Taraweeh Explained

Q: What is taraweeh?

A: Taraweeh prayers are Sunnah prayers performed at night after Isha Salah during the month of Ramadan. These night prayers have been emphasised in Ahadith and can also be called “qiyam al layl” (night prayers).

Taraweeh prayers are classed as either Sunnah mu’akkadah (emphasised Sunnah) or nafil (optional).

Q: Why should I pray taraweeh?

A: There are many rewards for praying the taraweeh prayers:

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever stands for prayer (the night prayer) during Ramadan with iman (faith), hoping for rewards, then all his/her previous sins will be forgiven.”(An-Nasa’i) 

Additionally, as the rewards for good deeds are multiplied during the month of Ramadan, the rewards for taraweeh are even greater:

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time.”

During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the taraweeh prayers were prayed in congregation for a short period of time, after which the Prophet ﷺ changed this practice and performed the prayer at home. This was done out of fear that people would start to consider it to be compulsory. During the time of Umar ibn al Khattab RA (the second caliph), twenty rak’at of taraweeh prayer were led in congregation daily. These practices established by Umar ibn al Khattab came to be recognised as Sunnah, based on the hadith:

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Stick to my Sunnah (my way) and the Sunnah (way) of the khulafa ar-Rashideen (rightly guided Caliphs). Hold fast onto it with your molar teeth.” (Tirmidhi)

The month of Ramadan is a gift; it is our time to focus on our personal relationship with Allah. Taraweeh prayers are a brilliant opportunity for us to do just that. Exhausted from the fasting and tired from the normal daily routine, we can turn to Allah and have a conversation with Him in the short time we dedicate to Him during our taraweeh prayers.

Q: When do I pray taraweeh?

A: You can pray taraweeh prayer after the four fard rak’at of Isha salah, before the witr prayer and any time before dawn. It is extremely rewarding to pray the Isha prayer, sleep or rest for a while, then wake up to pray taraweeh and witr in the last third of the night.

Q: How do I pray taraweeh?

A: Taraweeh is prayed in sets of two rak’at each, in the same way as you would pray your normal salah. There are some narrations of the Prophet ﷺ that would support the opinion that taraweeh is twenty rak’at, and some narrations that would support the opinion that taraweeh is completed by praying eight rak’at. The opinion that taraweeh is twenty rak’at has been narrated by all four Sunni schools of fiqh.

• Depending on the opinion that you follow (or depending on how tired you are) you can choose to pray eight rak’at or twenty rak’at (or any even number of rak’at), as taraweeh is prayed in sets of two rak’at each.
• You can recite any part of the Quran during your taraweeh prayers—there is no specific obligation to recite a specific part of the Quran.
• The most important thing is that these prayers should be a means to bring you closer to Allah, so you should try to find out the meaning of what you are reciting in your prayers and make sure that you pray calmly and with full focus.
• The quality of your taraweeh prayers matters more than the quantity!

Abdullah ibn Umar narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Prayers at night are to be offered two by two (two rak’at at a time). If any of you fears that the time of dawn is approaching, then let him pray one rak’ah as Witr.” (Bukhari) 

Abu Salama ibn Abd Ar Rahman (RA) narrated that he asked ‘Aisha (RA), “How was the prayer of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ in Ramadan?” She replied, “He did not pray more than eleven rak’at in Ramadan or in any other month. He used to pray four rak’at—let alone their beauty and length—and then he would pray four rak’at—let alone their beauty and length—and then he would pray three rak’at (witr).” (Bukhari)

(Aisha (RA) relates what she saw of the Prophet ﷺ in her home, so the hadith is taken to mean that the Prophet ﷺ would pray some rak’at in the masjid.)

Q: What about if I just pray two rak’at?

A: If you pray two rak’at, you will no doubt be rewarded for it, as Allah does not let any action go to waste unrewarded—and of course, praying two rak’at is better than praying none. However, two rak’at would not be classed as a complete taraweeh. 

Some people like to recite the whole Quran in their taraweeh prayers during Ramadan. This means if you go to a masjid, you may find that the taraweeh prayers are long (usually lasting over an hour!), as they will complete approximately one juz’ of the Quran in one day. This is a great way to complete the recitation of the Quran in your salah during the month of Ramadan, so it can be highly rewarding. However, remember that it is not compulsory to complete the twenty rak’at with congregation every day and that you should always do actions according to your own ability, without comparing yourself to others.

Q: What if I only know two suwar (plural of surah) of the Quran by heart?

A: If you only know two suwar, you can repeat the two that you know, with the aim to learn more in order to recite them in salah.

Q: Can I hold a mushaf during my taraweeh and recite Quran looking in the book?

A: There is a difference of opinion on this. Some scholars will allow this, for example the scholars of the Shafi’ee fiqh recommend the use of a mushaf. Some scholars of the Hanafi fiqh discourage or prohibit the use of a mushaf during the prayer.  

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Praying in congregation explained

Q: How do I pray in congregation at home?

For a female-only congregation:

• The woman who leads the prayer (imamah) will stand in the first row, between the other women in her row. A second woman (preferably not the imamah) will say the iqamah*.
• The imamah will recite everything as she normally would. Quran recitation, and all the takbeerat for changing positions, should be said out loud.
• Anyone who is following her in prayer (in technical terms called a muqtadi) should follow her actions and make sure that they don’t precede her—e.g. a muqtadi cannot go into prostration before the imamah does!

For a congregation with a male imam:

As a muqtadi, there is no difference between following a male or female imam, and the prayer will be made in the same way. The only difference is in the formation of the rows: a male imām will stand in front of the rows of men and women (on his own), rather than between them.

* The words of the iqamah are as follows:

الله أكبر، الله أكبر

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله

أشهد أن محمدا رسول الله

حي على الصلاة

حي على الفلاح

قد قامت الصلاة، قد قامت الصلاة

الله أكبر، الله أكبر

لا إله إلا الله

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar

Ash-hadu anla ilaha illallah

Ash-hadu anna muhammadar-rasalullah

Hayya ‘alas-salah

Hayya ‘alal falah

Qad qamatis-salah, Qad qamatis-salah

Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar

La ilaha illallah

God is the greatest, God is the greatest.

I testify that there is no God but Allah

I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God

Come to prayer

Come to success

The prayer has begun! The prayer has begun!

God is the greatest, God is the greatest.

There is no God but Allah

These words will be said out loud and without pausing in between them. Listeners do not need to respond to the words, but should stand to get ready to start their prayer.

Praying at the mosque vs at home

Q: Where do I pray taraweeh?

A: You can pray taraweeh in congregation in a masjid, as most masajid will hold taraweeh prayers. However, you can also pray taraweeh at home, alone (please see above for the how to), or in congregation with family and friends. I have fond childhood memories of gathering with cousins and attempting to finish twenty rak’at amidst laughter, tiredness and midnight snacks!

As the taraweeh prayer is not one of the five compulsory prayers, it is actually recommended to pray it at home so that you can vary its length according to your own concentration levels. 

Q: What about if I start praying some rak’at in the masjid and complete the rest at home?

A: That is absolutely fine; you can pray some in the masjid and some at home. This is usually nice as you get to experience both types of prayer: the congregational prayer and the solitary prayer .

Q: If I pray at home, can I take a break or a nap in between, or do I have to pray it all at once?

A: Taking breaks or taking naps in between is fine. It’s important to make sure your body is rested so that you can concentrate as much as possible in your salah.

May Allah accept all our acts of worship this Ramadan.