Continuation of the discussion on the amount of night prayer.

The Shaykh : ... This is first of all incorrect. Attributing this report to 'Umar is incorrect. The correct version, as found in the Muwatta of Imam Malik, is that when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab revived the Sunnah of congregational prayer in tarawih, he ordered Ubayy ibn Ka'b, one of the reciters among the Companions, to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs. In another narration, it is stated that they used to pray twenty-three rak'ahs during the time of 'Umar. Some people adopted this weak narration and called it the Sunnah of 'Umar. Here, the difference becomes clear to you between focusing on the quantity and neglecting the quality. When Ubayy led the people in eleven rak'ahs according to the authentic narration, or twenty-three rak'ahs according to the weak one, how did he lead them? Here, they say in our region in Sham, near al-Jayba, "do not get close." Everything is fine near al-Jayba. Do you understand what this means?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : As for the manner of 'Umar's prayer, you do not investigate that; rather, you take the number, because what suits us is the quantity, and the manner follows 'Umar... The night prayer in the time of 'Umar, or during 'Umar's era, did not end until the people would leave and hurry the servants to prepare the suhur, as the dawn was about to break. How long do you think this prayer was? People today cannot manage it, but you say 'Umar performed twenty-three rak'ahs. As for how he prayed those twenty-three rak'ahs, that is not what we are investigating, because that does not suit us. We want the twenty-three rak'ahs so that we can digest the food we have eaten. If you believe that 'Umar prayed twenty-three rak'ahs, but his recitation was long and very long, there is no parallel to it in the entire Islamic world.
So what exists in the Islamic world? Generally, it is twenty-three rak'ahs. The best person who prays twenty-three rak'ahs does so in one hour; that is what has reached us. The best is if you pray them in eleven rak'ahs, as this will allow for more tranquility and better following of the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, whom we mentioned did not exceed eleven rak'ahs, neither in Ramadan nor in other times. Therefore, the Lady Aisha, when asked about the night prayer of the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, and about its rak'ahs, answered as the jurists generally state: "The Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon him, did not exceed eleven rak'ahs in prayer, neither in Ramadan nor in other times." The point here is: "He would pray four, so do not ask about their length and their beauty, then he would pray four, so do not ask about their length and their beauty," meaning something very long; do not ask about its length or its beauty, for its beauty is at its peak. Then he would pray, may peace and blessings be upon him, three rak'ahs. He stood, may peace and blessings be upon him, until his feet cracked and split. They said: "Allah has forgiven you your past and future sins." He said: So we want to cite 'Umar as evidence, not the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him. We do not cite the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, and not 'Umar. So what do you say if 'Umar ordered Ubayy ibn Ka'b, in the authentic narration, to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs? Thus, if we pray eleven rak'ahs with deliberation and good recitation, a person can reflect on what he hears and contemplate the verses of Allah and His words, which is better than a prayer in which a person does not feel humility, or as they say today, spirituality. By Allah, we prayed twenty-three rak'ahs and did not know what the imam recited from the Qur'an after al-Fatihah. This is the problem.

The questioner : My question was not about tarawih.

The Shaykh : Then what?

The questioner : About night prayer on ordinary days.

The Shaykh : That is the same meaning as the hadith of Aisha. The hadith of Aisha, whether in Ramadan or otherwise, states that he did not exceed eleven rak'ahs; there is nothing more. Yes.