The Ruling of Tarawīh

Q: What is the ruling of Tarawīh prayer?

A: Tarawīh (night prayers in Ramadan) is a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu’akkadah), established by the Prophet (peace be upon him), and it is not something that was newly introduced by ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him). In an agreed-upon hadith (muttafaq ʿalayh), ʿA’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed it with his companions in congregation but later discontinued it out of fear that it might become obligatory (farḍ). Umar b. Al-Khattab later reintroduced the practice of praying in congregation in the masjid in the presence of the companions which established a consensus.

Tarawīh is among the manifest signs of the religion (aʿlām al-dīn al-ẓāhirah). It was given this name because they would sit and rest (yastarihūn) after every four units of prayer. Some scholars say the name is derived from alternation (murāwaḥah), referring to the repetition of the act.

Source: Kashshaf al-Qina & Sharh al-Muntaha