What was the practice of Muslims for 12½ centuries? TARAWEH Firstly I wish to substantiate my claim of the practice of Muslims for 12½ centuries, listen: Imam Baihaqi (R.A.) has transmitted the following narration of Saaib bin Yazeed (R.A.) in his kitabus Sunan-e-Kubra vol.2, pg.496: “That in the era of Hazrath Umra (R.A.) the people used to read 20 rakaats and in the era of Uthman (R.A.) due to the severity of standing, they used to recline upon sticks.” And 5 lines later Imam Baihaqi (R.A.) narrates that ___ who was amongst the companions of hazrath Ali (R.A.) used to be the Imam in Ramadhaan and would read 20 rakaats. Two lines later Imam Baihaqi (R.A.) narrates that Hazrath Ali (R.A.) instructed a person to read 20 rakaats for the people. This was the condition of the era of Hazrath Umar, Usman and Ali (R.A.). The martyrdom of Hazrath Ali (R.A.) occured in 40 A.H. 23 years after the death of Hazrath Ali (R.A.) in 63 A.H. the bloody incident of Harra took place. Imam Malik (R.A.) has explained that from before the incident of Harra till now for more than a 100 years the recurring practice in Madina has been to read 38 rakaats. The explanation of Saalih Maulat Thu’ama) also lends support to this. The difference in the number of rakaats shown by Imam Malik (R.A.) and Saalih is due to the difference in the number of rakaats of witr. however the common factor between the two is that from before Harra, the practice in Madina has been to read more than 20 rakaats. Muaz Abu Halima (R.A.) is a Sahaabi and he was martyred on the day of Harra. Ibne Sereen (R.A.) has borne witness to the fact that he used to perform 41 rakaats in Ramadhaan. For the details of the above 3 check Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.7, pg.72 commentary on Tirmizi written by Ml. Mubarakpuri a scholar of the Ahle Hadith). Naafi was the freed slave of Hazrath Ibne Umar (R.A.) as well as the student of Hazrath Aisha (R.A.), Hazrath Abu Hurairah (R.A.) and Hazrath Raafi (R.A.). He has mentioned: “I had seen and found people reading 36 rakaats taraweeh and 3 witr (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.73). Naafi (R.A.) passed away in 117 A.H. Dawood bin Qais (R.A.) mentions: “I had seen the people of Madina reading 36 rakaats in the era of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A.) [passed away 101 A.H.] and Abaan bin Umar (passed away 105 A.H.) [Qiyamul Layl pg. 91]. Further Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A.) used to command the Qarees to read 36 rakaats (Qiyamul Layl pg.93). At any rate the prsctice of Madina till the era of Imam Malik (R.A.) [passed away 179 A.H.] was 36, 38 or 41 rakaats or it can be saud that the practice was 36 and the difference in number is due to the difference of opinion in the number of rakaats of witr. Even after Imam Malik (R.A.) this continued to be the practice in Madina, therefore Imam Tirmizi (R.A.) [passed away 279 A.H.) after mentioning 41 rakaats said: “This is the practice of the people of Madina.” And was not restricted to Madina. It is apparent that wherever the followers of Imam Malik (R.A.) were the practice was on 36 as the books of the Maaliki Mazhab testify. In Makkah till the era of Ataa bin Ali Rubaah (passed away 114 A.H.) the practice was 20 (Musannaf Ibne Abi Shaibah vol.2 pg.393). Naafi bin Umar has mentioned that Ibne Abi Mulaykah used to perform 20 rakaats for us in Ramadhaan. Ibne Abi Mulaikah passed away in 117 A.H. According to Imam Shafi (R.A.) as well the practice was on 20. He passed away in 204 A.H. In Tirmizi Shareef the statement of Imam Shafee (R.A.) reads: “I found the people of Makkah reading 20 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.76). Due to the fact that Imam Shafee (R.A.) was himself of the opinion of 20 rakaats, therefore after him in Makkah as well as all other places where his followers were found, the practice was on 20, just as the Shafee books of jurisprudence which were written after him and are still being written bear witness to it. Now Iraq remains (Kufa, Basra etc.). We have already learnt that on the command of Ali (R.A.) the practice was on 20 and Hazrath Abdullah bin Mas’ood (R.A.) also used to read 20 (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.1, pg.75). In Kufa Awad bin Yazeed (passed away 75 A.H.) used to read 20 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.73). This should be clear that Awad had attained the companionship of Hazrath Umar (R.A.), Hazrath Muaz, Hazrath Ibne Masood, Hazrath Huzaifah, Hazrath Bilal and other senior Sahaabah (R.A.). Suwaid bin Gafalah (passed away 81 A.H.) who attained the companionship of Hazrath Ali (R.A.) and Hazrath Ibne Masood (R.A.) used to read 20 rakaats (Baihaqi vol.2, pg.496). Haaris A’war who was a companion of Ali (R.A.) used to read 20 rakaats (Musannaf Ibne Abi Shaibah - vol.2, pg.393). Further Ali bin Rabiah who was a student of Ali (R.A.) and Salmaan Farsi (R.A.) also used to read 20 rakaats Taraweeh and 3 rakaats witr (Musannaf ibne Abi Shaibah vol.2, pg.393). Saeed bin Jubair who was s student of Hazrath Ibne Abbas and other Sahaaba and was a great Imaam used to read 24 and 28 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.73). His martyrdom took place in 95 A.H. The Imaam of Kufa Sufyan Thauri (R.A.) [died 161 A.H.] was of the opinion of 20 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2, pg.75). After Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) [died 150 A.H.] it is apparent that all his followers practiced upon 20 rakaats. The Ahle Hadith themselves confess to this. Allamah Mubarakpuri (R.A.) states that this is the opinion of the Hanafees. The books of Imam Muhammad (R.A.) who is a student of Imam Abu Hanifa also bears witness to this fact. In Basra Zuraara ibne Aufa (R.A.) who was a student of Abu Hurairah, Ibne Abbas, Imraan bin Husain, Anas and Hazrath Aisha (R.A.) used to read in the first 20 days of Ramadhaan 28 rakaats and in the last ten days 34 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee - vol.2, pg.73). He passes away in 93 A.H. Abdur Rahman ibne Abi Bakrah, Saeed ibne Abil Hassan and Imaam Abdi used to read 5 tarweehas i.e. 20 rakaats in the Jaami Musjid of Basrah before 83 A.H. and in the last 10 days they added 4 rakaats (Qiyamul Layl - pg.91). In Baghdad Imam Ahmad (R.A.) [died 235 A.H.] was of the opinion of 20 rakaats as written by Allamah Ibne Rushd in Bidayatul Mujtahid (vol.1, pg.192). This fact is also mentioned in the Hambali books of Fiqh. In the Hambali Kitaab Muqna vol.1, pg.183 it states: “Taraweeh is 20 rakaats which are performed in Ramadhaan with Jamaat.” The author of Muqna himself writes about Muqna “This is a book in accordance to the mazhab of Imaam Ahmad bin Muhammad ibne Hambali.” Similarly Dawood Zaahiri (died 270 A.H.) was also of the opinion of 20 (Bidayatul Mujtahid - vol.1, pg.192). The followers of these personalities be they from Baghdad or out of Baghdad practiced upon 20. Abdullah bin Mubarak (R.A.) [died 181 A.H.] who was from amongst the Imaams of Khurasan was of the opinion of 20. Ishaq bin Rahweh (R.A.) [died 238 A.H.] was of the opinion of 40 rakaats (TIrmizi). Their followers practiced on more than 8. This was an overview of the opinions of the Ulama and Imaams regarding the number of rakaats of taraweeh from the era of Hazrath Umar (R.A.) till almost the middle of the third century hijri. This was the practice of the Muslims of that time period in Makkah, Madina, kufa, Basra, Baghdad and Khurasan. Read it a second time and see if anyone ever sufficied on 8 rakaats and where was it ever praticed? Thereafter listen! From before the middle of the third century the four Imaams, Abu Hanifa, Maalik, Shafee and Ahmad (R.A.) had imparted the knowledge of jurisprudence to their students and had departedfrom this world and their respective schools of thought had already commenced being propagated and practiced upon and this process continues to this day and age. Today the books of jurisprudence based on the teachings of these four Imaams are available in large numbers but in none of these books is it ever taught to practice on just 8 rakaats. When we place practicing on 8 rakaats in opposition to this ancient practice of 20 or more, which was the preferred opinion of the former and latter Ulama, and we turn the pages of books, then from after the era Umar (R.A.) till the end of the 13th century hijri we do not find in the entire world of Islam any mention of any one place practicing on 8 rakaats. Even after expending all ones strength one will never be able to furnish the slightest bit of evidence nor the weakest proof that 8 rakaats was practiced upon in that lenghty period of time i.e. 12½ centuries (Rakaate Taraweeh).
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 13:37:19 +0000
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