Some doubts about Taraweeh and their clarifications

Some people deny that the Hadith of 8 Raka’at is about Tahajjud and believe that Tahajjud and Taraweeh are the same.  In Ramadhan, apart from Tahajjud, no other Salaat of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is established.   This belief is against the canonic proofs.  No sane person can deny that Taraweeh and Tahajjud are different Salaat.  Many many Hadith attest to this.  The differences between Taraweeh and Tahajjud themselves prove this.  Here we will describe some differences between Taraweeh and Tahajjud:   (1)  Taraweeh is offered in the early portion of the night and Tahajjud is offered in the last portion of the night, as the Hadith narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) in Sahih Bukhari:   Translation:  The Salaat which people sleep over (and miss) is better than the Salaat, which people offer.  By this Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) meant offering Tahajjud in the last portion of the night whereas people offer Taraweeh in the earlier portion of the night.  (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 269, Hadith No. 1906; Sunan Kubra Lil Baihaqui, Hadith No. 4603)   (2)  The fasts of Ramadhan were obligated in 2 Hijri, whereas Tahajjud was being offered it from before this time.  After the fasts were obligated, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:   Translation:  Verily, Allah Ta'ala has decreed fasts to be obligatory for you and I have declared Taraweeh as a Sunnah.  Whoever fasts with Iman with the intention of reward in this month and offer Taraweeh, that person will be free of sins as he (or she) were at the time of birth.  (Sunan Nasai, Hadith No. 2180; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1318; Kanzul Ummal, Hadith No. 23655, 23722, 24289)   Considering Taraweeh and Tahajjud to be the same Salaat in spite of this is to deny truth itself.   (3)  There is no specific number of Raka’at fixed for Tahajjud.  It has already been mentioned that on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with her), apart from Witr, 4, 6, 8 and 10 Raka’at have been narrated whereas for Taraweeh the number of 20 is specified and fixed.  It is illogical to base something fixed on something unspecified.   (4)  No utterance of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and/or the Sahabah attests to this belief that Tahajjud and Taraweeh is the same.   (5)  Tahajjud is offered in all months, including Ramadhan, whereas Taraweeh is offered only in Ramadhan.   (6)  From the various Hadith of Tahajjud, it is clear that Tahajjud is offered after awakening from sleep and no Hadith mention sleeping before Taraweeh.   (7)  There is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim:   Translation: Hadhrat ‘Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would make such efforts (in worship) in the last 10 days of Ramadhan, which He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would not make at any other time.   There is a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:   Translation: It has been narrated on the authority of Ummul Momineen Hadhrat Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with her) that when the last 10 days of Ramadhan came, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would worship more than before, would spend the nights in worship and would wake up the members of the household (for worship). (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No: 2044; Sahih Muslim, Hadith No: 1174)   In the Hadith of Tahajjud, Hadhrat ‘Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with her) clarifies that whether in Ramadhan or out of it, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) never offered more than 8 Raka’at.  If Taraweeh and Tahajjud are one and the same, then what do 8 Raka’at of Tahajjud year-round and special efforts in worship mentioned in the aforementioned Hadith mean?  Both these Hadith are narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her).   If in Ramadhan and out of it, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) did not offer more than 8 Raka’at, then what would be special efforts in worship in Ramadhan?  Obviously, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would offer the special Salaat of Taraweeh in Ramadhan.   If Taraweeh is accepted as 20 Raka’at, then reconciliation of Hadith is possible   The Hadith of Ummul Momineen Hadhrat Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with her) mentions 8 Raka’at and in the beginning of the book a Hadith has been mentioned from Sahih Bukhari, which says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) offered Salaat for 2, 3 days and the Sahabah followed the lead of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in Salaat.   If the Hadith of 8 Raka’at is about Taraweeh, then which Salaat does the other Hadith talk about?  Both the Hadith cannot be about the same Salaat, as the previous Hadith of Hadhrat Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) is about Ramadhan and out of it and the other Hadith talks about 2, 3 days.  In the Hadith of 8 Raka’at, there is mention of during Ramadhan and apart from it.  The other Hadith in which the Sahabah followed the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in Salaat is about Taraweeh.   In the previous pages, the hollowness of the deduction of Taraweeh from the Hadith of 8 Raka’at has been made clear and the consequences of accepting this have been outlined.  Only when Taraweeh is taken as 20 Raka’at, the intent of the Hadith became clear.

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

Some doubts about Taraweeh and their clarifications