Tahajjud: The Night Prayer

The Station of Tahajjud

Tahajjud is the voluntary night prayer performed after sleeping and waking during the last portion of the night. It occupies one of the highest stations among voluntary acts of worship in Islam. Allah (SWT) commands the Prophet (PBUH) in Surah al-Muzzammil: "Rise [to pray] the night, except a little" (73:2), and in Surah al-Isra: "And during part of the night, perform the prayer as an additional worship for you; perhaps your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station" (17:79). The "praised station" (maqam mahmud) is understood by the scholars of tafsir to be the position of intercession on the Day of Judgment.

Its Time

The time for tahajjud begins after one has slept and extends until the break of dawn (Fajr). The most virtuous portion is the last third of the night. Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: 'Who will call upon Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me so that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?'" (Bukhari and Muslim). The scholars unanimously regard the last third as the optimal time for this prayer.

Number of Rak'ahs

There is no fixed minimum or maximum for tahajjud; any number of rak'ahs performed after sleeping at night qualifies. The Prophet (PBUH) typically prayed eight rak'ahs in pairs, followed by three rak'ahs of witr. Aisha (RA) reported that he rarely exceeded eleven rak'ahs in Ramadan or outside it (Bukhari). However, reports also exist of him praying thirteen rak'ahs. The scholars agree that one should not restrict himself and that the quality of focus and humility (khushu) matters more than the count.

How It Is Prayed

Tahajjud is prayed in units of two rak'ahs each, with a taslim (salam) after every two. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Night prayer is offered in pairs" (Bukhari and Muslim). One then concludes with witr — an odd number of rak'ahs that serves as the closing prayer of the night. It is recommended to begin with two short rak'ahs to ease into the prayer, as the Prophet (PBUH) would open his night prayer with two light rak'ahs (Muslim). Long recitation is encouraged; the Prophet (PBUH) recited entire lengthy surahs during a single rak'ah of the night prayer.

The Virtue of Rising at Night

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer" (Muslim). He also said: "Stick to night prayer, for it was the way of the righteous before you. It brings you closer to your Lord, expiates sins, prevents transgression, and repels disease from the body" (Tirmidhi, graded hasan). The Quran describes the believers as "those who sleep but little of the night" (51:17) and praises those who call upon their Lord in hope and fear (32:16–17).

What to Recite

The Prophet (PBUH) would begin his night prayer with a specific supplication: "O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika'il, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth..." (Muslim). He would recite long passages from the Quran at a measured pace (tartil), reflecting on the meanings. Scholars encourage reciting Surah al-Baqarah, Al Imran, and An-Nisa over successive nights, or choosing passages from the Quran that one has memorized. The key is presence of heart rather than volume of recitation.

Practical Guidance

Those unable to wake for the last third of the night are advised to at minimum pray witr before sleeping. Aisha (RA) reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said to Abu Bakr (RA) and Umar (RA) that one of them prays witr at the beginning of the night and the other at the end, and both approaches are correct (Abu Dawud). Setting an intention before sleeping, making du'a for ease in rising, and sleeping early are practical means of establishing tahajjud. The salaf would consider loss of the night prayer a serious spiritual deprivation and would review their deeds to understand its cause.