Salah al-Layl (Night Prayer / Tahajjud)
Suggest editDefinition and Status
Salah al-Layl — the night prayer — is the general term for all voluntary prayer performed after Isha and before Fajr. It is known by several overlapping names: Tahajjud (arising from sleep for prayer), Qiyam al-Layl (standing in prayer at night), and in Ramadan specifically, Tarawih and Qiyam Ramadan. It was the most beloved voluntary act of worship of the Prophet Muhammad and was at one point obligatory upon him specifically before Allah relieved that obligation and made it voluntary for the ummah (Quran 73:1–4, 73:20).
The status of the night prayer in Islam cannot be overstated. Allah praises those who 'forsake their beds to supplicate their Lord in fear and hope' (Quran 32:16) and describes the righteous as those 'who sleep only a little of the night' (Quran 51:17). It is the clearest marker of sincere devotion in Islamic tradition.
Virtues and Rewards
The Prophet said: 'The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer' (Sahih Muslim 1163). He also described the night as a time of unique divine accessibility: 'Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night and says: Who is calling upon Me that I may answer? Who is asking of Me that I may give? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive?' (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145, Sahih Muslim 758). This hadith, known as the hadith of nuzul (divine descent), is one of the most important motivations for rising at night.
Allah promises in the Quran: 'And from part of the night, pray with it as additional worship for you; it is expected that your Lord will raise you to a praised station' (17:79). Scholars of tafsir note that the 'praised station' (maqam mahmud) in this verse refers to the station of intercession (shafa'ah al-uzma) granted to the Prophet — a direct connection between his night prayers and his elevated rank before Allah.
How to Perform It
The night prayer is performed in sets of two rak'ahs, with a final witr prayer to conclude. There is no fixed maximum number of rak'ahs. The Prophet's most common practice, as reported by Aisha, was eleven rak'ahs: he would pray four, then four, then three witr (Sahih al-Bukhari 1147). On other occasions he prayed thirteen rak'ahs. He is reported never to have exceeded thirteen rak'ahs in voluntary night prayer.
The best time for the night prayer is the last third of the night, shortly before Fajr enters. The Prophet said: 'The closest a servant comes to his Lord is in the last third of the night, so if you can be among those who remember Allah at that hour, do so' (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3579, graded sahih). However, any time between Isha and Fajr is valid. Those who fear they will not wake at night should pray before sleeping; those who are confident of waking should delay until the last third.
Practical Guidance from the Scholars
The classical scholars emphasized consistency over quantity. The Prophet said: 'The most beloved deed to Allah is the one that is most regular and constant, even if it be small' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6464). It is better to pray two rak'ahs every night than to pray twenty rak'ahs one night and nothing for a week. Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, in his commentary on this hadith, explains that consistency reflects genuine love and sincere intention, while sporadic bursts of worship often reflect emotional states that fade.
Practical steps recommended by scholars include: making a firm intention before sleeping, performing wudu before bed, sleeping on one's right side as the Sunnah recommends, setting an alarm for the last third of the night, beginning with the remembrances of waking (the morning adhkar), then praying at least two rak'ahs. Long recitation is encouraged — the Prophet would recite entire juz from the Quran in a single rak'ah. The prostration (sujud) is an especially powerful time for supplication, and the scholars recommend taking advantage of it.
Night Prayer in Ramadan
During Ramadan, the night prayer takes the special form of Tarawih prayers, performed in congregation after Isha. Umar ibn al-Khattab established the practice of twenty rak'ahs in congregation in the mosque of the Prophet (Madinah), and this became the standard practice across the Maliki, Hanafi, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools. Eight rak'ahs is also authentically reported and considered sufficient. The emphasis in Ramadan is to complete or substantially cover the entire Quran during the Tarawih prayers, allowing the congregation to hear the full revelation each year.