What is Taraweeh? The voluntary night prayer of Ramadan, in which the Quran is recited over the month after Isha. ‘Whoever prays the nights of Ramadan in faith and seeking reward,’ the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘his past sins are forgiven.’
Taraweeh — صَلَاةُ التَّرَاوِيح — is the voluntary night prayer performed during Ramadan, after the Isha prayer, in which the Quran is recited in extended portions across the nights of the month. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven” (Bukhari 37) — a promise that has drawn Muslims to fill the nights of Ramadan with prayer for fourteen centuries. Taraweeh is one of the most beloved and distinctive features of Ramadan: the mosques fill each night, the long recitation of the Quran is heard, and the whole community gathers to stand before Allah ﷻ in the cool of the night after the fast of the day. To understand what Taraweeh is — where it comes from, how it is prayed, and what reward is attached to it — is to understand one of the central acts of worship of the greatest month of the year.
What Taraweeh Is and Where It Comes From
Taraweeh is a form of qiyam (night prayer) specific to Ramadan, and its foundation is the practice of the Prophet ﷺ himself. He prayed the night prayer in Ramadan in the mosque on several nights, and the Companions ؓ gathered to pray behind him — but he then stopped leading it in congregation, and explained why: “I feared that it would be made obligatory upon you” (Bukhari 1129). So out of mercy, that it not become a binding duty, he prayed it at home for the rest of his life, and the Companions ؓ prayed it individually or in small groups. It was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab ؓ, as caliph, who gathered the people to pray Taraweeh behind a single imam in congregation — seeing them praying scattered in the mosque, he united them under one reciter, and remarked, “what a good innovation this is” (Bukhari 2010), meaning a praiseworthy revival of the Prophet’s ﷺ own practice, now that the fear of its being made obligatory had passed with the completion of revelation. Since then, praying Taraweeh in congregation behind an imam who recites the Quran at length has been the established practice of the ummah. The name taraweeh comes from the word for rest, because the worshippers would pause to rest after each set of units, given the length of the standing. It is a Sunnah, not an obligation — but a Sunnah so emphasised, so rewarded, and so beloved that the mosques of the Muslim world fill for it every night of Ramadan.
How Taraweeh Is Prayed and Its Reward
Taraweeh is prayed after the Isha prayer, in sets of two units (rak‘ahs) at a time, followed by the witr prayer that concludes the night’s worship. The number of units varies by tradition and capacity — commonly eight or twenty rak‘ahs, both of which have basis in the practice of the early community, with scholars differing on the number while agreeing on its virtue — and there is breadth here, so a person prays what they are able to with presence rather than racing through a fixed count without khushu‘. Its distinctive feature is the recitation of the Quran at length: many imams recite the entire Quran across the nights of Ramadan, completing it by the end of the month, so that the worshippers hear the whole Book recited over the thirty nights — one of the great experiences of the month. The reward is immense: the Prophet ﷺ tied to it the forgiveness of past sins (Bukhari 37), and praying in congregation behind the imam until he finishes carries a special virtue — “whoever prays with the imam until he leaves, it is recorded for him as praying the whole night” (Tirmidhi 806). Taraweeh is thus a nightly opportunity, through Ramadan, to stand at length before Allah ﷻ, to hear and be immersed in His Book, to have past sins forgiven, and to gain the reward of a whole night’s prayer. To fill the nights of Ramadan with Taraweeh is to double the blessing of the month — adding to the fasting of the day the standing of the night, which together are the twin pillars of the greatest season of worship in the year.
Pray the nights of Ramadan for the forgiveness promised. Do not let the nights of Ramadan pass without their prayer: the Prophet ﷺ promised that “whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven” (Bukhari 37). Taraweeh is the standing of the night that pairs with the fasting of the day — together the twin pillars of the month’s worship. Attend it in the mosque where you can, and let the forgiveness attached to it be a reason to fill the nights rather than sleep through them.
Pray with presence, not merely for the count. There is breadth in the number of units — eight or twenty both have basis, and scholars differ while agreeing on the virtue — so pray what you are able to with khushu‘ rather than racing through a fixed number without presence. The quality of your standing before Allah ﷻ matters more than the quantity. And stay with the imam until he finishes, for “whoever prays with the imam until he leaves, it is recorded for him as praying the whole night” (Tirmidhi 806).
Immerse yourself in the Quran of the nights. Taraweeh’s distinctive gift is the recitation of the Quran at length — many imams completing the whole Book across the thirty nights. Use this: follow the recitation, understand what you can of it, and let yourself be immersed in the Quran of Ramadan, one of the great experiences of the month. To stand night after night hearing the Book of Allah ﷻ recited from beginning to end is a renewal of one’s bond with the Quran that Ramadan uniquely offers.
Taraweeh is the voluntary night prayer of Ramadan, prayed after Isha, in which the Quran is recited at length across the nights of the month — a Sunnah founded on the Prophet’s ﷺ own practice (Bukhari 1129) and revived in congregation by ‘Umar ؓ (Bukhari 2010). Its reward is immense: the Prophet ﷺ promised that whoever prays the nights of Ramadan in faith and seeking reward has his past sins forgiven (Bukhari 37), and whoever stays with the imam until he finishes is recorded as having prayed the whole night (Tirmidhi 806). Pray the nights for the forgiveness promised, pray with presence rather than merely for the count, and immerse yourself in the Quran of the nights. To fill Ramadan’s nights with Taraweeh is to add the standing of the night to the fasting of the day — the twin pillars of the greatest season of worship in the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Taraweeh?
Taraweeh (صَلَاةُ التَّرَاوِيح) is the voluntary night prayer performed during Ramadan, after the Isha prayer, in which the Quran is recited in extended portions across the nights of the month. It is a form of qiyam (night prayer) specific to Ramadan and one of the month’s most beloved features, when the mosques fill each night and the whole community stands before Allah ﷻ. The Prophet ﷺ promised, “whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven” (Bukhari 37).
Where does Taraweeh come from?
From the practice of the Prophet ﷺ himself. He prayed the night prayer in Ramadan in the mosque on several nights, with the Companions ؓ gathering behind him, but then stopped leading it in congregation, saying, “I feared that it would be made obligatory upon you” (Bukhari 1129). He prayed it at home thereafter. Later, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab ؓ, as caliph, gathered the people to pray it behind a single imam, calling it “a good innovation” (Bukhari 2010) — a praiseworthy revival of the Prophet’s ﷺ own practice, since the fear of its becoming obligatory had passed with the completion of revelation.
How many rak’ahs is Taraweeh?
The number varies by tradition and capacity — commonly eight or twenty rak‘ahs, both of which have basis in the practice of the early community, with scholars differing on the number while agreeing fully on its virtue. It is prayed in sets of two units at a time, after Isha, and followed by the witr prayer. There is breadth here, so a person prays what they are able to with presence and khushu‘ rather than racing through a fixed count — the quality of the standing before Allah ﷻ matters more than the quantity of units.
What is the reward for praying Taraweeh?
Immense. The Prophet ﷺ promised that “whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven” (Bukhari 37). And praying in congregation behind the imam until he finishes carries a special virtue: “whoever prays with the imam until he leaves, it is recorded for him as praying the whole night” (Tirmidhi 806) — the reward of a full night’s worship for a portion of the night. Taraweeh is thus a nightly opportunity through Ramadan to have past sins forgiven and gain the reward of standing the whole night before Allah ﷻ.
Is Taraweeh obligatory?
No — Taraweeh is a Sunnah (a strongly recommended voluntary prayer), not an obligation. The Prophet ﷺ deliberately did not make it a binding congregational duty, out of mercy that it not be made obligatory upon the community (Bukhari 1129). But it is a Sunnah so emphasised, so rewarded, and so beloved that the mosques of the Muslim world fill for it every night of Ramadan. Praying it pairs the standing of the night with the fasting of the day — the twin pillars of the month’s worship — and a Muslim is strongly encouraged to attend and not let its great reward pass by.