The Taraaweeh of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum)

Brief History of the Taraaweeh Salaat

One night in Ramadhaan, Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) came to the Masjid and offered eight rakaats Salaat with the Sahaabah till a third of the night.

Then he came for a second night and offered eight rakaats with the Sahaabah till half the night passed.

Then he came for a third night in a row and performed eight rakaats till close to Subh Saadiq.

The remaining twelve rakaats Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaabah offered in their homes. In this way they completed twenty rakaats.

News spread about the Taraaweeh of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and, in consequence, the jamaat, that is the congregation, increased. It is said that the Masjid could not take in the number of musallis.

Then Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not come. The next morning after Fajr Salaat he said to the Sahaabah that he was aware of their eagerness and their attendance for the Qiyaam of Ramadhaan, however, due to his fear that the Salaat would be ordained as Fardh, he did not attend.

The fear was that, had it become Fardh, the Ummah would not have been regular with this Fardh. In consequence, they would be punished.

Nabi (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) thereafter passed away and things remained like that until the Khilaafat of Hazrat Umar (Radhiyallahu anhu).

Ijma’ on Twenty Rakaats

During the Khilaafat of Ameerul Mu’mineen Umar (Radhiyallahu anhu), one night during Ramadhaan he came to the Masjid and observed the Sahaabah offering Taraaweeh Salaat without any order. A few were following an Imaam; some were reading individually. Hazrat Umar (Radhiyallahu anhu) commented: “It would be best to arrange for all to follow a single Imaam.”

He thus appointed Hazrat Ubay Bin Ka’b (Radhiyallahu anhu) as the Imaam and the rest followed Hazrat Ubay in twenty rakaats of Taraaweeh in the Masjid. This has been the standing practice of the Ummah ever since.

There is thus Ijma’ on twenty rakaats of Taraaweeh in Jamaat Salaat.

It is narrated that Hazrat Uthmaan (Radhiyallahu anhu) said:

“May Allah Ta’ala fill the Qabr of Umar with Noor just as he filled our Masaajid with Noor.”

Some have attributed this statement and Du’aa to Hazrat Ali (Karramallahu wajhahu).

(Extracted from Al-Mabsoot, a kitaab on Shaafi’ Fiqh)