Tarawih

A voluntary prayer performed specifically and only during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Tarawih is performed after the evening (‘isha) obligatory prayer every night of Ramadan. Tarawih is performed in sets of two rak‘as, which refers to the full cycles of prostrations in Muslim prayer. There is some debate about how many rak‘as a complete tarawih prayer consists of, with some modern opinions claiming that 8 rak‘as, and others 12, or even the more traditional 20 rak‘as are needed to complete tarawih. Breaks are taken between each pair of two rak‘as. Muslim men and women congregate in mosques to perform this prayer guided by an imam. Long portions of the Quran are read during tarawih prayers. As the prayer is a long one, Muslims view tarawih as a means of developing a stronger connection with God and asking for forgiveness and blessings. The communal prayer also provides a sense of unity to Muslim communities from all walks of life, in all geographic locations.