Series Regarding the Number of Rakah for Taraweeh
No. 11: Safer to follow the Sunnah
Shaykh Albaani said:
‘It is safer and more complete to follow the Sunnah, because no matter what is said about the permissibility of increase of Rakah or not increasing I do not presume that a Muslim would be prevented from the statement that the number of Rakah mentioned regarding the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – is better than increasing upon what the Prophet did due to his clear statement: ‘….and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.’ As narrated by Muslim.
So what is it that prevents the Muslims today from taking this guidance al-Muhammadi and to leave that which is increased upon, even from the issue of ‘leave that which is doubtful for that which is not doubtful.’
Especially since many of the people perform the Taraweeh prayer badly by praying twenty Rakah at an increased pace , so much so that it can be said that the prayer is definitely not correct due to the absence of being tranquil in the prayer which is a pillar of the prayer, without which a prayer is not correct.
So if they prayed the Taraweeh prayer with the amount which is mentioned in the Sunnah in the same amount of time in which they pray twenty then their prayer would be correct and accepted by the agreement of the scholars.
What supports this is the Hadeeth of Jabir who said: the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- was asked which prayer is the best? He answered: ‘The one where the standing in prayer is lengthened.’
So it is upon you O Muslims to take the Sunnah of the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, adhere to it and bite on to it with the molar teeth since indeed the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.
[Salatul Taraweeh p.46]