CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

PROOF OF THE 20 RAKAAT TARAWEEH SALAAH

Performing 20 rakaats Taraweeh Salaah is Sunnat, and performing only 8 is contrary to it. Insha-Allahعزوجل, we will prove this from the setting of the Holy Quran, Sahih Ahadith, rulings of the Ulama and even rationally.

1. The Holy Quran is made up of Ayats, Surahs and Rukus. The article which has been given a name is known as a Surah, and sentences in the Quran which have no separate name are known as Ayats (verses). But what is a Ruku? Surah means something that surrounds (i.e. it surrounds one subject, e.g. Surah Balad), and Ayat means a sign (i.e. a sign of the power of Allahعزوجل). Ruku, however, means to bend. Why have they been called so?

From the books of Qiraat (Quranic Recitation), it is known'that the amount of Quran recited before going into the Ruku position in Taraweeh by Hadrat Umar and Uthman رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ was called 1 Ruku. In other words, it was the amount they recited before going into that position. Based on Taraweeh being read as 20 rakaats, and the Holy Quran being completed on the 27^th of Ramadaan, there should be 540 RakaatslRukus to complete the Holy Quran. However, 557 were appointed because on the last day, many short Surahs are read in the final rakaats. If Taraweeh was 8 rakaats, there should only be a total of 216 Rukus. The amount of Rukus in the Holy Quran establishes that Taraweeh should be 20 rakaats. Can the Wahabies, after accepting Taraweeh to be 8 rakaats, explain the reasoning of the Quranic Rukus?

2. Taraweeh is the plural of Tarweeha, which means giving the body a rest. After every 4 rakaats, we sit for recuperation and comfort. This sitting is called Tarweeha, and it is for this reason that this namaaz is called Taraweeh (i.e. the collection of comforts). Taraweeh is plural, and the plural form of a word is used (in Arabic) for a minimum of three. If Taraweeh was 8 rakaats, there should be only one Tarweeha between these 8 rakaats. So, it shouldn't even be called Taraweeh. For three Tarweehas, a minimum amount of 16 rakaats are needed. After every 4 rakaats, one Tarweeha will occur (and there is no Tarweeha before the Witr). Thus, the name "Taraweeh" itself refutes the 8 rakaats theory.

3. Also, there are 20 rakaats of Salaah necessary to be performed every day -­l7 Fardh (2, 4, 4, 3 and 4 for the five daily Salaah) and 3 Witt. In Ramadaan Sharif, Allahعزوجل instituted these 20 rakaats of Taraweeh to compliment and perfect the 20 daily rakaats of namaaz." Every rakaat has to be performed. Ghair-Muqallids (those who reject the Four Imams, e.g. Imam Abu Hanifa رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ etc.) probably only read 8 as compulsory Salaah daily. Otherwise, what connection do these 8 rakaats of Taraweeh have with the compulsory 20?

TARAWEEH IN THE HADITH

It should be bared in mind that at first, the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم performed Taraweeh Salaah with jamaat (congregation), but after performing it for two days, he said, "If I regularly perform Taraweeh, I fear it becoming Fardh, and this will be difficult on my Ummah. For this reason, you people perform it in your homes."

Some say that it was Tahajjud Salaah which was performed in Ramadaan with much preparation. This is why the Sahaaba used to complete it at the end-time of Sehri. In the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ, still no formal arrangement was made for Taraweeh, and people used to read it individually. It was Hadrat Umar رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہwho was responsible for formalizing this Salaah and appointing 20 rakaats to it. He also arranged it to be performed with jamaat. Thus, it is correct that the Taraweeh Salaah is the Sunnah of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم but its formal jamaat is the Sunnah of Hadrat Umar رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ. The Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم didn't order 8 rakaats to be performed nor did he regulate that many. In truth, 8 rakaats being performed by him is not explicitly proven anywhere, and so is it the agreement of the Sahaaba that 20 rakaats is not against the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. We have been commanded, “علیکم بسنتی وسنۃ الخلفاء الرشدین”-Hadtth Sharif

Thus, we now present the practices of the Sahaaba, Ghair-Muqallids must produce a Sahih, Marfoo Hadith that explicitly establishes Taraweeh being 8 rakaats. Insha-Allah, they will never be able to do so. Now follows our Ahadith,

1. Hadrat Umar رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ formally organized and instituted 20 rakaats of Taraweeh with jamaat in his Khilaafat, and the Sahaaba agreed (ijrnaa) on this. Hadrat Saib ibn Yazid رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ states, “قال کنا نقوم فی عھد عمر بعشرین رکعۃرواہ البیھقی فی المعرفۃ باسناد صحیح” Mu'atta Imam Maalik رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ

2. Ibn Manee رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ reports from Hadrat Ubai ibn Ka'ab رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ “فصلّٰی بھم عشرین رکعۃ”.

3. Baihaqi states, “عن ابی الحسناء ان علی ابن ابی طالب امر رجلا یصلی بالناس خمس ترویحات عشرین رکعۃ”.

4. Ibn Abi Shaiba رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ, T'ibrani in Kabeer and Baihaqi record, “عن ابن عباس ان النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کان یصلی فی رمضان عشرین رکعۃ سوی الوتر”.

This proves that the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم himself used to perform 20 rakaats of Taraweeh.

5. Baihaqi has the following, “وعن ابن شکل وکان من اصحاب علی انہ کان یومھم فی شھر رمضان فیصلی خمس ترویحات عشرین رکعات”.

6. The same book further states, “وعن ابی عبدالرحمٰن السلمی ان علیا رعی القراء فی رمضان فامر رجلا یصلی الناس عشرین رکعۃ وکان علی یوتربھم”.

7. A Hadith with a sound Chain of Narration (Sahih Sanad) is also reported in Baihaqi, “عن السائب ابن یزید قال کانوا یقومون علٰی عھد عمر فی شھر رمضان بعشرین رکعۃ”.