text:
Sayyidina Abu Huraira (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) used to exhort (his Companions) to pray (at night) during Ramadan without commanding them to observe it as an obligatory act, and say: He who observed the night prayer in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven. When Allah's Messenger ((Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) died, this was the practice, and it continued thus during Abu Bakr's (RA) caliphate and the early part of 'Umar's (RA) caliphate. [Muslim]
Issues like this are easily resolved by sticking to the Qur'aan & Authentic Sunnah as it takes us away from unnecessary disputes and debates!
Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'aan:
1 First and foremost Ramadhan is a month to get closer to Allah (SWT), to be loved by Allah (SWT) and have our sins forgiven and the only way to do this by following the Sunnah:
[3:31] Say (O Prophet): If you really love Allah, then follow me, and Allah shall love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.
2 Secondly, the rewards during the month of Ramdhan are multiplied tremendously:
"...Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time... " [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah]
3 Thirdly, to be specific praying at night (in Ramadhan) is specifically linked to forgiveness of all your previous sins.
Narrated Abu Huraira (RA): I heard Allah's Apostle (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) saying regarding Ramadan, "Whoever prayed at night in it (the month of Ramadan) out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven." [Bukhari]
4 Fourthly, the Sunnah of Taraweeh according to most Scholars is that this prayer is to be performed in congregation (with Jamaah) and that was the practise of the Sahaba (RA), which Sayyidina Ammerul-Mumineen Umar (RA) initiated:
' Abdur Rahman bin 'Abdul Qari (RA) said, "I went out in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA) one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, 'Umar (RA) said, 'In my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)'. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka'b (RA). Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, 'Umar (RA) remarked, 'What an excellent Bid'a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night." [Bukhari]
5 Fifthly, the discussion about the Rakaat should be skipped as it is established that praying at night at Ramadhan has great reward. It is Sunnah to pray in congregation and the command of our beloved Nabi (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) specifically about the prayers in Ramdhan is to FINISH WITH THE IMAM!
He (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) said: When a man prays with an imam till he goes he is reckoned as having spent a whole night in prayer. [Abu Daud].
There is no dispute amongst Scholars in Islam that the established Sunnah of Taraweeh is to pray in congregation and finish with the Imam, whether the prays 8, 20 or 36 Rakaat.
This topic has been stretched more than it is needed so I will, Inshallah write now a proper response to clarify this confusion resulting from Shaikh Al-Albani ( may Allah forgive him) book " Salatu al-taraweeh ".
You aught to know my beloved brother and my respectable sister - May Allah have His Mercy on you- that:
Imam Ibn al-Qaiym ( Rahimu Allah ) said in Zaad Al-Ma'aad: " anticipate then conclude and believe". therefore concluding then reading will make you fall into the trap of explaining everything you read in the context of what you have already concluded. So think and be careful. Ibrahim Al-Taimi said: " If you follow every scholar mistake then you are ruined, so be careful.
Before I start, I want to clarify the following points:
I will list the main argument of Shaikh Al-Albani (Rahimu Allah) then reply to it then follow it with supportive Hadeeths:
This argument is refuted by the fact that such prayer is not linked to any prayer. So, it is separate prayer that performed at specific time i.e. night. In addition, the Shaikh argument is too weak because:
Based on the above, If Night prayers has a specific set of Numbers as the Shaikh argued then the Prophet would not advise us to pray as much as we want at night.
That's said, we realize that we are surrounded by three facts concluded from authentic Hadeeths:
Pouring the above into one argument will make us realize that: Night prayer set of Number is open matter since the Prophet himself said pray as much as you wish. So, saying No, we are obligated to pray only 13 or any other specific number is an obvious contradiction to what the Prophet (Salla allahu Alihi wa sallam) said.
This hadeeth proves the generality of night prayer as a prayer with no limitation because at the time the Prophet ( Sallah Alahu Alihi Wa Sallam) was asked he had not mention numbers at all. It is established in Usool that delaying a needed information or clarification at time of inquiry is not accepted. So, if the number is needed then it would be mentioned especially noting that the question the man asked is general so he was asking about all information he can get about Night prayer.
If it argued that he has not asked about the number and the question seemed to be in regards the description, then we reply saying: If this is true then the prophet would not have mentioned the Witr issue and only answered how the night prayer should be prayed. In addition, it is noted that it is the Manhaj of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alihi wa sallam) to answer with additional information if it is needed or considered beneficial. Therefore, if the number was needed he would have mentioned it. that is why we find him mentioning the Witr prayer only as additional information although the man did not ask about it.
This Hadeeth is too obvious to be explained and is clearly proves that the Prophet NEVER wished to limit night prayer to the set of numbers of raka'aat he prays. Thus, he said it clearly: Pray as much as you wish. So, limiting night prayer to 11 or 13 is an obvious contradiction to the conformed Sunnah.
The above authentic Hadeeth proves that the Prophet prayed 17 Raka'at as night prayer, which is backed up by the statement of Al-Hafith Al-Munthiri who said: " it is reported that most of what the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alihi Wa Sallam) offered as night prayer is Seventeen rakaat" [ Al-Talkhees: 2/14].
Yet, this Number seems to be more based on the following hadeeths. There is an addition, which is mentioned in Fathu Al-Bari that Ibn Abbas said: " He prayed Isha'aa prayer then offered Four Rakaat until everyone left the Masjid then he left" [ Al-Fath: 2/484].
Based on the above, the total Number of what the Prophet prayed is:
4 after Ishaa at the masjid + 4 at Maimuna house + 8 after he woke up from sleep + 5 after the 8 raka'aat + 2 rakaat. = 21 Rakaat of night prayer.
It might be argued that these Raka'aat includes: 2 Rakaat of Sunnah before Fajir and two Rakaat of Sunnah after Ishaaa!!
To assume the correctness of such argument, hypothetically, that would decresae the nighht prayer set of Rak'aat Number to 17 which still refute the argument of the shaikh ( ghafara Allahu Lah). In spite of this, the last two Rakaat offered after Witr is not the Sunnah before Fajir which is based on an authentic Hadeeth that shaikh Al-Albani himseld acknowledged.
Narrated by Anas Bin Malik: Once, the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alihi Wa Sallam) was offering night prayer - during Ramdan- at his Hujra. So some companions joined him and started praying with him. As a result, the prophet (sallah Allahu Alihi Üa Sallam) shortened the length of the Salah then entered his house and prayed long Salah then he came out and led his companion in a Salah but short one. Then he entered his house again and prayed long salah Then he went out and prayed with his companion short one then he went back to his house and prayed long salah. He kept doing so many times until fajir came they asked him: we came and you did such and such. He replied: I did so for you" [ Musnad Ahmad: 13236]
This is a Saheeh hadeeth that its Isnaad is on the condition of Imam Muslim ( Rahmahu Allah) as Shuab al-Ranouti commented.
Observe the words of this hadeeth:
If we to assume he prayed 2 rakaa at each time then that would result: 8 Rak'aat.
Then Anas bin Malik ( radi allahu A'nh) said: He did that many times so if we to assume the minimum then let's say he did it 3 times then that would make 8+8+8= 24 Rakaa't.
On other point, it shows how the Salah of the Prophet differed from how he prayed it while he is alone and how he prayed it when he is leading others.
Yazeed bin Rouman reported: People used to pray 23 raka'aa during Ramdan, as a night prayer. [ Malik's Muwatta]
Yahya bin Sa'ed reported: "Umar bin l-Khattab ordered a man to lead ( Taraweeh) with 20 rakaa. [Sunan Al-Bayaqi]
Abdulaziz bin rafie reported: " Ubai Bin Ka'b used to lead people at taraweeh with 20 Raka'a then pray 3 raka'a as witr" [Sunan Al-Bayhaqi]
The above are authentic Mursal athaar that supports that praying 20 existed at time of Umar bin alkhattab. In addition, there are more supportive evidences:
Nafi' Bin Umar reported: "Ibn Abi malika used to pray with us 20 Raka'a at time he leads us during Ramadn. [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba]
A'taa reported: "I witnessed people praying 23 Rakaa including witr" [ Musanaf Ibn Abi shaiba]
Abu Al-Khusaib reported: " Swaid bin Ghaflah used to lead us during Ramadn. He would pray 5 Taraweeh; 20 Rakaa'a in total. [ Sunan Aal-Bayhaqi]
It was mostly performed between 11-13 Rakaa and they are too lengthy ones.
The Sunnah here is not just the number but most important is the lentgh of the Salah which is , as proven, are too long more than normal that even the companions thought of as too difficult.
The lentgh of Salah is based from a directive Quranic Aya that advises the Prophet to offer prayers during most of the night. So, the concern here is about the length rather than the number of Raka'aat.
It has been proven that the Prophet prayed more than 11 which is the number Aisha (radi Allahu Anha) said that the Prophet never exceeded. as a matter of fact she is the one who reported that he prayed 13 Raka'aa as well. Scholars said: " She narrated what she witnessed and others reported what they witnessed".
In addition, we have clearly found that the Prophet has prayed more than 13 Rakaa as above authentic Hadeeths shows. in addition to all other supportive evidences we transmitted. I would have mentioned the scholars statements by it is enough to know that all our great scholars understood Night prayer as unlimited and this is the sound understanding of the Salaf and Khlalaf ( Rahimuhum Allah) like: Four Imams, Ibn Hajar, Alhaithami, alnawawi, Ibn taymyya, Ibn Al-Qaiym, Almunthiri, al-Iraqi, Al-Qadi Iy'aad, Ibn Abdul Bir, and many many others.
It is true that the most prayed by the Prophet (Sallah Allahu A'lih wa Sallam) was 11 - 13 but that was for a reason: the lengthy prayer he offers that almost ends by dawn time. Thus, advocating the Sunnah as numbers is wrong since the Sunnah is the description of it as well.
It is an open matter, whoever wished to pray 13 as most of the time the prophet prayed then he touched the Sunnah. And, whoever wish to pray more then he touched the Sunnah as well since he followed his advice when he said pray as much as you wish.
Thus, It is wise not to deny on others and if the companions, our preceded scholars have not disputed about it then would not be fair enough that we do the same and we claim to follow their steps.
Jazakom Allah kheir.
Wallahu A'lam
Written Today: 3rd of May 2008
By Ayman Bin Khaled
Q) What is narrated from 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) is that he ordered that Taraweeh prayer should be twenty rak'ahs. Is that saheeh or da'eef? Or is there no basis for it?
Praise be to Allaah.
The report that 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab ordered that Taraweeh prayer should be twenty rak'ahs came from four of the Taabi'een. These are their reports:
A number of narrators narrated it from al-Saa'ib, some of whom mentioned twenty rak'ahs or twenty-one or twenty-three. They were:
Muhammad ibn Yoosuf, the son of the sister of al-Saa'ib, from al-Saa'ib, as was narrated by 'Abd al-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf (4/260) from the report of Dawood ibn Qays and others.
Yazeed ibn Khusayfah. This was narrated by Ibn al-Majd in al-Musnad (1/413), and via him by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan (2/496).
Al-Haarith ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Dhubaab. This was narrated by 'Abd al-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf (4/261).
These reports are saheeh reports narrated by trustworthy narrators from al-Saa'ib ibn Yazeed. They mention twenty rak'ahs at the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him). The extra amount mentioned – twenty-one or twenty-three, refers to Taraweeh plus Witr.
This was narrated from him by Maalik in al-Muwatta' (1/115). Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo' (4/33: It is mursal, because Yazeed ibn Rumaan did not live at the same time as 'Umar. End quote.
This was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (2/163).
From all these reports it is clear that twenty rak'ahs was the way that Taraweeh was usually done at the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him). A matter such as Taraweeh prayer is something that is well known among all people, and is transmitted from one generation to another. The report of Yazeed ibn Rumaan and Yahya al-Qattaan is to be taken into account even if they did not live at the same time as 'Umar, because undoubtedly they learned it from a number of people who had been alive at the time of 'Umar, and this is something that does not need and isnaad, rather all the people of Madeenah are its isnaad.
Imam al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his Sunan (3/169):
Most of the scholars are of the view that what is narrated from 'Umar, 'Ali and other companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is twenty rak'ahs. This is the view of al-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubaarak and al-Shaafa'i.
Al-Shaafa'i said: This is what I learned in our land, in Makkah they pray twenty rak'ahs.
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said in al-Istidhkaar (2/69):
Twenty rak'ahs was narrated from 'Ali, Shateer ibn Shakl, Ibn Abi Mulaykah, al-Haarith al-Hamadaani and Abu'l-Bakhtari. It is the view of the majority of scholars and it is the view of the Kufis, the Shaafa'is and most of the fuqaha'. It was narrated in saheeh reports from Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and there was no difference of opinion among the Sahaabah. 'Ata' said: I grew up at a time when the people prayed twenty-three rak'ahs including Witr.
See that in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (2/163).
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (23/112):
It is proven that Ubayy ibn Ka'b used to lead the people in praying twenty rak'ahs in qiyaam in Ramadaan, and he used to pray Witr with three rak'ahs. Many scholars think that this is the Sunnah, because he established that among the Muhaajireen and Ansaar and no one objected to that. Others regarded it as mustahabb to pray thirty-nine rak'ahs, based on the fact that this was the practice of the people of Madeenah in the past. End quote.
With regard to what it says in the report of Imam Maalik, Yahya al-Qattaan and others from Muhammad ibn Yoosuf from al-Saa'ib ibn Yazeed in al-Muwatta' (1/115) and in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (2/162) "eleven rak'ahs" – this is to be understood as referring to what was done at first, then it was reduced after that, then 'Umar increased the number to twenty to make the recitation in qiyaam easier for the people.
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said in al-Istidhkaar (2/68):
It may be understood as meaning that at first qiyaam at the time of 'Umar was eleven rak'ahs, then he reduced the length of qiyaam for them and made it twenty-one rak'ahs, to make the recitation lighter for them and so that they would bow and prostrate more. But it seems most likely to me that the report about eleven rak'ahs is a mistake. And Allaah knows best. End quote.
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (23/113):
When Ubayy ibn Ka'b led them in praying qiyaam in a single congregation, he could not make them stand for too long, so he increased the number of rak'ahs to make up for the long standing. So they doubled the number of rak'ahs. He used to pray eleven or thirteen rak'ahs of qiyaam al-layl, then it seems that after that the people of Madeenah found it difficult to stand for so long during the recitation, so they increased the number of rak'ahs until it reached thirty-nine. End quote.
Night prayers are broad in scope, and there is no set number. Whoever wants to pray eleven rak'ahs may do so, and whoever wants to pray more or less than that may do so. The same applies to Taraweeh prayers in Ramadaan.
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (23/113):
One group said that it is proven in al-Saheeh from 'Aa'ishah that the Prophet did not pray more than thirteen rak'ahs in Ramadaan or at any other time, and some people were uncertain about this report, because they thought that it contradicted the saheeh hadeeth and because of the practice of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the actions of the Muslims.
But the correct view is that all of that is good, as was stated by Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him). There is no set number of rak'ahs for qiyaam during Ramadaan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not set a number. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (11/322):
It is proven that 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) told the one whom he appointed among the Sahaabah to pray eleven rak'ahs, and it is proven that they prayed twenty-three rak'ahs based on his command. This indicates that the matter is broad in scope and that the matter was flexible according to the Sahaabah. That is also indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "The night prayers are two by two." End quote.
See also the answer to question no. 9036 and 38021.
And Allaah knows best.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (R.A.) (died 852 a.h.) says in Fathul Baari - commentary of Bukhari:
"Taraweeh is the plural of tarwehah which means one occasion of rest similar to the word 'tasleemah' from 'salaamah.' Salaah in Jama'ah (congregation) in the nights of Ramadhaan is called taraweeh, because initially when they gathered upon it they needed to rest between every 2 sets of slaam (i.e. between every 4 rakaats) [Fathul Baari vol.4 pg.294].
Allamah qastalani (R.A.) in his commentary in bukhari "Irshaadus Saaree" mentions the very same definition as above (Irshaadus Saree vol.4 pg.575).
Proof of Taraweeh being Sunnat:
It is reported by Abdur Rahman Ibn Auf (R.A.) that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "Verily Allah Ta'ala made the fasting of Ramadhaan compulsory upon you and I Have made its standing (in Salaah) Sunnat for you. Hence whoever fasts the month of Ramadhaan and stands (in prayer) in Ramadhaan with faith and hoping for reward will emerge from his sins like the day his mother gave birth to him (Nasai pg.468 vol.4, Musnad Ahmad Hadith no.1660 vol.2 pg.306).
Allamah Zafar Ahmed Usmani (R.A.) mentions in Ia'laaus Sunnan (vol.7 pg.67) that Imaam Nasai (R.A.) has brought this Hadith with a sanad (chain of narrators) which is on the category of Hasan (literally translated as 'good.'
Allamah Usmani further elucidates Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)'s words: "And I have made it (standing in prayer) sunnat for you" indicates to the fact that standing in prayer in Ramadhaan is Sunnat and what is intended by Qiyaame Ramadhaan or standing in prayer in Ramadhaan is Taraweeh according to Ijmaa (consencus of opinion) as Allamah Kirmaani (R.A.) has mentioned. With this it is established that the origin of standing in Ramadhaan is the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) not the Sunnah of Umar (R.A.) as some claim (Ia'laus Sunan vol.7 pg.76,77).
Allamah Ahmad Shaakir (R.A.) in his work on the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (R.A.) has mentioned that the Sanad of the above Hadith is Sahih (for his research on this Hadith check Al Musnad Limaam Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Hambal - printed by Darul Hadith Al Qaahira First print 1995, vol.2 pg.306 Hadith no.1660).
It is reported from Aisha (R.A.) that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) performed salaah one night in the Musjid. A group of people (sahaaba) followed him in his salaah. Thereafter Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) performed salaah the following night and the number of people increased. Thereafter they gathered in the third or fourth night but Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not go out to them. When Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) went out in the morning he said: "I had seen what you had done. The only thing that prevented me from coming out to you was that I feared that it (the salaah at night in Ramadhaan) would be made compulsory upon you. This was in Ramadhaan (Bukhari vol.1, pg.152).
The above Hadith clearly indicates that Taraweeh Salaah with Jama'ah in the month of Ramadhaan is originally the Sunnat of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the only reason that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) curtailed this practice was due to the fear that it might be made compulsory (fard) upon the Ummah.
It is reported from Abu Hurairah that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Whosoever stands up (in salaah) in Ramadhaan with faith and hoping for reward, all his previous sins would be forgiven." Ibne Shihaab (R.A.) said: "Thereafter Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) passed away and the matter was like that (this means that everyone would stand up in Ramadhaan in the mentioned period whichever way he wished until Umar (R.A.) gathered them - as explained by Allamah Kirmaani (R.A.) in his commentary). Thereafter the matter was like that in the Khilafat of Abu Bakar (R.A.) and the initial stages of the Khilafat of Umar (R.A.). It is reported from Ibn Shihaab who reports from Urwah bin Zubair (R.A.) who reports from Abdur Rahman ibn Abdul Qaari that he said: "I came out with Uman bin Khattab (R.A.) one night in Ramadhaan to the Musjid. The scene that met us was that the people were in different groups. One person performed Salaah on his own. One person performed Salaah and a small group followed him. Umar (R.A.) then said: "Verily I feel that if I gather these people behind one Qaari it would be best. Thereafter he (Umar R.A.) made up his mind and gathered them behind Ubay bin Ka'b (R.A.). Then on another night I went out with him (Umar R.A.) and the people were performing Salaah behind their Qaari. Umar (R.A.) said: "What an excellent innovation this is. And the one (salaah) they sleep upon (i.e. they sleep after performing it as explained by Allamah Kirmaani (R.A.) in his commentary on Bukhari vol.9 pg.154) is more virtuous then the one they stand up for." He meant (the prayer) in the last part of the night. And the people used to stand up in the early part of the night.
From the above we learn that in the era of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), the Khilafat of Abu Bakar (R.A.) and the initial stages of the Khilafat of Umar (R.A.) the general method of performing Taraweeh was to perform it in small groups or individually. Hazrath Umar was the one to perform it in small groups or individually. Hazrath Umar (R.A.) was the one who initiated the pratice of gathering everyone behind one Imaam.
Allamah Aini (R.A.) explains in umdatul Qaree vol.11 pg.126 - "He (Umar R.A.) only called it bid'ah because Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not prescribe this method for them, nor was it existent in the era of Abu Bakar (R.A.). He (Umar R.A.) encouraged this method by saying Na'am (how excellent/wonderful) to indicate upon its virtue and so that this title (of being bid'ah) does not prevent from practicing upon it."
Allamah Kirmaani (R.A.) in his commentary on Bukhari vol.9 pg.154 explains the word bid'ah as "everything which is done without any prior example and it is of 5 types:
As for the Hadith "every bid'ah is misguidance" it falls under the law of Al-Aamul Maksoosah i.e. those general texts which have some exceptions.
Allamah Kirmaani (R.A.) thereafter quotes Allamah Khattabi (R.A.): "He (Umar R.A.) only called it bid'ah because Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not prescribe it and nor was it (existent) in the era of Abu Bakr (R.A.). He (Umar R.A.) encouraged it (taraweeh behind one Imaam) by him saying Ni'ma (how wonderful) to indicate upon its virtue and so that this term (bid'ah) does not prevent from practicing upon it. And the standing of Ramadhaan is in actual fact Sunnat, not bid'at because of the following saying of Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam): "Follow those two after me. Abu Bakr and Umar (R.A.).
From the above we learn that Umar (R.A.) after introducing the taraweeh behind one Imaam, termed it as bid'ah, because that was not the standard practice in the era of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and Umar (R.A.). However the sinful writer of these words would like to point out that Rasulullah did in fact perform the taraweeh salaah in Jama'ah, but only curtailed this practice due to the fear that it might be made compulsory (fard) on the Ummah and this would put them into difficulty. In the era of Umar (R.A.) this fear remained no more, therefore following the original practice of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), Umar (R.A.) re-introduced taraweeh salaah in Jama'ah behind one Imaam. Hence this act of Hazrath Umar (R.A.) is based on the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Following the Sunnah of the Khulafah-e-Raashideen is in accordance to the command of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) narrates the following Hadith in Tirmizi Shareef in the section Abwaabul Ilm (chapters of knowledge) under the chapter - Chapter on holding firmly onto the Sunnah and Abstaining from Bid'ah.
Irbaad bin Saariya (R.A.) narrates: "Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) preached to us one day after Fajar with utmost eloquence which caused the eyes to tear and the hearts to tremble. A man then said: "Definitely this is the advoce of a person bidding farewell, hence what do you emphatically command us with O Messenger of Allah? He (Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "I emphatically command you with the fear of Allah and the listening and obedience even (if your leader be) an Abyssinian slave. Verily who lives from amongst you will observe such dissension. Save yourself from newly invented matters because it is definitely misguidance. Whosoever reaches that era from amongst you then my Sunnah and Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafa is mandatory upon him. Bite upon it (the Sunnah) with the molars (i.e. stick dogeddly to it or cling stubbornly to it) Tirmizi vol.2 pg.92),
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) narrates this Hadith and commented: "This Hadith is Hasan and Sahih." Both words indicating the authenticity of Tuhfatul Ahwazee (commentary of Tirmizi) states about this Hadith: "Imaam Ahmad (R.A.), Abu Dawood (R.A.) and Ibne Majah (R.A.) have reported it (this Hadith) and Abu Dawood (R.A.) maintained silence about it. Allamah Munziri (R.A.) transmitted the authentication of Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) and confirmed it (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.7 pg.368).
Hafiz Ibne Hajar (R.A.) examining this Hadith mentions: "Imaam Ahmad (R.A.), Abu Dawod (R.A.), Tirmizi (R.A.), Ibne Majah (R.A.), Ibne Hibbaan (R.A.) and Haakim (R.A.) report it from Irbaad bin Saariya. Allamah Bazzaar (R.A.) said: "Its sanad is more Sahih than the Hadith of Huzaifah (R.A.)." Allamah ibne Abdul Barr (R.A.) said: "It is as he (Bazzaar R.A.) has said: "Haakim (R.A.) has brought it (the Hadith) in his "Mustadrak" in the chapter of Ilm and he said: "In confirming this Hadith to be Sahih, I have done some thorough examination (Talkheesul Habeer vol.2 pg. 190).
Muhammad Nasiruddeen Al-Albaani has mentioned this Hadith in his work in Sunan Ibne Majah entitled: "Sahih Sunan Ibne Majah." He brought the Hadith with three different chains of narrators from Irbaad bin Saariya (R.A.) and has regarded all to be Sahih.
We conclude that after all these authorities have proved this Hadith to be authentic, to follow the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafa is definitely in accordance to the Sunah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Proofs to show that Taraweeh was 20 rakaats in the era of Umar (R.A.) It is reported by Yazeed ibne Khusayfah from Saaib ibne Yazeed (R.A.) that he said: "They used to stand in the era of Umar (R.A.) with 20 rakaats in the month of ramadhaan (As Sunanul Kubraa - Imaam al Bayhaqi vol.2 pg.496). Ibne Iraaqi has mentioned that the sanad of the above Hadith is Sahih (Irshaadus Saari Allamah Qastalaani vol.4 pg.578).
Moulana Habiur Rahmaan Azmi (R.A.) writes in his book Raka'aate Taraweeh: "Imaam Nawawi (R.A.), Imaam Iraaqi and Allamah Suyooti (R.A.) have regarded the above narration to be Sahih (Tuhfatul Akhyaar pg.196, Irshaadus Saari and Masaabeeh - Suyooti (R.A.) pg.42)
The complete sanad of the above narration is as follows: Imaam Bayhaqi (R.A.) says Abu Abdullah Al-Hussain ibn Muhammad ibnul Hussain ibn Finjayah informed us that Ahmad bin Muhammad ibne Ishaaq As-Sunni reported to us that Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Baqhawi informed us that Ali ibnul Ja'd reported to us that Ibne Abi Zi'b informed us from Yazeed ibne Khusayfah who reports from Saaib ibn Yazeed. In this Sanad we find that the student of Yazeed ibne Khusayfah who reports from him is ibne Ali Zi'b. Imaam Bayhaqi (R.A.) has mentioned a similar narration in his kitaab Ma'ariftul Aathaar Was Sunan vol.2 pg.305). This narration is also reported by Yazeed ibn Khusayfah from Saaib ibne Yazeed. The only difference being that the student who reports from Yazeed is Muhammad ibne Ja'far and not Ibne Ali Zi'b. The narration reads as follows: "It is reported from Saaib ibn Yazeed (R.A.) that he said: "We used to stand in the era of Umar (R.A.) with 20 rakaats and witr."
The above narration which has been narrated by Imaam Bayhaqi (R.A.) in his kitaab Marifatus Sunan Wal Aathaar has been regarded as Sahih by Allamah Subkhi (R.A.) in Sharhul Minhaaj as well as Mulla Ali Qari (R.A.) in Sharhul Mu'atta (Taleequl Hassan pg.252).
Imaam Maalik (R.A.) reported from Yazeed ibne Roomaan (R.A.): "The people used to stand in the era of Umar (R.A.) with 23 rakaats in the month of Ramadhaan (Mu'atta Imaam Malik pg.92). The above narration is also found in Sunane Kubra of Imaam Bayhaqi (R.A.) vol.2 pg.496 as well as in Qiyamul Layl by Sheikh Muhammad ibn Nasr Al-Murwazi pg.94.
Hazrath Moulana Habibur Rahman Azmi (R.A.) writes in his kitaab Raka'aate Tarwaweeh: "The objection against this narration is that Yazeed ibne Roomaan did not live i the era of Umar (R.A.) therefore the sanad is munqati i.e. a narrator is missing. The answer to this objection is that this is transmitted in the Mu'atta of Imaam Maalik (R.A.) and Hazrath Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (R.A.) has mentioned in Hujjatullahul Baaligah vol.1 pg.106:
"Imaam Shaafi (R.A.) said: "The most authentic book after the book of Allah is the Mu'atta of Maalik (R.A.). The scholars of Hadith are unanimous that whatever is contained therein is Sahih according to the opinion of Imaam Maalik (R.A.) and those who agreed with him. According to others there is no Mursal (a Ta'biee narrates from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) directly) nor any Munqati (a narrator is missing) except that its sanad is Muttasal (linked without any break) to him (Imaam Maalik R.A.) from another chain of narrators. In the era of Imaam Maalik (R.A.) many (other) Mu'atta's were written in order to extract (the authenticity) of its (i.e. Mu'atta Imaam Maalik's) Ahadith and to establish that its Munqati are Muttasal eg. The books of Ibne Ali Zi'b, Ibne Uyayna and Ma'mar.
The second answer is that there is a difference of opinion on the acceptance and non-acceptance of a Mursal. According to Imaam Maalik and Imaam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) it is accepted Mutlaqan. Khateeb Baghdaadi (R.A.) writes in Kifaayah pg.384 "Some say that Mursal is acceptable and practicing upon it is waajib when the one making Irsaal is trustworthy and extremely just. This is the verdict of Imaam Maalik (R.A.) and the scholars of Madina and Imaam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) and the scholars if Iraq etc" (Kifayah pg384).
Therefore according to these seniors this narration being Mursal does not do any harm. Even though a Mursal is not acceptable according to Imaam Shafi (R.A.) he also explicitly states that when any Mursal is supported by another Mursal or Musnad and that Musnad or Mursal is supported by another mursal or Musnad and that is reported by a different chain of narrators then it is acceptable. Hafiz Ibne Hajar (R.A.) writes in Sharah Kubra - Imaam Shafi (R.A.) said: "It will be accepted when it is supported by it coming from another way which is distinguished from the first, be it Musnad or Mursal (Sharah Nukhba pg.51).
Sheikul Islam Zakaria Ansaari (R.A.) has generalised this also that should the supporting narration be weak (daeef) then too the Mursal will be acceptable (Haashia Sharah Nukhba).
Now that this has been settled in the mind, understand that although the narration of Yazeed bin Roomaan is Mursal, it is supported by many other Mursal which will soon be mentioned. Therefore it is unanimously accepted and is a proof. Leave alone the fact that our original proof is the narration of Saaib bin Yazeed (R.A.) and the narration of Yazeed bin Roomaan (R.A.) has been presented as support (pg.63,64,65, Raka'aate Taraweeh).
The following one more Mursal narration which support the narration of Yazeed bin Roomaan: Yahya bin Saeed reports that Umar (R.A.) commanded a man to perform 20 rakaats with them (Musannaf ibne Abi Shayba vol.2 pg. 165). The narrators of the above are all extremely realible. Let us see what Hafiz ibne Hajar writes about them:
1. Wakee Bin Jarrah - Trustworthy, Hafiz of Hadith, Aabid (targheebut Tahzeeb vol.2 pg.331).
2. Maalik bin Anas - No no one needs any introduction to this great Imaam of the Ummah, Imaam Maalik.
3. Yahya bin Saeed ibne Kais Al-Ansaari - Ibn Sa'd said about him - He is trustworthy, narrated many Ahadith, is a proof and is firm. Imaam Nasai said: Extremely trustworthy. Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal, Yahya ibne Maeenm, Abu Haatim and Abu Zur'ah say he us trustworthy, realible (Tahzeebut Tahzeeb vol.11 pg.195).
Despite the above narration being Mursal because Yahya bin Saeed did not live in the era of Umar (R.A.) it poses no problem because it is only being used as a support for the narration of Yazeed bin Roomaan.
Abdul Aziz bin Rufay (R.A.) said: "Ubay bin Ka'b used to perform 20 rakaats and 3 witr with the people in Ramadhaan in Madina" (Musannaf ibne Abi Shayba pg.165 vol.2). Allamah Neemwi (R.A.) writes in Athaarus Sunan pg.253 that this narration is a strong Mursal narration.
Moulana Habibur Rahman Azmi (R.A.) writes in Raka'aate Taraweeh: "due to the fact that according to most opinionsm Ubay bin Ka'b passed away in the era of Umar (R.A.) therefore this narration is also linked to the era of Umar (R.A.).
These 2 Mursal narrations support the narration of Yazeed bin Roomaan and render it as suitable to be used as s proof for the claim that Taraweeh in the era of Umar (R.A.) was 20 rakaats. One should not lose sight of the fact that the original proof is the narration of Saaib bin Yazeed: "They used to stand in the era of Umar (R.A.) with 20 rakaats in the month of Ramadhaan."
Now that 20 rakaats have been established from the era of Hazrath Umar (R.A.) by means of narrations, let us look into the books of fiqh of the different mazhabs written over the centuries regarding the number of rakaats of taraweeh.
In Sharhul Kabeer (a book of fiqh of the Hambali Mazhab) shamsuddeen ibne Qudaama (died 682 a.h.) writes in vol.1 pg.781: "Thereafter comes taraweeh and it is 20 rakaats. He will stand with it in Ramadhaan in Jamaat and thereafter perform witr in Jamaat." On page 784 of the same kitaab he writes: "Its number is 20 rakaats and Sufyaan Thauri, Imaam Shafi and Imaam Abu Hanifa are of the same opinion.
Further Ibne Qudama writes: "Our proof is that when Umar (R.A.) gathered the people behind Ubay bin Ka'b he used to perform 20 rakaats with them. Saaib bin Yazeed has reported it. Imaam Maalik reports that Yazeed bin Roomaan said: "The people used to stand in the era of Umar (R.A.) in Ramadhaan with 23 rakaats. Abdur Rahman Sulami reports from Ali that he commanded a man to perform 20 rakaats with them. This i.e. 20 rakaats is like Ijmaa (Ash Sharhul Kabeer vol.1 pg.784).
Al-Uddah Sharah Umdah is another fiqhi kitaab of the Hambali mazhab. Therein Allamah Bahauddeen Al Maqdisi (died 624 a.h.) writes on page 88: "It (Taaweeh) is 20 rakaats after Esha in Ramadhaan."
Allamah ibnur Raushd Al Kurtubi (died 595 a.h.) writes in the famous Maaliki book of fiqh Bidayatul Mujtahid vol.1 pg.306: "They i.e. the Ulama have difference of opinion regarding the preferred number of rakaats which the people should perform in Ramadhaan.
Imaam Maalik in one of his statements, Imaam Abu Hanifa, Imaam Shafi, Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal and Dawood (R.A.) are of the opinion of 20 rakaats excluding witr. Ibnul Qaasim has mentioned about Imaam Maalik that he preferred 36 rakaats and 3 witr. Imaam Nawawi the famous Shafi scholar and commentator on Sahih Muslim writes in his book on Fiqh: "Taraweeh is 20 rakaats with 10 salaams (Rawdatut Taalibeen vol.1 pg.437).
Imaam Shafi who passed away in 204 a.h. writes in his Kitaabul Umm: "I saw them performing 39 rakaats in Madina and most preferred to me is 20 rakaats because it is narrated from Umar (R.A.). They perform like this i.e. 20 rakaats and 3 witr in Makka (Kitabul Umm vol. 1 pg.142).
The Hanafi scholar Allamah Shamsuddeen As Saraksi (died 490 a.h.) writes in his kitaabul Mabsoot pg.144, vol.2: "It is 20 rakaats excluding the witr according to us."
In the Hanafi book of Fiqh Badaaius Sanaai vol.2 pg.274 Allamah Khasaani (died 587 a.h.) writes: "As for its amount it is 20 rakaats with 10 salaams i.e. in batches of 2."
In Al Hidaya the famous book on Fiqh Allamah Margheenani (died 592 a.h.) writes: Their Imaam will perform 5 tarweehas with them (a tarweeha refers to the rest after every 4 rakaats hence 5 tarweehas equals to 20 rakaats).
Imaam Tirmizi (died 279 a.h.) the famous author of the Hadith kitaab Jamiut Tirmizi writes therein: "Most of the Ahle-Ilm are of the opinion of what is narrated from Ali (R.A.) and Umar (R.A.) and others from amongst the companions of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) i.e. 20 rakaats. This is the fatwa of Sufyan Sawri, ibnul Mubarak and Imaam Shafi. Imaam Shafi said: "This is what I found in our home-town, Makkah they perform 20 rakaats (Jamiut Tirmizi vol.1 pg.99).
From the above quotations of the books of jurisprudence written over the centuries we learn that all 4 mazhabs, Hambali, Shafi and Maliki agree that Taraweeh is not less than 20 rakaats. The only difference being that Imaam Maalik is of the opinion of 36 rakaats. He used the proof that the people of Madina read 36 rakaats. Imaam Nawawi in his Kitabul Majmoo Sharah Muhazzab vol.3 pg.527 explains: "Our Ulama say its reason is that the people of Makkah used to make 1 tawaaf between every two tarweehas i.e. between every four rakaats and thereafter perform 2 rakaats and they did not make tawaaf after the fifth tarweeha. The people of Madina intended to equal them and they read four rakaats in place of every tawaaf. Hence they increased 16 rakaats and made 3 witr thus making the total 39."
Moulana Habibur Rahman Azmi in his book Raka'aate Taraweeh has shown both these claims to be incorrect.. His response will now be translated in a summarised form.
He writes: Before answering these 2 claims I deem it appropriate to shed some light on whether a specific number has been established from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) or not according to the research of the Ulama of Islaam. In this mas'ala there are two groups of Ulama. one group includes Sheikul Islam Ibne Taymiah, Allamah Subkhi, Allamah Suyuti etc. Their research is that no specific number is established from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) neither through his words nor through his actions. Hafiz Ibne Taymiah writes: "Whoever is of the opinion that there is a specific number in the Qiyaame Ramadhaan which is fixed from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and cannot increase nor decrease has erred (Mirqatul Intiqaad Ar-Rajeeh pg.63).
Allamah Subkhi writes in Sharah Minhaaj: "Umderstand that it is not transmitted how many rakaats Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) performed in those nights, be it 20 or less" (Thfatul Akhyaar pg.116 Allamah Suyuti writes in Masabeeh: "The Ulama have differed with regards to its number. If that was established from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) they would not have differed.
Imaam Shafi has mentioned: "There is no restriction in the number and any end-limit (Ma'rifatus Sunan - Imaam Bayhaqi vol.2 pg. 305). This is the research of one group of Ulama. Therefore according to them all those narrations attributing a specific number of rakaats of Taraweeh to Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) be it 8 or 20 are either not Sahih or are not related to Taraweeh Salaah but relate to some other salaah.
The second group of Ulama are those who accept that a specific number has been established from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). They include Qadhi Khan and Imaam Tahawi from the Hanafi Jurists and Imaam Rafi'ee from the Shafi jurists.
Let us now look into the first claim of the Ahle Hadith. In order to prove their first claim the Ahle Hadith have presented 2 proofs:
He said: "O Aisha (R.A.) verily my 2 eyes sleep byt my heart does not sleep (Sahih Bukhari Kitabus Saum - Kitabut Taraweeh).
Response: This proof of the Ahle Hadith is totally misplaced and can never be regarded as proof for their claim for the following reasons:
Allamah Qastalani mentions the very same definition in Irshadus Saari (vol.4 pg.575). Hence when taraweeh is a salaah specific to the month of ramadhaan and in the Hadith of Aisha (R.A.) there is mention of salaah which is read out of Ramadhaan, then what link is there between Taraweeh and the proof presented by the Ahle Hadith?
Hafiz Ibne Hajar and other commentators of Hadith reconcile between these 2 apparently contradicting narrations by saying that they refer to different conditions and times viz. that most of the time Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not read more than 11 rakaats and at times he did read 13. Hafiz Ibne Hajar writes: "For this reason Hafiz Abdullah Saheb Gazipuri (of the Ahle Hadith) had to concede that at times Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did read 13 rakaats excluding the 2 rakaats of Fajar. Moulana Abdur Rahman Mubarakpuri has also conceded this fact He writes in Tuhfatul Ahwazi vol.2 pg.73: "It is definitely established that at times Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did read 13 rakaats besides the 2 rakaats of Fajar.
Hence when reading more than 11 rakaats is an established fact, then this claim of the Ahle Hadith that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not increase upon 11 rakaats including witr is totally baseless. Further when the Hadith of Aisha (R.A.) according to the confession of the Ahle Hadith does not refer to all the nights of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), rather it refers to some or most of the nights, then to use it as a proof for their claim is either plain ignorance or blatant disregard of the facts. 3. The first part of the Hadith of Aisha (R.A.) which translates: "Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not increase upon 11 rakaats in Ramadhaan and out of Ramadhaan," is a little ambiguous. It is not clear whether Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) read 7 or 9 or 11. Similarly it is not clear whether Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) read 1 rakaat witr or 3 or more than 3. However Aisha (R.A.) has cleared up this ambiguity by specifying a method saying: "Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) read 4 such rakaats, that don't even ask about their beauty and their length. Thereafter Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) read 4 similar rakaats. Then Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) read 3." In this explanation Aisha (R.A.) has specified the method of not increasing upon 11 rakaats i.e. he did not read 7 nor 9 but 11. Also that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) read 3 rakaats witr.
Further Moulana Mubarakpuri has written clearly in Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.1 pg.331 that apparently the 4 rakaats were with one salaam and the last 3 rakaats were with one salaam.
After this introduction we venture to say that when the Ahle Hadith have understood from the first part of the Hadith that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)'s permanent habit was not to increase upon 11 rakaats, then from the second part of the Hadith which is an explanation of the first part it is established that the permanent pratice was to read 11 rakaats in this manner that 4 rakaats are with one salaam, then 4 rakaats with one salaam and then 3 rakaats are read with one salaam. It is therefore imperative upon the Ahle Hadith that they never read less than 11 rakaats taraweeh, they always make salaam after evey 4 rakaats and they always read 3 rakaats witr with one salaam. However the Ahle Hadith don't practice in this manner. Instead most of the time they read 9 rakaats and thousands in India are aware of this. Then they always make salaam after 2 rakaats. And as far as I know out of Ramadhaan they always read 1 rakaat witr. If any one of them does read 3 witr then it is with 2 salaams i.e. 2 rakaats with one salaam then 1 rakaat with one salaam.
From this we learn that according to the Ahle Hadith themselves it is not compulsory to practice upon this Hadith nor is going against this Hadith opposing the Sunnah. In such a situation to use this Hadith as a proof against anyone else or to prove any claim is gross injustice and against the dictates of piety.
If someone makes a claim that there is no distinction between tahajjud and taraweeh. For 11 months it is called tahajjud and in Ramadhaan it is called taraweeh. In response to this we would question: What is the proof for this claim? And when there are numerous distinctions existing, then how is it possible to regard both as one?
The second proof of the first claim of the Ahle Hadith i.e. only 8 rakaats have been transmitted from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) with an authentic chain of narrators.
"It is reported by Jaabir (R.A.) that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) performed 8 rakaats for us in ramadhaan and witr. The following night we gathered in the Musjid hoping that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would come out to us. We continued waiting until the morning. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: "I feared that the witr (night salaah) would be made compulsory upon you" (Sahih Ibne Hibban, Ibne Khuzaima, Qiyamul Layl).
When we examine the chain of narrators of the above Hadith we find that there is only one person narrating from Jaabir (R.A.) viz. Issa bin Jaariyah. Hafiz Zahabi and Hafiz ibne Hajar have mentioned this narration in Mizanul I'tidaal and Tahzeebut Tahzeeb respectively. They write that the Imaam of the science of Jarah Wat Tadeel Yahya bin Maeen has said regarding him - He is not authentic. He further states: "He narrates numerous Munkar narrations." Imaam Nawawi and Abu Dawood regard him as a narrator of hadith which contradicts the narrations of trustworthy narrators. Imaam Nasai has also called him Matrook (suspected of fabricating Hadith).
Uqaili has mentioned him amongst the weak narrators. Ali has said that his narrations are not mahfooz (Tahzeebut Tahzeeb vol8 pg.179).
These six experts on Hadith have criticised Isa Bin Jaaria. Only Abu Zur'ah and Ibne Hibbaan have regarded him to be realiable. It is a law of the principles of Hadith that Jarh Mufassar is given preference over tadeel. Therefore Issa will have to be considered unrealiable, especially when the words used to criticise him are extremely severe.
Imaam Abu Dawood and Nasai have regarded him to be Munkarul Hadith. Moulana Mubarakpuri has written in his kitaab Ibkarul Minan pg.191 without any hesitation munkarul Hadith is that description in a oerson which renders his Hadith worthy to be rejected."
On the basis of this the narration of Isa Bin Jaaria can never be acceptable, moreso when he is the only narrator from Hazrath Jaabir (R.A.).
Muhammad bin humaid Ar Raazi is also a narrator in the chain of this Hadith who is not free of any criticism. Hafiz Zuhri has mentioned in Al-Kaashif vol.1 pg. 166: it is better to leave him out. Imaam Bukhari said: "In him there is some doubt."
Imaam Nasai said: "He is not authentic (Al-Kaashif vol. pg.166). Hafiz Ibne Hajar has said regarding him in Taqreebut Tahzeeb vol.2 pg.156 - He is a hafiz of Hadith and Daeef.
This further weakens the proof of the ahle Hadith and thus cannot be used as a proof for their claim that only 8 rakaats are transmitted from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) with a Sahih chain of narrators.
Hazrath Moulana Habibur Rahman Azmi (R.A.) writes in his treatise Rakate Taraweeh: "The hue and cry raised by the Ahle Hadith sect of India for almost a 1000 years now over the number of rakaats of taraweeh was unheard of before. The entire world of Islam read 20 or more than 20 rakaats. Also from the time of Hazrath Umar (R.A.) till this uproar by the Ahle Hadith no Musjid in the world ever read 8 rakaats. This means that for almost 12½ centuries all the Muslims of the Ahlus Sunnah regard 20 or more than 20 as Sunnah and suitable to practice upon. After 12½ centuries the Ahle Hadith sect have have made this new finding that whatever the Muslims have been doing till now was incorrect and that only 8 rakaats is Sunnah. In this short treatise we wish to expose the reality of this new finding of the Ahle Hadith. we have hope that if this presentation is read with an open mind then it would become apparent that the chain of the Ahle Hadith is completely baseless and their new finding is a grave error.
Firstly I wish to substantiate my claim of the practice of Muslims for 12½ centuries, listen:
Imam Baihaqi (R.A.) has transmitted the following narration of Saaib bin Yazeed (R.A.) in his kitabus Sunan-e-Kubra vol.2, pg.496: "That in the era of Hazrath Umra (R.A.) the people used to read 20 rakaats and in the era of Uthman (R.A.) due to the severity of standing, they used to recline upon sticks."
And 5 lines later Imam Baihaqi (R.A.) narrates that ___ who was amongst the companions of hazrath Ali (R.A.) used to be the Imam in Ramadhaan and would read 20 rakaats. Two lines later Imam Baihaqi (R.A.) narrates that Hazrath Ali (R.A.) instructed a person to read 20 rakaats for the people.
This was the condition of the era of Hazrath Umar, Usman and Ali (R.A.). The martyrdom of Hazrath Ali (R.A.) occured in 40 A.H. 23 years after the death of Hazrath Ali (R.A.) in 63 A.H. the bloody incident of Harra took place. Imam Malik (R.A.) has explained that from before the incident of Harra till now for more than a 100 years the recurring practice in Madina has been to read 38 rakaats. The explanation of Saalih Maulat Thu'ama) also lends support to this. The difference in the number of rakaats shown by Imam Malik (R.A.) and Saalih is due to the difference in the number of rakaats of witr. however the common factor between the two is that from before Harra, the practice in Madina has been to read more than 20 rakaats.
Muaz Abu Halima (R.A.) is a Sahaabi and he was martyred on the day of Harra. Ibne Sereen (R.A.) has borne witness to the fact that he used to perform 41 rakaats in Ramadhaan. For the details of the above 3 check Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.7, pg.72 commentary on Tirmizi written by Ml. Mubarakpuri a scholar of the Ahle Hadith).
Naafi was the freed slave of Hazrath Ibne Umar (R.A.) as well as the student of Hazrath Aisha (R.A.), Hazrath Abu Hurairah (R.A.) and Hazrath Raafi (R.A.). He has mentioned: "I had seen and found people reading 36 rakaats taraweeh and 3 witr (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.73). Naafi (R.A.) passed away in 117 A.H.
Dawood bin Qais (R.A.) mentions: "I had seen the people of Madina reading 36 rakaats in the era of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A.) [passed away 101 A.H.] and Abaan bin Umar (passed away 105 A.H.) [Qiyamul Layl pg. 91]. Further Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A.) used to command the Qarees to read 36 rakaats (Qiyamul Layl pg.93).
At any rate the prsctice of Madina till the era of Imam Malik (R.A.) [passed away 179 A.H.] was 36, 38 or 41 rakaats or it can be saud that the practice was 36 and the difference in number is due to the difference of opinion in the number of rakaats of witr. Even after Imam Malik (R.A.) this continued to be the practice in Madina, therefore Imam Tirmizi (R.A.) [passed away 279 A.H.) after mentioning 41 rakaats said: "This is the practice of the people of Madina." And was not restricted to Madina. It is apparent that wherever the followers of Imam Malik (R.A.) were the practice was on 36 as the books of the Maaliki Mazhab testify.
In Makkah till the era of Ataa bin Ali Rubaah (passed away 114 A.H.) the practice was 20 (Musannaf Ibne Abi Shaibah vol.2 pg.393). Naafi bin Umar has mentioned that Ibne Abi Mulaykah used to perform 20 rakaats for us in Ramadhaan. Ibne Abi Mulaikah passed away in 117 A.H. According to Imam Shafi (R.A.) as well the practice was on 20. He passed away in 204 A.H. In Tirmizi Shareef the statement of Imam Shafee (R.A.) reads: "I found the people of Makkah reading 20 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.76). Due to the fact that Imam Shafee (R.A.) was himself of the opinion of 20 rakaats, therefore after him in Makkah as well as all other places where his followers were found, the practice was on 20, just as the Shafee books of jurisprudence which were written after him and are still being written bear witness to it.
Now Iraq remains (Kufa, Basra etc.). We have already learnt that on the command of Ali (R.A.) the practice was on 20 and Hazrath Abdullah bin Mas'ood (R.A.) also used to read 20 (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.1, pg.75).
In Kufa Awad bin Yazeed (passed away 75 A.H.) used to read 20 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.73). This should be clear that Awad had attained the companionship of Hazrath Umar (R.A.), Hazrath Muaz, Hazrath Ibne Masood, Hazrath Huzaifah, Hazrath Bilal and other senior Sahaabah (R.A.).
Suwaid bin Gafalah (passed away 81 A.H.) who attained the companionship of Hazrath Ali (R.A.) and Hazrath Ibne Masood (R.A.) used to read 20 rakaats (Baihaqi vol.2, pg.496).
Haaris A'war who was a companion of Ali (R.A.) used to read 20 rakaats (Musannaf Ibne Abi Shaibah - vol.2, pg.393). Further Ali bin Rabiah who was a student of Ali (R.A.) and Salmaan Farsi (R.A.) also used to read 20 rakaats Taraweeh and 3 rakaats witr (Musannaf ibne Abi Shaibah vol.2, pg.393). Saeed bin Jubair who was s student of Hazrath Ibne Abbas and other Sahaaba and was a great Imaam used to read 24 and 28 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2 pg.73). His martyrdom took place in 95 A.H.
The Imaam of Kufa Sufyan Thauri (R.A.) [died 161 A.H.] was of the opinion of 20 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee vol.2, pg.75). After Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) [died 150 A.H.] it is apparent that all his followers practiced upon 20 rakaats. The Ahle Hadith themselves confess to this. Allamah Mubarakpuri (R.A.) states that this is the opinion of the Hanafees. The books of Imam Muhammad (R.A.) who is a student of Imam Abu Hanifa also bears witness to this fact.
In Basra Zuraara ibne Aufa (R.A.) who was a student of Abu Hurairah, Ibne Abbas, Imraan bin Husain, Anas and Hazrath Aisha (R.A.) used to read in the first 20 days of Ramadhaan 28 rakaats and in the last ten days 34 rakaats (Tuhfatul Ahwazee - vol.2, pg.73). He passes away in 93 A.H.
Abdur Rahman ibne Abi Bakrah, Saeed ibne Abil Hassan and Imaam Abdi used to read 5 tarweehas i.e. 20 rakaats in the Jaami Musjid of Basrah before 83 A.H. and in the last 10 days they added 4 rakaats (Qiyamul Layl - pg.91).
In Baghdad Imam Ahmad (R.A.) [died 235 A.H.] was of the opinion of 20 rakaats as written by Allamah Ibne Rushd in Bidayatul Mujtahid (vol.1, pg.192). This fact is also mentioned in the Hambali books of Fiqh. In the Hambali Kitaab Muqna vol.1, pg.183 it states: "Taraweeh is 20 rakaats which are performed in Ramadhaan with Jamaat." The author of Muqna himself writes about Muqna "This is a book in accordance to the mazhab of Imaam Ahmad bin Muhammad ibne Hambali."
Similarly Dawood Zaahiri (died 270 A.H.) was also of the opinion of 20 (Bidayatul Mujtahid - vol.1, pg.192). The followers of these personalities be they from Baghdad or out of Baghdad practiced upon 20.
Abdullah bin Mubarak (R.A.) [died 181 A.H.] who was from amongst the Imaams of Khurasan was of the opinion of 20. Ishaq bin Rahweh (R.A.) [died 238 A.H.] was of the opinion of 40 rakaats (TIrmizi). Their followers practiced on more than 8.
This was an overview of the opinions of the Ulama and Imaams regarding the number of rakaats of taraweeh from the era of Hazrath Umar (R.A.) till almost the middle of the third century hijri. This was the practice of the Muslims of that time period in Makkah, Madina, kufa, Basra, Baghdad and Khurasan. Read it a second time and see if anyone ever sufficied on 8 rakaats and where was it ever praticed?
Thereafter listen! From before the middle of the third century the four Imaams, Abu Hanifa, Maalik, Shafee and Ahmad (R.A.) had imparted the knowledge of jurisprudence to their students and had departedfrom this world and their respective schools of thought had already commenced being propagated and practiced upon and this process continues to this day and age. Today the books of jurisprudence based on the teachings of these four Imaams are available in large numbers but in none of these books is it ever taught to practice on just 8 rakaats.
When we place practicing on 8 rakaats in opposition to this ancient practice of 20 or more, which was the preferred opinion of the former and latter Ulama, and we turn the pages of books, then from after the era Umar (R.A.) till the end of the 13th century hijri we do not find in the entire world of Islam any mention of any one place practicing on 8 rakaats. Even after expending all ones strength one will never be able to furnish the slightest bit of evidence nor the weakest proof that 8 rakaats was practiced upon in that lenghty period of time i.e. 12½ centuries (Rakaate Taraweeh).
The Ahle Hadith claim that Hazrath Umar (R.A.) only commanded 8 rakaats.In substantiation they present the following narration of Muatta Imam Malik: Saaib bin Yazeed (R.A.) reports that Umar (R.A.) commanded Ubay bin Ka'b (R.A.) and Tameem Daari (R.A.) to perform 11 rakaats for the people (Muatta Imam Malik).
Response: The above narration of Saaib bin Yazeed (R.A.) is transmitted by his student Muhammad bin Yusuf (R.A.). He in turn has 5 students narrating this particular Hadith from him. They are:
Let us now see how each student narrates from Muhammad bin Yusuf and examine the differences in the narration:
The differences in the narrations of the 5 students of Muhammad bin Yusuf can be summed up to be 2:
Due to this difference Ibne Ishaq (R.A.) who himself is onee of the narrators of the Hadith has given preference to 13 rakaats (Qiyamul Layl). Allamah Ibne Abdul Barr Maliki (R.A.) has given preference to 21 rakaats and has regarded 11 rakaats as the erroneous impression of the narrator (Al-Istizkaar - vol.5, pg.154). Therefore this Hadith cannot be used as a proof for the claim of 11 rakaats unless it is established that an authorative scholar of Hadith has given preference to 11 rakaats. We say this as a claim that it can never be established that any of the former scholars of Hadith (Muhadditheen) have ever given preference to 11 rakaats over 13 or 21 rakaats. If the Muhadditheen have given preference then it was to 13 or 21, never to 11. Other Muhadditheen have opted to reconcile the narrations by stating that initially it was 11 rakaats and then later increased (Masabeeh - pg.44 by Allamah Suyuti (R.A.), Sharhuz Zurqaani - vol.1 pg.341 and Tuhfatul Akhyaar pg.191). On this assumption to say that Umar (R.A.) gave only the command of 11 rakaats and to use the narration of Saaib bin Yazeed from Muhammad bin Yusuf as a proof for this claim is merely deceit and taking unfair advantage of the unwareness of the masses.
Thus far our discussion has been regarding the narration of Saaib bin Yazeed transmitted by his student Muhammad bin Yusuf. However if we keep in front of us Saaib's narration transmitted by his other student Yazeed bin Khusayfah (this narration has been discussed in detail in the chapter of the proofs of Taraweeh being 20 rakaats in the era of Umar (R.A.). which states: "We used to stand in the era of Umar (R.A.) in the month of Ramadhaan with 20 rakaats," then we are astonished to notice the audacity of the Ahle Hadith that they are prepared to overlook the Sahih Hadith of Saaib from his student Yazeed bin Khusayfa which does not have the slightest difference, and actually oppose it by using Saaib's narration transmitted by his other student Muhammad bin Yusuf which is full of contradiction, as a basis for their claim of 11 rakaats.
Ponder over the fact that the two students of Yazeed bin Khusayfa (Muhammad bin Jafar and Ibne Ali Zi'b) both using the same words narrate from Yazeed and Yazeed in turn narrates from Saaib that: "We used to stand with 20 rakaats in the era of Umar (R.A.), [Both these narrations have been examined in detail earlier in this booklet] contrary to the 5 students of Muhammad bin Yusuf who all transmit the statement of Saaib from Muhammad bin yusuf in 5 different ways. In these circumstances the demands of justice was that the narration of Yazeed bin Khusayfa should be relied upon and before the existence of the ahle Hadith sect this was the approach but the Ahle Hadith by relying on the doubtful and contradicting narration of Muhammad bin yusuf have murdered the concept of justice. Translated in a summarized form Rakate Taraweeh from page 16 to 41 (Moulana Habibur Rahman Azmi).
From this short treatiseon Taraweeh the following facts become quite clear: * After the era of Umar (R.A.) till the end of the 13th century the entire Muslim world performed 20 or more than 20 rakaats. If in this entire time period even a few people were of the opinion of less than 20 rakaats, then too there is no evidence of it being practiced in any Musjid.
We now leave it to you, dear reader to decide whether you wish to practice on what the Ummah has been practicing on for the last 14 centuries and to this day is being practiced in musjidul Haram in Makkah and Madina or take the short cut route by practicing on 8 rakaats as proposed by the Ahle Hadith sect which has only reared its head recently.
Shaykh Mumtaz ul Haq (HA)
Taraweeh 8 or 20?
Shaykh (Mufti) Ebrahim Desai (HA)


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Search results
Query: keyword: "inventarisatie"
Authors | E.J. van Nieukerken, G. van der Velde |
Title | Een hydrobiologische inventarisatie van sloten in het Oude Land van Strijen en de St. Anthonie-polder (Hoekse Waard) |
Journal | De levende natuur |
Volume | 76 |
Year | 1973 |
Issue | 12 |
Pages | 273-279 |
Keywords | inventarisatie; Oude Land van Strijen; St. Anthoniepolder; sloten; flora en fauna |
Abstract | A hydrobiological description of eight ditches in the Dutch inland polders "Oude Land van Strijen" and "St.-Anthoniepolder" (province of South-Holland) is given. The flora and macrofauna (table 2 and 3) have been studied in July and October 1971. A few chemical data (chloride-content and conductivity) of the water are presented. In the northern part of the area the percolating water is fresh due to the influence of the "Binnenbedijkte Maas", one of the few real freshwater lakes of the Deltaic region. In the southern part it is brackish due to the influence of the "Hollands Diep". The bottomprofile of the polders shows heavy river-clay poor in chalk (upper 40-100 cm) on peat. The examined ditches are hardly polluted and the water is clear. On the bottom of the ditches there is little sapropelium present and a pioneer character is conserved by cleaning the ditches yearly in late autumn. Chemical cleaning methods by herbicids are not used in these polders. The flora and fauna of the ditches are very rich as shown in table 2 and 3. |
Classification | 42.92 |
Document type | article |
Download paper | http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/133135 |
Use this url to link to this page: http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/record/303571


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Joe Leslie-Hurd
Component Design Engineer at
Intel Corporation
Portland, Oregon, USA
Projects [more]
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- Maintaining Verified Software, Haskell Symposium 2013, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
- Formally Verified Endgame Tables, Guest Lecture, Combinatorial Games, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
- Theory Engineering Using Composable Packages, Invited Talk, SVARM 2013, Rome, Italy.
- FUSE: Inter-Application Security for Android, HCSS 2012, Annapolis, Maryland, USA.
- Visual Mathematics, Ignite Portland 9, Portland, Oregon, USA. [video] [script]
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- Jesse Bingham and Joe Leslie-Hurd. Verifying Relative Error Bounds Using Symbolic Simulation. In Armin Biere and Roderick Bloem, editors, Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Computer Aided Verification (CAV 2014), volume 8559 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 277–292. Springer, July 2014. [paper] [bibtex] [talk]
- Joe Leslie-Hurd. Maintaining verified software. In Chung-chieh Shan, editor, Haskell '13: Proceedings of the 2013 ACM SIGPLAN symposium on Haskell, pages 71–80. ACM, September 2013. [paper] [bibtex] [talk]
- Joe Hurd. The OpenTheory standard theory library. In Mihaela Bobaru, Klaus Havelund, Gerard J. Holzmann, and Rajeev Joshi, editors, Third International Symposium on NASA Formal Methods (NFM 2011), volume 6617 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 177–191. Springer, April 2011. [paper] [bibtex] [talk]
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- Logic for Programming, Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning (LPAR 2015), PC Member.
- Interactive Theorem Proving (ITP 2014), PC Member.
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Track officials want 2013 race date changed
Wednesday - 12/5/2012, 4:40pm EST
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Circuit of the Americas officials say they hope Formula One will change the date of the 2013 U.S. Grand Prix to avoid a conflict with a University of Texas home football game the same weekend.
The track near Austin opened last month to rave reviews with more than 260,000 attending the three-day race weekend. The 2013 race has been scheduled for Nov. 17 with practice and qualifying on Friday and Saturday.
Texas hosts a home football game that same weekend. Track and university officials worry both events will bring a crush of people to Austin and strain access to hotel rooms and disrupt transportation.
Track chairman Bobby Epstein says he's confident F1 officials are working to find a solution, but acknowledged the race date may not be changed.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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So how's the firmware? Does it have Secure Boot, does setting UEFI variables and changing boot order etc. work as expected?
I have a similar model, also from MSI, but for Ivy Bridge. The UEFI was quite problematic at the beginning (in Windows, at that), but it was fixed in later firmware upgrades and now works just fine in all regards.


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PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla; mix until well blended. Stir in flour and nuts. Spread into greased 9-inch pie plate.
BAKE 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool completely on wire rack.
POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread over pie. Top with whipped topping; sprinkle with grated chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.


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Bem vindo! | Português (Portugal) |
Bem vindo! | Português (Portugal) |
amberiam says: There's almost nothing more disgusting than using outdated cosmetics, but if you're a makeup hound like me, then you may not always remember when you bought things or when they're expired (and makeup packaging isn't always clear about expiration dates). Thankfully, I can use Remember the Milk to figure out when you need to throw away that mascara. Posted at 7:04pm on July 2, 2012 |
emily (Remember The Milk) says: Hi amberiam, Posted 2 years ago |


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Your Library Card
Getting a card, renewing materials, placing holds, etc.
Who can get a card
The Jerseyville Public Library is supported through city property taxes. All city residents are eligible to obtain library cards for no additional fee. Library cards are valid for three years from the date issued and entitle the holder to all library services, including interlibrary loan, and may be used at any member library of the Lewis & Clark Library System.
Non-residence fees
People living outside the city limits of Jerseyville may pay a non-resident fee, currently $140.00 annually. This fee entitles any family member living at the same address to obtain a library card. These cards may be used at the Jerseyville Public Library or at any member library of the Illinois Heartland Library System. Non-residents owning property within the city limits of Jerseyville are entitled to one library card for the parcel. These cards are valid at any IHLS member library. For a list of libraries and their phone numbers, click here.
How to Get Your Card
In order to obtain a library card, you must come in to the library. Anyone under 18 is considered a juvenile and a parent's or guardian's signature is required. Adults are encouraged to bring a form of identification with their current address on it.
Borrowing Limits
A six-month probationary period is being considered for new patrons, but has yet to go into effect. As of July 20, 2012, each patron card is limited to 5 DVDs and 5 CDs.
Placing Holds
The easiest way to place holds in the Illinois Heartland Library System online card catalog is to login to your account first. You will need to know two things: your barcode, and your pin number. If you are unsure of your pin number or don't know if you have one, please call; we can't see what it is, but we can change it or delete it for you. You can then create a user name to use in place of your barcode number.
Once you have logged in, you can search the catalog and find the item you desire. Next click on "place request." You will need to choose a pick-up location and a not-wanted-after date, if you have a specific time frame in which it is needed. If you will be requesting several items, you may want to place your choices in a shopping cart by choosing "save records." This will allow you to request several different items at the same time rather than doing each separately.
You should receive a message that states "Your request for ... was successful."
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When you log in to your account, you will have the option of renewing your items. You can choose to renew all items or selected items. If there is a "hold" against any item--meaning someone else is waiting for it--you will not be able to renew it. We allow one renewal for all items, but some libraries do not allow renewals. If this is the case, or if you have tried to renew and have been unable to, please contact us. If the item has reached its renewal limit, we can call the lending library to ask if we can override and renew again.
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Clay GuidaTRAINING: Wrestling, grappling or sparring in the morning. Strength and Conditioning in the afternoon. Game plan, hot yoga in the evening.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started in 2003 by accident, fighting an exhibition bout on a small Midwest show. I was going to watch my brother fight Adrian Serrano, they announced an opening for a NHB fight, and I thought my wrestling background would carry me through the fight. It almost did until I gave up my back and you know how the rest of the story goes. Oh yeah, and training kept me out of the bars and taverns. Do you have any heroes? Dan Gable and Joey Gilbert What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It is an honor, but most important is winning and trying to attain the featherweight title. Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I went to Harper Junior College, and did not earn a degree. What was your job before you started fighting? Union Carpenter, framer Specific accomplishments in amateur competition? Wrestled for 2001 Junior College National Champs at Harper College Specific accomplishments in pro competition? Former Strikeforce LW Champion 2X XFO LW Champion, Xtreme Kage Kombat LW Champion, Combat-Do LW Champion Favorite grappling technique: Rear naked choke Favorite striking technique: Any technique that will get me a KO.
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Tag Archives: conference room chairs
How to Select the Perfect Conference Chairs For Your Meeting Room
There are a few essential pieces of furniture that every business needs: a good office chair to sit in, reception chairs for your guests to wait in, a table to meet at, and conference chairs to sit in during meetings. Whether you are working at a fortune 500 company or a small start up company, just about every business needs a good set of conference chairs to complete their meeting room. A conference room or a meeting room is a place where both employees and clients meet to discuss ideas and plans for your business, and sometimes these meetings can last for hours on end. Whether it is your employees or your clients that will be getting the most use out of your conference chairs, you want to make sure that they are comfortable while seated. Conference chairs also give you the opportunity to give your meeting room a professional appeal and the ability to express your company's culture through design. Just as with any other piece of furniture, time and consideration should be given to which type of conference chair will be ideal for your business.
The first thing to keep in mind when purchasing a new set of conference chairs is the overall atmosphere of your business and your pre-existing furniture. Does your office already have a modern style to it or is it more traditional in appearance? It is important to fully understand the nature of your business as well, for example if you are a law office that is best known for its professionalism and traditionalism, you would not want to purchase a set of modern looking conference chairs for your meeting room. Instead you would probably want to opt for a chair with real leather and a wood trim to complete your traditional look. Be sure to match your entire office with a similar styling, if your furniture and style are mismatched this can come off as unprofessional and cheap. Furniture truly has the ability to shape the way your guests perceive your business so it is important for them to leave with a positive impression.
After determining the style you will want for your conference chairs, the next step is to select the type of material the chairs will be upholstered in. Leather is perhaps the most popular choice to go with and has the widest selection of styles to choose from. It is also a very durable choice, easy to clean, and gives off an aura of professionalism. The only downside to leather is that it is expensive; if you will be using your conference room infrequently it may be best to go for a leather alternative that is more affordable. Vinyl is another widely selected choice as it is generally a bit cheaper in price than its leather counterpart yet looks almost identical. For a more modern look, consider a mesh upholstery or a fabric with a unique pattern.
Once the style and upholstery has been determined, the next step is to decide how many chairs will be needed. This can vary greatly and typically is dependent upon how large your business is. Very large corporations may need up to 30 chairs to fit around their conference table while a small business may only need 5. If you are already have a set of conference chairs that you are looking to upgrade and have found that the number of chairs you have has been sufficient, use this as an indicator for how many new chairs you will need to purchase. If you are just setting up your conference room for the first time, be sure to consider how many people will generally be sitting in on meetings and how many clients may be participating as well. It is essential to also consider how large your conference table is to make sure you do not purchase more chairs than needed or that can fit around the table. You will want a little bit of space between each of the chairs to ensure your employees and guests do not feel crowded when sitting around the table.
The last step for selecting the perfect conference chairs for your office is deciding how adjustable you will want the chairs to be. Most conference chairs come with minimal adjustments, as they are typically intended for only being used a few hours at a time. One adjustment they will all have in common is seat height adjustment. If you will be using your conference chairs on a daily basis for a few hours at a time, it is recommended to get a chair with, at the very least, the ability to adjust the seat. You will also want to have to ability to recline back in the chair. When looking for a chair that features this type of adjustability, look for the features tilt tension and tilt lock control in the product description. If you will be using your conference chairs for more than a few hours a day, you will want to look for something that is more ergonomic and comes with more adjustability to meet the needs of the users who will be sitting in these chairs. Comfort is of the utmost importance when choosing a chair so be sure avoid chairs that have minimal or thin padding, unless they are upholstered in mesh.
When looking for a place to buy a set of conference chairs, consider shopping online. You can easily browse the internet at the convenience of your home or office without having to go through the hassle of driving to a furniture store which may not even carry what you are looking for. You will also be able to compare different models side by side to see which will look best in your meeting room. When ordering a larger quantity of chairs, you may also be eligible to receive a volume discount so be sure to speak with a sales representative before making the purchase. By shopping online, you also have the advantage of the chairs being delivered directly to your location and most of the time, free of charge.
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How to Select the Right Conference Chairs for Your Business
Think back to that never ending meeting you had to sit through on Monday in your conference room, you know the one where you almost fell asleep five times? While falling asleep is typically not acceptable during meetings, neither should having to fidget around trying to get comfortable in the cheap budget conference chairs that were purchased for your meeting room. Almost every business, no matter the size, has some sort of conference room or a place where meetings take place. All conference rooms require two essentials, a table to meet at and office chairs to sit in. While in most cases, the chairs will only be used for a few hours at a time, you still will want to be sitting in chairs that are going to be supportive and comfortable during those few hours. If anything, you at least want your guests or clients to feel comfortable through the duration of your meetings. With so many different choices for conference chairs out there, it may seem difficult to even know where to begin looking, which is why it is important to keep several things in mind during your search.
- conference chairs is to determine how often yourself and others will be sitting in the chairs. If your employees and guests will only be sitting in the chairs for an hour or two at a time a few days a week you will probably be ok purchasing budget conference seating. These chairs are meant for sitting in only a few hours at a time, have a somewhat sturdy design, generally traditionally styled, and very wallet friendly. Although they are budget friendly, you still want to make sure they have built in lumbar support or at the very least, a contoured back to keep you comfortable even if you are only sitting for a few hours at a time. On the other hand, if you hold meetings regularly or have clients come in frequently you will want to opt for higher end conference chairs. Your conference chairs should be similar to your task chair you use at your desk, in that they will be fully adjustable to the person who is using the chair and keep them sitting comfortably through long meetings. How often will these chairs be used? The first step in finding new
- What does your pre-existing office furniture look like? If you are replacing your current conference chairs for a new set, it is important to determine the style of your pre-existing office furniture. Say you already have mahogany wood desks, mahogany wood reception chairs, and a mahogany conference table, you will probably want to stick with a mahogany theme and find a conference chair with a mahogany wood frame. If your office has a modern flare to it, stick with modern styled conference chairs, which can be easily found on just about any office furniture website. Some offices tend to stick to traditionally styled furniture to maintain a professional appearance. Traditional styled conference chairs are perhaps the easiest to find, and there are many different variations of them out there.
- big and tall employees, it is important to take their needs into consideration when making your purchase. You will want to take the maximum weight capacity the chair can hold into consideration as well as the depth dimensions of the seat to ensure all employees and guests will be able to use the chairs. Who will be sitting in these chairs? It is important to consider who will be sitting in your conference chairs in order to determine the type of conference seating needed. Keep in mind, whether it is your employees or your guests that will be using the chairs, that everyone comes in different shapes in sizes and not all conference chairs are designed to fit everyone. If only your employees will be using the chairs and most are generally the same height or size, it is probably safe to order just about any conference chair (taking the aforementioned into consideration). If you have petite sized or
- leather upholstery for their conference chairs as it gives the impression of class and prestige. Some people that work in states where the temperatures get pretty high may opt for mesh chairs to keep them cool all throughout the year. If you will be using your conference chairs often, make sure to get a high grade fabric or leather to ensure that the seat and back will not wear over time. Chairs that are used consistently and are upholstered with low grade fabric or leather tend to wear quicker. What kind of upholstery should you get? Another factor that needs to be taken into account when purchasing conference chairs is the upholstery of the chair. This is more of a personal preference as some people prefer different upholsteries over others, but also keep in mind you are purchasing these chairs for multiple people. Take a poll around the office to find out which kind of upholstery people prefer. There are many different upholstery options out there from leather to fabric to mesh to a combination of two. Many prefer the traditional
Still need help finding conference chairs? Call us toll free at 1-866-311-9421 to have one of our knowledgeable chair experts help you or visit our website for all your conferencing needs by clicking here.
What is a Good Conference Chair?
Today we'll talk about what makes a good conference chair. Let's start with the assumption that a good conference chair should be a leather office chair, giv Law Of Attraction To Get Him Back en that probably 99% of all conference chairs are leather. Why is that so?
A few reasons:
- Leather office chairs, faux leather, vinyl or caressoft are cool (as in not hot).
- These chairs are easy to clean. They wipe down all the food, beer and more food that long, strenuous meetings are bound to bring.
- You can get some good leather office chairs for a relatively low price - considering quality, style and overall comfort, you can get a good leather office chair for a conference room for under $150 dollars.
Combining all these factors makes it a pretty clear choice as to why the majority of conference room chairs are leather office chairs. Does a conference room chair have to be ergonomic? It depends. An ergonomic chair, or a leather conference room chair with an ergonomic mechanism, will be more expensive - and considering the nature of meetings (usually held in 1-2 hour bursts) there is no real need for ergonomic features in a leather conference room chair.
So in summary, we suggest buying a leather office chair for your conference room. Check out these selections for quality leather conference room chairs!
Leather Office Chair Review- BOS-B8376
This is a chair that I decided to review simply because it's a popular leather office chair of which we sell many.
The BOS-B8376 comes in three finishes- Cherry, Mahogany and Oak. For the price, this is really a nice chair. While it won't win awards for plushness, it has decent padding and fair support for the back. The finish on the wood is even and decently done and the construction is decent as well. The number of wood finished leather office chairs out there is dwindling, as more modern finishes take over more and more of the market, but this is likely to be one that's going to be around for a while.
One nice thing about this chair is that it's upholstered in what's called LeatherPlus, which is leather infused with polyurethane to not only make it very durable, but very soft and comfortable to sit in!
Since it's available in three finishes, this chair is likely to fit into most any environment, save perhaps the most modern, but it's well worth the price and will simply be great as conference room chairs.
For the economically-minded, this leather office chair is certainly a very good value for the money and will last a good number of years!
What IS an ergonomic chair
Now.... since I mentioned what ergonomic chairs are not, today I thought I'd try to say what they are!
Firstly, they almost always have multiple adjustments, chair height, back height, seat depth, back to seat angle, arms adjustable, etc. etc. etc..... in other words, a good ergonomic chair is going to adjust to your body, not force the body to adjust to you!
Take the chair I pictured above, not only does it do all the above, the individual sections of the back can adjust independently, making the Verte chair a unique and special (and VERY comfortable) ergonomic chair!
So again, don't take a sales guy's word on what's an ergonomic chair, but look at the quality, the adjustability and other factors before choosing the chair that's right for you!
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There's nothing more relaxing than kicking back on a Sunday afternoon and watching the Jets game. Make it a cozy affair with these Sunday sweatpants from Junk Food. They have the team name and logo printed on the upper left leg and terry cloth lining, so you can show your New York pride in total comfort!
- 60% Cotton/40% Polyester
- Distressed screen print graphics
- Drawstring waist
- Elastic cuffs
- Made in the USA
- Officially licensed NFL product
- Size S has 30" inseam
- Two front pockets
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game
or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are
received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items
are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite
number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


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Feldman leads Astros against ex-Rangers mates
Texas counters with Tepesch in series finale at Minute Maid Park
Scott Feldman will be facing his former team again when he pitches for the Astros against the Rangers on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.
It will be his second start since coming off the disabled list on Friday. He had been sidelined since April 18 with biceps tendinitis before allowing two runs in six innings against the Orioles.
"It was back to normal with a normal bounce back, so all those issues are gone," Feldman said.
After the Astros' 8-0 victory on Tuesday night behind Dallas Keuchel's first career shutout, Houston has a chance to win their first series against Texas since June 2008.
One of the former teammates Feldman will face in that pursuit is Mitch Moreland, the Rangers' left-handed-hitting designated hitter who also has been playing the outfield and first base on occasion. Moreland is 2-for-7 against Feldman.
"We have faced ex-teammates before," Moreland said. "It was great to have him here. He was a great teammate and a good friend. You've always got that, but once you get in the game, it's still competitive. You want to go out and beat him."
Moreland will be back in the lineup on Wednesday after sitting on Tuesday with a left-hander starting for the Astros. Moreland, who starts almost exclusively against right-handers, has made 19 starts at designated hitter, two in left field and two at first base. Manager Ron Washington said he would like to get Moreland more starts in the field and may consider using him at first base on Wednesday, with Prince Fielder starting at designated hitter.
"I'd like to get out there and play the field a little bit," Moreland said. "I try to be ready for anything and everything. If I did get that opportunity, I would welcome it."
Feldman is 1-1 with a 3.26 ERA in three starts against the Rangers. He threw seven scoreless innings against them on April 11 in a duel with Yu Darvish that the Rangers won, 1-0, in 12 innings.
"They're a good team," Feldman said. "They're in our division, so all the teams in the division we're going to have to pitch against them four times, maybe more. They're pretty good. They've got some guys that can do some damage, especially now that Beltre is back there. Usually, if you just keep the ball down with those power hitters, you can limit the damage a little bit."
Feldman signed a three-year deal with the Astros in the offseason, so this should be one of many encounters with the Rangers over the next few seasons. He still has a long ways to go to match former Rangers pitchers and how they did against their ex-team after leaving Texas.
Jamie Moyer has the most starts and wins by a former Rangers pitcher against Texas. He was 14-8 with a 4.94 ERA in 34 career starts and three relief appearances against the Rangers after pitching for them in 1989-90.
Dave Stewart was 12-8 with a 3.50 ERA in 27 starts and one relief appearance against the Rangers after they cut him loose in 1985. Bert Blyleven made 37 career starts against the Rangers and 21 came after pitching for them in 1976-77. He was 11-7 with a 3.93 ERA in those 21 starts. Frank Tanana is the only other pitcher who made at least 20 starts against the Rangers after leaving. He was 8-6 with a 4.91 ERA against the Rangers after leaving Texas.
Rangers: Molina helping Chirinos
The Rangers hired Bengie Molina as their first-base coach and also to instruct their catchers. Robinson Chirinos appears to have benefitted greatly from working with Molina.
Chirinos went into Tuesday's game against the Astros having thrown out 45 percent of attempted basestealers, the highest success rate among catchers in the American League.
"We worked on his footwork and his throwing technique," Molina said. "He is a former infielder, so he already had good hands and a quick release. I didn't have to do too much. He was already pretty good. We've worked a lot on calling the game, working with pitchers and game situations."
Astros: Porter trying to place Springer
Manager Bo Porter is still trying to find the best position to put rookie George Springer in the starting lineup. He had him back in the No. 2 spot on Tuesday for the first time since April 17. Springer had batted sixth in the previous nine games.
Porter wouldn't commit to keeping Springer in the two-hole long term. After all, starting catcher Jason Castro was out of the lineup because the Astros were facing a lefty, so that opened up a spot at the top of the order. Plus, Porter is hoping Springer will see more fastballs.
"He's been getting steady diet of breaking stuff," Porter said. "Part of the reason he hit second early in the year was to try to put some speed in front of him and behind him. Having [Jose] Altuve, who's arguably our best basestealer, in front of him, hopefully we can buy him a few more fastballs."
Springer is striking out once every 2.67 plate appearances, the highest ratio on the team.
Worth noting
• The Rangers have to make a roster move before Wednesday's game to add Nick Tepesch off the disabled list. They most likely will put pitcher Martin Perez on the DL, but Matt Harrison left Tuesday's game with a stiff back and will head to Dallas Wednesday to be examined, making the issue more complex.
• With a right-hander on the mound for the Rangers, Marc Krauss will be back at first base and Alex Presley will be in left field for the Astros on Wednesday. Jesus Guzman started at first and L.J. Hoes was in left on Tuesday against left-hander Matt Harrison. Castro will also be catching after getting a day off on Tuesday.
• Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo went into Tuesday's game having hit safely in 12 straight road games.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: Daniel Sterling and Matt Emig Rock Solid: Two Person Team Forms. Two volumes to choose from. Volume 1: Basic Two Person Form Demonstrates everything needed to know for synchronized form. Gives tips on how to select a partner, ways to stay together, different tricks for competition and much more. Approx. 90 min. #189330D Volume 2: Championship Two Person Form Goes through a full length synchronized form using some of the most innovative combinations and big moves. Approx. 55 min. #189331D