Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaamu Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuh
With the commencement of Ramadan, the time to argue over matters
established by the pious predecessors has arrived once again. The topic
of argument is whether taraweeh consists of 20 or 8 rak’ah. Scholars
have written myriad of books on this topic with overwhelming evidence,
yet our ghair muqallideen brothers and sisters try to insist that it is 8
rak’ah.
It is important to first understand what taraweeh is. This
is the prayer which comprises of 20 rak’ah and is offered in sets of 2
rak’ah in Ramadan, after ‘isha salah and before witr. This salah is
offered in congregation.
Maulana Jameel Ahmed Sakrodhwi, in “Ashraful Hidayah sharh Al-Hidayah” v.2 p.202, explains:
“Taraweeh
is Sunnah Mu’akkadah for both men and women and this is the correct
opinion. Imam Abu Hanifa رحمۃ اللہ علیہ is also of the opinion that
taraweeh is Sunnah Mu’akkadah.”
Evidence for 20 Rak’ahMany have recorded a hadith by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas رضی اللہ عنہ where he is reported to have said:
“During Ramadan, the Messenger ﷺ performed 20 rak’ah salah as well as the witr salah without the congregation.”
This hadith has been recorded by the following:
- Ibn Abi Shaybah (rh) in his Musannaf
- Imam Bayhaqi (rh) in his Sunan
- Tabraani (rh) in his Kabeer
- Ibn Adi (rh) in his Musnad
- Baghawi (rh) in his Majma Sahabah
Critical Study of the HadithThe
ghair muqallideen try to argue that this particular hadith is not
sound. They criticize one person in the chain of narrator called
“Ibrahim bin 'Uthman”.
Maulana Allama Muhammad ‘Ali, in “Sharh Muwatta Imam Muhammad” v.1 p.303 explains:
“Bayhaqi
has declared this da’eef but not mawdu. Also, weakness of Ibrahim bin
Uthman is not a unanimous opinion. In Tahzeeb al-Tahzeeb, v.1 p.145, it
is stated ‘Abbas Duri narrates Yahya ibn Mu’een said that Yazid ibn
Haroon told him there was not a person more ‘Adil (Just) than Ibrahim
bin Uthman in the time.”
Further on, Maulana Muhammad ‘Ali compares him to Ibrahim ibn Hayya and quotes “Lisan al-Mizan”, v.1 p.53:
“Uthman
ibn Sa’eed Darmi relates from Yahya ibn Mu’een that Ibrahim ibn Hayya
was a sheikh of great magnitude who was trustworthy.”
Moreover, he writes:
“From
this it is seen that Yahya ibn Mu’een called Ibrahim ibn Uthman a great
just person and has called Ibrahim bin Hayya as a sheikh who was
trustworthy and reliable. Ibn ‘Adi has stated Ibrahim bin Uthman is more
Afdhal (greater/superior) than Ibrahim bin Hayya. This has been noted
in Kamil fi Dh’aeefa al-Rijal, v.1 p.241.”
Maulana Muhammad ‘Ali then concludes:
“This
hadith cannot be declared da’eef because of Ibrahim bin Uthman. On the
other hand, this narration is strong and trustworthy as seen by evidence
above.”
Omitting this Hadith does not affect anythingFor
argument’s sake, even if we accept this hadith to be not reliable at
all, it will not affect the position that taraweeh consists of 20
rak’ah.
Maulana Aziz al-Rahman, in “Aziz al-Fatawa” v.1 p.262, states:
“The
hadith being weak will not make a difference because the text of the
hadith gets established by the athar of Sahabah (raa) which is present
in abundance. Hence, even if we leave out this hadith, the actions and
sayings of the Sahabah (raa) can be the evidence of the actions and
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).”
Mufti Abdul Raheem Lajpuri, in “Fatawa Rahimiyyah” v.2 p.253, writes:
“They
fail to realize that there is need for a strong chain of narrators only
when there exists a difference of opinion on an issue (such as in the
case of saying ‘Ameen’ loudly or softly). However the Fuqaha,
Muhadditheen and the entire Ummah throughout the centuries have always
accepted and practiced the twenty rakaahs of Taraweeh and this unanimity
is in itself a strong enough proof.”
More EvidenceIn
“Fatawa Rahimiyyah”, v.2 p.253 to 258, Mufti Abdul Raheem Lajpuri gives
overwhelming evidence making it clear without a doubt that twenty
rak’ah taraweeh salah was accepted by everyone. This is reproduced
below:
“Here
we will cite a few excerpts making it clear that twenty Rakaahs
Taraweeh salah has been accepted by the Ummah throughout the ages:
1.
Imam Tirmidhi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ [passed away 279 AH] states that ‘Umar رضی
اللہ عنہ, ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنہ, Sufyan Thawri رحمۃ اللہ علیہ and Imam
Shafi’i رحمۃ اللہ علیہ all accept the taraweeh salah as being twenty
Rakaahs. He quoted Imam Shafi’i رحمۃ اللہ علیہ as saying that he saw the
people of Makkah performing twenty Rakaahs. (Tirmidhi, v.1 p.99)
2.
The famous compilation of Ahadith Kanzul Ummaal (v.2 p.284) reports
that after ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ instructed Ubay bin Ka’b رضی اللہ عنہ to
lead the people in twenty rak’ah of taraweeh salah, Ubay رضی اللہ عنہ
then led the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم and Tabi’een in twenty rak’ah.
3.
Bayhaqi (v.1 p.492; Nasbur Ra’yah, v.1 p.294) reports a narration in
which Sa’ib bin Yazid رضی اللہ عنہ states that they performed twenty
rak’ah taraweeh during the periods of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ, ‘Uthman رضی
اللہ عنہ and ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنہ.
4.
The other narration of Yazid bin Rooman رحمۃ اللہ علیہ in the Muwatta
of Imam Malik رحمۃ اللہ علیہ (p.40) states that during the Khilafah of
‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ, people performed 23 rak’ah of taraweeh together with
the Witr salah.
5. Ma’rifatus Sitta quotes an authentic
narration from Imam Bayhaqi (v.1 p.477; his Sunan Kubra, v.2 p.496)
stating that ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنہ summoned the Qurra in Ramadan and
appointed someone to lead the people in the twenty rak’ah of taraweeh
salah. ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنہ then himself led the witr salah.
6. The
Muhaddith ibn Qudaamah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes in his al-Mughni (v.1
p.803) that the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم were unanimous about performing
twenty rak’ah taraweeh.
7. The research of the Muhaddith Ibn
Hajar Haythami رحمۃ اللہ علیہ also reveals that the Sahabah رضی اللہ
عنھم were unanimous about performing twenty rak’ah taraweeh. (Tuhfatul
Akhyaar, p.197)
8.The famous Hafidh of Hadith Allama Abdul Birr
رحمۃ اللہ علیہ says that it is a fact that the Sahabah performed twenty
rak’ah taraweeh during Khilafah of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ. (Mirqaat, v.2
p.174)
9. Allama ibn Taymiyyah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes that Ubay
bin Ka’b رضی اللہ عنہ led the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم in twenty rak’ah
taraweeh during the Khilafah of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ. (Fatawa Ibn
Taymiyyah, v.1 p.148). He further writes (v.1 p.191) that because Ubay
رضی اللہ عنہ led the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم in twenty rak’ah taraweeh and
three rak’ah witr during Ramadan, most ‘Ulema regard this to be a
Sunnah because all of the Muhajireen and Ansaar performed the salah
without an objection from any of them.
10. Imam Sharaani رحمۃ
اللہ علیہ writes, “’Umar رضی اللہ عنہ then gave the instruction for 23
rak’ah to be performed, three being the witr salah. This was then
practiced in all the cities.” (Kashful Ghumma, v.1 p.167)
11. The
famous scholar of Ahl al-Hadith Nawab Siddique Hasan believes that
“’Ulema regard as ijma the twenty rak’ah taraweeh salah that was
performed during the Khilafah of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ. (Awnul Bari, v.4
p.307)
12. Allama Bahrul Uloom رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes that twenty
rak’ah taraweeh became a matter of consensus. (Rasaa’il al-Arkaan,
p.138)
13. Allama Ibn al-Humam رحمۃ اللہ علیہ says that consensus
was eventually reached that the taraweeh salah comprises of twenty
rak’ah and this is what has been passed on from generation to
generation. (Fathul Qadeer, v.1 p.407)
14. Allama Ayni رحمۃ اللہ
علیہ says, “During the Khilafah of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ, the Sahabah رضی
اللہ عنھم performed twenty rak’ah taraweeh and this continued during the
Khilafah of ‘Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ and ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنہ. (Ayni’s
commentary of Bukhari, v.7 p.178)
15. When Imam Abu Yusuf رحمۃ
اللہ علیہ asked Imam Abu Hanifa رحمۃ اللہ علیہ whether ‘Umar رضی اللہ
عنہ had any proof from Rasulallah ﷺ to perform twenty rak’ah taraweeh,
Imam Abu Hanifa رحمۃ اللہ علیہ replied, “’Umar رضی اللہ عنہ was never
one who perpetrated acts of bid’ah.” (Faydhul Bari, v.2 p.420; Maraaqil
Falaah, p.81; Bahrur Raa’iq, v.2 p.66)
16. The Muwatta of Imam
Muhammad رحمۃ اللہ علیہ (p.11-12) reads, “We go by this (twenty rak’ah
taraweeh)....because the Muslims (the Sahabah) were unanimous about it
and saw it to be a good act. It has been reported that Rasulallah ﷺ
said, “Whatever the Muslim (the Sahabah) regard as good act, is indeed a
good act in the sight of Allah as well.”
17. The following
appears in the book Al-Mutaqaa min Akhbaaril Mustafa (p.78), “During the
Khilafah of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ, the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم and others
performed 23 rak’ah, which included the witr salah.”
18. Yahya
bin Sa’eed Ansari رحمۃ اللہ علیہ who was the Qadhi of Madinah says that
‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ instructed someone to lead the people in twenty
rak’ah taraweeh salah. The narration is authentic albeit mursal. (Ibn
Abi Saybah, p.406; Aathaarus Sunan, v.2 p.55)
19. Abdul Aziz bin
Rafi’ رحمۃ اللہ علیہ says that’s Ubay bin Ka’b رضی اللہ عنہ led the
people of Madinah in twenty rak’ah taraweeh and three rak’ah witr. This
narration is also authentic albeit mursal. (Ibn Abi Saybah, p.406;
Aathaarus Sunan, v.2 p.55)
20. Abul Khaseeb رحمۃ اللہ علیہ says,
“Suwayd bin Ghafala رضی اللہ عنہ used to lead us in Ramadan with five
resting periods and twenty rak’ah.” The narration is authentic.
(Bayhaqi, v.2 p.496; Aathaarus Sunan, v.2 p.55)
21. Shutayr bin
Shakal رحمۃ اللہ علیہ who was the student of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضی
اللہ عنہ used to lead the people in twenty rak’ah taraweeh salah and
three rak’ah witr. This narration is also authentic. (Bayhaqi, v.2
p.496; Qiyaamil Layl, p.91; Mirqaat, v.2 p.174)
22. The eminent
Tabi’ee and Mufti of Makkah Ataa bin Abi Rabaah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ says that
he found the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم and others performing 23 rak’ah
(taraweeh salah) together with the witr. (Ibn Ani Shaybah, v.1 p.406;
Qiyaamul Layl, p.91, Fath al-Bari, v.4 p.219; Aathaarus Sunan, v.2 p.55)
23.
Naafi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ who was the student of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar رضی
اللہ عنہ says that ibn Mulaykah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ used to lead them in
twenty rak’ah taraweeh salah during Ramadan. The narration is authentic.
(Aathaarus Sunan, v.2 p.56)
24. A’mash رحمۃ اللہ علیہ reports
that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضی اللہ عنہ used to perform twenty rak’ah
taraweeh salah and three rak’ah witr. (Umdatul Qari, v.11 p.127;
Qiyaamul Layl, p.91)
25. Abul Bakhtari رحمۃ اللہ علیہ also took five resting periods and performed three rak’ah witr. (Ibn Abi Shaybah, p.406)
26.
Abul Hasana رحمۃ اللہ علیہ says, “’Ali رضی اللہ عنہ instructed someone
to lead us in twenty rak’ah taraweeh with five resting periods. (Sunan
Kubra of Bayhaqi, v.2 p.496). This narration is authentic. (See
Jawaahirun Naqi, v.1 p.208 and Umdatul Qari, v.11 p.127 for details on
authenticity)
27. Muhammad bin Ka’b Qurazi رضی اللہ عنہ also says
that the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم performed twenty rak’ah taraweeh during
the time of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ. (Qiyaamul Layl, p.91)
28. Sa’eed
bin Ubayd رحمۃ اللہ علیہ reports that ‘Ali bin Rabee’ah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
took five resting periods and performed three rak’ah witr during
Ramadan. This narration is authentic. (Aathaarus Sunan, v.2 p.56)
29.
Allama Subki Shafi’i رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes, “We believe that the
taraweeh salah is twenty rak’ah, as proven by authentic narrations.”
(Sharhul Minhaaj)
30. Abdul Qadir Jaylani رحمۃ اللہ علیہ says,
“It comprises of twenty rak’ah with every two rak’ah ending with sitting
and salam...a person should make the intention of performing the
taraweeh salah before every two rak’ah.” (Ghunyatut Talibeen, v.2
p.10-11)
31. Imam Ghazali رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes, “The taraweeh
salah comprises of twenty rak’ah and is Sunnah Mu’akkadah. The method of
performing it is well known.” (Ihyaa’ul Uloom, v.1 p.208). He also
writes, “Twenty rak’ah is the opinion of the consensus of ‘Ulema because
of the narration of Yazid bin Rooman رحمۃ اللہ علیہ in the Muwatta of
Imam Malik رحمۃ اللہ علیہ, stating that during the Khilafah of ‘Umar رضی
اللہ عنہ, people performed 23 rak’ah of taraweeh together with witr
salah. (Ihyaa’ul Uloom, v.2 p.66)
32. Ahmad Roomi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
says, “There were a great number of Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم present at the
time (when ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ instructed Ubay رضی اللہ عنہ to lead them
in twenty rak’ah taraweeh). Amongs them were ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Abdullah
ibn Mas’ud, ‘Abbas and his son, Talha, Zubayr, Mu’aadh and many other
Muhajireen and Ansar رضی اللہ عنھم. None of them objected to ‘Umar رضی
اللہ عنہ, but rather supported him and practiced accordingly with
steadfastness. In fact, ‘Ali made du’a for ‘Umar saying, “May Allah
illuminate his grave just as he illuminated our Masaajid.” Rasulallah ﷺ
also said, “Hold fast to my practices and the practices of the rightly
guided Khalifahs after me.” The taraweeh salah comprises twenty rak’ah”.
(Majaalisul Abrar, p.187)
33. Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi
رحمۃ اللہ علیہ also writes that the taraweeh salah during the times of
the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم and tabi’een comprised of twenty rak’ah.
(Hujjatullahi Baaligha, v.2 p.67)
34. Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith
Dehlawi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ also mentions that consensus was reached amongst
the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم to perform twenty rak’ah taraweeh and three
rak’ah witr. (Majmoo’ah Fatawa Azizi, v.1 p.162)
35. Maulana
Qutbud Deen Khan Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ also mentions that
consensus was reached amongst the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم to perform
twenty rak’ah taraweeh. (Mazaahirul Haqq, v.1 p.433)
36. Allama
Shabbir Ahmed Uthmani رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes that since none of the
Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم ever differed about the twenty rak’ah, all
scholars are unanimous about it. (Fathul Mulhim, v.2 p.320)
Allama
Nawawi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes in his commentary of Muslim that the
twenty rak’ah taraweeh is a hallmark of Islam just like the Eid salahs
(v.1 p.259). Therefore, the Ta’leeqaat of Hidayah (v.1 p.131) states
that anyone performing only eight rak’ah of taraweeh will be guilty of
forsaking the Sunnah.”
There is an ocean of evidence
proving the legitimacy of 20 rak’ah taraweeh salah. As seen from the
quotes above, the Sahabah used to offer taraweeh in this manner. Not a
single person from among the Sahabah ever stepped forward to say that
the number of rak’ah are not 20 but are 8. Throughout the ages everyone
agreed to the number being twenty, and now the ghair muqallideen all of a
sudden claim that it is 8 rak’ah. They are going against practically
all the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم and the generations after them.
Response to Arguments by Ghair Muqalideen
The
evidences and arguments presented by the ghair muqalideen will now be
addressed. While they present a couple of ahadith to prove their stance,
it will be seen that all such so-called evidences that they present are
nothing but misinterpretations and misrepresentations. Below one by one
all their claims will be addressed categorically.
The Hadith of ‘Ayesha (ra) stating 11 Rak’ahA ghair muqallid Imam, Muhammad bin Salih al-‘Uthaimeen, in “Fatawa Arkanul Islam”, v.2 p.509, states:
“The
Taraweeh prayer is a Sunnah which was prescribed by the Messenger of
Allah ﷺ....As for the number of rak’ah, it is eleven according to what
has been reported in the Two Sahihs on the authority of ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ
عنھا. She was asked how the prayer of the Prophet ﷺ was in Ramadan, and
she said: ‘He did not pray more than eleven rak’ah, neither in Ramadan,
nor in any other month.’ (Reported by al-Bukhari in the Book of
Tahajjud, in the Chapter: The Night Prayer of the Prophet (1147); and by
Muslim in the Book of the Travelers’ Prayers, in the Chapter: The Night
Prayers (125).”
While ‘Uthaimeen claims this hadith
refers to Taraweeh, it is apparent from the text of the complete hadith,
that ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا, is referring to Tahajjud salah. The
complete hadith, as recorded in Sahih Bukhari, is reproduced below:
Narrated Abu Salma bin ‘Abdur Rahman:
I
asked ‘Ayesha, “How is the prayer of Allah’s Apostle ﷺ during the month
of Ramadan.” She said, “Allah’s Apostle ﷺ never exceeded eleven Rakat
in Ramadan or in other months; he used to offer four Rakat – do not ask
me about their beauty and length, then four Rakat, do not ask me about
their beauty and length, and then three Rakat.” Aisha further said, “I
said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle ﷺ! Do you sleep before offering the Witr
prayer?’ He replied, ‘O ‘Ayesha! My eyes sleep but my heart remains
awake!’”
Explaining this hadith, Mufti Taqi Uthmani in “Inamul Bari”, v.4 p.283, writes:
“I
say this hadith is not about taraweeh, rather it is about tahajjud. The
evidence rests here that taraweeh is offered in the first part of the
night and tahajjud is offered in the last part of the night. In this
hadith it is seen, ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا asks the Prophet ﷺ, “Do you
sleep before offering the Witr prayer?” This shows that ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ
عنھا saw the Messenger ﷺ offer these in the last part of the night.
The
Messenger’s ﷺ directives to offer taraweeh was for the first part of
the night. The evidence is that all the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم would
offer taraweeh in the first part of the night.
When the Messenger
led the congregation for three days, this was also done in the first
part of the night. Thus, it is proven that taraweeh was offered in the
first part of the night and the discussion in the hadith is regarding
the last part of the night. This means, what is being discussed in the
hadith is regarding tahajjud and not taraweeh.”
In
“Kowkabud Daraaree”, v.9 p.155-156, Shams ud-Deen Kirmani states that
the question and the reply, both concern the tahajjud salah. Moreover,
even if one says that this hadith seems to contradict the hadith where
the prophet (saw) led the congregation of Sahabah with 20 rak’ah, Allama
Kirmani states that there is no contradiction as this hadith of 20
rak’ah affirms the actions of the prophet (saw) and thus will be given
preference over any narration that seems to negate it. He states that
this is the principle which is adopted in the case of an apparent
contradiction.
Both Shah Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi (Ashi’atul
Lam’aat, v.2 p.544) and Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlawi (Fatawa Azizi,
v.1 p.125) have stated that the 11 rak’ah performed by the Messenger of
Allah (saw) were the tahajjud salah.
Maulana Zafar Ahmad Uthamani, in “Imdad al-Ahkam”, v.1 p.639-640 analyses this hadith and states:
“Ghair
muqallideen should take into consideration all the narrations of
‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا regarding the Night Prayer which are present in
Bukhari, Muslim and the four Sunan. If all the narrations would have
been considered then they would never have dared to use this hadith as
evidence because although this narration of ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا states
that it is 11 rak’ah, others in Bukhari state it was 13, some others in
Muslim state that after witr 2 rak’ah were prayed while seated making
the total 15 rak’ah. Yet, other narrations state it was 17. Thus, Imam
Qurtubi in Sharh Muslim states that many people of knowledge doubt the
narrations of ‘Ayesha (ra) and some ‘ulema have said her hadith is
‘muztarib’. For reference see Fath al-Bari, v.3 p.17.
Whoever has
studied ‘usool al-hadith would know that it is incorrect to use
‘muztarib’ hadith as evidence or proof unless the confusion and
disturbance in the hadith is not removed….It should also be taken into
consideration that ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا, in other narrations have
stated that Prophet Muhammad (saw) would do a lot more ‘ibadah in
Ramadan as compared to other days. Then why is it that both in Ramadan
and otherwise he would offer only 11 rak’ah?”
Mufti Abdul Raheem Lajpuri, in “Fatawa Rahimiyyah” v.2 p.278-279 writes:
“The
essence of it all is that the narration in question cannot be used to
prove eight rak’ah taraweeh. On the contrary, the narration of ‘Abdullah
ibn ‘Abbas رضی اللہ عنہ proves twenty rak’ah and it is this that the
Ummah has been practicing. Consider the following statements:
1.
Imam Malik رحمۃ اللہ علیہ said that when there are two conflicting
narrations about what Rasulallah (saw) did and it is known that Abu Bakr
رضی اللہ عنہ and ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ practiced on one of them and not
the other, what they do will be sufficient to prove that this is the
right way. (Ta’leequl Mumajjad, p.44)
2. Imam Abu Dawood
Sajistaani رحمۃ اللہ علیہ said, “When there are two conflicting
narrations about what Rasulallah ﷺ did, it must be seen what the Sahabah
رضی اللہ عنھم did. (Abu Dawood, v.1 p.263)
3. Imam Abu Bakr
Jassaas رحمۃ اللہ علیہ also said that when there are two conflicting
narrations about what Rasulallah ﷺ did and it is known that our pious
predecessors practiced on one of them, the one they practiced on will be
best to practice on. (Ahkaamul Qur’an, v.1 p.17)
4. Imam Bayhaqi
رحمۃ اللہ علیہ reports that ‘Uthman Daarmi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ said, “When
ahadith of one subject conflict with each other and the most acceptable
cannot be determined, it will be seen what the Khulafaa Raashideen did
after Rasulallah ﷺ. In this manner, we will be able to choose a
viewpoint. (Fathul Bari, v.2 p.269)
5. Khateeb Baghdadi رحمۃ اللہ
علیہ reports that Imam Malik رحمۃ اللہ علیہ said, “if we were to
practice the hadith stating that the followers should sit and perform
salah when the Imam does, then the leaders Abu Bakr رضی اللہ عنہ, ‘Umar
رضی اللہ عنہ and ‘Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ would have practiced accordingly.”
(Tareekh Baghdadi, v.6 p.247)
6. Muhaqqiq ibn Humam رحمۃ اللہ
علیہ wrote that the fact that ‘Ulema practice on a hadith lends to its
authenticity. (Fathul Qadeer, v.3 p.349)
7. Shah Waliullah
Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ writes, “The consensus of the pious
predecessors and what they had passed on from generation to generation
is a great source of proof in Islamic Jurisprudence. (Izaalatul Khifaa,
v.2 p.85)
8. Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
writes, “The understanding of the Sahabah رضی اللہ عنھم and the Tabi’een
is a criterion for right and wrong. It is wajib to accept what they
understood from the teachings of Rasulallah ﷺ as they kept the
conditions and words of Rasulallah ﷺ in mind.” (Fatawa Azizi, v.1
p.157)”
Misconception that Taraweeh and Tahajjud is sameMuhammad bin Salih al-‘Uthaimeen in “Fatawa Arkanul Islam”, v.2 p.509 continues to state in his fatwa:
“If
one prayed thirteen rak’ah, then there is no objection, according to
the words of ibn ‘Abbas رضی اللہ عنہ: ‘The prayer of the prophet ﷺ was
thirteen rak’ah. That is, the night prayer.’” [Reported by Al-Bukhari in
the Book of Tahajjud, in the Chapter: The Manner of the Prophet’s
Prayer, Hadith (1138); and it was reported by Muslim in the Book of the
Travelers’ Prayers, in the Chapter: The Supplication in the Night
Prayer, Hadith 194 (764)]
Here ‘Uthaimeen uses the hadith
regarding the number of tahajjud rak’ah the prophet ﷺ would pray to
prove that taraweeh consists of eight rak’ah.
Another ghair muqallid Imam, Maulana Mahmood Ahmed Mirpuri, in “Fatawa Sirat-e-Mustaqeem”, p.180 writes:
“It is confirmed by authentic Ahadith that Tahajjud itself is Taraweeh. As in Tirmidhi, narrated by Abu Dhar, it says:
'One
Ramadan we fasted with the Prophet ﷺ and he did not pray with us at
night. In the last 7 days, the Prophet ﷺ prayed with us in one third of
the night. On the 25th night we prayed with him for half of the night.
We said it would be a pleasure if the Prophet ﷺ prayed all night with
us, but he replied, ‘If someone prays with the Imam and returns home, it
is considered that he has prayed the whole night.’ Then on the 27th
night, we joined family members in prayer and prayed till we were
doubtful of missing Sahoor.'
This Hadith shows that the Prophet
(saw) prayed with his companions, almost throughout the night. So, when
did he pray Tahajjud prayer separately?”
Two points need
to be addressed here. First one is whether taraweeh and tahajjud are the
same prayer. The second is whether tahajjud was fardh on the Prophet
Muhammad ﷺ or not. Once both these points are addressed, the so called
evidence used by the ghair muqallid Imams will not be able to prove the
number of rak’ah of taraweeh.
Taraweeh and Tahajjud are not the sameTaraweeh
and tahajjud are two different prayers. As seen earlier, the taraweeh
salah is performed in the first part of the night while the tahajjud is
performed in the last part of the night. Further, the tahajjud has to be
performed after one has wakes up from sleep. Taraweeh is performed
before one sleeps.
Mufti Muhammad Shariful Haq Amjadi, in “Nuzhatul Qari”, v.2 p.687-688, writes:
“Ghair
Muqallideen claim that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ only prayed tahajjud in
Ramadan. For us, both tahajjud and taraweeh are Sunnah in Ramadan. The
evidence for this is the saying of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ: ‘the prayer which
they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they
are offering.’”
The hadith in which this saying of ‘Umar is found is in Sahih Bukhari in the Book of Taraweeh.
He further writes:
“To
state one salah is better than the other, is evidence that these are
two different salahs and not the same. Further evidence is that for
tahajjud it is necessary for one to sleep after ‘isha and then wake up
to perform it. Tabraani, in Kabir and Ausat, has narrated from Hajaj bin
‘Umro (ra) that he said ‘you think that if you pray all night till
morning, you have offered tahajjud. This is incorrect. Tahajjud can only
be offered after sleep.’ This is also apparent from the meaning of the
word ‘tahajjud’.”
Allah (swt) says in the Quran in Surah al-Isra’ (17):
وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا
Wamina allayli fatahajjad bihi nafilatan laka AAasa an yabAAathaka rabbuka maqaman mahmoodan
And
during the night, wake up for Salah of tahajjud, an additional prayer
for you. It is very likely that your Lord will place you at Praised
Station. [17:79]
Ibn Kathir, in his tafsir of the above verse, writes:
“(The
Night prayer) Allah commanded His Messenger to pray the Night prayer
after offering the prescribed prayers, and the term Tahajjud refers to
prayer that is offered after sleeping. This was the view of ‘Alqamah,
Al-Aswad, Ibrahim An-Nakha’i and others. It is also well-known from the
Arabic language itself. A number of Ahadith report that the Messenger of
Allah used to pray Tahajjud after he had slept. These include reports
from Ibn ‘Abbas, ‘Ayesha and other Companions, may Allah be pleased with
them.”
Mufti Muhammad Shariful Haq Amjadi, further writes on p.689:
“No one sleeps before taraweeh. Hence, it is extremely wrong to say that taraweeh is the same as tahajjud.”
Was Tahajjud Fardh on the Messenger ﷺ To
address the argument of Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Mirpuri, it is important
to first assess whether tahajjud was fardh on the prophet Muhammad ﷺ or
not.
The ghair muqallid Imam Maulana Mirpuri writes in his “Fatawa Sirat-e-Mustaqeem”, p.180:
“Tahajjud was obligatory for the Prophet ﷺ as mentioned in Surah al-Muzzammil:
قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًاQumi allayla illa qaleelan Nisfahu awi onqus minhu qaleelan Aw zid AAalayhi warattili alqurana tarteelan
Stand
(to prayer) by night, but not all night, Half of it, or a little less,
Or a little more; and recite the Qur’an in slow, measured rhythmic
tones. [73:2-4]
Tahajjud is also recommended for us all.”
A
lengthy hadith reported in Sahih Muslim addresses this issue. It
mentions Sa’d bin Hisham bin ‘Amir who asked ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا about
the tahajjud salah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Below is the reply by
‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا:
She
said: Did you not recite: “O thou wrapped up?” He said: Yes. She said:
Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night
prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory.
So the Apostle
of Allah ﷺ and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer)
for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for
twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah
revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden
of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer
after being an obligatory one.
This hadith clearly
mentions that the tahajjud was not always fardh on the prophet Muhammad
(saw) throughout his life. Tahajjud was only fardh on him for a specific
period of time. After this the fardh was abrogated and it became Nafl.
Imam Nawawi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ in Sharh Sahih Muslim, v.3 p.2240 writes:
“This
is correct that tahajjud was later made nafl on the prophet ﷺ and the
Ummah. There is some difference of opinion regarding the abrogation of
fardh of tahajjud for the prophet Muhammad ﷺ. For us, the opinion is
correct which is seen in the hadith that it was abrogated and was not
fardh anymore.”
Allama Ghulam Rasul Sa’eedi, in Tibyan al
Quran, v.12 p.337, quotes Imam Abu al-’Abbas Ahmed bin ‘Umar bin Ibrahim
Maliki Qurtubi to have said:
“The
clear text of what ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا said is evidence that at first
the tahajjud salah was fardh on the prophet Muhammad ﷺ and other
Muslims but later it was abrogated. In the initial verses of Surah
Muzzammil, it is stated, ‘Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,
Half of it, or a little less, Or a little more.’ Such wordings are not
the sign of the obligation of something. This only signifies it being
mustahab.”
Further evidence for abrogation is found in Surah Bani Israel (17) where the following verse is seen:
وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا
Wamina allayli fatahajjad bihi nafilatan laka AAasa an yabAAathaka rabbuka maqaman mahmoodan
And
during the night, wake up for Salah of tahajjud, an additional prayer
for you. It is very likely that your Lord will place you at Praised
Station. [17:79]
Mufti Shafi’ Uthmani رحمۃ اللہ علیہ, in Ma’ariful Qur’an, v.5 p.535 states:
“However,
difference did exist about its obligatory nature. Was it abrogated in
the case of the Holy Prophet (saw)? Or, did it remain an obligation on
him as a matter of special consideration – and in the verse, the
expression ‘nafilatan laka’ means exactly that ‘the prayer of tahajjud
is an additional obligation on you.’
But according to Tafsir
al-Qurtubi, this is not correct for many reasons. Firstly, there is no
justification for taking nafl as fardh. If it is supposed to be
figurative speech, then, there will be no reality against it. Secondly,
in authentic ahadith only five fixed prayers have been mentioned as
obligatory. At the end of another hadith, it has been said that the
fifty prayers made obligatory initially in the nocturnal journey of the
Mi’raj were later reduced in number and set at five. Thus, the number
was, though, reduced but the reward promised against these was that of
no less than fifty. Then it was said ‘The world (given to My servants)
will not be changed with Me’ [50:29]. It means: When the command was
given for fifty, the reward shall be given for no less than fifty,
though the number to be actually performed was reduced.”
Further, he explains:
“Had
the word ‘nafilah’ been used here in the sense of an additional duty,
then, rather than using the word ‘lak’ (for you) after it, the word used
should have been ‘alaik’ (on you) since the latter signifies obligation
while the word ‘lak’ is used only for approval and permission.”
Imam Raazi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ in Tafsir Kabeer, v.10 p.682 writes:
“Just
like the fast of ‘Ashura was abrogated with the fasts of Ramadan,
similarly, with the obligation of five prayers, the obligation of
tahajjud was abrogated.”
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani رحمۃ اللہ علیہ, in Fath al-Bari, v.3 p.24 writes:
“The obligation of tahajjud was abrogated by the obligation of five prayers.”
Coming to the original argumentThe ghair muqallid imam, Maulana Mahmood Ahmed Mirpuri, after quoting a hadith from Tirmidhi asks the question:
“This
Hadith shows that the Prophet ﷺ prayed with his companions, almost
throughout the night. So, when did he pray Tahajjud prayer separately?”
This part has been reiterated here and the entire quote is present above.
It
has been established that tahajjud was not fardh on the prophet
Muhammad ﷺ and hence even if one says that he missed it, it is not as if
he was missing out a fardh salah.
Secondly, from the text of the
hadith it is apparent that the companions joined their family members
in prayers and prayed. It does not mention the inclusion of the prophet
Muhammad ﷺ in this all night long prayer.
The hadith is reproduced again:
“One
Ramadan we fasted with the Prophet ﷺ and he did not pray with us at
night. In the last 7 days, the Prophet ﷺ prayed with us in one third of
the night. On the 25th night we prayed with him for half of the night.
We said it would be a pleasure if the Prophet ﷺ prayed all night with
us, but he replied, ‘If someone prays with the Imam and returns home, it
is considered that he has prayed the whole night.’ Then on the 27th
night, we joined family members in prayer and prayed till we were
doubtful of missing Sahoor.”
Even if we take the hadith as it
is, Maulana Mahmood Ahmed has made an assumption that the prophet
Muhammad ﷺ did not ever miss out tahajjud.
“Ma’ariful Hadith”, v.2 p.253 quotes a hadith from ‘Ayesha رضی اللہ عنھا recorded in Sahih Muslim:
“It
is related on the authority of ‘Ayesha (ra) that when due to illness or
some other reason the Prophet (saw) missed the Tahajjud prayer, he
offered 12 rak’ah during the day in the place of that.”
Secondly,
the hadith shows doubt of missing Sahoor. This is not a definite
statement that they did miss Sahoor. Hence it is ridiculous to assume
that just because they doubted missing Sahoor, they really did miss
Sahoor. This was just a doubt and there is still the possibility that
the Prophet ﷺ left the companions and offered Tahajjud.
In another, tradition we also see the following words are used, "
ثُمَّ دَخَلَ رَحْلَهُ فَصَلَّى صَلَاةً لَا يُصَلِّيهَا عِنْدَنَا",
which means, "he entered his house and offered a salah which he did not
offer with us." This hadith is reported in Sahih Muslim as well as
Musnad Imam Ahmad. The one is Sahih Muslim, found in Kitab al-Saum, Baab
al-Nahi 'an al-Wisal fi al-Saum, is reproduced below:
Anas
رضی اللہ عنہ reported The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was observing prayer
during Ramadan. I came and stood by his side. Then another man came and
he stood likewise till we became a group. When the Apostle of Allah ﷺ
perceived that we were behind him, he lightened the prayer. He then went
to his abode and observed such a prayer he never observed with us. When
it was morning we said to him: Did you perceive us during the night?
Upon this he said: Yes, it was this that induced me to do that which I
did. He (the narrator) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ began to observe
Saum Wisal at the end of the month, and some persons among his
Companions began to observe this uninterrupted fast, whereupon the
Apostle of Allah ﷺ said: What about such persons who observe
uninterrupted fasts? You are not like me. By Allah. if the month were
lengthened for me, I would have observed Saum Wisal, so that those who
act with an exaggeration would (have been obliged) to abandon their
exaggeration.
This makes it clear that the salah
which Rasulullah ﷺ offered without the companions was a different salah
and it was Tahajjud. Such a differentiation was also made by 'Umar رضی
اللہ عنہ as we have noted above.
Hadith where ‘Umar (ra) ordered for 11 rak’ah Taraweeh
In “Fatawa Arkanul Islam”, v.2 p.511, the ghair muqallid Imam Muhammad bin Salih al-‘Uthaimeen writes:
“What
is confirmed from ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ, is that he prayed eleven rak’ah,
since he ordered Ubay bin Ka’b and Tamim Ad-Dari رضی اللہ عنھما to stand
for the people and pray eleven rak’ah. [Reported by Malik in the Book
of Prayer, in the Chapter on the Night Prayer in Ramadan (280)].”
This
hadith has been recorded by Imam Malik through Sa’ib bin Yazid رضی اللہ
عنہ. This Sa’ib bin Yazid رضی اللہ عنہ is the same person who has also
reported the following hadith as recorded in Baihaqi, v.2 p.496:
“Sa’ib
bin Yazid رضی اللہ عنہ said that in the time of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ,
people would offer 20 rak’ah in the month of Ramadan. The person leading
the prayer would recite Surahs which had about hundred verses. People
at the time of ‘Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ would lean on their sticks as they
had to stand up for very long.”
Moreover, Hafidh Abdul Birr writes in al-Tamheed, v.8 p.114-115:
“Imam
Malik رحمۃ اللہ علیہ has written this hadith from Muhammad ibn Yusuf
who heard it from Sa’ib ibn Yazid. This hadith talks about taraweeh
being 11 rak’ah. Other Muhadditheen have recorded ahadith with the same
isnad, which mentions 21 rak’ah (20 for taraweeh and 1 for witr). Harith
bin Abdul Rahman bin Abi al-Zabab has narrated from Sa’ib bin Yazid
that in the times of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ we used to end taraweeh when it
was almost dawn. In his Khilafah, taraweeh was 23 rak’ah (including 3
witr).”
This makes it clear that from the same isnad that
Imam Malik has reported 11 rak’ah, 21 rak’ah is also reported by other
Muhadditheen. Moreover, from the same Sa’ib bin Yazid, 23 rak’ah is also
reported.
Imam Malik رحمۃ اللہ علیہ, after quoting the hadith of 11 rak’ah, quotes the following hadith in his Muwatta, v.1 p.98:
“Yazid
bin Rooman said that during the Khilafah of ‘Umar ibn al Khattab رضی
اللہ عنہ, people would offer 23 rak’ah taraweeh in Ramadan (including 3
witr).”
Allama Ghulam Rasul Sa’eedi in Sharh Muslim v.2 p.498 writes:
“Imam
Malik from Muhammad bin Yusuf from Sa’ib bin Yazid has narrated 11
rak’ah. However, Hafidh Abdul Razzak and others, from Muhammad bin Yusuf
from Sa’ib bin Yazid have narrated 20 rak’ah and Ibn Nasr has also
narrated 20 rak’ah from Sa’ib bin Yazid. This makes it clear that the
narration recorded by Imam Malik is not correct.”
However,
even if we accept that the hadith recorded by Imam Malik of 11 rak’ah
is correct, the only explanation which can be given to reconcile all the
ahadith from Sa’ib bin Yazid is that at first the Sahabah offered 11
rak’ah but then they offered 20 rak’ah.
Imam Baihaqi in “al-Sunan al Kubra”, v.2 p.496 writes:
“Reconciliation
among these narrations can be brought in the way that the Sahabah رضی
اللہ عنھم offered 11 rak’ah but later offered 20 rak’ah taraweeh and 3
rak’ah witr.”
The evidence for this explanation is seen
from the practice of ‘Uthman and ‘Ali رضی اللہ عنھما. Refer to the
evidences given above to prove 20 rak’ah taraweeh.
Mullah Ali Qari in “Mirqat Sharh al-Mishkat”, v.3 p.123, after quoting this hadith writes:
“And
this order for 11 rak’ah was in the beginning because Abdul Birr says
the narration of 11 rak’ah was due to doubt and the sahih narration is
that it was 20 rak’ah during the time of ‘Umar رضی اللہ عنہ.”
Thus,
the narration of 11 rak’ah from Sa’ib bin Yazid cannot be taken as
evidence because of the discrepancies in the number of rak’ah which
comes through the same person. At best, it can be said that due to some
doubt created in his mind he mentioned 11, otherwise he has also
mentioned the numbers 21 and 23 (including 1 witr and 3 witr
respectively).
Hadith of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah mentioning 8 Rak’ahIn
Fath al-Bari, v.1 p.597, the hadith of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah رضی اللہ عنہ
is mentioned where he says the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prayed only 8 rak’ah
taraweeh in Ramadan. The ghair muqallideen use this hadith as evidence
to prove their stand.
Mufti Kifayatullah, in “Kifayatul Mufti”, v.3 p.399, while commenting on this hadith says:
“The
hadith of Jabir رضی اللہ عنہ, which has been recorded by Tabraani,
Marozi, Ibn Khuzaima and Ibn Hibban, has ‘Isa bin Jariya in the chain of
narrators. This narrator has been declared Munkar of hadith by Imam Abu
Dawood and Imam Nasa’i has declared him to be Matrook and Munkar of
hadith.”
Mufti Abdul Raheem Lajpuri, in “Fatawa
Rahimiyyah”, v.2 p.280, has given a detailed analysis of the chain of
narrators of this hadith. He writes:
“The
strange thing about it is that the chain of narrators has no credence
whatsoever. One of the narrators of hadith is a person named ibn Humayd
Himyari. This is what the critics of narrators have to say about him
[Mizaanul I’tidaal, v.3 p.49-50]:
1. ‘He is weak’ – Hafidh Dhahabi رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
2. ‘He narrates many unacceptable (Munkar) narrations’ – Ya’qoob bin Shaybah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
3. ‘There are objections raised against him’ – Imam Bukhari رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
4. ‘He lies’ – Abu Zur’ah رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
5. ‘I can testify that he is a liar’ – Ishaaq Kowsaj رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
‘He
narrated Ahadith about everything. I have never seen anyone as daring
as he is against Allah (swt) because he takes Ahadith from others and
completely distorts them’ – Saalih Jazrah (rh)
1. ‘I swear by Allah that he is a liar’ – Ibn Kharaash رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
2. ‘He is unreliable’ – Imam Nasa’i رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
The
chain of narrators also contains a narrator called Ya’qoob bin
‘Abdullah Ash’ari Alqami, about whom the critics have the following to
say:
‘He is not at all reliable’ – Imam Daar Qutni رحمۃ اللہ علیہ [Mizaanul I’tidaal, v.3 p.324]
About a third narrator, the critics have the following to say:
1. ‘He is responsible for many unacceptable (Munkar) narrations’ – Ibn Ma’een رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
2. ‘His narrations are unacceptable (Munkar) – Imam Nasa’i رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
3. ‘His narrations are ignored (Matrook)’ – Imam Nisa’i رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
4. ‘His narrations are unacceptable (Munkar)’ – Imam Abu Dawood رحمۃ اللہ علیہ
5. ‘He is amongst the weak narrators’ [Mizaanul I’tidaal, v.2 p.311]”
Indeed it is quite strange that the ghair muqallideen would use such a hadith as evidence.
ConclusionThe
matter is quite clear that the number of rak’ah of taraweeh during the
time of the companions رضی اللہ عنھم was 20. This has been established
through many narrations. While the four Imams (Abu Hanifa, Shafi’,
Malik, Hanbal) disagree in the total number of raka’ah of taraweeh, none
of them has given a figure below 20. Taraweeh being 8 rak’ah is not
supported by any of them. The ‘ijma of the companions رضی اللہ عنھم
holds to be the last word on this subject for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
said that after him we should hold fast to the practices of the rightly
guided khalifahs.
in which the Prophet 
said: "All of the earth has been made a pure place of prayer for me and
my nation. Whenever a person from my nation wants to pray, he has
something with which to purify himself, that is, the earth." [Ahmad] 
said: "Many of the Companions performed Tayammum to save their water for drinking." 'Ali 