Tarāwīḥ, Qiyām, Tahajjud & Witr
This lesson explains the night prayers related to Ramadan: what each name means, when they are prayed, and how to keep them consistent without hardship.
Night prayer in Ramadan
Ramadan is honored by the worship of the night. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged the believers to stand in prayer with faith and seeking reward.
1) Tarāwīḥ — What is it?
Tarāwīḥ is the congregational night prayer prayed in Ramadan after ʿIshāʾ. It is from Qiyām al-Layl (night prayer), specific in its common Ramadan form.
Simple: Tarāwīḥ = Ramadan night prayer (usually in the masjid) after ʿIshāʾ.
2) Qiyām — What does it mean?
Qiyām means standing in worship at night. In Ramadan, Tarāwīḥ is part of Qiyām. Outside Ramadan, Qiyām remains a great Sunnah.
3) Tahajjud — When is it?
Tahajjud is night prayer prayed after sleeping, commonly in the last part of the night. It is not limited to Ramadan, but it becomes more common then.
4) Witr — The closing of the night prayer
Witr is the final prayer of the night, prayed as an odd number. It is strongly emphasized and should be prayed before sleeping if you fear you will not wake later.
Practical: If you attend Tarāwīḥ in the masjid, pray Witr with the imam. This protects your worship and keeps you consistent.
5) How many rakʿāt?
Scholars differ on numbers, and the matter is spacious. What matters is standing with humility and consistency.
6) A simple plan to stay consistent
- Pray ʿIshāʾ on time.
- Pray Tarāwīḥ as much as you can, even if not every night.
- Pray Witr before sleep if you are unsure about waking.
- If you wake later, pray Tahajjud (2 by 2), and do not repeat Witr.