Taraweeh is prayed at night during the month of Ramadan, after the obligatory Isha prayer and before Witr.

When is Taraweeh prayer?

In practice, Taraweeh starts after the Isha congregational prayer and continues into the night, usually in sets of 2 rak‘ahs, commonly totaling 8 or 20 rak‘ahs depending on the masjid or local practice. It is specific to Ramadan: it begins on the first night of Ramadan (i.e., the night before the first day of fasting) and continues every night until the end of the month.

Many mosques set Taraweeh to begin a few minutes after Isha, for example 5–15 minutes after the Iqamah, so people can prepare and straighten the rows. Exact times differ by:

  • Country and city (time of Isha changes with sunset).
  • Mosque policy (some start right after Isha, others leave a longer gap).
  • Local Ramadan calendar (based on moon-sighting or calculations).

A concrete example: some Islamic centers in 2026 announce Taraweeh beginning on the evening of Tuesday 17 February, after Isha, with the first day of fasting on Wednesday 18 February.

Simple rule to remember

  • Look up your local Isha time in Ramadan.
  • Check your local masjid’s Ramadan schedule ; most will say “Taraweeh: X minutes after Isha” or give a fixed clock time.

If you ever arrive late, you can still join Taraweeh in whatever rak‘ah the imam is in and continue from there; you do not need to match the full count to benefit.

TL;DR: Taraweeh is a special Ramadan night prayer, prayed after Isha and before Witr, starting from the first night of Ramadan and continuing nightly until Ramadan ends; the exact clock time depends on your local masjid’s Isha schedule.