Taraweeh Prayer: How to Pray, Rakats & Dua
Learn how to pray Taraweeh at home or at the mosque, when to pray it, why rak‘ah counts differ, and what you can recite during the breaks.
A Sunni overview, with a Hanafi example for praying alone. Differences in practice are identified below. Tarawih and Taraweeh are spellings of the same prayer.
When?
After praying Isha and before Fajr. Your mosque sets its own congregation time.
How?
Pray in pairs of two rak‘ahs, completing each pair with salam.
Is it compulsory?
It is a highly emphasised Sunnah in Sunni practice, not one of the five obligatory prayers.
What is Taraweeh?
Taraweeh is Ramadan night worship. Its name refers to the rests traditionally taken between groups of rak‘ahs. It is a form of qiyam al-layl, or night prayer; it does not replace Isha or the other obligatory prayers.
In Sunni practice, it begins on the first night of Ramadan, before the first day’s fast. The final Ramadan night depends on the local announcement of Eid. See our Ramadan dates and countdown for provisional dates.
Reference: Jordan Iftaa’ Department: What is Tarawih Prayer?
Taraweeh dua after every four rakats
There is no compulsory special dua for the break after four rak‘ahs. You may make dua, remember Allah, or rest. Not knowing a particular tasbeeh does not prevent you from praying.
The commonly recited Taraweeh tasbeeh
The text below is a traditional remembrance used in some communities. It is not presented here as a prescribed Prophetic formula for every Taraweeh break. There are variations in its wording.
سُبْحَانَ ذِي الْمُلْكِ وَالْمَلَكُوتِ، سُبْحَانَ ذِي الْعِزَّةِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ وَالْهَيْبَةِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءِ وَالْجَبَرُوتِ، سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَنَامُ وَلَا يَمُوتُ، سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّ الْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالرُّوحِ، اللَّهُمَّ أَجِرْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ، يَا مُجِيرُ، يَا مُجِيرُ، يَا مُجِيرُ.
Transliteration: Subhana dhil-mulki wal-malakut. Subhana dhil-‘izzati wal-‘azamati wal-haybati wal-qudrati wal-kibriya’i wal-jabarut. Subhanal-malikil-hayyil-ladhi la yanamu wa la yamut. Subbuhun quddusun rabbuna wa rabbul-mala’ikati war-ruh. Allahumma ajirna minan-nar. Ya Mujir, ya Mujir, ya Mujir.
Meaning: Glory to the One who possesses sovereignty and dominion, honour, greatness, awe, power, majesty and might. Glory to the living King, who neither sleeps nor dies. Our Lord, and Lord of the angels and the Spirit, is utterly pure and holy. O Allah, protect us from the Fire, O Giver of protection.
Traditional wording documented by Muslim Hands. AskImam’s explanation distinguishes permissible remembrance from a specially prescribed formula.
Dua between prayers is different from Qunoot in Witr. A mosque’s longer supplication during Witr is not a required “Taraweeh dua” after every four rak‘ahs. For general remembrance during the breaks, see Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta.
What time does Taraweeh start and end?
Pray Taraweeh after the obligatory Isha prayer and before Fajr begins. At a mosque, the advertised Isha jama‘ah and Taraweeh schedule matters: the start of Isha on a city timetable is not automatically the congregation’s starting time.
Looking for Taraweeh tonight?
Check your city’s Isha time, then check your chosen mosque’s Ramadan timetable for the actual service. Confirm the date, arrival time and any facilities you need.
How long does Taraweeh take?
There is no universal duration. Recitation length, rak‘ah count, pauses and whether Witr is included all affect the finishing time. Ask the mosque for its expected end time; an Isha timetable alone cannot tell you.
Can I pray later at home?
Yes, within the night after you have prayed Isha and before Fajr. Plan enough time to pray calmly.
Timing reference: Islamic Relief and Muslim Hands.
How many rakats are in Taraweeh: 8 or 20?
You will encounter both eight and twenty rak‘ahs in Sunni communities. They reflect different scholarly approaches; the count should not be presented without its context.
Eight rak‘ahs
Those favouring eight commonly cite Aishah’s report describing eleven rak‘ahs of the Prophet’s night prayer, including its final three. That report concerns his night prayer both in Ramadan and outside it.
Twenty rak‘ahs
Twenty is the established Taraweeh count in the Hanafi and Shafi‘i guidance cited here. It is offered as ten pairs, with Witr counted separately. Other historical practices include thirty-six in Madinah.
Check whether Witr is included. Eight Taraweeh plus three Witr totals eleven; twenty plus three totals twenty-three. Witr has different methods across schools. Follow the method you are learning rather than treating every total as a different Taraweeh count.
How to pray Taraweeh at home
This is a concise Hanafi sequence for someone praying alone who already knows the normal salah recitations. For your first prayer lesson, also use the Salah beginner’s guide and learn the full recitations with a teacher.
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Prepare and pray Isha
Have wudu, cover appropriately and face the Qibla in a clean place. Pray Isha and its two-rak‘ah Sunnah before beginning Taraweeh.
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Make your intention
Know in your heart that you are offering two rak‘ahs of Taraweeh for Allah. A memorised Arabic niyyah formula is not required. Begin with the opening takbir.
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Complete the first rak‘ah
Recite the opening supplication, al-Fatihah and a surah. Bow, stand upright, then perform two prostrations with a sitting between them, using the normal prayer recitations.
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Complete the second rak‘ah and salam
Stand for al-Fatihah and another surah; repeat the bowing and prostrations. Sit for tashahhud, blessings upon the Prophet and dua. Finish with salam to the right and left.
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Continue in pairs
Start a new two-rak‘ah prayer. After two pairs, you may rest. The Hanafi twenty-rak‘ah practice is ten pairs in total.
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Pray Witr separately
Witr follows Taraweeh in the usual mosque schedule. Its form follows your school. If you plan later night worship, read the Witr question below.
Sequence: Muslim Hands’ Hanafi guide. Pairs of night prayer: Sahih al-Bukhari 990.
Praying at home or in the mosque
Can women and men pray Taraweeh at home?
Yes. The Hanafi guidance cited here treats Taraweeh as an emphasised Sunnah for both women and men. A congregation is not a condition for performing it. Women praying alone can follow the same two-rak‘ah sequence; detailed posture and congregational rulings should follow their school.
How do I pray Taraweeh in a mosque?
Arrive for Isha, check the mosque’s schedule, and follow the imam’s movements without preceding him. This page’s solo-recitation instructions are not instructions to recite independently behind an imam: the schools differ about a follower’s recitation. If you arrive without having prayed Isha, ask the imam how to join appropriately.
Which surahs should I read?
There is no special “Taraweeh surah” you must memorise. When praying alone, recite al-Fatihah and the Quran passages you know according to your school’s prayer rules. Completing the whole Quran is not a condition for a valid Taraweeh prayer.
Can I read from a Quran or phone?
Do not assume this is agreed across schools. Several Sunni schools permit reading from a mushaf in voluntary prayer under their conditions; Hanafi rulings are more restrictive. For the Hanafi home sequence above, use memorised passages and consult your teacher before reading from a device during salah.
References: SeekersGuidance: praying at home; Islamic Relief: Quran recitation.
Common questions about Taraweeh
Is Taraweeh mandatory, Sunnah or nafl?
It is not an obligatory daily prayer. Hanafi and Shafi‘i sources describe it as an emphasised Sunnah. “Nafl” is sometimes used broadly for additional prayer; that wording should not obscure its emphasised status in those schools.
Did the Prophet pray Taraweeh? Why did he stop leading it?
Aishah’s report describes people joining his night prayer for several nights. He then refrained from coming out to lead them because he feared the prayer would become obligatory upon them. See Sahih al-Bukhari 2012.
Why do people ask whether Taraweeh is bid‘ah?
Discussion often centres on Umar gathering worshippers behind one reciter, as reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 2010. Sunni scholars relate this organisation to the earlier Prophetic night prayer. That is distinct from claiming the Prophet led a congregation every night of Ramadan.
Do Shia Muslims pray Taraweeh in the same way?
This guide describes Sunni Taraweeh. Ja‘fari guidance differs on congregational voluntary prayer. For example, Ayatollah al-Sistani’s Issue 98 gives an obligatory precaution against congregational recommended prayer, except the rain prayer. It should not be assumed that all Muslims follow this guide’s congregational format.
Can I pray Tahajjud after Witr?
Yes, the Hanafi reference cited here permits further night prayer after Witr without repeating Witr. If you have already prayed it with the imam, do not automatically add a second Witr later. See SeekersGuidance on Witr and Tahajjud.
Must I know the long Taraweeh dua to pray?
No. The traditional tasbeeh above is separate from the recitations within salah. Learn the prayer itself; a long supplication during the rest is not a requirement.
Plan your Ramadan prayers
Find your local prayer times and explore the Ramadan date guide.
Sources and scope
Sources are linked beside the relevant explanations. This is a Sunni overview; the practical solo sequence is Hanafi. The eight-versus-twenty discussion reports different scholarly approaches. The traditional tasbeeh is distinguished from a prescribed hadith formula. References checked 18 October 2026. For personal rulings, consult a qualified teacher in your tradition.