What is the correct number of rak'ahs for the tarawih prayer?
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Question:
The listener (Dr. M. A. 'A.) from South Yemen sent a question, saying: We are a group of Muslims who pray the tarawih prayer in the month of Ramadan for eleven rak'ahs, and some Muslims have objected to us, saying that it is twenty-one rak'ahs, as 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did.Please clarify this for us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The tarawih prayer in Ramadan is a broad matter. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed eleven rak'ahs, as 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that he did. He also prayed thirteen rak'ahs, and he prayed fewer than that, peace and blessings be upon him. 'Umar and the Muslims prayed eleven rak'ahs, and they also prayed twenty-three rak'ahs. All of this has occurred, and the matter is broad, praise be to Allah. If you pray twenty-three rak'ahs, as 'Umar and the Companions did, there is nothing wrong with it. If you pray eleven rak'ahs, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, or thirteen rak'ahs, that is better. 'Umar and the Companions did both of these at different times. So the matter is broad in this regard.
If they pray more than twenty-three rak'ahs, such as forty, including the witr, or more or less, there is nothing wrong with that. However, the best is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, which is eleven or thirteen rak'ahs, concluding the prayer with the taslim after every two rak'ahs and praying the witr with one rak'ah. Whether this is at the beginning of the night, in the middle of the night, or at the end of the night, it is all broad, praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward you with good.
The listener (Dr. M. A. 'A.) from South Yemen sent a question, saying: We are a group of Muslims who pray the tarawih prayer in the month of Ramadan for eleven rak'ahs, and some Muslims have objected to us, saying that it is twenty-one rak'ahs, as 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did.Please clarify this for us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The tarawih prayer in Ramadan is a broad matter. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed eleven rak'ahs, as 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that he did. He also prayed thirteen rak'ahs, and he prayed fewer than that, peace and blessings be upon him. 'Umar and the Muslims prayed eleven rak'ahs, and they also prayed twenty-three rak'ahs. All of this has occurred, and the matter is broad, praise be to Allah. If you pray twenty-three rak'ahs, as 'Umar and the Companions did, there is nothing wrong with it. If you pray eleven rak'ahs, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, or thirteen rak'ahs, that is better. 'Umar and the Companions did both of these at different times. So the matter is broad in this regard.
If they pray more than twenty-three rak'ahs, such as forty, including the witr, or more or less, there is nothing wrong with that. However, the best is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did, which is eleven or thirteen rak'ahs, concluding the prayer with the taslim after every two rak'ahs and praying the witr with one rak'ah. Whether this is at the beginning of the night, in the middle of the night, or at the end of the night, it is all broad, praise be to Allah. Yes.
The presenter: Praise be to Allah. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.