Is it permissible to increase the number of Rak'ahs in the Tahajjud prayer in the Grand Mosque beyond eight Rak'ahs, following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him)?
Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Al-Bukhari narrated that Umar ibn al-Khattab gathered the people for Tarawih prayers behind one reciter, and he said, "What an excellent innovation this is." And the people in Umar's time used to pray twenty-three rak'ahs. The hadith of Aisha, which states that the Prophet did not exceed eleven rak'ahs in Ramadan, does not indicate a prohibition of increasing the number, and no specific number of rak'ahs for Tarawih prayers has been authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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