Taraweeh is the name given to voluntary night prayer during the month of Ramadan. As such it is not different from other night prayer, normally called qiyam al-layl, or qiyam for short. Thus, we have to be clear: it is voluntary, or Sunnah. As such, it is not obligatory at all. This means that if a person does not offer a single rak'ah of Taraweeh prayer throughout the month, he does not incur a sin. He will have missed out on rich reward from God, but he will not have to account for his omission.

Bearing this in mind, to ask: how many rak'ahs we should pray in Taraweeh, is the wrong question, because there is no obligation. Since it is voluntary, a person may volunteer whatever he is pleased to volunteer. If he prays two rak'ahs he does well, and if he prays four he does better. This means that it is up to every individual to choose, according to personal circumstances, and the choice may differ from one day to another, according to how energetic or tired a person may be.

This leaves us with the frequently asked question of how many rak'ahs the Taraweeh prayer consists of. There are two views, both of which are supported by strong evidence. The first is that it is eight rak'ahs.

The advocates of this view cite several Hadiths confirming that the Prophet did not offer more than 11 or 13 rak'ahs of night worship on any night in Ramadan or at any other time. The 11 would consist of eight rak'ahs of Taraweeh in Ramadan and three in witr. The 13 would add two short rak'ahs of Sunnah before Taraweeh. The second view says that Taraweeh consists of 20 rak'ahs other than the witr. This relies on the common practice established ever since the time of the Prophet's companions and maintained over the centuries.

Whichever view we take is good enough. If we prefer the first view, that it is eight rak'ahs we should not say that the other view is wrong. Likewise, if we uphold the second view, we should not criticize those who prefer the first one. What we should remember is that there is wide scope in Islam to accommodate both views, and that since this is a voluntary worship, it is left to the individual to decide.