A disputing group of Muslims asked him [the Imam Hasan al-Banna] about the taraweeh prayer (the voluntary prayer done on the nights of Ramadan), whether it is composed of 20 units, like it is common in Meccca and Medina and other places, and which is recommended by the Four Schools of Jurisprudence, or of 8 units, like some Salafi evangelists insist? The people of the village who asked this question were on the verge of fighting on this issue.

The Sheikh’s ruling was that the taraweeh prayer is a voluntary act, while the unity of the Muslim community is obligatory, so how can an obligatory act be ignored for the sake of a voluntary act? [He advised that] it is better and more pious if they pray alone in their homes instead of disputing and fighting over the topic.