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Performing 20 Rakats of Taraweeh Salaah is Sunnah, and performing only 8 is contrary to it. In Sha Allah hereunder we will understand the proofs and logic of Taraweeh being 20 Rakats and the absurdity of anyone claiming that it is only 8.
The word ‘Taraweeh’is the plural of ‘Tarweeha’, which means giving the body a rest. After every 4 Rakats, we sit for recuperation and comfort. This sitting is called Tarweehaand 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 in Arabic is used for a minimum of three. If Taraweeh was 8 Rakats, there should only be one Tarweeha between these 8 Rakats. So the Salaah should not even be called Taraweeh. For three Tarweehas, a minimum amount of 16 Rakats are needed. After every 4 Rakats, one Tarweeha occurs and there is no Tarweeha before the Witr. Thus, the name ‘Taraweeh’itself disproves the 8 Rakats theory. [Jaa’al Haqqu Wazahaqal Baatil]
The Holy Qur’an is made up of Ayats, Surahs and Rukus. The article which has been given a name is known as a Surah and Surah means something that surrounds (i.e. it surrounds one subject, e.g. Surah Balad). Sentences in the Holy Qur’an which have no separate name are known as Ayats (Verses) and Ayat means a sign (i.e. a sign of the power of Allah). But what is a Ruku? Ruku means to bend. Why have they been called so?
From the books of Qirat (Qur’anic Recitation), it is known that the amount of Qur’an recited before going into the Ruku position in Taraweeh by Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and Hazrat Uthman Ghani (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) 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 Rakats, and the Holy Qur’an being completed on the 27th of Ramadaan, there should be 540 Rakats/Rukus to complete the Holy Qur’an. However, 557 were appointed because on the last day, many short Surahs are read in the final Rakats. If Taraweeh was 8 Rakats, there should only be a total of 216 Rukus. The amount of Rukus in the Holy Qur’an establishes that Taraweeh should be 20 Rakats. This is why no deviant Bud-Mazhab who believes in 8 Rakats of Taraweeh can explain the reasoning of the Qur’anic Rukus. [Jaa’al Haqqu Wazahaqal Baatil]
Furthermore, there are 20 Rakats of Salaah necessary to be performed every day, 17 Fardh (2 Fajr, 4 Zohr, 4 Asr, 3 Maghrib and 4 Esha for the five daily Salaah) and 3 Witr. In Ramadaan Shareef, Allah Ta’ala instituted these 20 Rakats of Taraweeh to compliment and perfect the 20 daily Rakats of Namaaz. Every Rakat has to be performed. Again, no deviant Bud-Mazhab who believes in 8 Rakats of Taraweeh can explain the connection of 8 Rakats of Taraweeh to the compulsory 20 Rakats.
It should be noted that at first, Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) performed Taraweeh Salaah with Jamaat (congregation), but after performing it for two days, he said, “If I regularly perform Taraweeh, I fear it becoming compulsory and this will be difficult on my Ummah. For this reason, you people perform it in your homes.”
In the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), still no formal arrangement was made for Taraweeh and people used to read it individually. It was Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) who was responsible for formalizing this Salaah and appointing 20 Rakats to be performed with Jamaat. Thus it is correct that the Taraweeh Salaah is the Sunnah of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) but its formal Jamaat is the Sunnah of Sayyiduna Farooq‑e‑Azam (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not order 8 Rakats to be performed nor did he regulate that many. In fact, 8 Rakats of Taraweeh being performed by him is not explicitly proven anywhere in the Hadith, yet on the contrary it is proven from the Hadith that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) performed 20 Rakats of Taraweeh. For example Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) narrates, “Verily in the month of Ramadaan Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to pray 20 Rakats and Witr independent from any congregation.” [Baihaqi] It is also the agreement of the Blessed Sahaabah that 20 Rakats is not against the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). [Jaa’al Haqqu Wazahaqal Baatil]
Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) formally organized and instituted 20 Rakats of Taraweeh with Jamaat during his Khilafat, and the Sahaabah agreed on this. Firstly, Sayyiduna Farooq-e-Azam (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) would not have established something that goes against the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Secondly, if for arguments sake someone says he did, the other Sahaabah-e-Kiraam would not have agreed with him and would have opposed that which goes against the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). The fact that all the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam had consensus (Ijma) on Taraweeh being 20 Rakats, shows that this is the way of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and that Taraweeh cannot be 8 Rakats.
The learned act upon that which is narrated from Hazrat Maula Ali, Hazrat Umar Farooq and other Sahaabah-e-Kiraam (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum), which is 20 Rakats. No Companion of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) differs with this. [Umdatul Qaari] This is also the ruling of the Awliya Allah, the pious predecessors and the Ulama. Mulla Ali Qaari (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states, “In the time of Hazrat Umar, Uthman and Ali (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhum), the Sahaabah used to perform 20 Rakats of Taraweeh. For this reason, it has been agreed upon this amount.” [Sharah Niqaaya]
It is therefore proven that the Sahaabah, Taba’een, Taba-Taba’een, Fuqaha and Muhadditheen agreed upon 20 Rakats. None of them ordered Taraweeh as 8 or performed it as such. Only the corrupt and deviant Ghair Muqallids and Bud-Muzhabs read 8 Rakats because they are followers of the desires of their Nafs and not of the Deen of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
Some misled people make the argument that it was Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) who introduced the 20 Rakats and not Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), therefore they do not follow him, they follow Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Firstly if this is the case, why do they perform 8 Rakats Taraweeh in Jamaat because reading Taraweeh in Jamaat was also established by Hazrat Umar Farooq (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh). Secondly Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said in the Hadith, “Practice on my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my Khulafa.” [Jaa’al Haqqu Wazahaqal Baatil]
Who can understand the beautiful Deen of Islam better than those blessed Companions who learnt directly from Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), who sat in his blessed company and who sacrificed their lives for Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and his Deen? It is absurd for someone in this era to think that they understand Taraweeh better than Sayyiduna Farooq‑e‑Azam (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam. May Allah Ta’ala save us from such corrupt and deviant people.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Taufeeq to follow Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam and not Shaitaan and our Nafs, Allahumma Ameen.
