How many rak'ahs are in the Tarawih prayer?

Question:
Shaykh Salih also asks: How many rak'ahs are in the Tarawih prayer?

Answer:
It does not have a specific number. The scholars differ according to their independent legal reasoning (ijtihad); some hold that it is thirteen or eleven, and some hold that it is twenty-three, as Ubayy ibn Ka'b prayed it for the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) during the time of 'Umar in the Prophet's Mosque (peace and blessings be upon him). Some hold that it is thirty-six, and there are other opinions besides these. The matter is broad in this regard. As Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, the matter varies according to the nature of the prayer: whoever lengthens the recitation, bowing, and prostration should reduce the number of rak'ahs, because that is more comfortable for the people. And whoever lightens the recitation, bowing, and prostration should increase the number of rak'ahs. Yes.