Is Taraweeh prayer an emphatic or non-emphatic Sunnah?

RAMADHAAN%0D%0AUntil approximately two centuries ago there were no two answers to this question. Every person until this time unanimously agreed that it is TWENTY Rakaats. Around the twelfth century a group calling itself the Ahle Hadith emerged and began propagating the fallacy that Taraweeh is only eight Rakaats. Recently, a small group in our country, in order to cast aside the following one of the four Madhabs, have begun blindly following the so called Ahle Hadith. Hence not only do they deprive themselves from the rewards of the entire twenty Rakaats, they also mislead other simpleminded people who are unaware of the facts and deprive them as well. At the same time those of weak Imaan who find the twenty Rakaats difficult due to their laziness and lack of realisation of the tremendous rewards of Taraweeh, have found a scapegoat in the baseless propaganda of the Ahle Hadith and its followers. The reality, however, is that twenty Rakaats of Taraweeh is Sunnatul Mua?kkadah (a greatly stressed Sunnah, deliberate omission of which is a sin).%0D%0A%0D%0AALL UNANIMOUS%0D%0AIn the time of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) the Taraweeh Salaat was performed individually and in small groups. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) stressed its performance but did not perform it with the congregation since he feared that it may then become Fardh (compulsory) upon the Ummah. In one narration, it is nevertheless mentioned that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) performed twenty Rakaats of Taraweeh and the Witr in Ramadhaan. (Musannad ibn Abi Shaiba and Bayhaqi). This practice of performing the Taraweeh individually and in small groups continued in the time of Sayyidina Abu Bakr (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu) and the initial years of the Khilafa of Sayyidina %DAmar (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu). Thereafter Hadhrat %DAmar (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu) appointed Ubayy ibn Ka%E1b (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu) as the Imaam and gathered everybody in one Jama?ah behind him for the full twenty Rakaats of Taraweeh. At that time there were numerous Sahaabah (Radhiallaahu %C1nhum) present. All of them agreed on this decision of Hadhrat %DAmar (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu). If this decision was contrary to Deen, the Sahaabah (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu) would have never been tolerated it. Their consensus on this manner is itself a Sha%E9e proof of twenty Rakaats being Sunnah. A number of narrations mention the performance of twenty Rakaats by the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu %C1nhum). Therefore, we find that the four great Imaams of the four Maddhabs, despite a number of minor differences among them on the interpretation and application of various aspects, are unanimous that Taraweeh is twenty Rakaats. This is authentically recorded in their books.%0D%0A%0D%0AHARAMAYN%0D%0AThe aspect of Taraweeh is really as clear as daylight. Therefore, one will find that in the Haramayn of Makkatul Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah up to this day, from the very time of Umar (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu), twenty Rakaats is performed in Jamaa. The Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu), the Taabi%E9en (those who came after the Sahaaba (Radhiallaahu %C1nhum), the Imaams of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and the entire Ummah, with the exception of the so called Ahle Hadith of recent times, has been unanimous on twenty Rakaats.%0D%0A%0D%0AYOUR DECISION %0D%0AFinally, in one Hadith Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) is reported to have said, ?After me there will be much differences. Hence hold on to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my rightly guided Khulafaa?. (Mishk%E3t). Twenty Rakaats of Taraweeh with Jamaa was the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa. In this latter day difference, who will you follow? The Sunnah of the Khulafaa of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) or the way of those who contradict them??? You make the decision.%0D%0A%0D%0A