Summary of the Treatise

The investigations in this treatise have become more extensive than we first imagined, yet such length was unavoidable, for true academic rigor demands it. We have therefore decided to offer our esteemed readers a concise digest, so that its main points remain fresh in mind and easier to absorb and act upon, God willing. In brief:

• Praying the tarāwīḥ in congregation is a sunnah, not an innovation. The Prophet ﷺ led it in congregation on several nights, and his later discontinuance stemmed only from fear that, if he persisted, some in his community might deem it obligatory. That concern vanished once the legislation was perfected with his passing ﷺ.

• The Prophet ﷺ performed eleven rakʿahs, and the ḥadith that attributes twenty rakʿahs to him is extremely weak.

• It is impermissible to add to these eleven rakʿahs. To do so would effectively set aside his ﷺ practice and contradict his injunction: “Pray as you have seen me pray.” For the same reason one may not add to the two-rakʿah Sunnah of Fajr or to any other fixed supererogatory prayer. ⦗122⦘