The Shaykh’s statement that the report of 'Umar praying twenty-three rak'ahs in the night prayer is incorrect.
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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 claimed it was 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 area 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 : Regarding the manner of 'Umar’s prayer, do not investigate it; just take the number, because the number is what suits us. The manner follows 'Umar... The night prayer in the time of 'Umar or during his 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 would this prayer be? People today cannot manage it, but you say 'Umar performed twenty-three rak'ahs. As for how he prayed those twenty-three rak'ahs, we do not investigate that, because it does not suit us. We want the twenty-three rak'ahs in order to digest the food we have eaten. If you truly believe that 'Umar prayed twenty-three rak'ahs, but his recitation was long and very long, there is no example of it anywhere in the entire Islamic world.
So what exists in the Islamic world? Generally, there are twenty-three rak'ahs. The best person who prays twenty-three rak'ahs takes one hour; that is what has reached us. The best person who prays, except in Makkah where they may lengthen it further, well, in one hour of time, you pray twenty-three rak'ahs. The best thing is to pray them in eleven rak'ahs; there will be more tranquility in them and better following of the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, because we said that the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, did not exceed eleven rak'ahs, neither in Ramadan nor in other times. Therefore, the Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, 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”. Here is the point: “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 and its beauty, which is at the peak of beauty. 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:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 412Sahih (Darussalam). So do we want to argue with 'Umar, or do we want to argue with the Messenger? We argue with the Messenger, not with 'Umar. What do you say if, in the authentic narration, 'Umar ordered Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs? So 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 better than a prayer in which a person does not achieve 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, but about the night prayer on ordinary days.
The Shaykh : This is the same as the meaning of Aisha’s hadith. Aisha’s hadith, whether in Ramadan or otherwise, states that he did not exceed eleven rak'ahs; there is nothing more. Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Regarding the manner of 'Umar’s prayer, do not investigate it; just take the number, because the number is what suits us. The manner follows 'Umar... The night prayer in the time of 'Umar or during his 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 would this prayer be? People today cannot manage it, but you say 'Umar performed twenty-three rak'ahs. As for how he prayed those twenty-three rak'ahs, we do not investigate that, because it does not suit us. We want the twenty-three rak'ahs in order to digest the food we have eaten. If you truly believe that 'Umar prayed twenty-three rak'ahs, but his recitation was long and very long, there is no example of it anywhere in the entire Islamic world.
So what exists in the Islamic world? Generally, there are twenty-three rak'ahs. The best person who prays twenty-three rak'ahs takes one hour; that is what has reached us. The best person who prays, except in Makkah where they may lengthen it further, well, in one hour of time, you pray twenty-three rak'ahs. The best thing is to pray them in eleven rak'ahs; there will be more tranquility in them and better following of the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, because we said that the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, did not exceed eleven rak'ahs, neither in Ramadan nor in other times. Therefore, the Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, 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”. Here is the point: “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 and its beauty, which is at the peak of beauty. 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:
Shouldn't I be a grateful worshipper?
أفلا أكون عبداً شكوراThe questioner : My question was not about tarawih, but about the night prayer on ordinary days.
The Shaykh : This is the same as the meaning of Aisha’s hadith. Aisha’s hadith, whether in Ramadan or otherwise, states that he did not exceed eleven rak'ahs; there is nothing more. Yes.