Bismillahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim
Regarding Tarawih
Q
I was wishing to know what is the position of the Hanbali Madhab
concerning the number of raka`a prayed for Tarawih salah and which books
would one find this evidence? I read online a quote from an article about
the Tarawih in which the author said,
"Imam Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi (d. 620) The leading Imam of
the Hanbali's in his time has declared in his famous fiqh book: al-Mughni
1/803 : "There has been the Companion's consensus (Ijma us-Sahabah) on 20
rak'ahs of Taraweeh."
A
al-salamu `alaykum
The number of rak`at for Tarawih was covered in a message dated Sat, 26
Oct 2002 07:20:10 +0200. There is also a response to that message on the
group.
I am unaware of a single book in the Hanbali madhhab that covers prayer
that does not say that it is recommended to pray 20 rak`at for Tarawih. You
will find the evidence for this in any book that deals with evidence, such
as: Al-Mughni, Al-`Uddah, Al-Furu`, Al-Insaf, Kashshaf Al-Qina`, Al-Raud
Al-Murbi`, Manar Al-Sabil, and an excessively long list of well known
books.
But I do not find that Ibn Qudamah (Allah have mercy upon him) says "There
has been the Companion's consensus (Ijma us-Sahabah) on 20 rak'ahs of
Taraweeh.", rather what he says is "and this is like ijma`". The reason he
says that this is "like ijma`" is because you have two of the Rightly
Guided caliphs (Allah be pleased with them all) doing something without it
being known that anyone contradicted them. This is not the same as the
ijma` that everyone agrees upon, but is known as ijma` sukuti. Some
Hanbalis accept ijma` sukuti, but all accept the opinion of a Companion
(Allah be pleased with them all) where no difference of opinion is known,
especially when it is one of the caliphs.
And Allah knows best.
wa al-salamu `alaykum
--musa