Q: We are Arab students studying in America, and there are some Islamic centers and mosques where we offer the Five Obligatory Prayers and other supererogatory prayers such as the Tarawih Prayers. (Part No. 6; Page No. 96) My question is: When we offer the Tarawih Prayers behind some Pakistani Imams, they offer it as twenty three Rak`ahs. They offer such a Prayer as pairs of Rak`ahs. After finishing the twentieth Rak`ah, they make the Qunut supplications while sitting. After finishing supplication, they stand to offer the Witr Prayer as three Rak`ahs like the Maghrib (Sunset) Prayer, but they add one Takbirah (saying: "Allahu Akbar [Allah is the Greatest]") after rising from bowing and before prostration so as to make it different from the Maghrib Prayer. Is such a Prayer valid in such a way? Is it offered in this way by the followers of the Hanafi School of Fiqh? Or is it a Bid`ah (an innovation in religion)? Is it permissible for us to offer the Tarawih Prayers behind those people? Or is it better to offer the Tarawih Prayers as it is legally prescribed in our mosque? It is worth mentioning that this way of offering the Tarawih Prayers is adopted by some Islamic centers in America without having the ruling on the way of offering the Tarawih Prayers. We would be grateful if you could give us the ruling on this question, may Allah bless you for it!

A: Making supplications after finishing the twentieth Rak`ah is a Bid`ah. Moreover, offering the three Rak`ahs of Witr as the Maghrib Prayer is not Islamically acceptable. This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade offering the three Rak`ahs of Witr as the Maghrib Prayer, but a Muslim can perform them without sitting for Tashahhud in the second Rak`ah, as Allah's Messenger sometimes did so. In addition, adding one Takbirah after rising from bowing (Part No. 6; Page No. 97) in the third Rak`ah of the Witr Prayer is a Bid`ah (innovation in religion). If they don't respond to your advice, it is permissible for you to offer the Tarawih Prayers independently in your mosque as eleven or thirteen Rak`ahs, as this is the best way to offer the Tarawih Prayers, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did so. Whoever offers the Tarawih Prayers as twenty three Rak`ahs or more, is not sinful, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The (optional) Salah during the night should consist of pairs of rak`ahs, but if one of you fears morning is near, he should pray one rak`ah, which will make his Salah an odd number for him. (Related by Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim). The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not specify a particular number for the Tarawih Prayers.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.