How to Pray Taraweeh: Step-by-Step Guide

Taraweeh is the night prayer of Ramadan — the long, unhurried standing that fills the mosques every night of the fasting month. The name comes from the Arabic tarwiha, meaning to rest, because worshippers would pause to rest after every four rakahs. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed it and tied a great reward to it: "Whoever stands in prayer during Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven" (Sahih al-Bukhari 37).

This guide walks you through exactly when Taraweeh begins, how many rakahs to pray, the step-by-step method whether you are at home or behind an imam, and the mistakes people make most.

What you'll learn:

• When the Taraweeh window opens and closes
• How many rakahs Taraweeh is — and why people pray 8 or 20
• The full step-by-step method, at home or in the mosque
• The madhab positions and the common mistakes to avoid

What Is Taraweeh and Why Does It Matter?

Taraweeh (تَرَاوِيح) is a voluntary night prayer offered only during Ramadan, after the Isha prayer. It is a sunnah mu'akkadah — a strongly confirmed sunnah that the Prophet ﷺ performed and urged, though he never made it obligatory.

In fact, he deliberately stopped leading it in congregation for that very reason. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet ﷺ prayed in the mosque for a few nights and the people gathered behind him, but then he stayed home, and in the morning said:

"I was afraid that the night prayer might become obligatory for you." — Narrated by al-Bukhari (Sahih al-Bukhari 2012)

So Taraweeh sits in a beautiful place: beloved and richly rewarded, yet light enough that no one is burdened if they cannot pray it all. It is the qiyam (night standing) of Ramadan, a chance to stand before Allah ﷻ in the best of months. Allah Himself praises the night prayer: "And rise at night and pray, as an extra offering for you" (Surah Al-Isra, 17:79).

When Do You Pray Taraweeh?

The Taraweeh window runs the whole night, after Isha:

• Start: immediately after you have prayed the Isha fard prayer (and its sunnah).
• End: the arrival of true dawn, the start of Fajr.
• Most common: straight after Isha, which is when mosques pray it in congregation.

You do not have to pray it right after Isha. If you prefer, you can pray it later in the night before you sleep. Because Isha and Fajr times shift across the year, check your accurate local prayer times so you know exactly how much of the night you have.

One important order: Witr comes last. If you pray Witr with the congregation at the end of Taraweeh, that seals your night prayer. If you plan to wake for Tahajjud later, you can delay your Witr until after it.

How Many Rakahs Is Taraweeh?

This is the question that causes the most confusion, so here is the clear answer: Taraweeh is prayed two rakahs at a time, and both 8 and 20 rakahs are valid.

Two main numbers are practiced:

• Eight rakahs, based on Aisha's description of the Prophet's night prayer. She said he did not pray more than eleven rakahs — eight of qiyam followed by three of Witr — in Ramadan or outside it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1147).
• Twenty rakahs, the practice that became established in the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and was adopted by all four madhabs, followed by Witr.

Ibn Taymiyyah summed it up well: whoever prays Taraweeh with twenty rakahs, or thirty-six, or eleven, has done well, and one should not condemn another over the number. For more detail on the evidence, see this thorough answer on the number of rakahs in Taraweeh. Pray the number your mosque prays and keep your heart on the prayer, not the count.

Prerequisites: Before You Begin

A few things to have in place before you start:

• Wudu. You need valid ablution, just like any prayer. If you need a refresher, see our guide on how to perform wudu.
• Isha first. Taraweeh is only prayed after the obligatory Isha. Pray Isha (and ideally its sunnah) first.
• Face the qiblah and pray in a clean place, as in all salah.
• Intention (niyyah). Intend in your heart to pray the sunnah of Taraweeh. You do not say it aloud.

If you know longer surahs, beautiful — Taraweeh is the time to recite them. If you are still learning, short surahs are completely fine. The prayer is valid either way.

Step-by-Step: How to Pray Taraweeh

Taraweeh is prayed exactly like any two-rakah prayer. There is no special movement — what makes it Taraweeh is the time (Ramadan nights, after Isha) and the intention. Here is the method for one set of two rakahs, which you then repeat.

1. Make your intention to pray two rakahs of Taraweeh, then raise your hands and say the opening takbir:

   اللَّهُ أَكْبَر — Allahu Akbar — "Allah is the Greatest."

2. First rakah. Place your right hand over your left, recite the opening supplication if you wish, then Surah Al-Fatiha, followed by any portion of the Quran you know. Bow (ruku), stand back up, then prostrate (sujud) twice — exactly as in any prayer.

3. Second rakah. Stand and pray the second rakah the same way: Al-Fatiha, another portion of the Quran, ruku, and two prostrations.

4. Sit for tashahhud. After the second prostration of the second rakah, sit and recite the full tashahhud, send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, then give salam to the right and left:

   السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّه — As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah — "Peace and the mercy of Allah be upon you."

5. Repeat. That is one set of two rakahs. Pray another set the same way, and continue until you reach your number — 8, 20, or whatever your mosque prays. Rest after every four rakahs (this is where the name "Taraweeh" comes from); many congregations pause for a short dhikr or supplication.

6. Finish with Witr. After your Taraweeh rakahs, pray Witr — an odd number, usually one or three rakahs — to seal the night. See our full guide on how to pray Witr.

At home, the method is identical — you simply lead yourself. You can hold the Quran (a printed copy or your phone) to read from while you pray if you have not memorized long passages, which is permitted in voluntary prayer.

Use the prayer times above to see exactly when Isha ends and Fajr begins, so you know your full window for Taraweeh each night of Ramadan.

Differences Between the Madhabs

The four schools all agree Taraweeh is a confirmed sunnah of Ramadan, prayed in pairs after Isha. They differ mainly on the recommended number of rakahs.

All four hold that praying Taraweeh in congregation behind an imam is the better practice, following Umar's revival of the congregation in his caliphate. None of them treats the number as a point worth dividing over.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Rushing the recitation and movements. Taraweeh's whole spirit is unhurried standing. Racing through Al-Fatiha or skipping the stillness in ruku and sujud empties the prayer of its purpose. Slow down.
• Treating it as obligatory and feeling guilty. Taraweeh is sunnah, not fard. If you can only pray a few rakahs, or pray at home some nights, that is fine — do not let an all-or-nothing mindset make you abandon it.
• Praying Witr twice. If you pray Witr with the Taraweeh congregation, do not pray another Witr later. The Prophet ﷺ said there are no two Witrs in one night. If you want to pray Tahajjud after, delay your Witr to the end.
• Arguing over 8 versus 20. Both are authentically grounded. Pray with your community and keep your focus on Allah, not on the count.
• Skipping Isha. Taraweeh is only valid after the Isha fard. Never pray Taraweeh before Isha.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can women pray Taraweeh? Yes. Women pray Taraweeh just as men do, and may pray at home or attend the mosque. The Prophet ﷺ permitted women to attend the congregation. Praying at home is also a complete and rewarded option.

Do I need to memorize long surahs for Taraweeh? No. You can recite any portion of the Quran you know, including short surahs. In voluntary night prayer you are even allowed to read from a copy of the Quran (a mushaf or your phone) while you pray, so you can recite longer passages without having memorized them.

What if I join the imam late? Join whenever you arrive and follow the imam. Because Taraweeh is voluntary and prayed in independent sets of two, missing earlier rakahs does not invalidate anything — simply pray with the congregation from the point you join.

Summary

Taraweeh is the night prayer of Ramadan, a confirmed sunnah that the Prophet ﷺ loved and that fills the month with worship.

• Pray it after Isha and before Fajr, in sets of two rakahs.
• Both 8 and 20 rakahs are valid — pray your mosque's number and do not argue over it.
• Finish with Witr, and never pray Witr twice in one night.
• It is sunnah, not fard — pray what you can, at home or in congregation, and seek the great reward of standing in Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari 37).

Stand in the nights of Ramadan as best you can, and ask Allah to accept it. And Allah knows best (والله أعلم).