Tarawih (تراويح) is the voluntary night prayer performed in Ramadan after the obligatory Isha prayer. It is one of the most recognizable communal acts of worship in mosques during Ramadan, and is also valid at home.
Ruling
Tarawih is a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah muʼakkadah). The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed it in the mosque for three nights, then stopped praying it in congregation out of concern that it might be made obligatory. ʻUmar ibn al-Khattab later organized communal Tarawih during his caliphate.
Number of rakʼahs
Reports from the Prophet (peace be upon him) describe eight rakʼahs, prayed in pairs with witr afterwards. The practice of twenty rakʼahs comes from the era of ʻUmar and is widely adopted in many mosques. Both are valid; the matter is one in which the early generations differed without dispute.
How it is performed
Tarawih is prayed in units of two rakʼahs at a time, like any voluntary night prayer. After every two rakʼahs the worshipper gives salam and stands again. After completing the chosen number of rakʼahs, witr (one rakʼah, or three with one salam) is prayed to seal the night.
Recitation
Long Quran recitation is encouraged. In many mosques the imam aims to complete the full Quran during the month — roughly one juzʼ each night.
Source
Ruling and rakʼah count summarized from IslamQA — Tarawih prayer (retrieved 2026-05-09).