Short answer
Yes, if standing is hard because of illness, old age or pain, you may pray taraweeh sitting and get the full reward. Without a real excuse, taraweeh prayed sitting is valid in the Hanafi school but gets half the reward of standing and goes against the way it has always been prayed. Stand for what you can and sit for the rest.
Taraweeh, like other sunnah and nafl prayers, may be prayed sitting; without an excuse it is valid in the sound view, with half the reward, and leaving the standing is disliked. With a genuine excuse the reward is complete.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Twenty rakat with long recitation is tiring, especially for the elderly and anyone with back or knee pain. Islam makes room for this.
With an excuse. The Prophet ﷺ told Imran ibn Husayn, who had piles, to pray standing, and if he could not, sitting. Anyone whose standing is truly difficult may pray taraweeh sitting, on the floor or on a chair, and the reward is complete because Allah knows they would stand if they could.
Without an excuse. The Prophet ﷺ said that the prayer of someone sitting has half the reward of someone standing. This is about voluntary prayers, which is why the Hanafi scholars say taraweeh prayed sitting without need is valid but halves the reward. It is also disliked because standing is how taraweeh has been prayed since the Companions. Do not sit at the start of each rakat and stand only for ruku, as some people do while waiting, since that is a form of laziness the scholars criticise.
- Stand for as many rakat as you can, and sit for the rest.
- On a chair, keep it in line with the row so you do not disturb others.
- If you sit, bow and prostrate by leaning, with the sujud lower than the ruku, if you cannot go to the floor.
- Pray fard prayers standing if you can stand at all.
For the method see how to pray taraweeh, and for praying at home see taraweeh at home.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:286
لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ ﴿٢٨٦﴾
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."
Worship is required according to ability.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1117
Sahih... صل قائما فإن لم تستطع فقاعدا ...
"Pray standing, and if you cannot, then sitting."
Sitting is allowed when standing is not possible.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1116
Sahih... من صلى قائما فهو أفضل ومن صلى قاعدا فله نصف أجر القائم ...
"Whoever prays standing, that is better; whoever prays sitting has half the reward of the one standing."
Voluntary prayer sitting without an excuse is valid with half the reward.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Salah, chapter on witr and nawafil, section on taraweeh. Taraweeh sitting without excuse is valid in the sound view but disliked.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on nawafil. Voluntary prayer may be prayed sitting while able to stand.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.