Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed, as such its recital is of particular importance in this month. Taraweeh allows Muslims to partake in the completion of the Quran with the recital of 1 Juz each night.

As for the ‘how to’ for Taraweeh prayer, it firstly needs to be understood that the prayer is a sunnah action, which although strongly suggested is not compulsory. Bearing this in mind, the difference in opinion about the number of rak’ahs to be offered can be understood. It is the practice of some to perform 20 rak’ahs of Taraweeh, while others rely on a hadith in which Bibi Aisha is reported as stating that the Prophet would not perform more than 11 or 13 (including Witr) rak’ahs of night worship on any given day.

As with many other issues the difference in opinion regarding the number rak’ahs to be offered still lingers, but it is the responsibility of each individual to respect the attitudes of others and maintain unity in this regard. The most suitable form of action would be to follow the imam for the number of units that you feel comfortable performing, and if necessary you may perform additional prayers after the jamat has concluded.

Insha-Allah this overview has provided you with some valuable information about the nature of this amazing sunnah.