Ruling on combining four rak'ahs in the tarawih prayer in a single taslim

Question:
Some imams in the tarawih prayer combine four rak'ahs or more in a single taslim without sitting after the second rak'ah, and they claim that this is from the Sunnah. Is there a basis for this practice in our pure Shari'ah?

Answer:
This practice is not prescribed; rather, it is disliked or forbidden according to the majority of scholars. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): It is agreed upon as authentic from the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). It is also based on what is established from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: It is agreed upon as authentic. There are many hadiths to this effect.
As for the well-known hadith of 'A'ishah: This hadith is agreed upon. Her intention is that one says the taslim after every two rak'ahs, not that one recites the four rak'ahs with a single taslim, due to her previous hadith and what is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) of his saying: as mentioned earlier. The hadiths corroborate one another and explain one another. Therefore, it is obligatory for the Muslim to take them all into account and to explain the general with the specific. And success is from Allah.