Question: Is it necessary to pray Taraweeh as 20 Rakats only, or if tired or busy, can one pray as many Rakats as convenient? Please clarify where the evidence for 20 Rakats Taraweeh comes from, and what is its status—Nafl/Mustahab, Sunnat-e-Muakkadah, or Wajib?
Answer: Performing 20 Rakats of Taraweeh is Sunnat-e-Muakkadah, and this was the regular practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) also led the Taraweeh congregation regularly for two or three days, but did not come for Imamate on the third or fourth day. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) waited outside the blessed chamber of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and thinking he might not have slept, some began to cough. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then came out and said: “Seeing your enthusiasm, I feared it might be made obligatory upon you; if it were made obligatory, you would not be able to fulfill it, so O people! Perform it in your homes.” (Agreed upon).
A noble Hadith narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would perform 20 Rakats of Taraweeh and Witr alone without congregation during Ramadan, as narrated by Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) from Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) in Al-Sunan Al-Kubra. (Al-Sunan Al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi, Kitab al-Salah, Bab ma rawi fi adad raka’at al-qiyam fi shahr Ramadan, Hadith no: 4962, Dar al-Talifat Ashrafiyyah edition; and Al-Musannaf lil-Ibn Abi Shaybah, Kitab Salat al-Tatawwu’ wal-Imamah wa Abwab Mutafarriqah, Kam yusalli fi Ramadan rak’ah, vol: 2, p: 286, Tayyib Academy edition).
Furthermore, if the Mujtahids or scholars of the Ummah accept a Hadith and the entire Ummah acts upon it, it becomes equivalent to Mutawatir in meaning, and the Ummah’s acceptance of a Hadith is the strongest proof of its authenticity and authority. The aforementioned Hadith of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) is though Khabar Wahid, but the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), Tabi’in, Taba’ Tabi’in, Mujtahid Imams, and the entire Ummah have accepted it, and performing 20 Rakats Taraweeh was also the practice of all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). This is why when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) arranged for 20 Rakats Taraweeh in congregation in the Prophet’s Mosque, no one objected; rather, all the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) agreed on the arrangement of congregational Taraweeh. The consensus (Ijma’) of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) on 20 Rakats bears witness that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Taraweeh as 20 Rakats. Therefore, performing 20 Rakats Taraweeh is Sunnat-e-Muakkadah.
It comes only once a year, so it is not correct to habitually perform fewer than 20 Rakats due to busyness or fatigue. If unable to pray all 20 at once due to busyness or tiredness, perform them in intervals until Sehri. However, if due to an excuse (illness or Shariah-permissible travel), one misses the full Taraweeh or some Rakats, there is no sin or dislikedness.
