Proofs of 20 Rakats of Taravih from the Books of Fiqh!

Proofs of 20 Rakats of Taravih from the Books of Fiqh!

1. Imam al A'zam Abu Hanifa {d. 150 A.H} on 20 Rakats of Taravih:

i. Shams ul Ayyima Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad Sarakhsi Hanafi {d.438 A.H} who is regarded from the strata of 'Mujtahidin fil Masail' among the Hanafi Fuqaha said: "According to us , Taravih is 20 Rakats apart from the 'Witr'. It is the statement of Imam Malik that 36 Rakats are 'Sunnah'. It has been said that those who want to practice upon the statement of Imam Malik and adopt his School of Jurisprudence, should adopt the position of Imam Abu Hanifa! That is, he should offer 20 Rakats of Taravih as it is 'Sunnah' and should offer the rest alone or individually and he should do 'Salam' after every 4 Rakats. This alone is our Madhab {'School'}." {Al Mabsut; 1; 139}

ii. Imam Abu Bakr Alauddin Kasani Hanafi {d.582 A.H} writes: "The number of Rakats of Taravih are 20! It is with 5 'Tarviha', and 10 'Salams'. And after every 2 'Salams' , there is a 'Tarviha'. This is the statement or position of the Majority of Scholars!" {Bada'y us Sana'y fi Tartib ush Shara'y; 1:644}

iii. Imam Zaylai' Hanafi {d. 743 A.H} writes: "There are some points to be discussed in Taravih. First: Regarding its Attributes; It is Sunnah according to us . This statement of Imam Abu Hanifa is reported by Imam Hasan bin Ziyad and it has also been said that it is 'Mustahab' {'Recommended'} but the truth is that it is 'Sunnah' because the Khulfa ur Rashidin always practiced it! Second: Regarding its number of Rakats; It is 20 Rakats , but according to Imam Malik bin Anas it is 36 Rakats. Upon this statement of Imam Malik , the practice of the people of Madinah is given as evidence. But, our evidence is that Hadith which has been mentioned by Imam Bayhaqi through 'Sanad us Sahih' {an Authentic Chain of Narrators} that during the period of Sayyiduna Umar , Sayyiduna Usman and Sayyiduna Ali , people used to offer 20 Rakats of Taravih! Therefore, there has been an 'Ijma' {Consensus} of Sahaba upon it! The statement of Imam Malik that it is 36 Rakats is not famous!" {Tabayyan ul Haqaiq Sharh Kanz ud Daqaiq; 1: 443}

The Translator of this book adds>>>

iv. Imam Ahmad Tahtavi Hanafi states: “On the authority of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas statement, 20 Rakats of Taravih has been established from the Holy Prophet’s Sunnah.” {Sharh Durr al Mukhtar; V: 1; pg: 466}

v. Imam Sayyid Ibn Abidin Shami, Imam Shurunbulali and Imam Ibn Nujaym Misri state: “Imam Abu Yusuf asked Imam al A’zam Abu Hanifa ,“Did Sayyiduna Umar knew any command of the Holy Prophet for 20 Rakats of Taravih?” Imam al A’zam replied: “Sayyiduna Umar was not one to invent on his own; certainly he had some proof for this!” {Radd ul Muhtar; 4:659 & Maraqi ul Falah ala Hamish al Tahtavi; 246 or Maraqi ul Falah: 81 and Bahr ur Raiq; 2: 66}>>>

2. Imam Suyan Thawri {d. 161 A.H} & Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak {d. 181 A.H} on 20 Rakats of Taravih: "The position and practice of the Majority of 'Ahl ul Ilm' {the People of Knowledge} is the same as narrated from Sayyiduna Ali bin Abu Talib , Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab and the rest of the Sahaba! That is, 20 Rakats of Taravih! This is the position and practice of Imam Sufyan Thawri , Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak and Imam Shafai'" {Jami' Tirmizi; H# 806}

3. Imam Muhammad bin Idris Shafai' {d. 204 A.H} on 20 Rakats of Taravih:

i. "The position and practice of Imam Shafai' is also upon 20 Rakats of Taravih as mentioned by Imam Tirmizi and which was quoted above!"

ii. Imam Taqiuddin Subki Shafai' {d. 771 A.H} writes: "Three 'Nawafil' {Voluntary prayers} are 'Sunnat al Muakkadah'! The third one of them is 20 Rakats of Taravih!" {Al Tawshih fil Fiqh; Awjaz ul Masalik; 2:516}

iii. Imam Nuruddin Samhudi Shafai' {d. 911 A.H} writes: "Among the 'Nawafil' which are to be offered according to a stipulated time is Taravih prayer which is 'Sunnat al Muakkadah'. It has to be offered as 20 Rakats with 10 'Salams' in every night of Ramazan." {Al Anwar us Satiy'a; Awjaz ul Masalik; 2:516}

4. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal {d. 241 A.H} on 20 Rakats of Taravih:

i. Imam Ibn Qudama Hanbali {d. 620 A.H} writes: "'Qiyam ur Ramazan' {i.e. Taravih} is 20 Rakats! It was the Prophet  who first made it the 'Sunnah'! And the statement of 20 Rakats is desirable according to Abu Abdullah !" {Al Mughni; 1: 167-168}

ii. In another book of Hanbalis, it is written: "20 Rakats of Taravih is 'Sunnat al Muakkadah' in Ramazan! The evidence for its being 'Masnun' {i.e. being a Sunnah'} is 'Ijma' {Consensus}." {Nayl ul Ma'arib; 1:200}

The Translator of this book adds>>>

Shaykh Ibn Taymiya and Shaykh Ibn Qayim were also Hanbalis in ‘Fiqh’ {Jurisprudence} and used to give ‘Fatawa’ {Islamic Opinions} according to Hanbaliya. Their statements in support of 20 Rakats of Taravih can be seen in ‘Proofs of 20 Rakats of Taravih from the books of Salafiya or Ahle Hadith’ in the coming pages. The modern Wahhabiya- Salafiya or Ahle Hadith revere and respect Shaykh Ibn Taymiya and Shaykh Ibn Qayyim out of normal norms and are active in reviving their School of ‘Aqayid’ which infact is astray and is full of ‘Biddahs’ {Innovations} in matters of Islamic Aqayid! Even some of the present day 'Wahhabiya' - Ahle Hadith or Salafiya from Saudia Arabia & the Indian sub continent claim to be followers of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal!>>>

5. Imam Malik bin Anas {d. 204 A.H} on 20 Rakats of Taravih:

i. There are Two Hadiths in support of 20 Rakats of Taravih in 'Muwatta Imam Malik'. One narrated by Sayyiduna Yazid bin Ruman and another by Sayyiduna Dawud bin Husayn ! {Muwatta Imam Malik; Kitab us Salat fi Ramazan; H# 246 & 247}

ii. "The Muwatta of Imam Malik contains a Hadith reported by Sayyiduna Sa'ib bin Yazid in which he narrates regarding 11 Rakats of Taravih being commanded by Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab to be offered by Sayyiduna Ubay bin Ka'ab and Sayyiduna Tamin Dari . Some people based upon this Hadith try to prove that the Taravih Rakats are 8! But, they fail to understand that this Hadith is classified as 'Muztarib' {Disordered} because this same Hadith is present in 'Sunan al Kubra' of Imam Bayhaqi through Two different 'Sanads' {Chain of Narrators}. In Hadith- 4616, 11 Rakats of Taravih is reported and in Hadith- 4617, 20 Rakats of Taravih is reported! Therefore, according to the principles of Hadith and Fiqh, one has to seek Reconciliation {'Tatbiq'} between the two different Hadiths or the Hadith of Sayyiduna Sa'ib in which 20 Rakats is reported should be given priority as it is supported by other Hadiths! Therefore, in this same 'Muwatta Imam Malik', a Hadith is narrated by Sayyiduna Yazid bin Ruman that the people during the period of Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab used to offer 23 Rakats of Taravih including 'Witr'! This Hadith is also present in Sunan al Kubra of Imam Bayhaqi as mentioned in the previous pages!

Therefore, how can it be possible that in one Hadith reported through Abdul Aziz bin Rafiq in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah and in another Hadith narrated through Sayyiduna Sa'ib bin Yazid in Sunan al Kubra, it is mentioned that Sayyiduna Ubay bin Ka'ab used to lead people in 20 Rakats of Taravih? Moreover, how can it be possible that Sayyiduna Umar commanded Sayyiduna Ubay bin Ka'ab to lead people in 11 Rakats of Taravih when in numerous other Hadiths he himself commands Sayyiduna Ubay bin Ka'ab to lead people in 20 Rakats of Taravih?

We have already discussed in detail regarding the statement of Imam Malik bin Anas that the Taravih Rakats are 36 and solved it clearly in the previous pages. In conclusion, even according to the 'Malikiya' school, the Taravih Rakats are 20!

Therefore, Imam Muhammad Ibn Rushd Maliki {d. 595 A.H} writes: "Among the Two statements of Imam Malik bin Anas , the one which is desirable and which is the position of Imam Abu Hanifa , Imam Shafai' , Imam Ahmad and Dawud is that the Taravih Rakats are 20 excluding 'Witr'!" {Bidayat ul Mujtahid; 1:210}

Shaykh Ibn Taymiya on 20 Rakats of Taravih!

Shaykh Ibn Taymiya writes: “It is proven/ established that Sayyiduna Ubay’ bin Ka’ab used to lead people in 20 Rakats of Taravih and Witr in the month of Ramazan, which almost all People of Knowledge consider as ‘Sunnah’ . Because, he used to offer {lead people} in the presence of all ‘Muhajirin’ and ‘Ansar’ Sahaba and none of them ever objected to it.” {Majmua Fatawa Ibn Taymiya; 2:112}