The Tarawih Prayer: Its Minimum and Maximum Number of Rak'ahs, and Reciting the Qur'an

The questioner : Shaykh Muhammad, this is a woman asking about the Tarawih prayer, about its minimum and maximum number of rak'ahs, and about reciting the Qur'an. Honorable Shaykh?

The Shaykh : As for the person who prays with the people, he will follow the imam, whether the imam prays eleven rak'ahs, thirteen rak'ahs, or twenty-three rak'ahs; he must follow the imam. As for the one who prays alone, he prays eleven rak'ahs at times, saying the taslim after every two rak'ahs and performing witr with the eleventh, or he prays thirteen rak'ahs, saying the taslim after every two rak'ahs as well, and performing witr with one rak'ah. As for the Qur'an, he recites whatever is easy for him, whether a little or a lot, based on the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: So he should recite whatever is easy for him, whether from the long surahs or the short surahs. And if he does not memorize anything and wants to take the mushaf and read from it during the prayer, there is nothing wrong with that. May Allah reward you with good, Shaykh Muhammad.

The questioner : If this woman is in her house and does not know how to read from the Qur'an, does she read from the short surahs? For example, if she wants to pray Tarawih in her house?

The Shaykh : Yes, she reads from the short surahs, and there is no blame on her.

The questioner : She repeats them.

The Shaykh : She reads, for example, combining two surahs in one rak'ah, or three surahs in one rak'ah. The matter is broad, because Allah has said to recite whatever is easy.