How many rak'ahs is taraweeh?

What the Prophet ﷺ prayed

The strongest report comes from Aisha رضي الله عنها, who knew his night prayer better than anyone. Asked how he prayed in Ramadan, she answered that he never exceeded eleven rak'ahs, in Ramadan or outside it — praying four, then four, then three, and she described their length and beauty. Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما also reported thirteen. Both narrations are in al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Ibn Baz draws the conclusion directly: the best is eleven or thirteen, offering the greeting of peace after every two rak'ahs, because that is what is preserved of the Prophet's ﷺ own practice, and because he ﷺ said:

"The night prayer is two by two, and if one of you fears the dawn, he prays one rak'ah which will be the witr for what he has prayed."— Sahih al-Bukhari 990 / Sahih Muslim 749a, from Ibn Umar

The phrase "two by two" is the operative instruction: it tells you how to pray, not how many to pray. That distinction is the whole answer to your question.

Why the number is not fixed

Ibn Baz is explicit that there is no set number of rak'ahs for the night prayer — not in Ramadan and not outside it — because the Prophet ﷺ never set a limit. He prayed eleven, thirteen, and fewer than that. So no one should narrow what Allah has made wide, or impose a number that may not be exceeded without a text from the Qur'an or the Sunnah.

Ibn Uthaymeen makes the same point from the hadith itself: the Prophet ﷺ was asked about the night prayer and specified the unit — two by two — but said nothing about the number of units. That silence is deliberate, and it leaves the matter open for the worshipper.

What the Companions did

The Companions prayed both ways, and this is where the twenty rak'ahs comes from. Umar رضي الله عنه and the Companions with him prayed eleven in Ramadan, and at other times they prayed twenty-three. Ibn Baz notes that Umar instructed certain Companions to lead eleven, and it is also established that they prayed twenty-three by his instruction — which shows the latitude the Companions themselves understood.

Ibn Uthaymeen adds a caution here: he holds that the twenty-three is not authentically established from the Prophet ﷺ or from any of the caliphs, and that what is firmly reported from Umar is eleven, when he instructed Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Tamim al-Dari to lead the people in eleven rak'ahs. He regards this as more fitting for Umar — that his practice in this should follow the practice of the Messenger ﷺ.

The range the scholars allow

Ibn Baz states plainly that whether they pray twenty, eleven, thirteen, forty with witr, or fifty with witr, all of it is fine — and that no one should object or be harsh about it. Whoever prays eleven has done well; whoever prays thirteen has done well and it is better; whoever prays twenty has done no wrong, as the Companions did in Umar's time.

Al-Albani takes the narrowest position: he chooses that one should not exceed eleven, following the Messenger ﷺ, who did not exceed it until he left this world. He does allow praying less — even a single rak'ah of witr alone.

The condition that matters more than the count

Every one of these scholars turns to the same concern: tranquillity. Ibn Uthaymeen warns specifically about imams whose only ambition is to finish before the congregation, rushing in a way that destroys tranquillity and exhausts those praying behind them. He reminds them that the imam is a trustee for those he leads, and must not deprive them of the calm that lets them pray fully.

Ibn Baz adds that what is prescribed in taraweeh is attentiveness in prayer, measured recitation, and no haste — so that both imam and congregation actually benefit. A longer, slower eleven is worth more than a rushed twenty.

Key takeaways

• Eleven or thirteen rak'ahs is best, because that is what is preserved of the Prophet's ﷺ practice, and Ibn Baz and Ibn Uthaymeen both prefer it.
• Twenty, twenty-three, or more is permitted — Ibn Baz affirms it without objection, citing the Companions' practice in Umar's time.
• Pray two by two, offering the greeting of peace after every two rak'ahs, then close with a single rak'ah of witr.
• Do not criticise another mosque's number. Ibn Baz says the matter is wide and no one should object or be harsh over it.
• Tranquillity outweighs quantity. A calm, unhurried prayer benefits the imam and the congregation; haste defeats the purpose.

Further reading

• Majmu' Fatawa wa Maqalat — Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz
• Fatawa Nur 'ala al-Darb — Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen
• Qiyam Ramadan — Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albani

And Allah knows best.