The Sunnah is to complete the Tarawih prayer with the imam
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Q: If a person prays in Ramadan with someone who prays twenty-three rak'ahs, and he is content with eleven rak'ahs and does not complete the prayer with the imam, is his action in accordance with the Sunnah?
A: The Sunnah is to complete the prayer with the imam, even if he prays twenty-three rak'ahs; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 1605Sahih (Darussalam), and in the other wording: .
So it is better for the ma'mum to stand with the imam until he finishes, whether he prays eleven rak'ahs, or thirteen, or twenty-three, or otherwise. This is what is best, to follow the imam until he finishes.
And the twenty-three rak'ahs were the practice of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Companions, so there is no deficiency in it, and there is no neglect in it; rather, it is from the Sunnah—the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs—and the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sunan Abi Dawud 1326Sahih (Al-Albani), agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not specify a certain number in it, but rather he said: Sunan Ibn Majah 1319Sahih (Darussalam), the hadith.
But if the imam limits the Tarawih to eleven or thirteen rak'ahs, that is better, saying the taslim after every two; because this is the predominant practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and because that is more convenient for the people in Ramadan and in other times. And whoever increases or decreases, there is no blame on him; because the night prayer is broad in its scope. And success is from Allah.
A: The Sunnah is to complete the prayer with the imam, even if he prays twenty-three rak'ahs; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever prays Qiyam with the Imam until he finishes, Allah (SWT) will record for him the Qiyam of a (whole) night.
مَن قام مع الإمام حتى ينصرف كتب الله له قيام ليلةٍthe rest of his night
بقية ليلتهSo it is better for the ma'mum to stand with the imam until he finishes, whether he prays eleven rak'ahs, or thirteen, or twenty-three, or otherwise. This is what is best, to follow the imam until he finishes.
And the twenty-three rak'ahs were the practice of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Companions, so there is no deficiency in it, and there is no neglect in it; rather, it is from the Sunnah—the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs—and the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray one rak'ah which will make his prayer an odd number for him.
صلاة الليل مثنى مثنى، فإذا خشي أحدُكم الصبح صلى واحدةً تُوتر له ما قد صلىThe night prayer is (to be offered) two by two.
صلاة الليلل مثنى مثنىBut if the imam limits the Tarawih to eleven or thirteen rak'ahs, that is better, saying the taslim after every two; because this is the predominant practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and because that is more convenient for the people in Ramadan and in other times. And whoever increases or decreases, there is no blame on him; because the night prayer is broad in its scope. And success is from Allah.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.