[Mansooreo]

Ramadhan Mubarak to everyone.
I am sure that this question has been posted before, but I cant seem to find it.

is it ok to do 8 rakat tharawee? whats the source behind it?, hadith etc.

any help would be great

[Songbird]

They pray 8 at my Masjid and we have very learned brothers praying there.

[wheelworks]

It isn't a Fardh salah. So ya you can . They pray 20 in our masjid but three quarters of the people leave after 8.

[shadha]

It's been an ongoing debate in my community. 8, 12, or 21.


shadha-

[Musashi]

Asallamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLahi wa barakatuh

I pray eleven with my papa and little sister. :3

I don't think the number is too important.

[ursis]

If you are a Muqallid (follow one of the 4 schools of thought), it is 20 Rakaats (or more, depending on which school of thought you follow).

SunniPath Answers

Tarawih: What if I can't pray 20? Is 8 or 12 enough?

SunniPath Answers

and in detail: Is Tarawih Prayer 20 Raka'at?

And Almighty Allah knows best.

ps. for Hanafi fiqh http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22463

[Rida]

If you are hanafi in fiqh then you have to pray all 20 otherwise it is sinful (if habitually done) because you are leaving a confirmed sunnah.

Tarawih: What if I can't pray 20? Is 8 or 12 enough?
Is Tarawih Prayer 20 Raka'at?

Wassalaam

[Samsiah]

Originally Posted by wheelworks

It isn't a Fardh salah. So ya you can . They pray 20 in our masjid but three quarters of the people leave after 8.

Most brothers would leave after 8 but the sisters are mashallah, they would stay for 20 + 3rakaat.... except for me...

[ChotooMotoo]

Originally Posted by Rida

If you are hanafi in fiqh then you have to pray all 20 otherwise it is sinful (if habitually done) because you are leaving a confirmed sunnah.

Tarawih: What if I can't pray 20? Is 8 or 12 enough?
Is Tarawih Prayer 20 Raka'at?

Wassalaam

I never really understood the idea of a person being sinful for doing something over and beyond what is fard. Even if you only did 8 or 4 rakats, it's still better than doing nothing. Maybe someone can explain it to me?

[Musashi]

Asallamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLahi wa barakatuh

I don't get it either. It makes no sense.

Leaving something that is fardh/wajib is haram.
Leaving something mustahab (liked) is makruh.
Leaving something haram is fardh/wajib.
Leaving something disliked (makruh) is mustahab.
Leaving something ja-iz (permissable) is ja'iz.

That's how I was taught it. Sunnah would be with mustahab or ja'iz. Either way, it's not really haram. >>;

Wasn't there a hadith about a man who asked about the pillars of faith, then decided he will do nothing more than them and he was one of those who would be in Jannah?

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by Rida

...otherwise it is sinful (if habitually done) because you are leaving a confirmed sunnah....

Wassalaam

And yet the prophet SAL stopped praying it in his later years?...

[Rida]

Who said he stopped praying it in his later years?

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يصلي في رمضان عشرين ركعة والوتر (مصنف ابن أبى شيبة صـ394/2 باب كم يصلي في رمضان من ركعة
و منتخب مسند عبد بن حميد ح653 و المعجم الأوسط ح802)

Ibn Abbas (R A) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) used to pray twenty raka’at followed by Witr (every night) in the month of Ramadan. Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah, v2, p394; Muntakhab Musnad ‘Abd bin Humaid, h653; Al-Mua’jam Al-Ausat, h802).

20 rakah tarawih is proven to be an emphasized Sunnah (Sunnah Mu`akkidah), and in (in the hanafi school of thought) if one leaves a sunnah mu`akkidah without any real need or habitually, it is sinful. This is one of the stricter rulings within the hanafi madhab.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, 'Whosoever leaves out the four Rakaah Sunnah (Sunnah Mu'akidah) before Dhuhr, will not get my intercession on the day of Qiyaamah.' (Shaami vol.1 pg.494; Kuwait)

[wheelworks]

Originally Posted by Rida

Who said he stopped praying it in his later years?

20 rakah tarawih is proven to be an emphasized Sunnah (Sunnah Mu`akkidah), and in (in the hanafi school of thought) if one leaves a sunnah mu`akkidah without any real need or habitually, it is sinful. This is one of the stricter rulings within the hanafi madhab.

Different Imams have different opinions (all of them valid with their own proofs). So the number of rakahs would depend on which Imam you follow.

As for the Prophet leaving taraweeh later on, it's common knowledge. Here's a quote from one article I found from a simple google search. It comes from this article:

Night Prayer During Ramadan (Taraweeh)

The prophet (saws) was the first who made praying the Taraweeh in congregation Sunnah (recommended), and then he left it fearing that it may become obligatory upon his Ummah. Imams Bukhari and Muslim have reported that A’eeshah (R.A.) said that the prophet (saws) prayed once in the Masjid in one of the night of Ramadan. People joined him, and then more people joined him in the next night. Then more people waited for the prophet (saws) in the third and the fourth (night), but the prophet (saws) did not come out to them. In the next morning, the prophet (saws) said: "I have seen what you did, nothing had prevented me from coming out to you except that I feared that it may become obligatory upon you."
Then, during the rule of Umar Ibn Al-Hkattab (R.A.), he saw the companions praying in the Masjid individually, or in different congregation so he ordered them to prayer behind one Imam. During his caliphate, In an authentic narration reported by Imam Malik "Umar (R.A.) ordered Ubayy bin K'ab and Tamim Ad-Dari (R.A.) to offer them in congregation. He enjoined them to offer eight Rak'ah Tarawih and three Rak'ah witr. This practice has been going on ever since."

Wallahu A'lam

[Rida]

Originally Posted by wheelworks

Different Imams have different opinions (all of them valid with their own proofs). So the number of rakahs would depend on which Imam you follow.

Yes all of them have either 20 or greater depending on which imam they follow. None of them would go for less than 20 atleast not according to most of the authentic narrations. (Is Tarawih Prayer 20 Raka'at?)
Besides even if they did less it wouldnt be sinful for other madhabs since they do not consider leaving a sunnah mu'akkida sinful. They have their own rulings which are all valid and we (hanafi's) have our own, Which is why i stated "if you are hanafi" earlier.

As for the Prophet leaving taraweeh later on, it's common knowledge. Here's a quote from one article I found from a simple google search. It comes from this article

Night Prayer During Ramadan (Taraweeh)

He (saw) left the congregation in the masjid fearing it would become fard upon his ummah. He never left the prayer all together. There are numerous reports claiming he continued to offer the prayer in his life time during each ramadhan. And we all know how it continued during the khulafah ar rashideens time.

“Whoever will live after me will see a lot of differences of opinions, so people should hold strongly to my sunnah and the sunnah of Khulafa Al-Rashideen who are on the straight path.” Then, he emphasized it again by repeating himself, “Hold strongly to it. Don’t let it go.” (Abu Dawood, h3991; Tirmidhi, h2676; Ibn Majah, h42; Musnad Ahmad, h16521; and Daarami, h95)

Wassalaam

[AbuAlAbbas]

Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo

I never really understood the idea of a person being sinful for doing something over and beyond what is fard. Even if you only did 8 or 4 rakats, it's still better than doing nothing. Maybe someone can explain it to me?

Sister when worshipping we have to follow exactly what Muhammad SAW did. This is why, an example, the 5 prayers for muslims is fard. But praying 3 rakahs for Magrhib is sunnah. What if someone said "I feel healthy and able to pray 4 rakahs for maghrib today"? is his prayer accepted? You see why it is sinful for someone to do something beyond what is fard or sunnah? But in regards to 8 x 20 i believe both sides have evidence so inshAllah Allah SWT accepts from both of us.