Is it sound, weak, or without basis, that which is narrated regarding Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he ordered the Taraweeh prayer to be twenty Rak'ahs?
It was reported from Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, the command to perform the Tarawih prayer as twenty rak'ahs, as also narrated by Al-Sa'ib ibn Yazid, Yazid ibn Ruman, Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan, and Abd al-Aziz ibn Rafi'. These narrations, despite some discontinuity in their chains, collectively indicate that twenty rak'ahs was the predominant Sunnah during the time of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and that this matter was well-known and widely practiced in Medina. Most of the people of knowledge, including Al-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, and Al-Shafi'i, have agreed that it is twenty rak'ahs, which is what Al-Shafi'i observed in Mecca, and it is the opinion of the majority of scholars. What is narrated regarding eleven rak'ahs is understood to have been at the beginning, and then the number was increased to lighten the recitation for the people. The night prayer, which includes Tarawih, is broad and not confined to a specific number, as stated by Imam Ahmad, and as said by Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Baz, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not specify a particular number.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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