How To Perform Tahajjud Prayer

By Last Updated: March 28, 2024Views: 80
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After obligatory prayers (fard salah), the most important prayer is tahajjud prayer. Due to its timing, its is also known as night prayer or “qiam-ul-lail”. It is an optional prayer (nafl salah) for muslim ummah. Time of tahajjud starts withe the time of isha prayer and remain valid till the dawn (start of time of fajr prayer). However, it is preferred to perform in last third part of the night.

Importance of Tahajjud

After obligatory prayers, tahajjud is the most important prayer as Allah (SWT) said in Quran[1]:

“وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةًۭ لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًۭا مَّحْمُودًۭا “

“And rise from sleep during the night as well- this is an additional Prayer for you. Possibly your Lord will raise you to an honoured position.”

According to hazrat Abu Huraira, Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) said[2]:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ وَأَفْضَلُ الصَّلاَةِ بَعْدَ الْفَرِيضَةِ صَلاَةُ اللَّيْلِ

“The most virtuous fasting after the month of Ramadan is that of Allah’s month of Al-Muharram. And the most virtuous Salat after the obligatory is the night prayer.”

There are various hadith indicating the importance of tahajjud. Prophet (SAW) never missed the tahajjud in his life. Since early days of Islam, regular azan (call for prayer) for tahjjud prayer In Masjid-ul-Haram (Makkah) and in Masjid-ul-Nabvi (Madina) like other obligatory prayers shows its importance for the muslims.

Rakat For Tahajjud

For tahajjud, one can perform 12 rakats, but according to hazrat Ayesha, Prophet (SAW) used to perform 8 rakat of tahjjud followed by 3 witr as narrated in sahih bukhari[3]:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُصَلِّي إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً، كَانَتْ تِلْكَ صَلاَتَهُ ـ تَعْنِي بِاللَّيْلِ ـ فَيَسْجُدُ السَّجْدَةَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَدْرَ مَا يَقْرَأُ أَحَدُكُمْ خَمْسِينَ آيَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ رَأْسَهُ، وَيَرْكَعُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ صَلاَةِ الْفَجْرِ، ثُمَّ يَضْطَجِعُ عَلَى شِقِّهِ الأَيْمَنِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ الْمُؤَذِّنُ لِلصَّلاَةِ‏.‏

“Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to pray eleven rak`at at night and that was his night prayer and each of his prostrations lasted for a period enough for one of you to recite fifty verses before Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) raised his head. He also used to pray two rak`at (Sunnah) before the (compulsory) Fajr prayer and then lie down on his right side till the Mu’adh-dhin came to him for the prayer.”

Performing Tahajjud Prayer

According to Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas[4], when Prophet (SAW) wake up for tahajjud, first he perform ablution, then recite last ruku of surah al imran and then perform tahajjud.

Preparation For Tahajjud Prayer

For performing tahajjud prayer you have to meet the following mandatory conditions. These are not the part of prayer, but you have to meet these conditions for valid prayer.

Time For Tahajjud Prayer

Check the validity of time for tahajjud prayer. Time for tahajjud prayer starts with the isha prayer time and remain till dawn. But, Preferred time for tahajjud prayer is last third part of night.
Note that it is not mandatory to sleep before tahajjud.

Time of Tahajjud prayer

Make Wudu

Before performing tahajjud prayer, you need to perform ablution/wudu as it is mandatory to be clean according to islamic methods before any prayer. If you are not clean or you have not make yourself clean according to islamic methods, your prayer will be invalid.

Wear Clean(paak) Clothes

Change night clothes and wear proper clothes before starting tahajjud prayer. Clothes must be clean (paak) before performing any prayer. For female, clothes must cover whole body accept hands, feet and face and for male it is mandatory to cover body minimum from belly button to knees. this is called covering the saattr.

WEAR CLEAN (PAAK) CLOTHES

Find Clean(paak) Place

Praying place must be clean (paak). So chose a place which is clean (paak) and suitable for performing prayer. Find a clean (paak) place to perform salah.

FIND CLEAN PAAK PLACE

Steps to Perform 2 Tahajjud Rakats

After preparation, first follow the following steps to perform 2 nafl rakat of tahajjud prayer.

Make Niyyat

Stand straight on the prayer mat facing kaaba (qibla) and make niyyat by saying, ”I intend to pray 2 nafal rakats of tahajjud prayer, facing towards the Holy Kaaba before Allah Almighty”.

Saying niyyat is not compulsory. Niyyat is the name of intention by heart and by words. According to ahnaaf saying words of niyyat is a preferred way of niyyat.

Make Niyyat for salah

Takbeer-e-Tahreem

After making niyyat, raise your hands to your ear (either touching ear or indicating to touch ears) in such a way your palms faces the kaaba and say takbeer-e-tahreem الله أكبر to enter in the state of prayer. Takbeer-e-tahreem is obligatory (fard) action to enter in the state of prayer in Islam.

Takbeer-e-Tahreem

Qiyam

Qiyam refers to standing humbly and respectfully before Allah. Place your left hand almost on your belly button and right hand on left forearm in such a way that your thumb and little finger is pointing inward. In the state of qiyam, First recite
سُبْـحانَكَ اللّهُـمَّ وَبِحَمْـدِكَ وَتَبارَكَ اسْمُـكَ وَتَعـالى جَـدُّكَ وَلا إِلهَ غَيْرُك
then أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
and بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
and then recite complete surah al Fatiha
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil-‘alamin)
الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ (Ar-Rahmanir-Rahim)
مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ (Maliki yawmid-din)
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (Iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nastain)
إِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim)
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ (Siratal-ladhina an’amta ‘alayhim ghairil-maghdhoobi ‘alayhim wala d-dallin).

Now recite any surah from holy Quran. For learning we usually add surah Al-ikhlaas (الْإِخْلَاص).
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (Qul hu Allahu Ahad)
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ (Allahu samad)
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ (Lum yalid wa lum yulad)
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (Wa lum yakul lahu kufuwan ahad)

Qiyam

Perform Ruku

After reciting additional surah, Bend down saying الله أكبر in such a way that your hands are placed on your knees, fingers are spreading, making right angle from your head to hips and hips to heels. Place your gaze between your feet. Make sure that your elbows do not touch your body. According to Hanfi islamic scholars, raising your hands to ears while saying takbeer to enter in ruku is not preferred, so we recommend you to take advise from local imam.

Keep this position humbly and recite the tasbeeh سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ minimum three times. For tahajjud you must recite this tasbeeh more then three times for longer ruku. Rise straight from ruku saying سمع الله لمن حمده and recite رَبَّنـا ولَكَ الحَمْـدُ upon reaching the standing position.

Perform Ruku

Standing in Qooma

Qooma is a standing position between ruku and sajdah. Stand straight for a while after ruku in such a way that your hands are down and in free position. Say takbeer الله أكبر and go for first sajdah after standing for a while.

STANDING IN QOOMA

Perform First Sajdah

For sajdah sit down on your knees while your feet remains on the ground and thumbs of feet directing towards qibla. Place your forehead, nose and hands on the ground. Keep finger of your hands close with straight palms and your gaze straight on place, in between your hands. Men make sure that their elbows do not touch the ground and their back must be inclined. Women elbows must touch the ground while their back remain straight and close to ground. Recite tasbeeh سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى minimum three times and maximum to your desired times. After reciting tasbeeh for desired time, say takbeer الله أكبر and sit down with straight back.

PERFORM 1ST SAJDA

Sitting in Jalsa

Jalsa refers to the sitting position between two sajood. After first sajdah, sit in resting position for a while such that your back is straight. After sitting a while say الله أكبر and go for second sajdah.

Sitting in Jalsa

Perform 2nd Sajdah

Perform second sajdah just like the first one. You have to stand up in qiyam for 2nd rakat saying takbeer الله أكبر after completing 2nd sajdah.

PERFORM 1ST SAJDA

2nd Rakat

2nd rakat starts from qiyam after rising from 2nd sajdah. In 2nd rakat, start Qiyam from reciting surah-al-Fatiha along with other surah and follow all the steps according to first rakat. After 2nd sajdah sit in tashhud saying takbeer.

PERFORM 2ND RAKAT

Sit in Tashhud (At-Tahiyaat)

In tashhud, sit in such a way that you are sitting on your knees with straight back while your hands placed on your thighs with finger pointing to qibla. Position of feet depends upon your fiqah, so guidance from imam is recommended. Recite at-tahiyaat
اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ للهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالْبَرَكَاتُ، السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرحمةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلامُ علينا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ

When you reach on أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ , raise index finger of your right hand in such a way that your palm closed in the shape of lose fist touching the thigh and index finger points as up as possible before placing back on your thumb.

After At-Thiyat recite darood ibrahimi
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Followed by a Supplication. Most commonly used supplication is
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Sit in Tashhud (At-Tahiyaat)

Tasleem

After reciting supplication, its time to complete the prayer with tasleem and to exit from worship state. First turn your face towards right shoulder and recite السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ and then turn your face towards left shoulder and recite
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

TASLEEM

After tasleem you can repeat the same 2 rakat as many time as you want.

References

  1. The Quran, Surah Bani Israel, Para 15, Ayat 79
  2. Tirmidi, Hadith number 438, Chapter qiam-ul-lail,
    Sahih muslim, chapter the book of fasting, hadith number 261
  3. Sahih Al Bukhari, Chapter Kitab Al-witr, hadith number 5
  4. Summary of Different Hadiths

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