Every Ramadan night, after the obligatory Isha prayer, mosques across the world fill with worshippers standing shoulder to shoulder for a special prayer known as Tarawih. For many Muslims, Tarawih is one of the spiritual highlights of Ramadan — a time of reflection, Qur’an recitation, and communal devotion.

But one question continues to surface year after year: How many rak‘at (units of prayer) should Tarawih be? Eight? Twenty? More?

This article explores the origins of that difference through the Qur’an, hadith literature, and classical Islamic jurisprudence.

The Qur’an: Principle Without Numbers

The Qur’an encourages night prayer but does not specify a fixed number of rak‘at for Tarawih.

Two key verses are often cited:

• Surah al-Muzzammil (73:2–4) encourages the Prophet to stand in prayer at night.
• Surah al-Isra (17:79) recommends voluntary night prayer as an act of devotion.

However, neither verse defines how many units should be performed. In Islamic legal methodology (usul al-fiqh), when the Qur’an establishes a principle but does not detail its technical form, that detail is understood through the Prophet’s practice (hadith) and scholarly reasoning (ijtihad).

The number of Tarawih rak‘at falls into this category.

What the Hadith Say

1. The Hadith of Aisha: Eleven Rak‘at

Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, reported:

“The Messenger of God never performed more than eleven rak‘at in his night prayer, whether in Ramadan or outside of it.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari no. 1147; Sahih Muslim no. 738)

This narration is authentic and forms the main evidence for those who perform eight rak‘at of Tarawih plus three rak‘at of witr (total eleven).

However, scholars note that this hadith describes the Prophet’s personal habit. It does not explicitly state that exceeding eleven is prohibited. It is descriptive rather than restrictive.

2. The Hadith of Ibn Umar: No Maximum Limit

Another hadith states:

“Night prayer is performed two rak‘at at a time.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari no. 990; Sahih Muslim no. 749)

This narration explains the format — two units per set — but does not set a maximum number. Based on this, many jurists concluded that additional rak‘at are permissible as long as the prayer follows the proper structure.

3. Congregational Tarawih

During Ramadan, the Prophet led night prayer in congregation for several nights but later stopped. He explained:

“I feared that it would be made obligatory upon you.” (Sahih al-Bukhari no. 1129; Sahih Muslim no. 761)

After his passing, that concern no longer existed. This opened the door for congregational Tarawih to be revived.

The Role of Umar ibn al-Khattab and the Twenty Rak‘at Practice

The practice of twenty rak‘at emerged during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab. He organized the community to pray behind a single imam, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b. This event is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (no. 2010). Reports specifying twenty rak‘at appear in Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik and Sunan al-Bayhaqi.

Importantly, none of the senior Companions objected to this arrangement. In Islamic legal theory, such public agreement is considered a form of practical consensus (ijma‘). Furthermore, the Prophet had said:

“Follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me.” (Reported by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi)

For this reason, all four major Sunni schools of law — Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i, and Hanbali — adopted twenty rak‘at as the normative standard.

How Tarawih Is Practiced Around the World

Today, the number of rak‘at varies across regions:

• Saudi Arabia – Commonly 20 rak‘at of Tarawih plus additional night prayer in the last ten nights.
• Turkey – 20 rak‘at (Hanafi tradition).
• Egypt – 20 rak‘at (Shafi‘i/Maliki influence).
• Pakistan & India – 20 rak‘at (Hanafi).
• Indonesia (Nahdlatul Ulama) – 20 rak‘at (Shafi‘i).
• Indonesia (part of Muhammadiyah) – 8 rak‘at (hadith-oriented approach).
• Morocco & North Africa – 20 rak‘at (Maliki).
• Europe & North America – 8 or 20, depending on local community preference.

Historical records from early Medina even document practices reaching 36 rak‘at, demonstrating that flexibility existed from early generations.

Why Does It Reach Thirty in Saudi Arabia?

At the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the number sometimes reaches thirty rak‘at during the last ten nights of Ramadan. This is not a change in Tarawih itself but a combination of two separate acts of worship:

• 20 rak‘at Tarawih
• 10 additional rak‘at of Qiyam al-Layl (late-night prayer)

The basis for intensifying worship in the final ten nights comes from this hadith:

“When the last ten nights began, the Prophet would intensify his worship and awaken his family.” (Sahih al-Bukhari no. 2024; Sahih Muslim no. 1174)

Since night prayer has no fixed maximum, extending it during these nights is considered highly meritorious.

A Legitimate Scholarly Difference

In Islamic jurisprudence, this variation is classified as a legitimate scholarly disagreement (ikhtilaf mu‘tabar). Both positions — eight and twenty — are grounded in authentic sources:

• The eight-rak‘at view is based on a sound hadith describing the Prophet’s practice.
• The twenty-rak‘at view is based on the consensus of the Companions and centuries of legal tradition.

No authoritative Sunni body declares one invalid and the other correct.

Conclusion: Devotion Over Numbers

The variation in Tarawih rak‘at is not a contradiction but a reflection of Islam’s rich legal heritage. The Qur’an establishes the principle of night prayer but does not fix a number. The hadith literature provides descriptive guidance without imposing a strict ceiling. The Companions institutionalized twenty rak‘at, and later generations preserved both understandings.

In Islamic law, sincerity and devotion are essential. The exact number of rak‘at is secondary.

Whether eight, twenty, or more, what ultimately matters in Ramadan is humility, reflection, and closeness to God — not arithmetic.

| Written by Naflah Azizah Wibowo

References

Al-Bayhaqi, Ahmad ibn al-Husayn. Sunan al-Bayhaqi al-Kubra.

Al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Isma‘il. Sahih al-Bukhari. (Hadith nos. 37, 990, 1129, 1147, 2010, 2024)

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. Sahih Muslim. (Hadith nos. 738, 749, 759, 761, 1174)

Abu Dawud, Sulayman ibn al-Ash‘ath. Sunan Abi Dawud.

Al-Tirmidhi, Muhammad ibn ‘Isa. Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi. (Hadith no. 807)

Malik ibn Anas. Al-Muwatta’.

Brown, Jonathan A. C. (2009). Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World. Oneworld Publications.

Hallaq, Wael B. (2009). An Introduction to Islamic Law. Cambridge University Press.

Katz, Marion Holmes. (2013). Prayer in Islamic Thought and Practice. Cambridge University Press.

Encyclopaedia of Islam. Brill.