The consensus of the Companions on 20 Raka'at Taraweeh

A Hadith is given in Mughni of Hadhrat Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) that he (Hadhrat Ali) commanded a person to lead the people in 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh in Ramadhan.  In the explanation of this Hadith, Imam ‘Aini (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes: This practice of the Sahabah is like their consensus.   (Umdatul Qari Sharh Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Ul Tahajjud)   Imam Zail‘ai (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes:   Translation: Our proof is the Hadith which Imam Baihaqui (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has narrated with a rigorously-authenticated chain of narration that the Sahabah would offer 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh in the caliphate of Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him).  This practice continued in the eras of Hadhrat ‘Uthman and Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) and in this way the Sahabah came to a consensus (on 20 Raka’at Taraweeh).   Hadhrat Mulla Ali Qari (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes in his commentary on Mishkaat Sharh Mirqaat:   Translation: Nevertheless, the Sahabah have agreed that Taraweeh is of 20 Raka’at.   (Mirqat Ul Mafateeh, Kitab Us Salaat, Bab Qiyami Shahri Ramadhan)   Hadhrat Imam Sarkhisi Hanafi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes in Mabsut:   Translation: The consensus of the Sahabah on 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh is the evidence that all the Fardh and Wajib Salaat in the day and night add up to 20 and this number will be completed when Witr is considered as Wajib.   (Mabsut Sarkhisi, Kitab Us Salaat, Al Faslil Awwal Fi ‘Adadir Raka’at)   None of the Sahabah objected to 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh   Imam Kasani Hanafi (May Allah be well pleased with him) writes about 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh: Translation: There are 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh.  This is the opinion of the majority of scholars and this is the authentic one because Hadhrat Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) gathered the Sahabah under the leadership (Imamat) of Hadhrat Ubai bin Ka‘ab (May Allah be well pleased with him), and he led them in 20 Raka’at every night and none of the Sahabah denied this (or objected to this), in this manner, the consensus of the Sahabah on this issue was achieved.   (Bada‘i Us Sana‘i, Vol 1, Kitab Us Salaat, Pg No: 644)   Allama Ibn Taimiya’s clarification - The emigrant Sahabah and the natives of Madina, all agreed to 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh   Allama Ibn Taimiya writes in his Majmu’ Al Fatawa:   Translation: It is well established that Hadhrat Ubai bin Ka‘ab (May Allah be well pleased with him) used to lead the people in 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh in the month of Ramadhan and apart from that would lead them in 3 Raka’at of Witr.  Thus, many of the ‘Ulema say that this is a Sunnah because Hadhrat Ubai bin Ka‘ab did this in the presence of many of the Muhajirin (those who migrated from Macca to Madina) and Ansar (The natives of Madina) Sahabah and none of them opposed or denied this.   (Majmu Al Fatawa, Vol 23, Pg No: 112)   Allama Ibn Tamiya also writes:   Translation: 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh is the practice of the majority of the Muslims.  (Majmu’ Al Fatawa, Vol. 23, Pg. No. 112)   Allama Sauqi writes in Mausu‘a Fiqhiya, the encyclopedia of Fiqh, which was published the Auqaf ministry of Kuwait:   Translation: The Sahabah and the Tabie'n have offered 20 Raka’at of Taraweeh.   (Al Mausuatul Fiqhiya Al Kuwaitiya, Published by the Government of Kuwait, Vol 27, Pg No: 141/142)

Dr. Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri

Shaykh Ul Fiqh, Jamia Nizamia; Founder - Director

Mufti Maulana Syed Zia Uddin Naqshbandi Quadri

Shaik-ul-Fiqh - Jamia Nizamia

Scholarly Articles

The consensus of the Companions on 20 Raka'at Taraweeh