The word Taraawiih تراويح is the plural of the word “Tarwihah” which literally means “To rest”. In the context of solaat Taraawiih, it means to rest between every four rak’ah. As defined by the author of Lisaanul Arab.
Going by this literal meaning, we can understand that if we perform eight rak’ah, we get only two rest periods (tarwiihatayn). A rest period after the first four rak’ah, and the other after the next four rak’ah.
This eight rak’ah, according to some linguists, cannot be called Taraawiih because we must have more than two rest periods for it to be called Taraawiih (according to the Arabic grammar which says less than three is not plural). This same position can be argued with the fact that two people and above make solaatul jamaa’ah.
Theologically, Solaat Taraawiih is the prayer that is performed by Muslims at night during the month of Ramadhaan after Solaatul Ishai.
Also, some scholars differentiate between Solaatul Taraawiih and Solaatul Layl. The latter term is used for the tahajjud prayer, while there is an opinion that says the two have the same meaning theoretically.
History Of Solaat Taraawiih:
Once, in the month of Ramadhaan, the Prophet solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam came out of his home and led Solaat Taraawiih. The Sahaabah who were present at the time prayed behind him in congregation. The second and the third nights, a larger number of the Sahaabah (radiya Allahu anhum ajma’een) came and performed Solaat Taraawiih behind the Prophet. On the fourth night, a larger number of Sahaabah showed up in the masjid expecting to pray this new solaat behind the Prophet. But the Prophet solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam did not come out to lead Solaat Taraawiih that night. When the Prophet emerged for solaatu subh the next day, he said: “I knew you were waiting for me, but I did not come out to lead Solaat Taraawiih for the fear that this prayer might become obligatory for you (if I continued leading the prayer. That’s the reason I stopped performing Taraawiih with you in the congregation) which you might find difficult to fulfill.” Saheeh Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Daawud.
Since then, Sahaabah started to perform Solaat Taraawiih in small congregations in the masjid or in their homes.
How Many Rak’ah Did The Prophet Perform On Those Three Nights?
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani has has reported in his book “Al Talkhees AlHabeer page 540”, on the authority of Aa’ishah (radiya Allahu anhaa) that the Prophet performed Twenty (20) rak’ah Taraawiih on those three nights.
Imam Ibn Hibbaan(rahimahu Allahu) on the other hand has reported a hadeeth in which it is asserted that the Prophet performed eight rak’ah of Taraawiih on those three nights.
However, some scholars of hadeeth claim this hadeeth is weak because one of the people in the chain of narrators is a person named Isa Ibn Jaariyah and Imam Nisaa’i and Imam Abu Daawud have strongly questioned the authenticity of this narrator. Consequently, both of these Imams of hadeeth concluded that the ahadeeth narrated by Isa Ibn Jaariyah are not accepted.
Taraawiih Prayer During The Time Of Abu Bakr
During the time when Abu Bakr (radiya Allahu anhu) was the caliph, people prayed at home alone and in mosques with a congregation. Abu Bakr didn’t reinstate Taraawiih in the congregation, but he didn’t even forbid to perform in the congregation. It remained as it was during the time of the Prophet solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah radiya Allahu anhu that he said: “Allah’s Messenger said, “Whoever prayed at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” Ibn Shihab (a sub-narrator) said, “Allah’s Messenger died and the people continued observing that (i.e. Nawafil offered individually, not in congregation), and it remained as it was during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr and in the early days of Umar’s Caliphate.”” Sahih al-Bukhari; Vol. 3, Book 32, Hadith 227.
Tarawiih Prayer During The Time Of Umar
Umar (radiya Allahu anhu) is the caliph who reinstated Tarawiih in the congregation. People started performing 20 rak’ah Tarawiih in the congregation and completing recitation of the whole Quran in the Solaat Tarawiih.
It was narrated that Abdur Rahman Ibn Abdul Qari said, “I went out in the company of Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in Ramadhaan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, Umar said, “In my opinion, I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)”. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubayy Ibn Ka’b.
Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, Umar remarked, “What an excellent Bid’ah (innovation) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.” He meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night.” Sahih al-Bukhari; Vol. 3, Book 32, Hadith 227.
Tarawiih Prayer During The Time Of Uthman
The caliph Uthman bn Affaan (radiya Allahu anhu) also continued performing 20 rak’ah Tarawiih in the congregation as like the time of Umar (radiya Allahu anhu).
Taraawiih Prayer During The Time of Ali
The last caliph Ali bn Abee Taalib (radiya Allahu anhu) also continued performing 20 rak’ah Taraawiih in the congregation as like the time of Umar and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them all).
Narrated by Abu Abdur Rahman Sulami (rahimahu Alhah) that “In the nights of Ramadhaan, Ali called upon the reciters of the Qur’an and ordered one of them to lead the people in 20 Rak’ah of Taraawiih. Ali would lead the people himself in the Salatul Witr.” see Sunan Kabeer Baihaqi Vol. 2, P. 496; Fathul Bari Vol. 4, P. 219.
How Many Rak’ah Did The Prophet Perform For Solaat Taraawiih In The Remainder Of The Nights?
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يصلي في رمضان عشرين ركعة و الوتر.
Narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). He says, “The Prophet would pray 20 rak’ah and then Salat Al-Witr in the month of Ramadhan.” see Musnad ibn Abi Shaybah Vol. 2, Page 394; Sunan Baihaqii Vol. 2, page . 496; Tabarani Kabir Vol. 11, Page 393.
و عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يصلي في شهر رمضان في غير جماعة عشرين ركعة و الوتر
Ibn Abbass also narrated that the Prophet used to pray twenty rak’ah by himself followed by witr (every night) in the month of Ramadhaan. See Sunan AlBaihaqii, Volume 2 page 1210.
These ahadeeth clearly prove that even though the Prophet did not continue to perform Solaat Taraawiih with the congregation because of the fear that it might become an obligation upon the ummah. He regularly performed twenty rak’ah every night during the month of Ramadhaan, which makes solaatul Taraawiih to be a sunnatu mu-akkadah. And after his demise, which the fear has been erased, the Sahaabah and khulafa Raashideen would observe the solaat in congregation.
Consensus (Ijmaa’u) Of Sahaabah On Twenty Rak’ah
There was ijmaa’u on the legitimacy of 20 rak’ah nafil for Taraawiih; while the Ijmaa’u did not say lesser or more rak’ah is bid’ah.
During the reign of Umar (radiya Allahu anhu), he once went to the mosque in the month of Ramadhaan and noticed that people were performing solaat Taraawiih in small congregations, he said to the sahaabah: “Now that we do not have the fear that Salaat Taraawiih will become an obligation (waajib) for us, we can start performing it in congregation”. He then asked Ubayy Ibn Ka’ab to lead solaat Taraawiih – twenty rak’ah followed by three rak’ah of witri. (saheeh Bukhari)
The Sahaabah welcomed Umar’s direction and none of them objected this move. From then on, they used to perform twenty-three rak’ah Salaat Taraawiih including the witr every night in congregation during the month of Ramadhaan.
All of the sahaabah including Uthman, Ali and even our mother Aa’ishah radiya Allahu anhaa agreed with Umar. All of them agreed to twenty-three rak’ah of Taraawiih and witri every night during the month of Ramadhaan in the mosque of the Prophet solla Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Ubayy Ibn Ka’ab narrated that Umar ordered him to lead solaat Taraawiih during the nights of Ramadhaan, so I led people (sahaabah and Taabi’een) in praying twenty rak’ah. See Kanz umaal Vol. 2 page 284.
As-Saa-ib Ibn Yazeed narrated that we used to offer twenty rak’ah followed by witr in the reign of Umar. (sunan AlBaihaqii Vol. 1 page 296)
Imam An-Nawawi has confirmed the authenticity of this hadeeth in his book “Sharh Al-Muhazzab Vol. 4 page 32” as well as Imam Subkiy in his saheeh.
There are some group of extremists today who regard observing twenty rak’ah as bid’ah (reprehensible innovation); is it even remotely imaginable that all of the Sahaabah including Umar, Uthman, Ali, Aa’ishah, Safiyyah could have all together agreed to perform a bid’ah?!
If they do not object to Umar, how are we to object now 1400 years later and on what grounds?
A great number of Islamic scholars have confirmed the Sahaabah’s consensus of solaat Taraawiih being twenty rak’ah. The following are a few examples of their writings:
**Ibn Taemiyah reported that it has been confirmed that Ubayy Ibn Ka’ab used to lead people in offering twenty rak’ah of Solaat Taraawiih followed by three rak’ah of witri in the month of Ramadhaan. See Fataawa Ibn Taymiyyah Vol. 1 page 191.
In the famous book of the Hambali fiqh, Raud Riyaadh, it has been mentioned that: “Solaat Taraawiih is sunnah mu-akkadah (regular sunnah) and consists of twenty rak’ah, based on the hadeeth of Abdullah Ibn Abbass that the Prophet used to offer twenty rak’ah during the month of Ramadhaan.
Imam Ghazaali has also confirmed that solaat Taraawiih is sunnah mu-akkadah and consists of twenty rak’ah and the method of offering is well known. See Ihya uloom Vol 1 page 208.
This is the first part to be discussed as regard the Controversies Surrounding Taraawiih.
The other parts which entail the Opinions of the Four great Imams of Fiqh; refutation of those who consider 20 rak’ah as bid’ah; understanding of the consensus; conclusion on the varying opinions; rewards and virtues of Taraawiih; as well as spiritual advice regarding Taraawiih; are discussed in my book “Fiqh Ramadhan – in accordance with the four Madh-hab”
The softcopy of the book is now available for purchase; likewise the hardcopy. Contact me via WhatsApp +971553369133 to get a copy.
More interesting 18 chapters in the book.