Praying More or Fewer Than Eleven Rak’ahs for Tahajjud

The Issue of Praying More or Fewer Than Eleven Rak’ahs for Tahajjud

There is no doubt that the Prophet ﷺ generally prayed eleven rak’ahs for night worship, as Aisha (RA) narrates:
ما كان يزيدُ في رمضانَ ولا في غيرهِ على إحدى عشرةَ ركعةً (صحيح البخاري:2013)
Whether it was Ramadan or any other month, he did not pray more than eleven rak’ahs.
This was the Prophet’s ﷺ regular practice. However, it is not the case that he never prayed fewer or more than eleven rak’ahs. In fact, it is established that the Prophet ﷺ sometimes prayed more than eleven rak’ahs and sometimes fewer than eleven rak’ahs.

The evidence for praying more than eleven rak’ahs is as follows:
عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ:كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ وَضَعُفَ أَوْتَرَ بِتِسْعٍ (سنن نسائی:1709، قال الشيخ الألباني: صحيح الإسناد)
Translation: Umm Salama (RA) said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray thirteen rak’ahs for the Witr, but when he became old and weak, he began praying nine rak’ahs for Witr.”
This hadith indicates that the Prophet ﷺ sometimes prayed thirteen rak’ahs for the Witr, which refers to the night prayer (Qiyam al-Lail). In fact, this hadith also shows that the Prophet ﷺ sometimes prayed fewer than eleven rak’ahs, as he prayed nine rak’ahs for Qiyam al-Lail. In a narration from Tirmidhi, there is evidence that he prayed seven rak’ahs for Qiyam al-Lail as well.

عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ: “كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ وَضَعُفَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ (سنن الترمذی:457،قال الشيخ الألباني: صحيح الإسناد)
Translation: Umm Salama (RA) said, “The Prophet ﷺ used to pray thirteen rak’ahs for the Witr, but when he became old and weak, he prayed seven rak’ahs.”
These hadiths make it clear that the Prophet ﷺ did not only pray eleven rak’ahs for Qiyam al-Lail. He also prayed more than eleven rak’ahs and sometimes prayed fewer than eleven rak’ahs. Therefore, saying that one must always pray only eleven rak’ahs is incorrect.

Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ also mentioned in a statement:
صلاةُ الليلِ مثنى مثنى، فإذا خشي أحدُكم الصبحَ صلى ركعةً واحدةً، توتِرُ له ما قد صلى (صحيح البخاري:990 و صحيح مسلم:749)
Translation: “The night prayer is two rak’ahs at a time, and if any one of you fears the morning (dawn), he should pray one rak’ah to complete the Witr for what he has prayed.”
Who would fear the morning? It would be the person who prays two rak’ahs at a time without any set limit, continuously engaging in worship throughout the night. This statement of the Prophet ﷺ allows for praying two rak’ahs at a time during the night without restriction. That is why there is evidence from several predecessors that they prayed more than eleven rak’ahs for Qiyam al-Lail, and it is also reported that they prayed at different times throughout the night.

عن قيس بن طلق، قال: زارنا طلق بن علي في يوم من رمضان، وامسى عندنا وافطر، ثم قام بنا تلك الليلة واوتر بنا، ثم انحدر إلى مسجده فصلى باصحابه حتى إذا بقي الوتر قدم رجلا، فقال: اوتر باصحابك، فإني سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، يقول:لا وتران في ليلة. (سنن ابي داود:1439،صححہ البانی)
Translation: Qais bin Tulaq said, “Talq bin Ali visited us one day during Ramadan, and he stayed with us until iftar. Then he led us in the night prayer and the Witr. Afterward, he went to his mosque and prayed with his companions. When only the Witr remained, he appointed someone to lead the prayer, saying, ‘Lead your companions in the Witr, for I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: “There should not be two Witr prayers in one night.”‘”
This narration indicates that although there was room to pray more than eleven rak’ahs, the Witr prayer could not be prayed more than once in a single night, as stated by the Prophet ﷺ.

Furthermore, a person does not always pray throughout the night because the eyes and spouse also have rights. The Prophet ﷺ said:
وَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا (بخاری:1975)
Translation: “Your body has a right over you, and your eyes have a right over you, and your wife has a right over you.”
However, sometimes there are occasions when sleep does not come, or one may need to stay awake, such as in the blessed nights of Ramadan, during I’tikaf, or in seeking Laylat al-Qadr. In such cases, a person can engage in as much voluntary worship as they wish, without any restriction, because the evidence shows that one can pray in sets of two rak’ahs until dawn, and there is no prohibition on this.

During Laylat al-Qadr, the Prophet ﷺ was known for staying awake and engaging in intensive worship, as indicated by the term “احیا لیلہ”, meaning he spent the night awake, symbolizing his extensive worship. Thus, in such situations, praying more than eleven rak’ahs would not be wrong.

In the Fatwas of the Scholars of the Ahl al-Hadith:
“The eleven rak’ahs of Taraweeh are established from the Prophet ﷺ, the companions, and the great followers. Anyone who denies this or claims otherwise is undoubtedly ignorant of the science of hadith. The confirmed Sunnah is to pray eleven rak’ahs, but beyond that, one may pray twenty, thirty-six, or forty rak’ahs, and there is no legal prohibition.” (Fatāwā Ghaznavīyah, p. 89-90; Fatāwā `Ulamā’ al-Hadīth, Vol. 6, p. 343)

Conclusion:
It is true that eleven rak’ahs is sufficient, as this was the usual practice of the Prophet ﷺ. However, if a person chooses to pray more than eleven rak’ahs or, for instance, prays eight rak’ahs of Taraweeh and then continues with additional voluntary prayers, there is no harm in that. It is also incorrect to insist on twenty rak’ahs, as there is no authentic evidence for that specific number.
This night worship is not just tied to Ramadan but is a practice that can be observed throughout the year. If someone prays fewer than eleven rak’ahs on any night due to their capacity or opportunity, there is no harm in that, just as there is no harm in praying more.