Q: What is tarawih?
A: Tarawih prayers are Sunnah (1) prayers performed at night after Isha (2) Salah during the month of Ramadan. These night prayers have been emphasised in Ahadith (3) and can also be called “qiyam al layl” (night prayers).
Tarawih prayers are classed as either Sunnah mu’akkadah (emphasised Sunnah) or nafil (optional).
Q: Why should I pray tarawih?
A: There are many rewards for praying the tarawih prayers:
Additionally, as the rewards for good deeds are multiplied during the month of Ramadan, the rewards for tarawih are even greater:
During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, the tarawih 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 (the second caliph), may Allah be pleased with him, twenty rak’at (6) of tarawih prayer were led in congregation daily. These practices established by Umar ibn al Khattab came to be recognised as Sunnah, based on the hadith:
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. Qur’an 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.
Praying at the mosque vs at home
Q: Where do I pray tarawih?
A: You can pray tarawih in congregation in a masjid, as most masajid (15) will hold tarawih prayers (when not in lockdown!). However, you can also pray tarawih 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 tarawih 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.
Footnotes & Reference Information
1.Sunnah: an act that was carried out by the Prophet ﷺ; it is recommended that we follow in his footsteps and get rewarded on acting upon these acts.
2.Isha: The last compulsory prayer of the day
3.Ahadith: plural of hadith: Sayings of the Prophet ﷺ
4. Bukhari and Muslim
5. Narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah
6. Rak’at: plural of Rak’ah: unit of prayer
7. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi
8. Fard: compulsory
9. Witr prayer: an odd number of prayers (either 1 or 3 rak’at), prayed after Isha, with a special qunoot du’a.
10. Bukhari and Muslim
11. Narrated by Musnad Ibn Abi Shaybah, although this hadith has been deemed as weak.
12. Bukhari and Muslim
13. Suwar: plural of surah: chapter of the Quran
14. Quranic scripture
16. Masajid: plural of masjid: mosque
Source: amaliah.com
Saturday, May 2, 2026
