Tarawih refers to additional ritual prayers performed by Muslims at night after the Isha prayer during the holy month of Ramadan. It may involve reading one Juz' , and usually is 8 or 10 raka'at, lasting well over an hour in total. According to some scholars, one performs 20 rakats. Unlike the five daily salat ritual prayers which are fard under Islamic law, tarawih is from the sunnah.
Tarawih prayers begin from the first Moon-sighted evening to second Moon-sighted evening. This prayer is performed in congregation during Ramadan of the Islamic calendar, after Isha. Tarawih prayers are prayed in pairs of two. According to the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, the standard number of rakats is twenty referring it to a narration in Muwatta' Imam Malik which said that "In the time of Umar, the people used to offer 20 raka'āt". But it is clearly mentioned in the Muwatta' before the said narration that when Umar assigned duty to Ubay ibn Ka'b and Tamim al-Dari to lead the Tarawih, he ordered them to offer 11 rakats. Sunni Muslimsbelieve it is customary to attempt a takmil as one of the religious observances of Ramadan, by reciting at least one juz' per night in tarawih. Tarawih prayers are considered optional, not obligatory.
Background
The Sunni prayer Tarawih has been mentioned in traditions as Qiyam al-Laylmin Ramadan and Qiyam al-Ramadan. Some Sunni Muslims regard the Tarawih prayers as Sunnat al-Mu'akkadah. Other Sunni Muslims believe Tarawih is an optional prayer that may be performed at home. According to this tradition, Muhammad initially and briefly prayed the Tarawih in congregation during Ramadan, but discontinued this practice out of concern it would be mandated, yet he never forbade it. During the time when Umar was the caliph, he reinstated the praying of Tarawih in congregation. Shia Muslims regard Tarawih as bid‘ah, introduced after the death of Muhammad by Umar ibn al-Khattab, according to his own words. Muhammad al-Bukhari narrated regarding the Tarawih prayer in Sahih al-Bukhari: Aisha said that Muhammad never prayed Tarawih in congregation for more than three days. Instead, Twelvers believe in the Tahajjud prayer or Salat al-Layl, which is recommended throughout the year, especially during the nights of Ramadan.
