Regarding the Number Of rakahs in Tharawee
Got this in an email, and hope it well help everyone with regards to the ongoing debate pertaining to the number of Rakhas in Tharawee/Qiyam prayer in Ramadhan.
Every year we see Muslims going onto loggerheads as to what is most sound/correct with regards to how many Rakhas a night prayer in Ramadhan should have. 8+3 or 20+3 etc. Well here's then a very interesting compilation of different views. And hope this leads us all to gaining more insight and knowledge into the matter.
All praise is for Allaah, Lord of all the Worlds, who ordered us to follow His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and to call to His Way, and may Allaah send praises and blessings of peace upon our Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and upon his family, his Companions, and those who truly follow them until the Day of Judgment.
We seek refuge in Allaah from the evil of ourselves and the burden of our evil deeds. Whomsoever He Subhaanahu Wa Taaala guides, will never be misled, and whomsoever He Subhaanahu Wa Taaala misguides, will never find enlightenment. We testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is His slave and Messenger.
The best of speech is the Book of Allaah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), the worst of matters are Bid'ahs (innovations in the religion), every Bid'ah is a dhalalah [misguidance], and every dhalalah is in the Hellfire.
Indeed, Salaat at-Taraaweeh is a much-stressed act of Worship and has great importance in terms of reward, as it was narrated by Abu Hurairah (radhi allaahu anhu) that : The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, "He who observes optional prayer throughout Ramadan, out of sincerity of Eman (faith) and in the hope of earning reward will have his past sins pardoned.'' refer : Bukhari and Muslim.
[It is to be noted, sins which are pardoned through this Salaah are minor sins because major sins are not forgiven unless one makes sincere repentance and compensates those whom he has wronged].
Some people claim that performing Salaat at-Taraaweeh in congregation is a Bid`ah (innovation) because it was introduced in the reign of Umar (radhi allaahu anhu), but such claim is not correct because performing Salaat at-Taraaweeh in congregation is established from the conduct of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), as he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) lead this Salaah on 23rd, 25th and 27th of Ramadan and then did not continue it out of fear that it will be made obligatory; otherwise he would have carried on with it.
When the fear that this practice may be made obligatory was over, Umar (radhi allaahu anhu) revived the mode of performing it collectively, ordering Ubayy bin Kab (radhi allaahu anhu) and Tamim Ad-Dari (radhi allaahu anhu) to lead people in congregation.
Ahlus-Sunnah collectively view Salaat at-Taraaweeh to be from the optional acts of worship but they differed over a set number of rakahs [units], and the reason for this differing can be found in the hadith of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), when a man came to him and asked him about the night prayer, saying, "O Messenger of Allaah, how do I pray at night?" He (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) replied : "The night prayer is (to be prayed) two by two." refer : Bukhari and Muslim
Based on the above narration and some other narrations, some of the Scholars said that there is no set limit to the number of rakahs to be prayed, BUT when we return to the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) we find the saying of Aaishah (radhi allaahu anha) when she was asked about the Messenger's (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) night prayers, "He did not pray more than 11 rakahs in Ramadhaan or in other than Ramadhaan." refer : Bukhari and Muslim
However, according to some Scholars it is authentically established that (some of) the Companions prayed more than 11rakahs. Some of them prayed 23, and as for Imaam Malik (d. 179 H - rahim'ullaah) then he said 36. refer : Al Mughni 1/457
On this scholarly difference of opinion and the hadith "The night prayer is (to be prayed) two by two." We see that an individual or a group has options as to how many rakahas they want to pray. 11, 23, 36 more or less than that, then they may do so.
We express the fiqh of this issue in the following phrase : The most virtuous thing to do is restrict oneself to 11 rakahs, but is if one adds to that, then it is permissible, based on the general application of the Sunnah and the actions of the Salaf, may Allaah be pleased with them.
Before we conclude it is very important to understand that, Salaat at-Taraaweeh is among the subsidiary affairs (furoo) of our deen and not among the fundamentals affairs (usool) of our religion, thus such differing doesn’t take anyone out of the folds of Ahlus-Sunnah. Further, this difference has occurred due to the difference of opinion in the authenticity and weakness of some narrations related to this subject, thus displaying Al-Walaa Wal-Baraa (Allegiance or Loyalty and Enmity or Disownment) is not correct.
We advise brother and sisters to concentrate on praying Salaat at-Taraaweeh regularly with jammah, from being to end with the Imaam because it was narrated that Abu Dharr (radhi allaahu anhu) said : The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said : “Whoever stands with the Imaam until he finishes, it is equivalent to spending the whole night in prayer.” refer : Sunnan al-Tirmidhi, 806; Sunnan Abu Dawood, 1375; and do not indulge in fights and arguments pertaining to the number of rakahs
We hold the below fatwa issued by Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’ Saudi Arabia to be the most correct in this regard.
- صلاة التراويح Taraaweeh Prayer -
- Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’ Saudi Arabia -
الفتوى رقم ( 3953 )
س: ما قول السادة الفقهاء أئمة الدين في صلاة التراويح هل هي عشرون ركعة سنة أم ثمان ركعات سنة؟ وإذا كانت السنة ثمان ركعات فلماذا تصلى عشرين ركعة في المسجد النبوي الشريف كما سمعنا بأنها تصلى عشرين ركعة وعامة الناس يستدلون بذلك على أن السنة عشرون ركعة؟
ج: صلاة التراويح سنة سنها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وقد دلت الأدلة على أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم ما كان يزيد في رمضان ولا في غيره على إحدى عشرة
(الجزء رقم : 7، الصفحة رقم: 195)
ركعة وقد سأل أبو سلمة عائشة رضي الله عنها كيف كانت صلاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في رمضان، قالت: ما كان يزيد في رمضان ولا في غيره على إحدى عشرة ركعة، يصلي أربعا فلا تسأل عن حسنهن وطولهن، ثم يصلي أربعا فلا تسأل عن حسنهن وطولهن، ثم يصلي ثلاثا، قالت عائشة : فقلت يا رسول الله أتنام قبل أن توتر؟ فقال يا عائشة : إن عيني تنامان ولا ينام قلبي متفق عليه وقد ثبت أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يصلي في بعض الليالي ثلاث عشرة ركعة فوجب أن يحمل كلام عائشة رضي الله عنها في قولها ما كان يزيد صلى الله عليه وسلم في رمضان ولا في غيره على إحدى عشرة ركعة على الأغلب جمعا بين الأحاديث، ولا حرج في الزيادة على ذلك، لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يحدد في صلاة الليل شيئا، بل لما سئل عن صلاة الليل قال: مثنى مثنى فإذا خشي أحدكم الصبح صلى ركعة واحدة توتر له ما قد صلى متفق عليه ولم يحدد إحدى عشرة ركعة ولا غيرها، فدل على التوسعة في صلاة
(الجزء رقم : 7، الصفحة رقم: 196)
الليل في رمضان وغيره.
وبالله التوفيق وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم.
اللجنة الدائمة للبحوث العلمية والإفتاء
عضو
عضو
نائب الرئيس
الرئيس
عبد الله بن قعود
عبد الله بن غديان
عبد الرزاق عفيفي
عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
المصدر : فتاوى اللجنة الدائمة
http://alifta.org/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=33&PageNo=...
Fatwa no. 3953
Q: What is the opinion of the Fuqaha’ (Muslim jurists) and scholars of religion on Tarawih (special supererogatory night Prayer in Ramadan)? Is it twenty or eight Rak‘ahs (units of Prayer) - according to the Sunnah? If the Sunnah is to offer it as eight Rak‘ahs, why is it offered as twenty Rak‘ahs in Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy (the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah)? Most people conclude from that it is the Sunnah to offer it as twenty Rak‘ahs.
A: Taraaweeh is a Sunnah (supererogatory act of worship following the example of the Prophet) initiated by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). There are proofs that he (peace be upon him) never offered more than eleven Rak‘ahs, whether in Ramadan or at any other time.
(Part No. 7; Page No. 195)
Abu Salamah asked ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the manner in which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to offer supererogatory Salah (Prayer) in Ramadan. She said, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not pray more than eleven Rak’ahs in Ramadan or at any other time. He would pray four Rak‘ahs, and do not ask about their beauty and length, then he would pray four Rak‘ahs, and do not ask about their beauty and length, then he would pray three Rak‘ahs.' ‘Aishah added, 'I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Will you sleep before offering the Witr (Prayer with an odd number of units)?' He said, 'O ‘Aishah! My eyes sleep but my heart does not.' (Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) It was also authentically reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to offer thirteen Rak‘ahs on some nights. Thus, the words of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) when she said that The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not pray more than eleven Rak’ahs in Ramadan or at any other time should be interpreted according to the more frequent practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in order to reconcile between the Hadiths. There is nothing wrong in offering more than this, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not set a specific limit for optional Night Prayer. When he was asked about it, he (peace be upon him) stated : (Optional) Night Salah is two Rak‘ahs followed by two Rak‘ahs (and so on), and when one of you fears the break of dawn (Fajr Prayer), let them offer a single Rak‘ah to make the Salah they have offered Witr (Prayer with an odd number of units). (Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) He (peace be upon him) did not set a limit, whether eleven Rak‘ahs or anything else, which indicates the flexibility in
(Part No. 7; Page No. 196)
optional Night Prayer, whether in Ramadan or at any other time.
May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!
Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
Member
Member
Deputy Chairman
Chairman
`Abdullah ibn Qa`ud
`Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan
`Abdul-Razzaq `Afify
`Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz
Source : Fatwas of Permanent Committee
http://alifta.org/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=33&PageNo=...
I (Abu Mariyah Junaid) complied the above mail by taking information from various authentic Islamic websites.
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"O Allaah! Show us the truth as truth so that we may follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood, so that we may abstain from it." Ameen.
