#490: The Validity of Observing Four Rakaʿāt with one Taslīm
QUESTION
” Salamu aleikum ya admin
How was iftar? May Allah accept our fasting as an act worship and bless us with long live to withness d end of this Ramadan and many more to come
Ameen.
I observed my tara’awe in different location and it surprised me how it was prayed. After salatul isha, we prayed 4 rakat twice n then 3rakat. Making it 11rakat but 3 salamat. Please I want u to clerify me.
May Allah increase u in knowledge
Ameen”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum salaam warahmatullaah wabarakaatuh.
Āmīn to your du’aa and we ask Allāh to reward us all and to make us of those that are emancipated from the Naar, āmīn.
Beloved one, there is nothing strange in what you noticed in the Masjid where you observed your taraawih, that is because some of the Ulamā hold that that is a valid form of the taraawih. Which is a literal interpretation of the Hadith of our Mother Aishah – radiyallāhu anha – that was recorded by both Imām Al-Bukhaari and Imām Muslim – rahimahumallaah – that she said:
ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻥ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻳﺰﻳﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺭﻣﻀﺎﻥ ﻭﻻ ﻓﻲ ﻏﻴﺮﻩ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺇﺣﺪﻯ ﻋﺸﺮﺓ ﺭﻛﻌﺔ ، ﻳﺼﻠﻲ ﺃﺭﺑﻌًﺎ ، ﻓﻼ ﺗﺴﺄﻝ ﻋﻦ ﺣﺴﻨﻬﻦ ﻭﻃﻮﻟﻬﻦ ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﺼﻠﻲ ﺃﺭﺑﻌًﺎ ، ﻓﻼ ﺗﺴﺄﻝ ﻋﻦ ﺣﺴﻨﻬﻦ ﻭﻃﻮﻟﻬﻦ ، ﺛﻢ ﻳﺼﻠﻲ ﺛﻼﺛﺎً ” ﻣﺘﻔﻖ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ
“The Messenger of Allah – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – did not add, either in Ramadān or other than it, above 11 raka’aat. He would pray 4, and do not ask of its beauty and its length, then he would observe another four, and do not ask of its beauty and its length, then he would observe three.”
By interpretation, these Ulamā hold that this hadith is applicable to observing four raka’aat straight without a taslim, twice and then the witr.
The verdict of the majority of the fuqahaa is that the sunnah is that it should be in twos, the evidence is the Hadith of Ibn Umar – radiyallāhu anhuma-
ﺻﻼﺓ ﺍﻟﻠﻴﻞ ﻣﺜﻨﻰ ﻣﺜﻨﻰ، ﻓﺈﺫﺍ ﺧﺸﻲ ﺃﺣﺪﻛﻢ ﺍﻟﺼﺒﺢ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺭﻛﻌﺔ ﻭﺍﺣﺪﺓ ﺗﻮﺗﺮ ﻟﻪ ﻣﺎ ﻗﺪ ﺻﻠﻰ
“The Night Salāt is two after two, then if one of you fears that the subh would overtake him, he should observe one raka’a that will serve as Witr for what he has prayed.”
It is also recorded by both Imām Bukhaari and Muslim and in another Hadith of A’ishah – radiyallāhu anha – she said:
ﻛﺎﻥ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻳﺼﻠﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻠﻴﻞ ﻋﺸﺮ ﺭﻛﻌﺎﺕ ﻳﺴﻠﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻛﻞ ﺍﺛﻨﺘﻴﻦ ﺛﻢ ﻳﻮﺗﺮ ﺑﻮﺍﺣﺪﺓ
“The Messenger of Allah – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – used to observe the Salāt of the night ten raka’aat making taslim after every two then he would observe witr with one.”
Recorded by Imām Abu Daawud in the Sunan.
The implication of the Hadith of Ibn Umar – radiyallāhu anhuma – is that the fact that Aisha – radiyallāhu anha – mentioned four in twos does not mean that they were four raka’aat at a stretch but four raka’aat divided by a rest.
This is the verdict of the four Imams.
Based on that, we say:
Though the position held by the Imām of the Masjid where you observed your Salāt is a valid position, it is weak.
Based on the explanation we have made.
Allāh knows best.
Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.
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