It is said that the Prophet (pbuh) prayed only eight rak’ahs of tarawih. Why do we pray twenty rak’ahs?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Tarawih prayer is sunnah muakkadah; the shortest of it is two rak’ahs and the longest is twenty rak’ahs. However, it is narrated that the people of Madinah prayed thirty-six rak’ahs of tarawih during the caliphate of Umar ibn Abdulaziz.

Bukhari narrates: The Prophet (pbuh) came to the mosque one night in Ramadan and performed tarawih prayer. A few people followed him and prayed behind him. In the morning, the congregation told one another about it. On the third night, the congregation grew larger. The Prophet led the prayer on that night too.

On the fourth night, the congregation grew so large that the mosque was too small for them. The Prophet (pbuh) came to the mosque only for the fajr (morning) prayer, and when he had led the prayer, he turned to the congregation and said,

“I knew your situation, but I was afraid that tarawih prayer would become fard for you and you would not be able to perform it.”

Afterwards, the Prophet (pbuh) passed away without leading tarawih prayer in the mosque.

According to what is understood from various hadiths, the Prophet (pbuh) performed only eight rak’ahs of tarawih prayer. He neither performed nor ordered more rak’ahs. Bukhari narrates from Aisha (ra):

The Prophet (pbuh) did not perform more than eleven rak’ahs (nafilahs) in and out of Ramadan. He would pray four rak’ahs. Do not ask how long and beautiful it was. He would pray four more rak’ahs. Do not ask how beautiful and long it was. Then, he would pray three rak’ahs.

Muslims did not use to perform tarawih prayer in congregation in the mosque at that time. However, everyone continued to pray at home. It went on like that until the caliphate of Umar (ra). Umar (ra) gathered the Muslims who were performing tarawih separately and led them in prayer.

Abdurrahman b. Abdulqari narrates: One night in Ramadan, I went to the mosque with Umar ibn Khattab. The Muslims used to perform tarawih separately and irregularly. Some prayed alone and some prayed together with a few others. Thereupon, Umar (ra) ordered them to follow a person who could recite well. Then I went out with him on another night and the congregation followed the imam who had been appointed for them. Then, Umar (ra) said: This is a good bid’ah. (Bukhari)

It is not certain how many rak’ahs the prayer that Ubayy b. Ka’b led was. According to some narrations, it was eight, and according to others, it was twenty. Imam Malik narrates in Muwatta from al-Saib b. Yazid that it was eleven rak’ahs... (i.e. eight rak’ahs of tarawih and three rak’ahs of witr). Ubayy recited about two hundred verses in every qiyam.

Imam Malik narrates, through Yazid b. Hudhayfa, again from al-Saib that the tarawih prayer led by Ubayy was twenty rak’ahs.

To sum up, the Prophet (pbuh) prayed only eight rak’ahs of tarawih. He did not order people to perform more. However, during the caliphate of Umar, it was performed as twenty rak’ahs, and continued to be performed so. Umar’s way is the way of the Prophet. He would not knowingly do anything contrary to the way of the Prophet. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Adhere to my sunnah and the sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashidin after me.”

What is the decree on tarawih prayer? How many rak’ahs is it? Is it fard, sunnah or wajib?

Tarawih prayer is sunnah muakkadah; it consists of twenty rak’ahs and is specific to the month of Ramadan. It was performed by the Prophet (pbuh) and the four caliphs (Khulafa ar-Rashidin). It is sunnah al-kifaya to perform this prayer in congregation. Therefore, if all people in a neighborhood do not pray tarawih in congregation, but instead pray it alone in their homes, they are regarded to have abandoned the Sunnah and made a mistake.

All 20 rak’ahs of tarawih began to be performed in the mosque during the caliphate of Umar (ra). At that time, there was no one from the Companions who disagreed with it; thus, there was a kind of ijma (consensus). It has continued to be performed like that up to now. The consensus of the Companions is a binding proof for the entire ummah of Muhammad.

It is necessary to salute and sit for a while after every four rak’ahs, and to do it five times to complete 20 rak’ahs.

Since a person sits for a while and rests at the end of every four rak’ahs of the tarawih prayer, each of these four rak’ahs are called a “tarwiha”. Tarawih prayer has five “tarwihas”. This word is an infinitive derived from the word tarwih. Tarwih means to relax the soul. Its plural form is “tarawih”.

If a person abandons the congregation without any excuse and performs tarawih prayer at home though tarawih prayer is performed in congregation in mosques, he is not regarded to have committed a sin, but abandons the virtue of it. If he prays it in congregation at home, he will receive the reward of congregation, but he will not attain the virtue of congregation in the mosque.

It is more appropriate for the person who is going to pray tarawih to intend to pray tarawih, or the Sunnah of the time, or night prayer. It is also permissible, according to many fiqh scholars, to make intention by saying “prayer” or “nafilah prayer” without any specification.

It is more virtuous to end the tarawih prayer with ten salutations, by saluting after every two rak’ahs. It is also permissible to salute after every four rak’ahs. It is also permissible to finish by saluting after eight, ten or twenty rak’ahs. However, it is considered makruh to do so.

Tarawih prayer is performed as if it were two rak’ahs of sunnah of maghrib (evening) prayer, with a salutation after every two rak’ahs. When one salutation is made after every four rak’ahs, it is performed exactly like the four rak’ah sunnahs of isha (night) prayer. When it is performed in congregation, the congregation intends both to pray tarawih and to follow the imam. The imam utters takbirs aloud and recites the Quran aloud in the prayer.

It is virtuous for the imam to recite the Quran equally in every two rak’ahs of the tarawih prayer, and thus to salute after every two or four rak’ahs. For when he does so, his spirit is freed from thoughts.

It is mustahabb to recite ten verses in each rak’ah of tarawih. If it is done so, one khatm al-Quran will be completed in one Ramadan. It is sunnah to pray tarawih with khatm al-Quran. According to some scholars, it is mustahab for this khatm to be completed on the twenty-seventh night (Laylatul-Qadr) of Ramadan.

It is better to ensure that the person leading the tarawih prayer has a smooth recitation rather than a beautiful voice. A beautiful voice can occupy the heart and interfere with thought and peace. There is no harm in leaving the mosque of an imam whose recitation has defects and mistakes and going to a mosque where there is an imam who recites properly.

It is not appropriate for the imam to recite the Quran in tarawih prayer so much as to make congregation bored. However, the verses to be recited after the chapter of al-Fatiha should not be fewer than one chapter or verse. One should not skip saying salawat after at-tahiyyat while sitting in tarawih prayer.

It is makruh to pray tarawih while sitting without an excuse, or to pray tarawih in a state of sleepiness; it is also makruh to wait until the imam makes ruku’ and then start to follow the imam.

If a person follows the imam after part of tarawih has been prayed, he should complete the missing rak’ahs when tarawih is over. Then he should pray witr on his own, which is better. It is also permissible for him to pray witr with the imam and then complete tarawih.

A person who has left the congregation at isha (night) prayer can follow the imam at tarawih and witr prayers. Therefore, if a person comes to the mosque when the imam has completed isha prayer and has started tarawih, he should first pray isha on his own and then follow the imam for tarawih. He completes the missing rak’ahs on his own afterwards.

A person who has not performed tarawih prayer with the imam can perform witr prayer with the imam. That is the sound view. However, if both the imam and the congregation have not prayed isha in congregation, they cannot pray tarawih in congregation. This is because the congregation for tarawih is dependent on the congregation for the fard prayer. Performing tarawih in congregation on its own is not in accordance with the religious principles regarding nafilahs.

If the Imam sits down after the first rak’ah of tarawih prayer and does not pray the rest of the rak’ahs after salutation, according to one view, his prayer is permissible, but he has to make up for the first two rak’ahs. According to another view, the remaining rak’ahs are not permissible. He must make up for all of them because tarawih is a prayer. Tashahhuds and salutations are not regarded to have been done properly.

Tarawih is the sunnah of the time, not the sunnah of fasting. Therefore, it is sunnah for those who do not have to fast, such as the sick and travelers, to pray tarawih.

It is also sunnah for a Muslim woman who has cleansed herself of her menses or puerperium in the evening, or for a person who converts to Islam, to pray tarawih that night.

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