How many rakats is tarawih? Views and the 2027 calendar
The tool shows the first and last tarawih night of the year you choose, Laylat al-Qadr and the feast. Below we summarise the views on the number of rakats, with the source.
Time left until First tarawih 2027, 7 February 2027
102days0hrs0min0sec
Ramadan 2027 (Hijri 1448)
8 February – 8 March 2027
The first fast is on Mon 8 February; the first tarawih prayer and pre-dawn meal come the evening and night before, Sun 7 February.
| First fast | Mon 8 February |
| First tarawih | evening of Sun 7 February |
| Laylat al-Qadr | evening of Fri 5 March |
| Last fast (eve) | Mon 8 March |
| Days of fasting | 29 |
| Eid al-Fitr | Tue 9 March |
| Year | First fast | Qadr night | Eid | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 19 February 2026 | 16 March 2026 | 20 March 2026 | 29 |
| 2027 | 8 February 2027 | 5 March 2027 | 9 March 2027 | 29 |
| 2028 | 28 January 2028 | 22 February 2028 | 26 February 2028 | 29 |
| 2029 | 16 January 2029 | 10 February 2029 | 14 February 2029 | 29 |
| 2030 | 5 January 2030 | 30 January 2030 | 4 February 2030 | 30 |
| 2030 | 26 December 2030 | 20 January 2031 | 24 January 2031 | 29 |
| 2031 | 15 December 2031 | 9 January 2032 | 14 January 2032 | 30 |
| 2032 | 4 December 2032 | 29 December 2032 | 2 January 2033 | 29 |
| 2033 | 23 November 2033 | 18 December 2033 | 23 December 2033 | 30 |
| 2034 | 12 November 2034 | 7 December 2034 | 12 December 2034 | 30 |
| 2035 | 1 November 2035 | 26 November 2035 | 1 December 2035 | 30 |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · Diyanet lists and Law No. 2429 read on 28 October 2026
Tarawih is the prayer performed after isha, specific to Ramadan. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, most Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali jurists hold that tarawih is twenty rakats, based on the report that the Prophet prayed twenty-three rakats including witr and on the practice of the Companions. Scholars such as Ibn al-Humam and al-Suyuti said tarawih is eight rakats; Ibn al-Humam considered the twelve rakats prayed after the eight to be recommended. A view of thirty-six rakats is also reported from Imam Malik. Tradition developed in favour of twenty. Tarawih is a sunnah of the month of Ramadan, not of the fast, so those who cannot fast also pray it. Per the Diyanet calendar, in 2027 the first tarawih is on the evening of Sun 7 February and the last on the evening of Sun 7 March: 29 nights in all. No tarawih is prayed on the eve of the feast, since the next day is Eid. Its time begins after isha and lasts until dawn; in Istanbul, isha on the first tarawih night is computed at 19:55. This page gives no religious ruling; it reports what the source says.
The views on the number of rakats
| View | Rakats | Basis (according to the source) |
|---|---|---|
| Most Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali jurists | 20 (23 with witr) | Report of 23 rakats including witr; practice of the Companions |
| Ibn al-Humam, al-Suyuti | 8 | Hadiths that no more than 11 rakats of night prayer, witr included, were prayed |
| Imam Malik (reported) | 36; a view of 20 too | As related by Ibn Rushd |
The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam notes that eight, ten, sixteen, twenty, thirty-six, thirty-eight and forty rakats have all been put forward. In 635 Caliph Umar asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b to lead tarawih in congregation, a practice that continues today. Under the influence of that practice the report of twenty rakats gained strength and tradition developed in that direction.
How it is prayed
Jurists agree that it is better to pray tarawih with a salam after every two rakats. In the Shafi'i school the salam after every two rakats is obligatory; for Hanafis, tarawih prayed with a single salam at the end of twenty rakats is disliked but valid. The name comes from the short rest (tarwiha) taken after every four rakats. Completing a full reading of the Quran in tarawih during Ramadan is a sunnah for Hanafis and Hanbalis and recommended for Shafi'is and Malikis. Ask a religious official which practice suits you.
The source also warns against rushing: in every case the etiquette of prayer, and especially ta'dil al-arkan, pausing properly in bowing and prostration, must be respected, and leading the prayer so fast as to break it is not right. For recitation, one long verse or three short ones per rakat is considered sufficient. Hanafis and Shafi'is consider it recommended to delay tarawih to the first third or the middle of the night; Hanbalis see the early part of the night as more meritorious.
The 2027 tarawih calendar and isha times
The first tarawih is on the evening of Sunday 7 February 2027, the last on the evening of Sunday 7 March 2027. Laylat al-Qadr falls on the evening of Friday 5 March 2027. Isha moves later through the month, so tarawih starts a little later each evening.
| Province | First tarawih, 7 February 2027 | Laylat al-Qadr, 5 March 2027 | Last tarawih, 7 March 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Istanbul | 19:55 | 20:24 | 20:27 |
| Ankara | 19:41 | 20:08 | 20:10 |
| Izmir | 20:04 | 20:30 | 20:32 |
| Antalya | 19:51 | 20:15 | 20:17 |
| Diyarbakır | 19:12 | 19:38 | 19:40 |
| Erzurum | 19:07 | 19:34 | 19:37 |
Ramadan 2028 (Hijri 1449)
Ramadan 2028 (Hijri 1449)
28 January – 25 February 2028
| First fast | Fri 28 January |
| First tarawih | evening of Thu 27 January |
| Laylat al-Qadr | evening of Tue 22 February |
| Last fast (eve) | Fri 25 February |
Next year
In Ramadan 2028 the first tarawih is on the evening of 27 January 2028; in late January isha comes early, so tarawih is prayed early in the evening. Day-by-day times are on the 2027 Ramadan timetable, and details of the Night of Power on Laylat al-Qadr 2027.