Evidence for 20 rak'ahs of Taraweeh from authentic ahadith
In the following synopsis we will provide the most authentic evidence to support the claims of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali and Zahiri[1] schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and most importantly that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and in the unanimous view and practice of the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them all) the rak'ahs of taraweeh are twenty.
The narration's that will be presented have the stamp of authentication by at least ten distinguished scholars. Al-Imam al-Hafiz Jamaluddin al-Zayla'i[2] has recorded in his book Nasb ur-Rayah[3] that:
"Al-Bayhaqi has related in al-Marifa [4]
(via the following chain of transmission):
Abu Tahir al-Faqih -> Abu Uthman al-Basri -> Abu Ahmad Muhammad ibn Abdal Wahhab -> Khalid ibn Mukhallad -> Muhammad ibn Ja'far -> Yazid ibn Khaseefah -> Sa'eeb ibn Yazid,
who said:
'In the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu) the people used to observe 20 rak'ahs and the witr.'
Al-Nawawi said in al-Khulasa:
'Its Isnad is Sahih.'"
Hafiz al-Zayla'i has also mentioned after reporting the authenticity of this Hadith, that Imam al-Bayhaqi has also reported another version of the above narration through a different channel of transmission, in his Sunan al-Kubra. The narration referred to has been mentioned in the footnotes by the council of Islamic scholars (Majlis al-Ulama) who edited Nasb ur-Rayah[5], in the following words:
"(Bayhaqi) has related in al-Sunan [6] (via the following isnad):
Abu Abdullah al-Hussain ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hussain finjuwayh al-Dinawari - Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Sunni - Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Aziz al-Baghawi - Ali ibn al-J'ad - Ibn Abi Dhib - Yazid ibn Khaseefah - Sa'eeb ibn Yazid,
who said:
"In the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab, radiallahu anhu, they would perform 20 rak'ats in the month of Ramadan. He said (also): And they would recite the Mi'in [7] , and they would lean on their sticks in the time of Uthman ibn Affan, radiallahu anhu, from the discomfort of standing."
All the men in the (above) isnad are trustworthy, as mentioned by the Indian research scholar, Shaykh al-Nimawi[8], in Athar al-Sunan[9]."
The evidence which proves that Umar (radiallahu anhu) ordered the practise of 20 rak'ahs has been recorded by Shaykh Ali al-Muttaqi al-Hindi[10] in the largest collection of Hadith available today: Kanz al-Ummal fi Sunan al-aqwal wal Af'al[11], as follows from Ubayy ibn Ka'b (radiallahu anhu):
"Umar (radiallahu anhu) ordered him (Ubayy) to lead the people in prayer at night in Ramadan, because the people fast during the day and can not recite (the Qur'an) well, therefore it is better that you should recite (the Qur'an) during the night. I (Ubayy) asked: "O commander of the believers, this thing was not done before." He said: "I know, but it is a good practise", and so (Ubayy) led (the Companion's) for 20 rak'ahs."
There are many other narration's which prove the case for twenty rak'ahs, but some of these narrations are less authentic than others, nevertheless they are weighty enough to back each other up and raise the level of authentication to at least Hasan (good); as Shaykh Nimawi and others have verified.
For the readers benefit one may refer to the following books of Hadith for at least 25 further proofs:
Muwatta Imam Malik from Yazid ibn Ruman [12]
Sunan al-Kubra of Imam al-Bayhaqi [13] from: Ibn Abbas, Yazid ibn Ruman (same as Imam Malik's narration), Suwayd ibn Ghaflah, Ali ibn Abi Talib etc. Also refer to Marifatus Sunan of al-Bayhaqi.
Musannaf of Imam Abdur Razzaq [14] from: Sa'eeb ibn Yazid and al-Hasan.
Musannaf of Imam Ibn Abi Shaibah [15] from some 13 different isnads.
Qiyam ul-lail[16] of Imam Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi from: Sa'eeb ibn Yazid, Yazid ibn Ruman, Ibn Mas'ud, A'mash al-Kufi, Ibn Sirin, Malik, al-Shafi'i and others.
A selection of the scholars of Hadith who authenticated and used al-Bayhaqi's narrations as a proof for 20 rak'ahs of Taraweeh
Imam Yahya al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH)
He has authenticated the narration recorded and mentioned above from al-Bayhaqi's Marifatus-Sunan, in his book al-Khulasa - this was mentioned by Hafiz al-Zayla'i in Nasb ur-Rayah (see above). Besides this narration, he has also recorded the alternative narration recorded by Imam al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan al-Kubra.
He has declared this variant narration to be a decisive argument and proof for the Shafi'i Madhhab, as well as saying: "Its Isnad is Sahih", in his voluminous work: al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhhab [17].
Imam Jamaluddin Yusuf al-Zayla'i (d. 762 AH)
We have mentioned above that Hafiz al-Zayla'i in his analysis of the narration's found in the Hanafi fiqh book: al-Hidaya, has recalled the narration from al-Bayhaqi's Marifatus-Sunan, and quoted Imam al-Nawawi as his authority to declare this narration to be Sahih.
Imam Badruddin al-Ayni (d. 855 AH)
He said in his famous commentary to Sahih al-Bukhari: Umdat ul-Qari[18] :
"The argument of our companions (the Hanafi scholars) as well as the Shafi'is and Hanbalis is what al-Bayhaqi has related with an authentic chain of transmission (Sahih Isnad)..."
Imam Ali al-Qari (d. 1014 AH)
He has noted in Sharhul-Nuqayah[19] :
"Imam al-Bayhaqi has reported on genuine authority (Sahih) the performing of 20 rak'ahs of Taraweeh during the periods of Umar, Uthman and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them), and hence there has been consensus on it."
Imam Kamaluddin ibn al-Humam (d. 861 AH)
Imam Ibn al-Humam asserts that it has been established from genuine authority (sahih) that the Companions and their Successors used to say 20 rak'ahs of Taraweeh during the auspicious time of Umar (radiallahu anhu); this authority of Yazid ibn Ruman (as in Imam Malik's narration) has been reported from Sa'eeb ibn Yazid that, "During Umar's auspicious time we used to say 20 rak'ahs." The genuineness of this authority has been verified by Imam Nawawi in the synopsis [20].
Imam Taqi al-Din as-Subki (d. 756 AH)
Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi (d. 806 AH) and
Jalaluddin as-Suyuti (d. 911 AH)
According to Imam Abdal Hayy Lucknawi[21] in his work Tuhfatul Akhyar[22], Imam Nawawi, Iraqi and Suyuti[23] have all considered Bayhaqi's narration as reported in his Sunan al-Kubra to be Sahih.
Shaykh Habibur Rahman al-A'zami has also affirmed that Nawawi, Iraqi and Suyuti have declared Imam al-Bayhaqi's narration to be Sahih. He has also reported that Imam al-Subki [24] and Mullah Ali al-Qari have both declared the alternative narration recorded by Bayhaqi in his Marifatus Sunan to be Sahih[25].
Imam Muhammad Shauq Nimawi (d. 1322 AH)
We have mentioned previously that Shaykh Nimawi has declared Imam al-Bayhaqi's narration to be Sahih in Athar al-Sunan [26].
Imam Ibrahim al-Halabi (d. 956 AH)
He has noted in al-Kabiri[27] :
"The argument of the majority of people is the report which Imam al-Bayhaqi has reported with sound authority (Sahih), that during Umar as well as Uthman and Ali's (may Allah be pleased with them), 20 rak'ahs was performed."