Is it permissible for us to pray the tarawih prayer in sets of four rak'ahs with one taslim, and is this in accordance with the Sunnah?

The questioner : Is it permissible for us to pray the tarawih prayer in sets of four rak'ahs with one taslim, and is this in accordance with the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. It is not permissible for a person to pray the tarawih prayer in four rak'ahs with a single taslim, because this is contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his family and Companions. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said when asked about the night prayer: This means that its prescribed manner is to be prayed in pairs, without adding to them. For this reason, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man stands up for a third rak'ah, meaning in voluntary night prayer, it is as if he had stood up for a third rak'ah in the Fajr prayer. That is, just as his prayer would be invalid if he stood up for a third rak'ah in the Fajr prayer, so if he stands up for a third rak'ah in the tahajjud prayer, his prayer is invalid if he did so intentionally. If he did so out of forgetfulness, he should return to sitting as soon as he remembers, then perform the taslim and prostrate twice for forgetfulness. Some people have thought that this, meaning combining four rak'ahs with a single taslim, is what is indicated by the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) when she was asked how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray in Ramadan. She said: Some people thought that her statement "he prays four" means with a single taslim, but that is not the case. It is established from her herself that he used to pray eleven rak'ahs, performing the taslim after every two. Accordingly, the meaning of her statement "he prays four, then he prays four" is that he prays four with two taslims, then rests for a while, then resumes and prays four with two taslims, then rests for a while, then prays three. The summary of her statement is explained by its details. However, the witr prayer is an exception. If one prays witr with three rak'ahs, it is permissible to perform the taslim after the two rak'ahs and to complete the three with a single taslim and a single tashahhud. If one prays witr with five rak'ahs, he should pray them all consecutively with a single tashahhud and a single taslim. If he prays witr with seven, it is the same. If he prays witr with nine, he should pray eight consecutively, then sit in the eighth, recite the tashahhud, and not perform the taslim, then pray the ninth, recite the tashahhud, and perform the taslim. This is the exception. Accordingly, if a person stands up in a prayer other than those excepted, and stands up for the third rak'ah, then remembers, even if he has already recited al-Fatihah, he should return and sit for the tashahhud, recite the tashahhud, and perform the taslim, then prostrate for forgetfulness after the taslim.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.