Misconceptions Concerning Taraweeh

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Aziz bin Baaz rahimahullaah

1. What number of raka'aat is the Taraaweeh prayer consist of? Does it have a specific
number? What number of raka'aat is best?

By the Name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All Praise is due
to Allaah, and may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon Allaah's
Messenger, and upon his family, companions, and whoever follows his guidance.

What has authentically been reported from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam confirms the fact that there is much latitude with respect to the number
of raka'aat to be performed in the night prayer, and that there is no definite
number. But it is the Sunnah (way of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)
that the believer, male and female, pray in pairs of twos, making tasleem after
every two.

Amongst these narrations is that which has been reported by al-Bukhari and
Muslim in the hadith of ibn 'Umar radiallaahu 'anhu, that the Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "Salaat al-Layl (the night prayer) is in pairs
of two, and whosoever amongst you fears the break of dawn, let him pray one
rak'ah, for it will be a Witr for all the raka'aat he has previously offered."

And his saying, "Salaat al-layl is in pairs of two," is a declarative statement, but
has the implication [in Usool al-Fiqh] of a command; it is equivalent to his
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying, "Pray in the night in pairs of two."

What is intended here by praying in pairs of two is that one is that the tasleem is
to be pronounced after every two raka'aat. Then, the prayer is to be concluded by
performing one rak'ah, which is known as the Witr (odd) prayer. This is how the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would perform his prayer. He sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam would pray in the night in pairs of two, and then pray one
rak'ah of Witr, as was described in the different narrations of 'Aa'ishah, Ibn
'Abbaas, and other Sahaabah, may Allaah be pleased with them all. 'Aa'ishah
radiallaahu 'anha said, "The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
would perform ten raka'aat of prayer, pronouncing the tasleem after every
two, and then perform one rak'ah of Witr."

And she radiallaahu 'anha also said, "The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
would not increase the number of raka'aat in the night prayer more than
eleven, neither in Ramadaan nor in any other month. He would pray four
raka'aat, let alone their excellency and their length, then he would pray
another four, let alone their excellency and their length, and then he would
pray three..." [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Some people have mistakenly presumed that these four raka'aat are to be
performed with one tasleem, but this is not correct. What is meant here is that
the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would conclude the prayer by
pronouncing the tasleem every two raka'aat, as is mentioned in the previous
hadith, as well as in his sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying, "The night prayer is
in pairs of two." Another evidence is what has been authentically reported in
Saheeh al-Bukhari by Ibn 'Abbaas, that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
used to pronounce the tasleem after every two raka'aat.

And 'Aai'shah's statement, may Allaah be pleased with her, "The Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would not increase the number of raka'aat in the
night prayer more than eleven, neither in Ramadaan nor in any other month," is
an evidence that what is preferred in the night prayer, whether in Ramadaan or
in any other month, is that one performs eleven raka'aat, pronouncing the
tasleem after every two, and then concluding the prayer with one rak'ah of Witr.

And it has also been narrated by 'Aai'shah and other Sahaabah that the Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would also at times pray thirteen rak'ah.

Performing eleven or thirteen rak'ah is what is preferred and what has been
most authentically reported of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. And of
the two, performing eleven raka'aat is preferred, but if he was to perform
thirteen, including the Witr, then this is also Sunnah and good. And praying this
number is more gentle on the people. It is more favorable to the Imam's
khushoo' and recitation, its beauty, his reflection upon its verses, and the rukoo'
and sujood. It also does not cause him to haste in his prayer.

And if one prayed twenty-three rak'ah, including the Witr, as 'Umar radiallaahu
'anhu and other Sahaabah did in some nights of Ramadaan, then there is no
harm in that, because there is much latitude in this matter. It has been reported
that 'Umar radiallaahu 'anhu and other companions prayed eleven rak'ah
including the Witr, as in the hadeeth of 'Aai'shah radiallaahu 'anha, and also that
he prayed twenty three. And it has also been reported that he ordered whom he
appointed to lead the night prayer from the Sahaabah to pray eleven rak'ah, as
has been reported that he ordered them to pray twenty-three. This gives
evidence to the fact that there is much latitude in this matter, as does his
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying, "The night prayer is in pairs of two."

But what is preferred is to pray eleven or thirteen rak'ah as this is what the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallamadiallaahu 'anhu did. And it has been
previously mentioned that of the two, praying eleven rak'ah is best, on account
of the saying of 'Aai'shah radiallaahu 'anha, "The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam would not increase the number of raka'aat in the night prayer more than
eleven, neither in Ramadaan nor in any other month." What is meant here is
that he would not increase most of the time, and this is due to the fact that she
and other Sahaabah also reported that he sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
performed thirteen rak'ah, This confirms that he would sometimes increase the
prayer more than eleven rak'ah.

'Aa'ishah radiallaahu 'anhu was the most understanding in the religion and most
knowledgeable of the Sunnah of the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
from amongst the women. She would investigate and question what the Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam would do when she was with him and would inform
other Sahaabah of it. She would ask other wives of the Prophet sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam and companions as well. Because of her devotion to knowledge
and her extensive memory, she preserved a substantial amount of knowledge
and numerous ahaadith of the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
 Therefore, if the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam diversified his prayer by
performing eleven rak'ah in some nights and thirteen in others, then there is no
harm in that, for it is all considered Sunnah. But what is not permissible is to
pray four raka'aat uninterruptedly. Rather it is obligatory to pray in pairs of two
due to his sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying, "The night prayer is in pairs if
two," for this is a declarative statement which [in Usool al-Fiqh] has the
implication of a command.

Also, if one prayed the Witr prayer by performing three or five raka'aat
uninterruptedly with one sitting, then there is no harm in this, for the Prophet
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam also prayed in this way. However, one is not to pray
four, six, or eight raka'aat simultaneously, as this has not been reported of the
Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam It also contradicts his command, "The
night prayer is in pairs of two." And if one were to continuously perform seven
or nine raka'aat, then there is no harm in this either, but what is preferred is to
sit for the first tashahhud after the sixth or the eighth rak'ah, and then to stand
and complete the rest of the prayer.

All of this has been transmitted of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and
there is much latitude in this. But what is best is to pronounce the tasleem after
every two raka'aat, and then to perform one rak'ah of Witr prayer, as was
previously quoted in the hadith of ibn 'Umar, "Salaat al-Layl (the night prayer)
is in pairs of two, and whosoever amongst you fears the break of dawn, let him
pray one rak'ah, for it will be a Witr for all the raka'aat he has previously
offered"

This is what is preferred and easier for the people, for some people might have
necessities to fulfill and might have to leave after two, four, or six raka'aat. So
what is best and more befitting is that the Imaam pray in pairs of two raka'aat,
and not perform five or seven continuously. However, if he were to do that
sometimes to clarify the Sunnah, there is no harm.

As for praying the Shaf'a and Witr continuously like the Maghrib prayer by
sitting after two raka'aat, this is not befitting, and at the very least it is makrooh
(hated). This is due to the prohibition of making it resemble the Maghrib prayer.
He is to continuously pray three raka'aat with one tasleem and one sitting, and
Allaah is the Owner of Tawfeeq.

2. Is it better for the Imaam to vary in the number of raka'aat he performs, or to limit it to
eleven?

I do not know any harm in the Imaam varying in the number of raka'aat. If he
prays eleven rak'ah in some nights and twenty three in others, then there is
nothing wrong in this. Even if he were to pray more than twenty-three, there is
no harm, for there is much leeway in the matter regarding the number of
raka'aat to be performed in Taraaweeh. However, if he limits the prayer to
eleven rak'ah to reaffirm the Sunnah and to teach the people, then there is no
harm in that either.

3. What about people, if they pray with an Imaam who prays twenty three rak'ah, pray
eleven, and in doing that do not complete the prayer with the Imaam? Is their action in
terms with the Sunnah?
 The Sunnah is to complete the prayer with the Imaam, even if he were to pray
twenty three rak'ah, for the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
said, "Whosoever stands [in prayer] with the Imaam until he completes it,
Allaah writes for him [the reward] as if he has prayed the whole night." It has
been reported in another wording, "...the remainder of the night." Hence it is
better for the one praying to perform the prayer with the Imaam until he
completes it, whether it consists of eleven, twenty three, or any other number of
raka'aat. This is what is better, that he follows the Imaam until he completes the
prayer. As for the authenticity of praying twenty three rak'ah, it was performed
by 'Umar radiallaahu 'anhu and other Sahaabah as well, so there is no
shortcoming in that. In fact, it is from the Sunnah, the Sunnah of the rightly
guided successors. The evidence for this is that in the hadith if ibn 'Umar
radiallaahu 'anhu previously mentioned, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam did not specify any particular number of raka'aat, rather, he sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam said, "The night prayer is in pairs of two."

4. Is it preferred that the Imaam complete the entire Qur'aan in Taraaweeh?

There is much latitude in this matter. I do not know of any evidence that proves
that it is better, except for the fact that some scholars have mentioned that it is
praiseworthy (mustahab) for the Imaam to recite the entire Qur'aan for the
congregation, in order that they receive the opportunity to listen to its entirety.
However, this is not a clear evidence. What is most important is that the Imaam
has khushoo' in his prayer, that he feels at rest, and that the people benefit from
him, even if he did not complete except for half of the Qur'aan. What is
important is not that he completes it, but that the people benefit and find peace
in his prayer, his khushoo', and his recitation. However, if it is made easy for
him to complete the recitation, then all praise is for Allaah, and if it is not made
easy, then what he does recite for them is sufficient, for his concern should be
for the people and that they have khushoo' in their prayer. That the people
benefit is more important than the mere completion of the Qur'aan, but if he
does finish the Qur'aan without causing difficulty for the people, then this is well
and good.

5. Is it permissible for one or more people from the congregation to carry a mushaf during
the Taraaweeh prayer?

I do not know any evidence to support this. What is apparent is that one should
have khushoo' and feel at peace in his prayer, and not carry a mushaf. He should
put his right hand over is left hand as is the Sunnah. He should place his right
hand on his left hand, wrist, and forearm, and put them on his chest. This is
what is better and more correct. Carrying a mushaf prevents one from doing
these acts of Sunnah and concentrating on the Imaam and his recitation, and
keeps his heart and eyes busy in examining the pages and verses. So what I
believe is that leaving it is the Sunnah, and that one should listen and
concentrate on the recitation, and not use the mushaf. And if someone from the
congregation comes to know that the Imaam made a mistake, he should correct
him, and if he does not, then someone else should correct him. But if the Imaam
does make a mistake in recitation and he is not corrected, it does not harm the
prayer. A mistake only harms the prayer if it made in Surah al-Faatihah, for it is
a rukn of the prayer. But if one was to carry a mushaf and correct the Imaam
when it necessitates, then there may be no harm in that. But as for every person
carrying a mushaf, then this is contrary to the Sunnah.
6. What is the ruling concerning the apparent raising of people's voices in weeping that
has become very apparent in the masaajid?

I have warned many of those who have called me from this act. This is not a
befitting act on account of the fact that it distracts others and also the one
reciting the Qur'aan. So what is incumbent upon the believer is that he be
cautious in that he is not heard weeping, and that he be cautious in that he does
not show off by it, for Shaytaan might lead him to that. It is incumbent that he
does not disturb the people by his weeping. It is known that some people do not
do it by their choice, but that it is something that overwhelms them without
intending it. This is forgiven if it occurred without his choice. It has been
authentically reported that when the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
recited, a sound like the wheezing of a cauldron could be heard from his
weeping. And it has also been reported that when Abu Bakr t recited the
Qur'aan, people could not hear due to his weeping. And also it has been reported
of 'Umar t that his weeping could be heard from the last rows of the
congregation. This does not mean, though, that they would intentionally raise
their voice in crying, but that it was something that overwhelmed them by the
khashyah of Allaah. Therefore if weeping does subdue someone without him
intending it, then is no blame in that.

7. Some people, when the Imaam and he pronounces tasleem in the Witr, stand and
perform another rak'ah in order that they can pray the Witr at a later time in the last part
of the night. What is the ruling concerning this? Is this considered completing with the
Imaam?

We do not know any harm in this, as the scholars have mentioned, because a
person does this so that he can pray the Witr at a later time in the last part of the
night. It will be counted as if he stood with the Imaam until he completed the
prayer since he did stand with the Imaam until he turned away, but merely
added another rak'ah. He did this in the interest of the religionee'ah, which is
that the Witr could be performed in the last part of the night, so there is no harm
in this. He is not disqualified from gaining the reward of standing with the
Imaam, but in fact he stood with the Imaam until he completed his prayer. He
did not complete it with him, rather delayed it shortly.

8. If a person came to the masjid and found the congregation praying Taraaweeh, and he
had not as yet prayed 'Ishaa, can he join them in prayer with the niyyah of praying
'Ishaa?

There is no harm in that one pray with the niyyah of 'Ishaa with others who are
praying Taraaweeh. This is the correct opinion of the two held by the scholars.
And when the Imaam pronounces the tasleem, he should stand and complete
the remainder of his prayer. It has been reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim on
the authority of Mu'aadh bin Jabal radiallaahu 'anhu, that he used to pray the
'Ishaa prayer with the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, then return to his
people and lead them in theirs, and the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam did
not object to that. This proves the permissibility of praying an obligatory prayer
behind the one praying a superogatory one. It has been reported in Saheeh al-
Bukhari, that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in some types of the
prayer of fear, prayed two rak'ah with a group of believers, prayed another two
with the next group, and then made the tasleem. So the first two rak'ahs was
considered obligatory prayer, and the second was considered superogatory for
him, and obligatory for the congregation.