The holy month of Ramadan is about strengthening faith, drawing closer to Allah (SWT), and earning rewards by fulfilling obligations. Muslims around the world should make time every day to dedicate themselves to acts of worship.
It’s a spiritually significant time in the Islamic calendar when every able Muslim fasts during daylight hours to develop resilience, show devotion to Allah and put themselves in the shoes of the poor and hungry to build empathy.
Alongside this act of worship, Ramadan is a month filled with other sincere acts of worship, with more focus on faith. From prayers and seeking forgiveness to reflection and giving to those in need, Muslims try to remove worldly distractions and focus on their spirituality and connection to God.
A major part of worship during this holy month is the Taraweeh prayer. This special prayer is performed during Ramadan and is a sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Because this prayer is only performed during the holy month, it can be difficult to know or remember how to pray Taraweeh. Find out more about this special prayer and how to perform it properly in our comprehensive guide – ready for Ramadan 2027!
Taraweeh is a special voluntary prayer performed at night during Ramadan. It occurs after the Isha prayer (the evening prayer) and translates to rest or relaxation. Because of this meaning, the prayer reflects rest through brief pauses after every four rak’ahs (units of prayer).
Many believers congregate for Taraweeh prayer every night during Ramadan, while others perform it at home. By performing it consistently throughout the month, Muslims can earn immense rewards and forgiveness for their past sins. Taraweeh is a wonderful way for believers to strengthen their connection to Allah (SWT) during Ramadan.
Taraweeh is important because it connects Muslims more closely to Allah (SWT) and strengthens their faith, while also giving them forgiveness for past sins. This prayer also allows believers to follow the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) sunnah and earn immense rewards and blessings. This is shown in a hadith where the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“Whoever stands (in the voluntary night prayer of) Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
[Sunan an-Nasa’i: Hadith 43]
Taraweeh is performed after the Isha prayer (the evening prayer) and before the Witr prayer. It can be performed in congregation or at home, as the Prophet (PBUH) did both; he typically performed Taraweeh at home to avoid it becoming obligatory for his followers. This prayer begins on the eve of the first full day of Ramadan (the day of fasting) and continues every night until the night before Eid al-Fitr.
When it comes to how to pray Taraweeh, many believers may need a reminder, since it’s a prayer that’s only done during Ramadan. To help you, we created a step-by-step guide on how to perform the prayer so you can make the most of Ramadan 2027.
The first step in praying Taraweeh is to make sure you’re prepared, whether you’re in congregation at a mosque or on your own at home. Do wudu (ablution) and make sure you have loose clothing that, for men, covers your awrah and, for women, covers everything except the face, hands and feet. Once done, find a clean place to pray, such as on a prayer mat.
Now that you’re ready to pray Taraweeh, face the Qiblah, which is the Ka’bah in Makkah. In the UK, the Qiblah faces southeast, but for the specific direction, it’s best to use a mobile app. If you struggle to stand, you can pray while seated.
You can make intention (Niyyah) verbally or silently and should tell Allah (SWT) that you intend to perform two rak’ahs of Taraweeh for Him. This intention doesn’t need to be shouted or even spoken, as any Niyyah is made within the heart.
To start the prayer, men should raise their hands to their earlobes, while women raise their hands to their shoulders.
Afterwards, say Allahu Akbar, which means Allah is the Greatest.
Then, men should place their right hand over the left below the navel, while women need to place their right hand over the left on the chest.
Quietly say:
Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta’ala jadduka wa la ilaha ghairuk
(Glorious You are O Allah, and with Your praise, and blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your majesty, and none has the right to be worshipped but You.)
A key part of praying Taraweeh is to ask for protection. Do this by reciting Bismillah quietly. You should recite:
Auzubillah Minashaitan Nirajeem
And
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Recite Surah Al-Fatiha and close it by saying, Ameen.
Recite any other short Surah that you know. The minimum length for this should be three short verses. However, you may choose one long verse that’s equal in length to three short verses if you wish to do so.
Ruku is another vital part of praying Taraweeh. Before bowing, say Allahu Akbar and then bow down.
As you bow, you must straighten your back and place your hands on your knees.
Repeat three times:
Subhana Rabbiyal ‘Adheem
(Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great)
Stand up straight and say:
Sami‘Allahu liman hamidah
(Allah hears those who praise Him)
And then say:
Rabbana lakal hamd
(O our Lord, all praise belongs to You)
Say Allahu Akbar and then carry out sujood.
Make sure that when you go into prostration, your forehead, nose, palms, knees and toes are touching the ground.
Repeat three times:
Subhana Rabbiyal A‘la
(Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)
The next part of praying Taraweeh takes a moment before prostration.
Say Allahu Akbar and sit.
Place your palms on your knees; men should sit on their left foot and keep the right foot upright, while women should lean on their left hip with their toes pointing right.
Say Allahu Akbar again and go back into sujood. Repeat this three times to complete one rak’ah.
Say Allahu Akbar as you stand and then repeat the steps above.
This means you say Surah Al-Fatihah, another Surah you know, do Ruku once, and Sujood twice.
Once you’ve done the second sujood, you should sit down and recite:
At-tahiyyatu Lillahi wa-salawatu wa’t-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha’n-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allahi wa barakatuhu. As-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘alaa ‘ibad-Illah is-saliheen. Ashhaduala ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu.
(All compliments, prayers, and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger)
The next step for how to pray Taraweeh is to recite Durood, which is:
Allahumma Salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin, kama sallaita ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala aali Ibrahima innaka Hamidum-Majeed. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala aali Ibrahima innaka Hameedum-Majeed.
(O Allah, send your grace, honour and mercy upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your grace, honour and mercy upon Ibrahim; You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings upon Ibrahim. You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious)
You should then make a dua. This could be:
“Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-aakhirati hasanatan wa qina ‘adhaban-naar.”
(O our Lord, grant us good in this world and in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.)
The final step of praying Taraweeh is to end with Tasleem. This is done by turning your head to the right and left, while saying:
“Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah.”
Then turn to the left and repeat it to finish.
This completes the two rak’ahs of Taraweeh and ends your prayer. Then pray Witr to end the day.
The number of rak’ahs in Taraweeh is often debated amongst different scholars. Each sect has different opinions based on interpretations of Islamic texts and practices.
Traditionally, 20 rak’ahs was the number which most Muslims carried out after the Prophet (PBUH). This is because the Prophet (PBUH) didn’t set a specific number of rak’ahs to avoid Taraweeh becoming obligatory, but after his time, it evolved into a congregational prayer with 20 rak’ahs.
Because of this, the Hanafi, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools of thought perform the traditional 20 rak’ahs. However, the Maliki school perform 8 rak’ahs based on a hadith that mentions that the Prophet (PBUH) didn’t pray more than 11 rak’ahs during Ramadan or otherwise. [Sahih Bukhari, Book 32, Hadith 230]
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would review the Quran with Jibril every Ramadan, leaving many Muslims to wonder if the whole Quran should be recited in Taraweeh during the holy month.
Reciting the entire Quran during Taraweeh is not obligatory. However, many mosques follow this tradition of completing the Quran in Taraweeh each night of Ramadan by reciting one Juz. This is because Ramadan is the month to recite the Quran, meaning every Muslim should recite as much as possible and try to complete it in the month.
Taraweeh is a voluntary prayer, but it’s still highly encouraged for every Muslim to perform during the holy month. It is a powerful and beautiful Ramadan prayer because it gives believers a way to connect more closely to Allah (SWT) and earn immense rewards.
Alongside Taraweeh, Ramadan is a time to be generous and help those most in need around the world. Giving charity regularly during the holy month helps Muslims to show their devotion to Allah and transform vulnerable people’s lives.
For Ramadan 2027, give regularly with Muslim Aid to provide communities facing hardship, hunger, devastation and conflict with the necessities they need to survive. From nutritious food to ending hunger, supplying vital medical equipment to access to a water well, you can spread the joys of Ramadan, bring hope for a brighter future and save lives.
Donate during Ramadan 2027 to make a meaningful difference for many vulnerable families.
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