Tarawih Prayer: The Authentic Hadith on Qiyam in Ramadan

Every Ramadan, mosques fill after ‘Isha for a prayer that has a special place in this month. What do the authentic hadith actually say about the tarawih prayer (also spelled taraweeh)? Here are five narrations from Sahih al-Bukhari and Jami’ at-Tirmidhi on its reward, its history and the number of rak’ahs, and what each one teaches.

1. Tarawih can wipe away past sins

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Standing in Ramadan” (qiyam Ramadan) is the night prayer of this month, the prayer that later came to be called tarawih. The promise comes with two conditions: iman, praying because you believe in Allah’s promise, and ihtisab, hoping for the reward from Him alone, not to be seen by people. This hadith does not tie the reward to a number of rak’ahs; it ties it to faith and sincerity.

Try this: before the first rak’ah each night, remind yourself why you are standing: faith in Allah and hope for His reward.

2. Why the Prophet ﷺ did not lead it every night

‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) described how the Prophet ﷺ prayed at night in the mosque in Ramadan, and how more people joined him each night until, on the fourth night, the mosque could not hold them. He did not come out until Fajr. After the prayer he turned to the people and said:

Two lessons sit in this hadith. Praying the night prayer of Ramadan in congregation began with the Prophet ﷺ himself. And he stopped leading it out of mercy, not because it was disliked: he feared it would become a duty too heavy for his ummah. ‘A’ishah adds that he passed away with the matter as it was. Tarawih remains a nafl (voluntary) prayer.

Try this: on a tiring night, pray the few rak’ahs you can manage rather than none. The Prophet ﷺ was careful that this prayer would never become a burden.

3. How ‘Umar gathered the people behind one imam

After the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Abd al-Qari went with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) to the mosque one night in Ramadan:

This is how tarawih in congregation, behind one imam, became the practice of the Muslims. ‘Umar’s words “what an excellent bid’ah” are often quoted in debates about innovation; we look at what he meant, with the scholars’ explanations, in our article on the hadith about bid’ah. His last remark is easy to miss: he saw prayer in the last part of the night as better, while people at that time prayed in the early part.

Try this: on nights you wake for suhur, add even two rak’ahs before you eat. ‘Umar counted the last part of the night as the better time.

4. Stay with the imam until he finishes

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said the Prophet ﷺ led them in night prayer on some of the last nights of Ramadan. When they asked him to lead them for the rest of the night, he said:

This is one of the most generous rewards in the hadith on tarawih: pray with the imam from the first rak’ah to the last, and it is recorded as standing the whole night. In the same narration, the Prophet ﷺ gathered his family and his wives on one of the last nights and prayed until they feared missing al-falah, which the narrator explained as suhur.

Try this: plan your evening so you can stay until the imam ends, instead of leaving halfway.

5. The Prophet’s ﷺ night prayer: eleven rak’ahs

Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman asked ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) how the Prophet ﷺ prayed in Ramadan. She said:

HadeethEnc explains that Abu Salamah wanted to know whether the Prophet’s ﷺ night prayer in Ramadan differed from the rest of the year. It did not: it was eleven rak’ahs, and what set it apart was its beauty and length. Another narration from ‘A’ishah explains that he gave salam after every two rak’ahs and ended with one rak’ah of witr.

Try this: whatever number you pray, aim for the quality ‘A’ishah described: unhurried recitation, a calm ruku’ and long sujud.

Tarawih prayer: 8 or 20 rak’ahs?

This is the question most people ask, and it is one where scholars differ. Here is what the sources themselves say:

• Eleven, including witr: ‘A’ishah’s report above (Bukhari 1147). Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah also reported that the Prophet ﷺ led them in Ramadan with eight rak’ahs and witr; HadeethEnc grades that narration (from Ibn Khuzaymah) as good (HadeethEnc 11264).
• Twenty: in his note under hadith 806, Imam at-Tirmidhi says most scholars follow what is reported from ‘Umar, ‘Ali and other Companions: twenty rak’ahs. It is the view of Sufyan ath-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak and ash-Shafi’i, who said this is how he found people praying in Makkah.
• Forty-one, including witr: at-Tirmidhi records this as the view and practice of the people of Madinah, and says Ishaq chose it, based on what was reported from Ubayy ibn Ka’b.
• No set number: at-Tirmidhi adds that Imam Ahmad said different numbers had been reported, and did not decide on one.

These are the views of the classical scholars as at-Tirmidhi records them. We don’t give a ruling here: follow your local mosque, or ask a qualified scholar you trust. The fourth hadith above offers a simple way through: stay with your imam until he finishes.

Bringing it together

Reflection: Put these five hadith side by side and the emphasis is clear. The reward is tied to faith and sincerity; the Prophet ﷺ made sure it would never become a burden; the Companions kept it alive in congregation; and his own prayer was known for its beauty and length. People argue most about the number of rak’ahs, yet the hadith about its reward speak of faith and sincerity, not a number.

Questions people ask

Key lessons

• Tarawih is rewarded by faith and sincerity: past sins forgiven.
• It is voluntary; the Prophet ﷺ stopped leading it so it would not become obligatory.
• ‘Umar gathered the people behind one imam, and that became the practice.
• Praying with the imam until he finishes is recorded as a whole night.
• The Prophet’s ﷺ night prayer was eleven rak’ahs, known for its beauty and length.

Part of our Salah series: see all our salah articles in one place.

Ramadan is still some months away. May Allah let us reach it, and accept our standing in its nights.

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