What is Tahajjud?
Tahajjud is the voluntary night prayer (qiyām al-layl). Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ: “And from the night, pray with it (the Quran) as an extra prayer for you” (Quran 17:79). The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the prayer at night” (Sahih Muslim 1163).
He prayed it so devotedly that his feet would swell. When asked why, he replied, “Should I not be a thankful servant?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1130).
When is the best time to pray Tahajjud?
Its time begins after Isha and ends at Fajr. The best part is the last third of the night. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah descends to the lowest heaven every night when the last third remains and says: “Who is calling upon Me, that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me, that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145).
The night is measured from Maghrib to Fajr, so the last third changes every day and in every city. See when the last third of the night starts tonight in your city.
Many scholars describe Tahajjud as prayer after sleeping for a while, but praying the night prayer before sleeping, if you fear you won’t wake, is still night prayer and still rewarded.
How many rak’ahs is Tahajjud?
There is no fixed number. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The night prayer is two by two, and if you fear dawn is approaching, pray one rak’ah of Witr” (Sahih al-Bukhari 990). Aisha reported that he usually prayed eleven rak’ahs in total at night, including Witr, in Ramadan and outside it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1147).
So you can pray 2, 4, 8 or more, in pairs. If you are just starting, two rak’ahs plus Witr is a beautiful, realistic habit.
How to pray Tahajjud, step by step
- Intend it before you sleep. Set an alarm for the last third of the night. The intention is in your heart; nothing needs to be said aloud.
- When you wake up, remember Allah. The Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever wakes at night and says “Lā ilāha illā-llāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah…” and then asks Allah, is answered, and if they make wudu and pray, the prayer is accepted (Sahih al-Bukhari 1154).
- Make wudu. See our step-by-step wudu guide.
- Start with two short rak’ahs. “When one of you gets up at night, let him begin the prayer with two short rak’ahs” (Sahih Muslim 768).
- Continue in sets of two. Pray each pair like any two-rak’ah prayer: Al-Fatiha and any surah you know in each rak’ah, with tashahhud and salam after the second. Longer recitation and long sujood are both good: sujood is a time to make dua in your own words.
- End the night with Witr. “Make Witr your last prayer at night” (Sahih al-Bukhari 998). Witr can be one rak’ah or three; if you already prayed Witr after Isha, many scholars say you don’t repeat it.
- Make dua and seek forgiveness before Fajr: this is the time Allah asks, “Who is asking of Me?”
Tips to wake up for Tahajjud
- Sleep earlier, and pray Isha on time.
- Start with one or two nights a week, then build up.
- Make a sincere intention and ask Allah to wake you.
- Keep it short at first: two rak’ahs that you keep doing are better than eight you stop after a week.
Duas for Tahajjud
You can ask for anything, in any language. A few sourced duas to use: for forgiveness, for worry and grief, for your parents, and Rabbana atina.