consensus is incorrect.
Objection No. ④: “Reliance on mursal ahadith among the Salaf for proving twenty rak‘ahs”
Original Objection:
Ahmad Mumtaz Deobandi claims that during the era of the خیر القرون, there was consensus on mursal hadith and it was authoritative.
Response:
① No consensus on mursal hadith:
◈ Imam Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan, Imam Shu‘bah, Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas رضی اللہ عنہ, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz رحمہم اللہ—all deemed mursal hadith unacceptable. (کتاب المراسیل، ص3، صحیح مسلم: 21)
② Unchained statements are rejected:
◈ The statements of Suyuti, Qasim ibn Qutlubugha, Nawawi, etc., are without chain and oppose authentic narrations; hence they are rejected.
③ Method of the Salaf:
◈ If any mursal report was ever treated as proof among the Salaf, it was only with specific corroboration, not unconditionally.
④ Mursal reports on twenty rak‘ahs:
◈ Reports from سائب بن یزید، یحییٰ بن سعید، شیر بن شکل، عبدالعزیز بن رفیع are mursal or منقطع, and in no case sufficient to establish Sunnah Mu’akkadah (neither fewer nor more).
Objection No. ⑤: “The claim of consensus”
Original Objection:
Ahmad Mumtaz Deobandi and other scholars claim there is consensus on twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih.
Response:
① Invalidity of the consensus claim:
◈ Imam Tirmidhi, ‘Ayni (Hanafi), Suyuti, Qurtubi, Ibn al-‘Arabi, etc., all explicitly mention disagreement.
◈ A consensus claim is valid only when no opposition is established from any Companion, Tabi‘i, or Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘i—whereas twenty, eleven, eight, forty-one, thirty-six rak‘ahs are all established through different reports.
② Ibn Qudamah’s claim of consensus:
◈ Ibn Qudamah spoke of twenty rak‘ahs as if consensus; yet the same Ibn Qudamah claims consensus on wiping over جرابوں, which Deobandi scholars themselves do not accept.
③ Statements of Ibn Hajar al-Makki and Qastallani:
◈ Ibn Hajar al-Makki is a بدعتی person and his reliability is not established.
◈ Qastallani’s statement is also without reference and non-explicit; it does not specify twenty rak‘ahs.
Objection No. ⑥: “Taqleed and the required proofs for ranks of Sunnah and Fard”
Original Objection:
Deobandi scholars demanded that just as strong evidence is required for Fard, it should be clarified what kind of hadith establishes Sunnah.
Response:
① Ranks of Fard, Sunnah, and Mustahabb:
◈ Fard requires قطعی الثبوت evidence (Qur’an or متواتر hadith).
◈ Sunnah/ Mustahabb suffices with a sahih marfu‘ hadith or a sahih athar established from the Khulafa’ al-Rashidun.
◈ ضعیف and مرسل reports are insufficient to establish Sunnah Mu’akkadah.
Objection No. ⑦: “Authentic proof of twenty rak‘ahs from the Companions”
Original Objection:
Deobandi scholars say that twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih are established from ‘Ali, ‘Umar, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b رضی اللہ عنہم.
Response:
① Sayyiduna ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنہ:
◈ The directive of twenty rak‘ahs from him is transmitted through a منقطع report. (آثار السنن، ص 253)
◈ ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Rafi‘ did not meet Ubayy ibn Ka‘b; hence that report is also منقطع.
② Practice of Ibn Abi Mulaykah:
◈ The practice of a Tabi‘i does not establish Sunnah Mu’akkadah unless he states that it is established as Sunnah from the Prophet ﷺ or the Companions.
Objection No. ⑧: “Difference between the Seven Qira’at and the proof for Tarawih”
Original Objection:
If the seven قراءات are established by practice and tawatur, why are twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih not established by practice?
Response:
① Seven Qira’at:
◈ Established by متواتر chains, and there is consensus of the Ummah upon them.
◈ They are part of beliefs and acts of worship.
② Number of Tarawih rak‘ahs:
◈ There is severe disagreement on this point; there is no ta‘amul or tawatur.
◈ The claims of consensus and mutawatir evidence are invalid.
Objection No. ⑨: “Proof of the obligation of four rak‘ahs of Dhuhr”
Original Objection:
If you demand sahih hadith for Sunnah Mu’akkadah, then the four fard of Dhuhr should also be proven by multiple sahih ahadith.
Response:
① Proof of four fard rak‘ahs of Dhuhr:
◈ A narration in صحیح مسلم exists: "فرض اللہ الصلوۃ علی لسان نبیکم فی الحضر اربعا" (صحیح مسلم: 687)
◈ There is consensus upon this; therefore, even a single sahih hadith suffices.
② No consensus on Tarawih:
◈ Nor is there a connected sahih hadith establishing that twenty rak‘ahs are Sunnah Mu’akkadah.
Objection No. ⑩: “Authority of mursal hadith”
Original Objection:
Since the سلف صالحین and the people of خیر القرون accepted مرسل hadith as proof, why reject it?
Response:
① Disagreement existed even in خیر القرون:
◈ Ibn ‘Abbas, Yahya al-Qattan, Shu‘bah, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, Imam Abu Hanifah—all did not accept mursal as proof.
② The claim of consensus is invalid:
◈ The statement attributed to Ibn Jarir has no chain.
◈ Sarfraz Khan Safdar also opposes mursal ahadith where they go against his stance.
Conclusion and Summary
The stance of Ahl al-Hadith is evidenced, balanced, and grounded in Qur’anic and hadith proofs. Regarding twenty rak‘ahs of Tarawih:
◈ There is not a single sahih marfu‘ hadith establishing it.
◈ The athar from the Khulafa’ al-Rashidun are منقطع or مرسل.
◈ The claim of consensus is invalid; the statements of the scholars establish strong disagreement.
◈ Declaring it Sunnah Mu’akkadah requires strong and sahih evidence.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
