The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is about much more than just fasting during daylight hours.
Ramadan is a blessed time in which we should pause and worship Allah (SWT).
One of the best ways to make the most of this blessed month is to perform Taraweeh (or Taraweeh).
As Taraweeh prayers are performed only within Ramadan, you may need a reminder of exactly how to pray this unique salah.
What Is Taraweeh?
Put simply, Taraweeh is a voluntary prayer performed at night during Ramadan. So, if you were wondering Is Taraweeh compulsory? The short answer is no.
Taraweeh is a highly recommended sunnah; so recommended that many masjids hold a congregational Taraweeh prayer each night throughout Ramadan.
The word ‘Taraweeh’ comes from the Arabic word for ‘rest’ since you’re supposed to take a short break of resting after every four rak’at.
Most masjids will recite one Juz during Taraweeh on each night of Ramadan. This is because the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself revised the Qur’an with the angel Jibril (AS) each Ramadan, but it’s not compulsory to do this at home. So long as you’re sincere in your prayer, you can recite whichever part of the Qur’an you want.
Preparing for Prayer
Before you start praying, you must ensure that you wear the appropriate attire to perform Salah for Allah (SWT). You must also make sure that you are in a state of purity by performing wudhu, or even ghusl if necessary.
If you are praying at home be sure to face the qibla and ensure that the place in which you are praying is clean.
Can You Perform Taraweeh at Home?
Taraweeh is an optional prayer performed each night after the obligatory Isha prayer but before Witr and Fajr.
People commonly pray Taraweeh in the Masjid as it is sunnah and therefore better than praying at home. Having said this, there is no problem with performing Taraweeh in your own home.
How to Complete One Rak’ah During Salah
Although you don’t need to memorise the Qur’an or special duas, you ought to know how many Rak’at you need to do.
To complete one Rak’at, you must recite Surah Al-Fatihah and the other necessary prayers in a standing position with your arms folded. After these recitations are complete, you must enter the Ruku position in which you are bent forward then return to a standing position.
You must then say “Allahu Akbar” before prostrating to Allah with your forehead touching the ground. Sit up straight, prostrate again and finally return to a sitting position. When sitting, it is sunnah to sit on your left foot as it lays flat on the floor. The right foot should be bent with only the toes touching the ground.
If you are on an even numbered Rak’at, you must then recite further prayers, after which you will then raise your right index finger while you recite the Tashahhud (the testimony of faith).
How Many Rak’at Are in Taraweeh?
The precise number of Rak’at in each Taraweeh differs; some narrations state that there are eight Rak’at, whereas others say twenty. When Taraweeh is performed in a masjid, you’ll find most imams will pray for the full twenty Rak’at of prayer. This is because all four Islamic schools of thought support these narrations for this sunnah prayer.
It is Sunnah that the Taraweeh prayer is prayed in sets of an even number of Rak’at, followed by one or three Rak’at of Witr prayer, making the total number of Rak’at an odd number. It was narrated by one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that this is how he used to pray the Taraweeh prayer.
How to Pray Taraweeh
The first step to performing Taraweeh is to set your intention. Your intention should be to perform the Taraweeh prayer with sincerity and devotion to Allah. This will help you to stay focused throughout the prayer and increase your chances of being rewarded.
After setting your intention, you should begin by performing the first four Rak’at of the Taraweeh prayer, two Rak’at at a time.
It is recommended to take a short break after each set of four Rak’at. This break can be used to rest, make dua (supplication) or recite Quran.
After the break, you can continue with another set of four Rak’at of Taraweeh prayer.
Again, take a short break after completing the second set of four Rak’at.
You can then decide to end your Taraweeh prayer at this point or continue until you have performed twelve or twenty Rak’at.
After completing your desired number of Rak’at, end the night with the Witr prayer.
The Witr prayer is a recommended prayer that is performed after the Taraweeh prayer. It can be performed as one Rak’at or three Rak’at.
The Importance of Praying Taraweeh
Taraweeh is one of the most important forms of worship in the sacred time of Ramadan. The congregational Taraweeh prayers help to build a sense of togetherness in the ummah.
As well as benefitting Muslims as a congregation, the Muslims within the congregation can gain many blessings and rewards on an individual level.
Abu Huraira narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“Whoever prayed at night the whole month of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]
This hadith shows the importance of praying Taraweeh during Ramadan. For the Muslim who observes optional prayer in the form of Taraweeh, the rewards that can be gained by praying these night prayers are immense.
Allah (SWT) always wants us to seek his blessings and forgiveness to have all of our past sins pardoned.
He offers us great opportunities to enter Jannah in the hereafter on every night of Ramadan, but especially on Laylutal Qadr. During this Night of Power, the rewards of good deeds are as if these deeds had been performed over 1000 months, such is the mercy of Allah (SWT).
While Taraweeh isn’t an obligatory prayer, it’s a highly recommended sunnah – especially considering all the rewards and blessings you can expect from it. These are all multiplied thanks to the month of Ramadan! So, make sure to pray Taraweeh this year to make your Ramadan extra special.
