How to Divide the Quran for Taraweeh?

Learning How to divide the Quran for Taraweeh may be intuitive to some people, but may also need some more focus and intentionality from others.

Taraweeh is the Sunnah prayer prayed in Ramadan after isha every day. It is also known as qiyam al layl, meaning night prayers. What Sunnah means is that the prayer is optional, you can pray Taraweeh if you want to.

The beauty of Ramadan comes from reading the Quran, fasting, and praying Taraweeh in the gamaa (Mosque). All of this helps us feel peace of mind and bring us closer to Allah.

So, How to divide the Quran for Taraweeh? You can recite as much Quran as you want while praying Taraweeh. There is no restriction on how many you should read. Set yourself a specific quantity to read before you begin praying and pray. Whether you choose to read a whole part or a small surahs, the call is yours to make.

Keep reading to learn all the answers to your questions about reading Quran for Taraweeh Salah.

Can I read the Quran from my smartphone while praying taraweeh?

Yes, there are no restrictions on reading Quran from your smartphone. And there is a fatwa allowing reading Quran from mobile phones.

When do I pray taraweeh?

You can pray Taraweeh right after you finish Isha salah, or any time as long as it’s before dawn. There are no restrictions on the time of praying Taraweeh. Actually, some say that it’s better to pray Isha, sleep or rest until the last third of the night, then pray Taraweeh. And after you finish praying Taraweeh pray Witr. The choice is yours to make.

How do I pray taraweeh?

You will pray it normally like any other prayer. However, Taraweeh consists of a set of eight each one of the eight is divided into two Rakat.

During each raka you will read some of the Quran. Some say that Taraweeh consists of 20 rakat while some say that it is only eight. The narration differs from one narration to another.

The call is yours to decide which opinion you follow, however, if you are too tired to complete the Taraweeh, you don’t have to pray all the 8 rakat or twenty. Just pray as much as you are capable of, but remember it has two be an even number of rakat. Taraweeh is prayed in sets of two rakat.

When it comes to the famous question of, how many parts of the Quran should you read? The answer is as much as you are capable of. There are no restrictions on that, recite as much as you want, and remember the purpose of Taraweeh is to feel that you are closer to Allah.

Taraweeh prayer is the means that you use to bring you closer to Allah, that what you should keep in mind, nothing else matters.

All you should do is to focus and be calm while praying and try to understand the meaning of what you are reciting in your prayers.

Remember what’s more important in praying Taraweeh is the Quality and being focused on what you’re praying, and not the Quantity.

Why should I pray tarawih?

When praying Taraweeh you will get many rewards, it’s as simple as this. Let’s understand together, firstly you will be closer to Allah, secondly you will feel peace of mind.

The Prophet said “Whoever stands for prayer (the night prayer) during Ramadan with iman (faith), hoping for rewards, then all his/her previous sins will be forgiven.”

Also, during Ramadan doing anything good will be multiplied, and praying taraweeh will reward you even more.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time.”

Ramadan month is a gift to us; it is the month that get us closer to Allah and help us enhance our personal relationships with Allah. Taraweeh help us do that easily, it’s like a free ticket to get closer to Allah.

Can I just pray two rakat?

Taraweeh is an optional salah, you can pray as many rakat as you like and you will be rewarded. And remember praying two rakat is much better than not praying taraweeh at all.

Some people like to finish the whole Quran while praying taraweeh during Ramadan, so when you go pray in the masjid you will find that the two rakat are long. That’s because they want to complete one juzz each day in order to complete the Quran by the end of the month. So pray as much as you are capable of, and recite what you can, don’t compare yourself to others.

What if I only know two sorah of the Quran by heart?

As we said there is no restriction on what you recite during taraweeh prayers. If you only know two sorahs then recite them while praying and repeat them, there is no problem in doing so. You could also read from the mushaf during praying.

Can I hold a mushaf during my tarawih and recite Quran looking in the book?

There is no problem in doing so, you don’t have to know the whole Quran by heart to pray, you can recite from the mushaf.

Which Sorah should we recite and how many Rakats?    

You can read any surah you know by heart or read from the mushaf, there is no limitation on the number of surahs you could read’ so just read as much as you can. For example, someone could choose to read the short Surahs in each raka and repeat them in the other ones.

While others could choose to read a whole part of the Quran in one raka. No one could say that the second is better than the first, it’s all a matter of choice and capability. If you are too tired then you won’t be able to focus on what you are reading. And focusing is the main goal here. So remember, recite what you can.

How many rakats? The answer to this one is 8 rakats and each one is divided into two. Taraweeh is optional, so praying it will be rewarding, but if you choose to not pray taraweeh, there is no sin in doing so.