Title:
ANSWERING THE CLAIMS THAT THERE ARE NO AUTHENTIC NARRATIONS
FOR 20 RAK'ATS TARAWEEH
Author: Dr.
Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed
Date: 1 Ramadan
1430AH / 22 August 2009
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Praise be to Allah that is due from all grateful believers, a fullness
of praise for all his favours: a praise that is abundantly sincere
and blessed. May the blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Master
Muhammad, the chosen one, the Apostle of mercy and the seal of all
Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all); and upon
his descendants who are upright and pure: a blessing lasting to
the Day of Judgment, like the blessing bestowed upon the Prophet
Ibrahim (alaihis salam) and his descendants. May Allah be pleased
with all of the Prophetic Companions (Ashab al-Kiram). Indeed, Allah
is most worthy of praise and supreme glorification!
The following treatise is a response to the compilers of an e-book
published on the internet in the year 1424 AH by Abu
Khuzaimah Ansaari (alias – Imran Masum) and his colleague,
Abu Hibban (alias – Kamran Malik), from Birmingham,
England.
The anti-Madhhabi movement generally epithetise's itself under the
title: “Salafi”, being an ascription to the pious predecessors
from the first three upright generations of Islamic history. Their
claim to be “Salafi” is far from the truth in many ways
and issues, and the outstanding scholars from the four Sunni Madhhabs:
Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools have written and
exposed the falsehood of those who attack the following of the recognised
Madhhabs for over a century and a half now. To exemplify the beliefs,
methodology and practices of the pseudo-Salafi movement would lead
us to digress away from the main topic of this monograph, but the
keen reader can search the Internet for books and articles in Arabic,
English and other languages for this issue.
These two compilers produced their “magnum opus” in
refutation of the major proofs used by the majority of the senior
ranking scholars of the four established and reliable Sunni Madhhabs
of Islamic jurisprudence, who advocated the practice of 20 rak’ats
of Taraweeh in congregation in the sublime month of Ramadan. In
doing so, these two compilers made the following baseless brag in
the opening page of their tract:
In this booklet we have established, the evidences
utilized for 20 raka’hs are weak and there is not a SINGLE
Saheeh hadeeth or athar that mentions the Messenger of Allaah (Sallalahu
Alayhee Was-Sallam) prayed or commanded 20 raka’hs Taraaweeh.
This booklet also contains the evidences for praying 8 raka’hs
and establishes this to be the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah
(Sallalahu Alayhee Was-Sallam), the Practice of the Companions and
those upon their way, All in light of the statements and understanding
of the Scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal- Jama’ah From amongst
the Imaams of the Salaf, the Scholars of hadeeth of the past and
present and the Jurists Up Until 1424H
The last portion of this claim is from one of the most ludicrous
suggestions made by those who claim to be on the path of the Salaf
in this age, and indeed, these two compilers have committed great
injustice to claim that the bulk of the Salaf without exception
advocated 8 rak’ats of Taraweeh, not to forget the major scholars
of Hadith right down to the year 1424AH when they released their
tract.
What is absolutely apparent, is that their claims in rejection of
the evidences for 20 rak’ats Taraweeh is in reality a culmination
of the findings advocated from the pens of the following authors
as admitted by the two compilers from the front cover of their e-book:
Muhammad Abdur-Rahmaan Mubaarakpooree
Shams ul-Haqq A’adheemabaadee
Muhammad bin Ismaa’eel al-Ameer
as-Sana’anee
Nazeer Ahmad Rehmaanee al-A’adhamee
Abdul-Jabbaar Khandayaalwee
Ubaidullaah Rehmaanee Mubaarakpooree
Badee ud deen Shah Raashidee as-Sindhee
Muhammad Naasir ud deen al-Albaanee
Muhammad Ismaa’eel as-Salafee
Safee ur-Rehmaan Mubaarakpooree
Muhammad Ra’ees Nadwee
Abu Taahir Zubair Alee Za’ee
Abdul-Ghafoor al-Atharee
They also quoted their late Shaykh of Hadith in Pakistan as follows
when saying
Our Claim
The Imaam the Muhaddith, al-Allaamah Abu Muhammad
Badee ud deen Sindhee said, “The Ahlul-Hadeeth claim
it is not authentically established from any companion that they
prayed 20 raka’hs of taraaweeh and the narrations that are
mentioned in this regard are all principally weak.” (Tanqeed
as-Sadeed Bir-Risaalah Ijtihaad Wat-Taqleed (pg.264).
These two individuals who have styled themselves as The People of
Hadith (Ahlul-Hadith) are mere copy and pasters of the findings
of their anti-Madhhabi Shaykh’s – mainly from the Indian
subcontinent and of the late Nasir al Albani (d. 1999 CE). Looking
at their style of presentation and referencing to various books
of Hadith and their commentaries, one is confident to assert that
these two individuals have not had recourse to a number of the original
works they gave reference to so boldly, and often very carelessly,
with very little fear of Allah and justice to the scholars of Islam,
let alone paid much attention and pain staking recourse back to
the original books of al-Jarh wa Ta’dil (Books which mention
the biographies of individual narrators of Hadith listing any praise
or disparagement made on them) on some occasions.
In this age of technology, it has become easy to claim something
and cut and paste a barrage of references by most “researchers”,
but how many people have the time, stamina and resources to check
each and every reference that a party echoes forth as proof and
contention for its arguments?!
Insha’Allah, in this reply one will mention with digitised
scans or typed Arabic quotes when referring back to the original
references that these 2 individuals supplied in order to expose
their grave distortions and errors when need be. Their style of
presentation was at times merciless and ruthless. This latter trend
is noticeable in the writings of many of those who belong to pseudo-Salafism;
especially so on internet forums. Hence, the counter reply from
this pen with Allah’s aid will be directed mainly to the two
compilers and their named authorities.
The principle objective of this treatise will
be to examine and defend the authenticity of the major narration
for 20 rak’ats of Taraweeh in the time of the Amir al-Mu’minin,
the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab
(radiallahu anhu), which has come via the route of the trustworthy
narrator, Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Khusayfa from the Sahabi, Saa’ib
ibn Yazid (ra). In doing so, the alternate narration from the trustworthy
narrator known as Muhammad ibn Yusuf from his uncle, the same noble
Sahabi, Saa’ib ibn Yazid, apparently mentioning 8 rak’ats
of Taraweeh in the time of Umar ibn a Khattab (ra) will be shown
to have a Shadh (aberrant) wording. Supporting narrations for 20
rak’ats in the time of Umar ibn al Khattab (ra) will also
be mentioned.
In the latter part of this treatise, an examination and demonstration
of why the variant narration for 8 rak’ats of Taraweeh as
attributed back to the noble Sahabi, Jabir ibn Abdullah is also
weak will be demonstrated, as well as an explanation of how the
Ulama understood A’isha’s (ra) narrations on 8 rak’ats.
Let us now move onto observe their claims and how they are answerable
without bias and distortion. The grammatical errors and spelling
mistakes that the duo made have been left in their original format
for all to see the level of their “Scholarship.” |
