Does praying two rak'ahs or a single rak'ah every night after 'Isha in Ramadan count as Qiyam (night prayer) out of faith and hope for reward, and does the ruling differ during the pandemic due to the impossibility of praying Tarawih in congregation?

Qiyam al-layl (night vigil prayer) is a great act of devotion, and it is particularly emphasized in Ramadan, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever observes night vigil prayer in Ramadan out of faith and in hope of reward, his past sins will be forgiven.”

The best qiyam is that which conforms to the practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, which is eight rak'ahs followed by three rak'ahs of witr. The minimum for qiyam al-layl is two rak'ahs, and there is no limit to its maximum, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Pray two by two, and if one fears the coming of dawn, let him pray one rak'ah, and it will be a witr for all that he has prayed.”

Some ahadith indicate that qiyam al-layl can be achieved with two rak'ahs, and it is not valid to perform qiyam al-layl with one rak'ah, because witr is different from qiyam al-layl.

The more a servant prays, the greater his reward, and “you do not prostrate to Allah with a single prostration but Allah raises you thereby one degree and removes from you one sin.” Therefore, one should not limit himself to two rak'ahs unless there is an excuse.