THE NUMBER OF RAKA'ATS OF TARAWIH

'A'ishah radi Allahu anha reported that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would not pray more than eleven raka'at during Ramadan or otherwise. This is related by the group.

Ibn Khuzaimah and Ibn Hibban have recorded in their sahihs on the authority of Jabir that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed eight raka'at and the witr prayer with the companions. Then the next day the people waited for him but he did not come out to them.

Abu Ya'la and at-Tabarani record with a hasan chain, from Jabir that Ubayy ibn Ka'b came to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said "O Messenger of Allah, I have done someting last night." [during Ramadan] The Prophet said "And what was that, O Ubayy?" He said "The women in my house said "We don't recite Qur'an [well or much] so can we pray behind you?" I prayed eight raka'at and the witr prayer with them." Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was pleased with that and did not say anything."

This is the Sunnah that has been related from Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and nothing besides it that is authentic. It is also true that during the times of Omar, Uthman and Ali the people prayed twenty raka'at, and this is the opinion of the majority of the jurists of the Hanafi and Hanbali.

At-Tirmidhi says "Most of the people of knowledge follow what has been related from Omar and Ali and other companions of the Prophet, [that they prayed] twenty raka'at. And this is the opinion of at-Thauri, ibn al Mubarak, and ash-Shafi'i. And so I found the people of Makkah praying twenty raka'at."

Al Zarqani says "And Ibn Hibban mentions that in the beginning tarawih prayer was eleven raka'at. As they prolonged recitation in them the people found it tiresome. So they shortened the recitation and increased the number of raka'at; they prayed twenty raka'at with moderate recitation. This did not include witr..."

Some of the scholars are of the opinion that the sunnah is eleven raka'at, including witr, and it is also preferred to pray the remainder [of the twenty raka'at].

�