Taraweeh: Twenty Rakats or Eight
By Mufti Muhammad Abdul Hameed Shakir Qasmi
Topran, District Medak, Telangana
Allah Almighty has bestowed extraordinary virtue upon the nights of Ramadan. If the fasts of the day train the believing servant in patience, piety, and self-control, then the vigil of the nights grants freshness to faith, humility to the heart, and nearness to Allah to the soul. This vigil of Ramadan was later called Salat al-Taraweeh, which has been the continuous and uninterrupted practice of the Muslim Ummah from the time of the Prophet ﷺ until today. The difference of opinion regarding the number of rakats in Taraweeh, whether it is eight or twenty, is actually a jurisprudential and interpretive difference, not a matter of belief or obligation, and without understanding this point, discussion on this issue often leads to intensity and discord. Reference: Surah Al-Isra: 79; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol. 4, p. 256.
The Holy Quran has described the legitimacy of Qiyam al-Layl (night vigil) in a general and absolute manner, without specifying any particular number. Allah Almighty says: وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَكَ, meaning, "And from the night, pray Tahajjud [voluntarily] with it as additional [worship] for you." Similarly, He says: كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ, meaning, "They used to sleep but little of the night." These verses make it clear that the main purpose in the eyes of Sharia is the vigil of the night, not the counting of rakats, and this is the principle that forms the basis of the issue of Salat al-Taraweeh. Reference: Surah Al-Isra: 79; Surah Adh-Dhariyat: 17; Tafsir Qurtubi, Vol. 10, p. 308.
The narration of Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is fundamental regarding the personal practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. She says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not perform more than eleven rakats in Ramadan or outside Ramadan. Some people have made this narration a proof for eight rakats of Taraweeh, although the scholars of Hadith and jurists have clarified that this hadith describes the Prophet's ﷺ usual Tahajjud, not a limitation of Taraweeh for the Ummah. It is known from other narrations of Hazrat Aisha (RA) herself that the Prophet ﷺ preferred the length of the vigil, not the abundance of rakats. Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 1147; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 738; Sharh Muslim lil-Nawawi, Vol. 6, p. 39.
The beginning of congregational vigil in Ramadan is proven by the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself. Hazrat Aisha (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the Companions (RA) in vigil in the mosque for a few nights, then did not come out on the fourth night, and said in the morning that he feared it might be made obligatory upon them. This shows that vigil in congregation is legitimate, but the Prophet ﷺ abandoned its adherence for the ease of the Ummah, not to abrogate its legitimacy. Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 1129; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 761; Fath al-Bari, Vol. 4, p. 253.
After the death of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, when the fear of obligation was no longer present, Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) made the historic decision to unite the Ummah under one Imam. Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Abdul Qari (RA) says that Hazrat Umar (RA) gathered the people under the leadership of Hazrat Ubayy bin Ka'b (RA) and said: نِعْمَتِ الْبِدْعَةُ هَذِهِ. The purpose of this action was to organize worship and eliminate discord, not to invent a new form of worship. Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2010; Fath al-Bari, Vol. 4, p. 253.
There are numerous reports about the number of rakats in Taraweeh during the time of Hazrat Umar (RA). The Tabi'i (successor) elder, Hazrat Yazid bin Ruman (RA), says that people used to perform twenty rakats of vigil during the time of Hazrat Umar (RA). This same narration has been narrated by Imam Malik (RA) in Muwatta and Imam Bayhaqi (RA) has mentioned it in Sunan al-Kubra with multiple chains of narration, which shows that the practice of twenty rakats was not limited to just one person or city, but was the general practice of the Farooqi era. Reference: Muwatta Imam Malik, Hadith 250; Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi, Vol. 2, p. 496; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Vol. 2, p. 393.
This practice was not limited to Hazrat Umar (RA), but the Ummah continued to follow the same method during the eras of Hazrat Uthman (RA) and Hazrat Ali (RA). It is narrated from Hazrat Ali (RA) that he kept the people performing twenty rakats in Ramadan and no Companion objected to it, which is a clear proof that this practice had acquired a consensus status. Reference: Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Vol. 2, p. 393; Al-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi, Vol. 2, p. 496; Fath al-Bari, Vol. 4, p. 253.
The statements of the four Imams also reflect this historical and practical continuity. According to Imam Abu Hanifa (RA) and his students, Taraweeh is twenty rakats, a confirmed Sunnah. Imam Shafi'i (RA) says that he found the people of Mecca and Medina praying twenty rakats. A statement of twenty rakats is also narrated from Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (RA), while during the time of Imam Malik (RA), the people of Medina used to pray thirty-six rakats, which were actually in place of the abundance of Tawaf (circumambulation). Reference: Bada'i al-Sana'i, Vol. 2, p. 275; Al-Umm lil-Shafi'i, Vol. 1, p. 191; Al-Mughni li-Ibn Qudamah, Vol. 2, p. 604; Muwatta Imam Malik, Hadith 249.
The main basis of those who advocate for eight rakats is the hadith of Hazrat Aisha (RA), but the majority of the scholars of Hadith have clarified that attributing this hadith to Taraweeh is questionable, because the Companions (RA) themselves did not take twenty rakats from it. If this hadith was for the limitation of Taraweeh, then Hazrat Umar (RA), Hazrat Ali (RA), and other esteemed Companions (RA) would not have acted against it. Reference: Sharh Muslim lil-Nawawi, Vol. 6, p. 39; Fath al-Bari, Vol. 4, p. 254.
The summary of this whole discussion is that Taraweeh, in both forms of eight or twenty, is the vigil of Ramadan, but the practice of twenty rakats is proven by the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the practice of the Companions (RA), and the consensus of the Ummah, while eight rakats is based on following the personal Tahajjud of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, it is necessary to keep breadth, tolerance, and the collective approach of the Ummah in mind in this matter, not rigidity and division. Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2010; Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, Vol. 1, p. 123; Fatawa Jumhur Ahl al-Ilm, Vol. 4, p. 273.
And, according to the majority's view, understanding the issue of Salat al-Taraweeh does not only rely on a few narrations, but the principles of jurisprudence, the practice of the Companions (RA), the continuity of the Ummah, and the objectives of Sharia are kept in view as a whole. The basis of Imam Abu Hanifa's (RA) approach is that any worship on which the collective and inherited practice of the Companions (RA) is established enters the level of confirmed Sunnah, even if more than one form is narrated from the Holy Prophet ﷺ regarding its rakats or form. Under this principle, twenty rakats of Taraweeh have been declared as a confirmed Sunnah in jurisprudence, because this is the form that prevailed without dispute during the eras of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, especially Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman, and Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with them). Reference: Usul al-Shashi, p. 289; Bada'i al-Sana'i, Vol. 2, p. 275; Fath al-Qadir, Vol. 1, p. 407.
In jurisprudence, the definition of a confirmed Sunnah is that act on which the Holy Prophet ﷺ persisted or the Companions (RA) after him adopted its continuity and its abandonment is considered rare in the Ummah. The twenty rakats of Salat al-Taraweeh fully meet this definition, because the practice of the Ummah has been based on it from the Farooqi era to centuries. This is why abandoning twenty rakats without an excuse is considered Makrooh (disliked) in jurisprudence, although the original reward of the vigil of Ramadan is obtained by praying eight rakats. Reference: Radd al-Muhtar, Vol. 2, p. 45; Al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Vol. 1, p. 456.
The majority's view is actually a continuation of this comprehensive approach to jurisprudence and understanding of Hadith, in which both narration and reasoning are combined. The majority of researchers have always emphasized moderation, breadth, and the collective approach of the Ummah in the issue of Taraweeh. Hazrat Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (RA) says that twenty rakats of Taraweeh is the Sunnah method of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Ummah has been acting upon it, so insisting on eight while abandoning it can cause Fitna (discord), especially where the practice of twenty is prevalent. Reference: Fatawa Rashidiya, p. 274; Fatawa Jumhur Ahl al-Ilm, Vol. 4, p. 273.
Hazrat Sheikh al-Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan (RA) and his students also supported this approach that the real spirit of Taraweeh is vigil, humility, and connection with the Quran, not just dispute over numbers. However, where the dominant and inherited practice of the Ummah is on twenty rakats, adopting it is necessary for the unity of the Ummah and to prevent Fitna. This position is actually the practical form of the principle of Hazrat Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (RA) that local and collective practice should be considered in minor differences. Reference: Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, Vol. 1, p. 123; Fatawa Sheikh al-Hind, Vol. 1, p. 215.
According to the elders, although the statement of eight rakats is narrated from some scholars, it is against scientific honesty to stand it against twenty rakats, because there is neither a collective practice of the Companions (RA) nor a continuity of the Rightly Guided Caliphs in favor of eight rakats. That is why the majority of researchers have clarified that it is not correct to call eight rakats the Sunnah of Taraweeh, but it is an interpretive application taken from the Prophet's ﷺ Tahajjud routine. Reference: Fatawa Mahmoodiya, Vol. 7, p. 175; Sharh Muslim lil-Nawawi, Vol. 6, p. 39.
And, an important principle in point of view is also that the abundance of practice in worship should be linked to the collective temperament of the Ummah. In twenty rakats of Taraweeh, there is an opportunity to listen to and recite a greater amount of the Holy Quran, to which the elders themselves have drawn attention. This is why the tradition of reciting the complete Quran during Ramadan that has been established in the subcontinent is more appropriate and easier with twenty rakats. Reference: Fatawa Jumhur Ahl al-Ilm, Vol. 6, p. 243; Ahsan al-Fatawa, Vol. 3, p. 514.
According to the majority's research approach, the final and dominant position on the issue of Salat al-Taraweeh is the same that is proven by the practice of the Companions (RA), the consensus of the Ummah, and the unanimous statements of the four Imams. On this basis, it is not correct to declare eight rakats as Salat al-Taraweeh, but it is clearly against the traditions of the Companions (RA) and against practical consensus. The narration of Hazrat Aisha (RA) in which eleven rakats are mentioned is related to Tahajjud according to the majority of scholars of Hadith and jurists, and applying it to Taraweeh is against the principles of Hadith and the understanding of the predecessors. If this narration was for the limitation of Taraweeh, then Hazrat Umar (RA), Hazrat Ali (RA), Hazrat Ibn Abbas (RA), and other Companions (RA) would never have gathered on twenty rakats against it. Reference: Sharh Muslim lil-Nawawi, Vol. 6, p. 39; Fath al-Bari, Vol. 4, p. 254; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Vol. 2, p. 393.
The majority of scholars have repeatedly clarified that calling eight rakats Taraweeh is historically, hadithically, and jurisprudentially unacceptable. Hazrat Maulana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi (RA) says that Taraweeh is twenty rakats, this is the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and saying against it opens the door to innovation and misguidance. Similarly, it is clearly stated in Fatawa Jumhur Ahl al-Ilm that calling eight rakats the Sunnah of Taraweeh is wrong and there is no correct basis for it in the era of the Companions (RA). Reference: Fatawa Rashidiya, p. 274; Fatawa Jumhur Ahl al-Ilm, Vol. 4, p. 273.
The statements of the four Imams are very clear and decisive in this matter. According to Imam Abu Hanifa (RA), Imam Shafi'i (RA), and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (RA), Salat al-Taraweeh is twenty rakats, while according to Imam Malik (RA), the original is twenty, but thirty-six rakats are also narrated as the practice of the people of Medina, which is not a negation of twenty but an addition to it. It is not proven from any one Imam to declare eight rakats as Taraweeh. Reference: Bada'i al-Sana'i, Vol. 2, p. 275; Al-Umm lil-Shafi'i, Vol. 1, p. 191; Al-Mughni li-Ibn Qudamah, Vol. 2, p. 604; Muwatta Imam Malik, Hadith 249.
After this unanimous position of the four Imams, talking about the permissibility or preference of eight rakats is rare and negligible in comparison to the consensus of the Ummah. It is a Muslim rule of the principles of jurisprudence that when there is a practice of the Companions (RA) and an agreement of the Imams in a matter, then individual understanding or partial narration is not accepted against it. This is the approach of the majority of scholars and this is the distinction of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah. Reference: Usul al-Shashi, p. 289; Fath al-Qadir, Vol. 1, p. 407.
Therefore, the definite and final conclusion of this research study is that Salat al-Taraweeh is twenty rakats, a confirmed Sunnah, which is proven by the indication of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the decision of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the practical consensus of the Companions (RA), and the unanimous statements of the four Imams. Calling eight rakats Taraweeh is against scientific honesty and tantamount to disrupting the inherited religious system of the Ummah. According to the scientific standards of the majority of scholars, the preference of this position is obligatory and presenting it to the Ummah is right and correct. Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2010; Fatawa Jumhur Ahl al-Ilm, Vol. 4, p. 273; Radd al-Muhtar, Vol. 2, p. 46.
The approach adopted in this writing does not need any individual, institution, or contemporary title, but it is the same ancient, inherited, and cautious scientific method that the elders of the Ummah, the jurists and scholars of Hadith, have adopted. The basis of this approach is that in the matter of worship, the form that is dominant and obligatory to follow is the one on which the collective practice of the Companions (RA) after the Holy Prophet ﷺ is established, which the Rightly Guided Caliphs have implemented, and which the Mujtahid Imams have accepted without hesitation. In this method, rare narrations, partial understanding, or later individual tendencies are not placed against the original, but they are understood to be subject to texts, traditions, and consensus. This is why in this approach, the issue of Salat al-Taraweeh has not been seen merely as a numerical discussion, but it has been linked to the protection of the Sunnah and the survival of the collective religious system of the Ummah. Reference: Fath al-Qadir, Vol. 1, p. 407; Usul al-Shashi, p. 289; Al-I'tisam lil-Shatibi, Vol. 1, p. 64.
If this same approach is applied to another agreed-upon issue of the Ummah, i.e., the ruling on the beard, then the principle becomes fully clear. The command of the Holy Prophet ﷺ regarding the beard is explicit, the practice of the Companions (RA) on it is continuous, and the practical consensus of the Ummah is established on it, so the jurists have not accepted any talk of reduction or concession in it. If a person softens the obligation of the beard based on a few partial possibilities or later customary tendencies, then he is scientifically rejected, because he presents a rare point of view against the inherited Sunnah. The same principle applies to Salat al-Taraweeh. Just as in the matter of the beard, a few possible interpretations cannot be preferred over the original in the presence of continuous practice, similarly, in the matter of Taraweeh, the individual understanding of eight rakats cannot be accepted against the agreed-upon practice of the Companions (RA) and the Imams of the Ummah. Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5892; Radd al-Muhtar, Vol. 6, p. 407; Al-I'tisam lil-Shatibi, Vol. 2, p. 182.
This is why in this approach, both the beard and Taraweeh are seen from the same fundamental angle, i.e., protecting the Sunnah, preserving the symbol of the Ummah, and closing the doors to gradual weakening in religion. If the door to concession is opened in a symbol like Taraweeh in the name of numbers, then ultimately this same way of thinking reaches the reduction and suspension of other Sunnah practices, as has been seen in the beard, clothing, the form of prayer, and other outward symbols. Therefore, the elder jurists have always emphasized that where there is a practice of the Companions (RA) and a consensus of the Ummah along with the texts, talking about concession and reduction is actually weakening the Sunnah. Reference: Hujjat Allah al-Baligha, Vol. 1, p. 123; Al-I'tisam lil-Shatibi, Vol. 1, p. 110.
The purpose of this discussion is not to promote any group identity but to clarify the fundamental truth that religion remains safe in its original form only when it is transmitted with the same collective, cautious, and hereditary approach through which it has reached us. The twenty rakats of Salat al-Taraweeh are a practical example of this approach, just as the obligation of the beard is a symbol of this approach. The common factor in both is that these actions are proven by the combination of text, practice, and consensus, and creating concession in both is actually injuring the agreed-upon religious identity of the Ummah. Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2010; Radd al-Muhtar, Vol. 2, p. 46; Al-I'tisam lil-Shatibi, Vol. 2, p. 200.
Summary of the Discussion
This research article presents the issue of Salat al-Taraweeh not merely as a numerical discussion of rakats but in the context of understanding the Sunnah, its protection, and the inherited religious approach of the Ummah. The Holy Quran has described the origin of Qiyam al-Layl, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has encouraged it, and after the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) continued this worship in an organized, safe, and collective form for the Ummah. The decisions of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, especially the consensus of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) on twenty rakats, is a definite proof that this form of Salat al-Taraweeh is the dominant, strong, and obligatory to follow for the Ummah.
This discussion clarifies that declaring eight rakats as Salat al-Taraweeh is neither proven by the practice of the Companions (RA) nor by the statements of the Mujtahid Imams, but it is the result of applying the personal Tahajjud routine of the Holy Prophet ﷺ to Taraweeh, which is against the principles of Hadith and the understanding of the predecessors. In contrast, the proof of twenty rakats is established by the traditions of the Companions (RA), practical consensus, and the unanimous position of the four Imams, and on this basis, it has been recognized as a confirmed Sunnah.
In conclusion: The method that is proven by the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the collective practice of the Ummah should be adopted in worship, and such rare, individual, or later tendencies should be avoided that weaken the inherited form of religion in the name of apparent ease or expansion. In this fundamental context, this article makes the protection of the established Sunnah its central goal while negating numerical disputes and innovation.
The article presents a principled, hadithic, and jurisprudential analysis of the issue of the rakats of Salat al-Taraweeh. In this research, in the light of definitive texts, the practical example of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the continuous practice of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and the unanimous statements of the four Imams, it has been proven that the twenty rakats of Salat al-Taraweeh are the established Sunnah and the inherited method of the Ummah. The article clarifies that the concept of eight rakats is a non-applicable understanding taken from the Tahajjud routine of the Prophet ﷺ, which has neither the support of the practice of the Companions (RA) nor the jurisprudential consensus. The central purpose of the research is that following the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs should be made the standard in the matter of worship and that reduction in religious symbols should be avoided through numerical disputes or innovative interpretations. This article concludes that acting on twenty rakats of Taraweeh is not only jurisprudentially dominant but also indispensable for the unity of the Ummah, the protection of the Sunnah, and religious continuity.