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Tahajjud: the night prayer
Tahajjud is a voluntary prayer offered at night after waking from sleep. Allah praises "those who forsake their beds to call upon their Lord in fear and hope" (32:16).
When to pray
Any time after Isha until Fajr, ideally after some sleep. The best time is the last third of the night: the Prophet ﷺ said our Lord descends to the lowest heaven then and says, "Who is calling upon Me, that I may answer him?" (Bukhari, Muslim).
How to pray
- Wake up, make wudu and say the dua for waking up (Dua for Waking Up); many also recite the last verses of Surah Al Imran (Dua on Waking Up).
- Pray in units of two rak'ahs, each ending with salam. The Prophet ﷺ usually prayed eight, then Witr.
- Recite whatever you know of the Qur'an; long recitation is recommended but not required.
- End your night prayer with Witr, then make dua: this is a time when duas are answered.
Making it a habit
- Start with two rak'ahs, 20 minutes before Fajr.
- Sleep early and set an alarm before Fajr.
- The Prophet ﷺ said the most beloved deeds are those done regularly, even if few (Bukhari, Muslim).
Questions
How many rak'ahs is Tahajjud?
There is no fixed number. Two is the minimum; the Prophet ﷺ usually prayed eight, followed by Witr.
Do I have to sleep before Tahajjud?
Tahajjud literally means prayer after waking from sleep, but any voluntary prayer after Isha counts as night prayer (qiyam al-layl).