Number of Rakʿahs in Tarawih Prayer and Its Legal Status
(Excerpt: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam)
What is the ruling of the Shariʿah regarding Tarawih prayer, and how many rakʿahs does it consist of?
Alḥamdulillāh, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
❖ Tarawih prayer is a Sunnah and is established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
❖ In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, it is narrated from ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها that the Prophet ﷺ prayed in the mosque one night.
❖ Some people joined him, and on the following night, more people joined.
❖ On the third or fourth night, people gathered again, but the Prophet ﷺ did not come out.
❖ In the morning, he ﷺ said:
«قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِیْ صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِیْ مِنَ الْخُرُوْجِ اِلَيْکُمْ اِلاَّ اَنِّیْ خَشِيْتُ اَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْکُمْ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, Bāb al-Targhīb fī Qiyām Ramaḍān, Ḥadīth: 761)
"I saw what you did, but nothing prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared it might be made obligatory upon you."
This incident relates to Ramadan and thus refers to Tarawih prayer.
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
«مَا کَانَ يَزِيْدُ فِی رَمَضَانَ وَلَا غَيْرِهِ عَلٰی اِحْدٰی عَشْرَةَ رَکْعَةً»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Tahajjud, Ḥadīth: 1147; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, Ḥadīth: 738)
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never prayed more than eleven rakʿahs in Ramadan or outside of it."
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
«کَانَتْ صَلَاةُ النَّبِیِّ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَکْعَةً»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Tahajjud, Ḥadīth: 1138; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, Ḥadīth: 764)
"The prayer of the Prophet ﷺ was thirteen rakʿahs."
❖ It is established that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه prayed eleven rakʿahs for Tarawih.
❖ He instructed Ubayy ibn Kaʿb and Tamīm al-Dārī رضي الله عنهما to lead the people in eleven rakʿahs.
(Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ of Imām Mālik, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Ḥadīth: 280)
His practice was in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
❖ There is no harm if more than eleven or thirteen rakʿahs are prayed.
❖ When asked about night prayer, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The night prayer is two rakʿahs at a time."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Witr, Ḥadīth: 990)
The Prophet ﷺ did not set a specific limit for the number of rakʿahs in night prayer.
❖ The early generations (Salaf) have been reported to have prayed Tarawih with different numbers of rakʿahs.
❖ There is flexibility in this matter; hence it should not become a cause for dispute and division.
❖ One scholar rightly said:
"By opposing me, you have in fact supported me, because both our positions are that in ijtihād-based issues, a person must follow what they believe to be the truth."
❖ Based on ʿĀʾishah’s رضي الله عنها narration, it is proven that the Prophet ﷺ never prayed more than eleven rakʿahs in Ramadan or otherwise.
❖ The consensus (ijmāʿ) of the Companions is also a proof, as it includes the Rightly Guided Caliphs, whom we have been commanded to follow.
❖ The Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs belong to the “best of generations” (khayr al-qurūn).
❖ Tarawih is a Sunnah established from the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Eleven or thirteen rakʿahs are preferable, but praying more is permissible.
❖ Being a matter of scholarly difference, it must not lead to disputes.
❖ We ask Allah ﷻ to grant us the ability to act according to His pleasure and approval.
Allah knows best.
(Excerpt: Fatawa Arkan al-Islam)
Question:
What is the ruling of the Shariʿah regarding Tarawih prayer, and how many rakʿahs does it consist of?
Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Legal Ruling on Tarawih Prayer:
❖ Tarawih prayer is a Sunnah and is established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
❖ In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, it is narrated from ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها that the Prophet ﷺ prayed in the mosque one night.
❖ Some people joined him, and on the following night, more people joined.
❖ On the third or fourth night, people gathered again, but the Prophet ﷺ did not come out.
❖ In the morning, he ﷺ said:
«قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الَّذِیْ صَنَعْتُمْ فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْنِیْ مِنَ الْخُرُوْجِ اِلَيْکُمْ اِلاَّ اَنِّیْ خَشِيْتُ اَنْ تُفْرَضَ عَلَيْکُمْ»
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, Bāb al-Targhīb fī Qiyām Ramaḍān, Ḥadīth: 761)
"I saw what you did, but nothing prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared it might be made obligatory upon you."
This incident relates to Ramadan and thus refers to Tarawih prayer.
Number of Rakʿahs in Tarawih:
① Evidence for Eleven Rakʿahs:
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها narrated:
«مَا کَانَ يَزِيْدُ فِی رَمَضَانَ وَلَا غَيْرِهِ عَلٰی اِحْدٰی عَشْرَةَ رَکْعَةً»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Tahajjud, Ḥadīth: 1147; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, Ḥadīth: 738)
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ never prayed more than eleven rakʿahs in Ramadan or outside of it."
② Evidence for Thirteen Rakʿahs:
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما narrated:
«کَانَتْ صَلَاةُ النَّبِیِّ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَکْعَةً»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Tahajjud, Ḥadīth: 1138; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Ṣalāt al-Musāfirīn, Ḥadīth: 764)
"The prayer of the Prophet ﷺ was thirteen rakʿahs."
Practice of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه:
❖ It is established that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه prayed eleven rakʿahs for Tarawih.
❖ He instructed Ubayy ibn Kaʿb and Tamīm al-Dārī رضي الله عنهما to lead the people in eleven rakʿahs.
(Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ of Imām Mālik, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Ḥadīth: 280)
His practice was in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Flexibility in the Number of Rakʿahs:
❖ There is no harm if more than eleven or thirteen rakʿahs are prayed.
❖ When asked about night prayer, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The night prayer is two rakʿahs at a time."
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Witr, Ḥadīth: 990)
The Prophet ﷺ did not set a specific limit for the number of rakʿahs in night prayer.
Practice and Ijtihād of the Salaf:
❖ The early generations (Salaf) have been reported to have prayed Tarawih with different numbers of rakʿahs.
❖ There is flexibility in this matter; hence it should not become a cause for dispute and division.
❖ One scholar rightly said:
"By opposing me, you have in fact supported me, because both our positions are that in ijtihād-based issues, a person must follow what they believe to be the truth."
Consensus of the Companions and Following the Rightly Guided Caliphs:
❖ Based on ʿĀʾishah’s رضي الله عنها narration, it is proven that the Prophet ﷺ never prayed more than eleven rakʿahs in Ramadan or otherwise.
❖ The consensus (ijmāʿ) of the Companions is also a proof, as it includes the Rightly Guided Caliphs, whom we have been commanded to follow.
❖ The Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs belong to the “best of generations” (khayr al-qurūn).
Summary and Supplication:
❖ Tarawih is a Sunnah established from the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Eleven or thirteen rakʿahs are preferable, but praying more is permissible.
❖ Being a matter of scholarly difference, it must not lead to disputes.
❖ We ask Allah ﷻ to grant us the ability to act according to His pleasure and approval.
Allah knows best.
