Taraweeh night prayers

Tarawih is the plural of tarwiha — the soul's rest, from raha; originally the name of any sitting. The sitting after each four rak'as in the nights of Ramadan was called tarwiha for the rest in it, then each four rak'as took the name by metonymy, and the prayer was called tarawih because they lengthened the standing and sat after every four to rest. ¹

It is the qiyam of the month of Ramadan, two by two, with disagreement among the jurists over its number of rak'as and other questions. ¹

The Hanafis state the worshipper may choose between each two tarwihas: sitting remembering God or silent, or praying a voluntary prayer alone — this sitting a recommended sunna. For the Hanbalis — and as the Maliki and Shafi'i wording suggests — he may rest after every four rak'as with a brief sitting, the practice of the salaf, though leaving it is harmless and the imam does not supplicate in it. ²