What is Tahjjud

The practice of Tahajjud prayer has been notably stated and emphasized in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) where several references highlight its importance and spiritual benefits. To serve as a strong tool for forgiveness, getting closer to Allah and thanking Him for the innumerable blessings in life is one of the significant reasons for engaging in voluntary prayer. With regard to this, the Sunnah singles out the last third of the night as particularly effective for such Tahajjud. Because of this, the practice of Tahajjud is not merely a spiritual obligation but an act of worship that is profoundly important and greatly rewarded.

Importance of Tahajjud According to Sunnah & Ahadees

It is Narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira(رضي الله عنه):

The Prophet Muhammad(ﷺ) said,

Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?”

(Sahih al-Bukhari 1145)

Hazrat Abd Allah ibn Salam (رضي الله عنه) reports that the The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said,

“O people! Spread the salams, feed others, maintain family ties, and pray at night when others sleep and you will enter Heaven safely.”

(Tirmidhi, Hakim)

Hazrat Abu Huraira ( رضي الله عنه )said he heard The Prophet Muhammad(ﷺ) say,

“The most excellent prayer after that which is obligatory is one in the depth of the night.”

( Mishkat al-Masabih 1236 )

Tahajjud is said to be performed after the Isha prayer and finished before the Fajr prayer. The Tahajjud period is known as the middle of the night which is considered the time to give up sleeping. For this reason, the prayer is preferred during the last third of the night.

During the last third of the night, angels descend from the heavens at the appointed time and upon the command of Allah to take the Dua of all His servants. During these times, Allah forgives the offenders that have repented for their sins.

Rakats in Tahajjud

There is no specification on the exact number of rak’ahs for the Tahajjud prayer but the minimum is two. Minimum requirement however is Two Raks with one salam after every two rak’ahs in Tahajjud. The prayer can be performed in Two, Four, Six, Eight, or even Twelve rak’ahs can be performed during Tahajjud Prayer. There is no upper limit imposed, and it is encouraged to pray as much as one is able to. What is most important is the istiqamah or consistency in performing the Tahajjud prayer regardless of how little it is done, and in this case, two rak’ahs every night. Like all other Sunnah prayers, the Tahajjud prayer is observed with the same principles. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) taught that the Tahajjud prayer should be performed consistently as it serves a great purpose in the devotion of Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) never neglected the Tahajjud prayer throughout his life, demonstrating its importance in Islam as an act of devotion and closeness to Allah.

The implementation of this method of tahajjud prayer is the same as other sunnah prayers.

After the prayer, Rasulullah SAW recited the following prayer:

اَللهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ اَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَاْلاَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيْهِنَّ. وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ اَنْتَ مَالِكُ السَّمَوَاتِ واْلاَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيْهِنَّ. وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ اَنْتَ نُوْرُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَاْلاَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيْهِنَّ. وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ اَنْتَ الْحَقُّ وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ وَلِقَاءُكَ حَقٌّ وَقَوْلُكَ حَقٌّ وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ وَالنَّبِيُّوْنَ حَقٌّ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَقٌّ وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ. اَللهُمَّ لَكَ اَسْلَمْتُ وَبِكَ اَمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَاِلَيْكَ اَنَبْتُ وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ وَاِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ فَاغْفِرْلِيْ مَاقَدَّمْتُ وَمَا اَخَّرْتُ وَمَا اَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا اَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا اَنْتَ اَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّيْ. اَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَاَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَاِلَهَ اِلاَّ اَنْتَ. وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ اِلاَّ بِاللهِ

O Allah, to You, is all praise. You are the enforcer of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. Praise be to You. You are the King of the heavens and the earth. Glory be to You, the radiant light of Heaven and earth.

Praise be to You, You are true, Your promise is true, Your meeting is true, Your word is real, Heaven is real, Hell is real, the prophets are true, Prophet Muhammad SAW is real, and the Day of Judgment is real.

O Allah, to You I surrender, to You I return, to You I miss, and to You I judge. Forgive me for my mistakes and the previous ones, both what I have hidden and what I have stated.

You are the first God and the last God. There is no God but You. There is no power and strength except with (the power of) Allah.

Benefits of Tahajjud Prayer

Making Tahajjud at night is a perfect time when the worldly engagements are at the minimum. By participating in this Salah, people can forge a profound bond with Allah who they dedicate this personal moment entirely to worshiping. It is also a time to pray for His forgiveness, blessings, and guidance, and to strengthen one’s spiritual relationship with the Creator.

The performance of Tahajjud demonstrates a person is serious about pursuing Allah’s pleasure and about what He has commanded. Abiding by the practice of performing Tahajjud prayers leads the person to work harder to earn Allah’s pleasure and also be a faithful follower of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Thus, many tend to notice an increase in blessings and goodness in different spheres of their lives. As long as one performs Tahajjud prayers, he or she will benefit spiritually, emotionally, and monetarily, for Allah’s blessings are called upon throughout one’s affairs for their day.

It is belived that Allah come to the lowest heaven/Arsh when one third of the night remained. He called us : “Is there anyone who would ask me of something so that I may answer him? Is there anyone who would seek forgiveness so that I may forgive him?”

Al-Bukhari narrated.

To wake up for Tahajjud prayers, someone needs to have willpower, focus, and, most importantly, determination. By undeterred performing these prayers, people build these attributes which subsequently can be channeled to other aspects of their life. Further, it results in shoring up self-discipline while making it easier to prioritize tasks and manage time.

One significant advantage of performing night prayers is their ability to help with daily challenges. During these prayers, individuals fully place their trust in Allah, setting aside all worldly concerns. When a believer surrenders everything to the Almighty, they find support from various sources through His supreme power.

According to Hazrat Imam Shafi’i (رَحْمَةُ اللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ ) :

“The dua’ made at Tahajjud is like an arrow that doesn’t miss it’s target.”

Conclusion

The Tahajjud sunnah prayer is a prayer performed after bed, whether the sleep is after the time of Isha’ or before the time of Isha’ and even if only a short sleep.
The Tahajjud prayer is performed after performing the obligatory Isha’ prayer.
It is encouraged (Afzal) to perform the Tahajjud prayer at midnight.
If you don’t sleep and wish to do prayers, then you can do night sunnah prayers or QIAMULLAIL.
Whether performing the Tahajjud prayers after bed or Qiamullail before going to bed, the rewards are enormous.

FAQs On Tahajjud:

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