The Taraweeh of the Salaf-us-Saaliheen

The issue of Taraweeh exposes thoroughly the falsity and hollowness of the claims of the Salafi sect of being faithful representatives of the Salaf-us-Saliheen – the first three generations of this Ummah regarding whom Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) testified to their superiority. Any ‘Deen’, such as that expounded by the Salafis, modernists and other deviant sects, which is at variance with the Deen of the Salaf-us-Saliheen is a deviated imposter of a ‘Deen’ which has no relation to the blessed Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Even a perfunctory perusal of the rulings of the Salaf-us-Saliheen as transmitted by all the early Fuqaha reveals the fact that there was complete Ijma’ (consensus) of the Salaf-us-Saliheen, including the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum), that Taraweeh consists of 20 raka’ts of congregational prayers. This was the position of ALL the Aimmah Mujtahideen, the authoritative scholars of the Salaf-us-Saliheen, who based their ruling on the Ijma’ (consensus) of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum).

While the Salafi and modernist sects of today continue to conjure up various different opinions, ranging from 20 rakat’s being branded a Bid’ah (al-Albani, Ahlul Hadeeth, & co.) to the overwhelmingly liberal trend today of 8 raka’ts, 2 rakat’s, half a raka’t, and anything and everything being ‘valid ikhtilaaf’, the ONLY ikhtilaaf transmitted from the Salaf-us-Saliheen is in regards to the extra four raka’ts of Nafl prayed in the period of rest that would occur after every four raka’ts during the 20 raka’ts of congregational prayer.

As shall be demonstrated, while the Salaf-us-Saliheen of Makkah Mukarramah would perform Tawaaf during these 4 periods of rest, the Salaf-us-Saliheen of Madinah Munawarrah would pray an extra 4 raka’ts, thus bringing their total to 20 + 4 x 4 = 36 raka’ts. Another 3 raka’ts or 5 raka’ts or Witr would bring the total number in Madinah to 39 or 41 respectively. However, in terms of the minimum base of 20 raka’ts of congregational prayers, there was absolutely no difference amongst the Salaf-us-Saliheen.



Before proceeding to quote direct eye-witness testimonies and rulings of Authorities of the Salaf-us-Saaliheen, we shall first quote the early authority of the Hanbali Madh-hab, Allamah Ibn Qudamah (rahmatullahi alayh), whom even the Salafis accept to be amongst the most authoritative transmitters of the rulings of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, to serve as a useful summary of the view of the Salaf-us-Saliheen with regards to the Taraweeh prayers.

Allamah Ibn Qudamah (rahmatullahi alayh) transmits unambiguously the position of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other Authorities of the Salaf-us-Saaliheen in his famous, authoritative work known as “al-Mughni”:
Elsewhere, Allamah Ibn Qudamah mentions that the 20 raka’ts is based on the Ijma’ of the Sahabah – the highest form of Ijma’ possible:
Allamah Ibn Qudamah mentions that Taraweeh is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah – an emphasized Sunnah omission of which is blameworthy without a valid excuse:
The only Ikhtilaaf Allamah Ibn Qudamah transmits from the Salaf-us-Saliheen is that of 39 raka’ts or 41 raka’ts, which includes the minimum base of 20 raka’ts in addition to an extra 4 rak’ats of Nafl prayed during the 4 period of rests, before ending with 3 or 5 raka’ts of Witr:
Allamah Ibn Qudamah makes it explicitly clear in al-Muqni’, another authoritative book written for the purpose of recording the rulings of the Madh-hab of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, that the Taraweeh and Tahajjud prayers are two separate and distinct prayers:
Here ends the excerpts from Allamah Ibn Qudamah which are merely a re-iteration of what innumerable early Fuqaha transmitted from the best of generations. Before proceeding, it must be noted that the early Fuqaha did not pull the rulings they had written down out of their back pocket. They were not reliant on a few copies of Bukhari Sharif, Muslim Sharif, Al-bani ‘Sharif’ etc. they happened to stumble across in their living room, nor were they reliant on Hazrat Google Sharif, or a smattering of Arabic they happened to learn on the side during a life-time of indulgence in Haraam and Mushtabah (doubtful) matters.

These Ulama were Paragons of piety, immersed in Zikrullah, who understood that the Noor of Ilm (Knowledge of the Deen), and its correct understanding, was purely ‘wahbi’ i.e. divinely bestowed by Allah (azza wa jal) and thus completely dependent on Taqwa, Wara’ (abstinence from even many permissible matters), and firm adherence to every minute Sunnah of Habeebullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Such Ulama-e-Haqq acquired all their knowledge directly from numerous other Ulama-e-Haqq, often numbering in the hundreds, who themselves acquired their Deen from their numerous teachers, and so on, through continuous, unbroken chains that would stretch just a few generations back to the Imams of the Salaf-us-Saliheen.

Thus, when Allamah Ibn Qudamah or Imam Nawawi affirms that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal or Imam Shafi’i, who were the leading scholars of the third and final tier of the Salaf-us-Saliheen, held the position that Taraweeh is 20 raka’ts, then such attributions are based on a firm conviction stemming from a direct acquisition of knowledge from a multitude of Ulama-e-Haqq who in turn had acquired their knowledge from another multitude of Ulama-e-Haqq, and so on, through multiple Sanads (chains) consisting of only a few names between them and the Imams of the Salaf-us-Saliheen.

In any case, statements from the Imams of the Salaf-us-Saliheen themselves, and their direct students, will now be produced to confirm the unanimous ruling of 20 raka’ts based on the Ijma’ of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum), and reliably transmitted by all the early Fuqaha of this Ummah.