Following the Imām Until the End of Tarāwīḥ
Ramadan is a month of worship, and Tarāwīḥ is among the greatest voluntary prayers performed during its nights. One question that often arises is: If the imām prays more rakʿahs than a person normally considers to be Sunnah, should he leave before the prayer ends, or remain with the imām until Witr?
The stronger approach is to remain with the imām until he completes the prayer, because of the great reward mentioned for the one who stays with his imām until the end.
The Reward of Completing the Prayer With the Imām
The Prophet ﷺ strongly encouraged praying the night prayer together with the imām until he finishes.
The Companion Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إِنَّهُ مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كُتِبَ لَهُ قِيَامُ لَيْلَةٍ
“Whoever stands in prayer with the imām until he finishes, it will be recorded for him as though he spent the entire night in prayer.”
Narrator: Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه
Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 806; Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 1375; Sunan al-Nasā’ī, 1605.
This hadith gives an important principle: when a person has already joined the congregation for Tarāwīḥ, it is virtuous for him to remain with the imām until the prayer is completed.
How Many Rakʿahs Should Night Prayer Be?
The Prophet ﷺ said:
صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، فَإِذَا خَشِيَ أَحَدُكُمُ الصُّبْحَ صَلَّى رَكْعَةً وَاحِدَةً تُوتِرُ لَهُ مَا قَدْ صَلَّى
“The night prayer is two by two. Then, when one of you fears that dawn is approaching, he should pray one rakʿah, making odd the prayer that he has performed.”
Narrator: ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 990; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 749.
This shows that the night prayer is not restricted to one particular number in the wording of this hadith. The Prophet ﷺ also prayed different numbers on different occasions, while maintaining the principle of praying at night in units of two and concluding with Witr.
What If the Imām Prays Twenty-One Rakʿahs?
A person may personally prefer a shorter Tarāwīḥ, but if he is praying behind an imām who performs twenty-one rakʿahs including Witr, there is no need to abandon the congregation simply because of the additional rakʿahs.
Rather, remaining with the imām allows him to gain the reward mentioned in the hadith of Abū Dharr رضي الله عنه.
The objective should not be to argue over numbers, but to pray with sincerity, tranquillity and adherence to the Sunnah.
At the same time, Muslims should encourage the imām to preserve the prophetic manner of prayer—particularly proper recitation, tranquillity in rukūʿ and sujūd, and avoiding unnecessary haste.
The Importance of Unity in Worship
Tarāwīḥ is an act of worship, not an occasion for division among Muslims. Differences concerning the number of rakʿahs have existed among scholars, and a person should avoid turning a matter of legitimate scholarly disagreement into hostility.
If the imām completes the prayer with additional rakʿahs, the worshipper who has joined him can continue with him. If someone has a genuine reason to leave earlier, that is a separate matter, but leaving merely because the imām has exceeded one's preferred number means missing the special virtue of staying until the imām finishes.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ الإِمَامُ لِيُؤْتَمَّ بِهِ
“The imām has only been appointed to be followed.”
Narrator: Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 722; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 414.
This teaches us the importance of following the imām during congregational prayer and maintaining the proper order of the ṣalāh.
Conclusion
The Sunnah should always be our goal, and Muslims should strive to perform Tarāwīḥ with quality rather than haste. However, if a person is praying behind an imām who performs more rakʿahs than he normally chooses, it is better for him to remain with the imām until the imām completes the prayer, because of the tremendous reward promised for doing so.
The believer should therefore focus on khushūʿ, sincerity, following the imām, and seeking Allah's reward, rather than making the number of rakʿahs a cause of argument and division.
May Allah accept our Tarāwīḥ, Qiyām and Witr, forgive our sins, and allow us to witness many blessed Ramadans. Āmīn.
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