Faithful Reflections

The stone beneath his robe: what real hunger looked like in Madinah. Why Prophet Muhammad Tied a Stone to His Stomach A COMPANION'S ACCOUNT · TOLD IN THE VOICE OF ABU HURAYRAH رضي الله عنه APPROX. 15 MIN READ · EVERY SAYING TRACED TO SOURCE How to read this piece It is written in the voice of Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه , the Companion of the Bench ( أهل الصفة ) who tied stones to his own belly, and who went on to narrate more sayings of the Prophet ﷺ than any other Companion. Every fact, saying and number here comes from the reports listed at the end. The thoughts and the small scenes between them are my craft. They exist so a reader can stand beside him. They do not speak for him. Where the sources themselves differ, I have said so openly. Nothing here adds to the religion. It is meant to make us love what is already in it. Contents I tied a stone to my own belly The day we showed each other our sto...

Ramadan worship • evidence-based fiqh guide How Many Rakats Is Taraweeh? Is It Compulsory? Is Taraweeh 8 or 20 rak‘ahs, does Witr count in the total, and must every Muslim pray it? Here is the short answer first, followed by the Qur’anic, hadith, and classical fiqh evidence. By Mohammad Aamir  •  Published 10 July 2026  •  Reviewed as an educational summary Short Answer (TL;DR) How many rakats is Taraweeh? If one number is required, the dominant classical Sunni answer is 20 rak‘ahs of Taraweeh, prayed two by two, followed by Witr . This article adopts that as the clearest answer for the established congregational format. But 20 is not the only valid number. Eight rak‘ahs followed by three Witr (11 total) closely matches the sound report of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ’...