In al-Masjid al-Nabawi and al-Masjid al-Haram, they pray twenty rak'ahs of tarawih.

The questioner : To complete the question... In our case, Shaykh, in Medina, those who pray in al-Masjid al-Nabawi are divided into three groups: one group prays with the imam, which is naturally the obligatory prayer in Ramadan, and prays eight rak'ahs and then leaves; a second group prays ten rak'ahs, so when the ten rak'ahs are finished, the first imam who prayed the obligatory prayer and the ten rak'ahs leaves.

The Shaykh : The first group was praying?

The questioner : Eight rak'ahs, but the imam has not finished yet; and the second group prays ten rak'ahs, then the first imam who prayed the obligatory prayer and the ten rak'ahs leaves, and we leave with him; and the third group prays with the second imam, completing the twenty rak'ahs and the witr. So they demand of us, saying you have not completed, meaning the standing in night prayer, the hadith. We told them that when the imam leaves, we leave with the imam. So I do not know your opinion on this?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that the best of the three groups or factions is the middle one, and the best of matters is the middle one. Those who pray the ten and leave with the leaving imam are better than those who pray eight. And I do not know why these people pray eight, because it is supposed that those who leave do so because of their opinion that tarawih is not twenty rak'ahs. But why do they not pray ten rak'ahs and then perform witr with one rak'ah? I do not know what their perspective is on this. So the most correct of the three scenarios is, without doubt, the middle one, as I mentioned earlier. As for the objection of some scholars that they did not leave until the imam left, and the answer is that the imam left, this is in reality a question, or the answer is like the question, both are formal. Why? Because they mean the imam who completes the prayer, i.e., the twenty rak'ahs. So your answer that he left with the imam does not naturally satisfy them, because this is not the imam they are pleased with and approve of. No, and in my knowledge, this scenario you presented in Medina is not in the Makkah Haram, and Allah knows best.

The questioner : Each one prays four rak'ahs.

The Shaykh : Yes, this is it. And so I read about some scholars there in Saudi Arabia that they take the strongest exception to those who pray ten rak'ahs and then leave, and they cite against them the hadith I referred to earlier that they did not leave with the imam upon the imam's departure. So my answer now, whether for Medina or Makkah, is that according to our perspective, we understand that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) meant an imam with a specific description. And there is no doubt that this description is the description of one who prays the prayer of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So if the reality is that an imam does not pray the prayer of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and leaves, then this is not a contradiction. Why? Because we find in the Sunnah what is more difficult or more serious than this phenomenon that those scholars deny, who deny those who leave after praying their ten rak'ahs. It is well known that it occurred in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that Mu'adh, when he prayed 'Isha behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), would go to his people and pray with them as imam, and it was, as Jabir said, a voluntary prayer for him and an obligatory prayer for them. So one night, a man from the Ansar entered and followed Mu'adh in the 'Isha prayer, and when he saw him opening with Surat al-Baqarah, he cut off the prayer, moved to a side of the mosque, prayed four rak'ahs, and left. And when Mu'adh finished the prayer and the news reached him, he started cursing him and calling him a hypocrite. Why? Because he left the congregational prayer. The situation now is that it was right for Mu'adh to say he was a hypocrite, why? Because he left the congregational prayer. But it will become clear to us later that Mu'adh was mistaken, and that what that Ansari did was correct. So what any of us does today is not more of a contradiction to the imam than that Ansari. The Ansari was informed of Mu'adh's anger at him and the words he was using against him, so he complained to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So he (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for the Ansari to argue his case. He said: O Messenger of Allah, we are owners of ploughs who work all day, and he prolongs the prayer for us. When Mu'adh came, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: . The story ended. Now we find that the Messenger did not deny the one who left, but rather denied the one who prolonged. So we consider those who pray twenty rak'ahs to be prolonging, knowing that prolonging is originally prescribed, meaning its origin is prescribed. If he prayed alone and prolonged and prolonged, there is absolutely no harm on him. But when he prayed in congregation and prolonged and contradicted the Sunnah, the one who cut off the prayer, and cutting it off is not permissible in principle naturally. But when he found a legal excuse, which is prolonging the recitation in the obligatory prayer beyond the prescribed Sunnah, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not take exception to that Ansari for cutting off his prayer. So why do some of the sheikhs there take exception to us for cutting off the prayer? We do not cut it off, rather we leave with them by the salam. What is the hadith? . So we do not cut it off as that Ansari did. So why do they take exception? I think, and Allah knows best, it returns to two things. One is that it is their dominant opinion that the twenty rak'ahs are permissible or the Sunnah of 'Umar. And the second is that they do not delve deeply into studying the excuse of those they take exception to. Because if they did not delve deeply into studying the excuse of that Ansari, they would have joined Mu'adh the Ansari in taking exception to him. But when the trial between them took place before the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the victory and the triumph was for whom? For that Ansari over that imam, who was Mu'adh ibn Jabal. And what do you know of Mu'adh? So it is not befitting this enthusiasm in responding to the supporters of the Sunnah when they say salam with the imam in the ten rak'ahs. Because we say, if any man prayed behind the imam two rak'ahs of the standing prayer, no one would have a way to take exception to him, because this is voluntary, so he may pray as much of it as he wishes within the limits of the Shari'ah, as we say. But they never take exception to anyone if he prays two rak'ahs. As for if he prays ten following the Sunnah, these people have divided the gathering.

The questioner : They say, but they do not get the reward for the standing in night prayer.

The Shaykh : This is true, but this is not the imam, meaning prolonging the recitation contrary to the Sunnah. It is not given the reward prescribed in the Sunnah. So we say, the imam mentioned until the imam leaves. I said this first, but the truth is I should have emphasized that the imam mentioned in the hadith is the imam who follows the Sunnah, not the one who contradicts it. Yes.
Al-Halabi : .

The Shaykh : That is it.

The questioner : And is it established that 'Umar prayed twenty rak'ahs completely?
Al-Halabi : Our Shaykh, does not the hadith you refuted and taught us in the issue of fasting on Saturday refute their doubt?

The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar, how could it not? Yes.

The questioner : As for the prayer of twenty rak'ahs, it is not found except in the Haram in al-Masjid al-Nabawi and in Makkah. And the rest of the mosques there in Saudi Arabia are eleven and thirteen.

The Shaykh: What Allah willed, praise be to Allah.

Another questioner : I prayed in some mosques in Makkah thirteen rak'ahs.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good. Please.