Wednesday 18/February/2026 – 11:16 AM
Many Muslims are searching for the number of rak’ahs of Tarawih prayer, as Tarawih prayer is performed on the first night of Ramadan, after the evening prayer today, Wednesday, 30 Shaban of the Hijri year 1447, and Gregorian February 18, 2026. Therefore, Muslims are preparing to remember how to perform Tarawih prayer and its number of rak’ahs, which is what we explain according to the Egyptian Fatwa House.
The number of rak’ahs of Tarawih prayer
We explain the number of rak’ahs of Tarawih prayer hours before it is held in all Egyptian mosques, as Dar Al-Iftaa answered a question received on its official website, saying: What is the number of rak’ahs of Tarawih prayer? Is reciting the Qur’an better between every four rak’ahs during the break, or is praising and chanting better?
Dar Al-Iftaa explained that Tarawih prayer is not obligatory, religion is easy, and God does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear; Whoever is able to pray twenty rak’ahs of prayer has achieved perfection and has done a deed that will be rewarded and will have an abundant reward. Whoever is not able to pray twenty has prayed as much as he can and will be rewarded for that as well, except that he has not lived up to the level of perfection and is therefore not neglecting one of the obligatory duties.
The house added: It is recommended to sit between the prayer of every four rak’ahs, as much as it is, and also between the fifth tarwih and the Witr prayer, and nothing specific has been mentioned from the predecessors that must be mentioned in the case of waiting, and the people of every country have the choice at this time of their sitting between reading the Qur’an and praising God, praying four individual rak’ahs, chanting the tahlil and the takbir, or waiting in silence and stillness.
Ruling on Tarawih prayer
Regarding the ruling on Tarawih prayer, Dr. Mahmoud Shalabi, Secretary of Fatwa at the Fatwa House, said that Tarawih prayer is a confirmed Sunnah from the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him. The Prophet desired it and desired night prayers in Ramadan. He, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said in his noble hadith, “Whoever prays Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” And we have a good example in the Messenger of God, so he, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, prayed. Tarawih prayer occurs during the night, and accordingly, Tarawih prayer on the nights of Ramadan is a confirmed Sunnah.
Tarawih prayer from Al-Azhar Al-Sharif
Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Mosque is scheduled to hold Tarawih prayer rituals at a rate of 20 rak’ahs per day, with the ten Qur’anic recitations. With the aim of introducing worshipers to the heritage of the various recitations, the mosque is also preparing during the last ten days of Ramadan to perform the Tahajjud prayer, 8 rak’ahs every night, in an atmosphere of faith and spirituality.
How many Tarawih prayers are there and how do you pray them?
For those who wish to remember how to perform Tarawih prayer, it is performed in this way according to the majority of scholars:
- The evening prayer is performed four rak’ahs.
- Then you pray the Sunnah of Isha’ two rak’ahs.
- Then you pray Tarawih 8 rak’ahs.
- It is permissible to pray Tarawih 11 rak’ahs or more according to ability.
- You pray two rak’ahs and then say the salutation until four rak’ahs are completed.
- She rests, seeks forgiveness, and rejoices for a short period.
- Then Tarawih is completed after every two rak’ahs of salutation.
- Then you pray the Shafa’ prayer in two rak’ahs, reciting the Fatiha and the highest in the first, and the Fatiha and the unbelievers in the second.
- Then you pray Witr, reciting Al-Fatihah and Al-Ikhlas, reciting the Tashahhud, and giving the salutation.
The lowest number of Tarawih prayers
For his part, His Eminence Mufti Dr. Ahmed Al-Harasis said that Tarawih prayer is raised every year with the advent of the month of Ramadan, and people wonder whether it is 8 rak’ahs or 20 rak’ahs, and according to the opinions of the four schools of thought, the best Tarawih prayer is that it is prayed 20 rak’ahs, which is the perfection of Tarawih prayer according to the consensus of the Companions of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.
He said that this is what happened during the time of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, when he gathered the people for Tarawih prayers in the Prophet’s Mosque, and led them in 20 rak’ah prayers. This is what scholars and jurists have followed since that time, and the evidence for that is that the countries of the Two Holy Mosques are still following that path and leading people in prayer with 20 rak’ahs.
Tarawih prayer is considered one of the recommended and desirable Sunnahs, not obligatory, but it is confirmed in Ramadan, according to what the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: Whoever prays Ramadan out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. Standing in Ramadan, i.e. Tarawih prayer, is achieved by praying at home, in the mosque with the group, alone, and at any time of the night between the evening prayer and the rising of dawn.
According to the majority of scholars, if a Muslim prays eleven rak’ahs, it is sufficient for him to perform Tarawih and night prayers. It has been authenticated on the authority of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, from the hadith of Aisha, who said: He would not exceed eleven rak’ahs in Ramadan or at any other time. He would pray four, so do not ask about their goodness or length. Then he would pray four, so do not ask about their goodness and length, then he would pray three… Agreed upon.
