This post was originally written on December 2, 2017. I am reposting all of my old blog posts because I had lost this site and hosting for a while and due to an overwhelming response from those who really loved this blog, I have brought it back. Thank you for the love and the inspiration to continue writing. New posts will be posted in January 2024.
If you haven’t read Tahajjud, ever, or if you are someone who reads Tahajjud on or off, then you must absolutely read this post. Even if you are one who reads a few times a week, this blog post is for you.
There is something so magical, miraculous and beautiful about reading Tahajjud in the last portion of the night that it is not easy to explain that feeling. It’s as if one feels euphoric when waking up from such a comfortable sleep, to go and remember Allah SWT and pray to Him for our most cherished duas. Our sleep doesn’t seem important when it comes to praying Tahajjud salaah.
In fact, there are many hadith which mention the virtues and enormous benefits of reading Tahajjud. Here are some:
“Two rakaat in the late hours of the night are more valuable than all of the riches of the world…but for fear of hardship on my followers, I would have made these fardh (obligatory).”
“It is related by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) that Rasulullah (SAW) said: ‘When the last of the night remains, our Rabb, the Glorious One, descends towards the heavens of the world (His special Mercy) and Proclaims: ‘Who is there who supplicates Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is there who begs Me for (anything), and I grant it to him? Who is there who seeks my forgiveness, and I forgive him?’”
And lastly…
“Make a habit to observe Tahajjud salaat. It used to be the custom of the pious people before you (Hazrat Dawood (A.S.) used to read Tahajjud in the third portion of the night and then sleep in the last part of the night). Tahajjud salaat leads you to be near your Rabb and keeps you away from sins.”
There are many beautiful reasons for us to read Tahajjud during the third portion of the night. It leads us to be near Allah SWT, we stay away or are more cautious not to commit sinful acts, our needs are fulfilled, our duas are answered, and we are given forgiveness if we ask for it during Tahajjud.
I had started getting into the habit of praying my five obligatory prayers and wanted to read Tahajjud. My mother always told me that it is important to observe what is obligated to us from Allah SWT – that means, reading our five prayers. She always told me, if you read the five prayers and are consistent with them, then you will be invited to pray Tahajjud.
When she said “invited,” my curiosity peaked. What did she mean by that?
What she meant by that was that once I was a “namaazi” meaning, once I was fulfilling my obligations toward reading my five mandatory prayers, then Allah SWT would put it in my heart to begin waking up for Tahajjud. This, He did, alhamdulillah.
One evening, I made a commitment and the decision that I would begin waking up in the last one third portion of the night and start reading Tahajjud, every night. That evening, I read Isha, did not read my Witr prayer because I wanted to read that after Tahajjud, set my alarm, and went to bed, albeit, I went to bed at 1am, because I have a bad habit of sleeping late.
Despite going to bed late, I woke up at 4:30am (thanks to my alarm on my iPhone), made my wudu and begin praying Tahajjud. It felt soooo good as I read my first two rakaats. I wanted to keep reading more and more, but I ended up reading up to six rakaats since I had to read Witr and make my dua before the time for Fajr would begin.
I did this every night and stayed committed – even today, I still wake up for Tahajjud and read – some nights, however, I wake up only 20 minutes before, and it takes me a good 10 minutes to open my eyes and do wudu so I get 10 minutes to read before Fajr begins. This means I only end up reading two rakaats, but that’s okay. Even two rakaats of Tahajjud is good and Allah SWT fulfills your duas while bringing you close to Allah SWT, and makes things easier for you for the day.
It’s the sweetest feeling in the world to wake up and read this most special nawafl prayer.
The beautiful thing is that you don’t even have to sleep too long. Say you fell asleep at midnight, and then happened to wake up at 1am. You can take that moment to get up, do wudu and pray Tahajjud, then sleep until Fajr. It’s not obligatory that you have to wake up 20 minutes before Fajr to pray Tahajjud. It can be at anytime during the night.
You can also read Tahajjud right after you finish reading Isha, as the time for Qiyam begins after Isha ends. Mufti Menk and other scholars have said that sleep is not an obligatory condition, although it is sunnah since the Prophet (peace be upon him) would sleep and then awaken in the last third portion of the night to observe Tahajjud.
The way Tahajjud is read, one can read up to 12-16 rakaats – if you read two rakaats six times each, you read 12 rakaats total or eight times to get 16 rakaats. The minimum one can read is two (2) rakaats, and the most is 12-16 rakaats.
Once you finish reading Tahajjud, then you can read Witr. Make sure you read Witr – I read three rakaats. Some places say you can read one rakaat, but it is best to perform it as a three rakaat, odd numbered salaat.
While you are reading Tahajjud, it is encouraged to read any surahs or verses from the Qur’an you have memorized as our Prophet (SAW) would read verses of surahs during Tahajjud. Reading it is just like reading a nawafl prayer – Tahajjud is not an obligatory prayer, it is a nawafl. So, you read it like you would read any nawafl prayer, but with the intention of how many rakaats, and that you are reading Tahajjud as there are many different nawafl prayers. Thus, make sure you do your niyyah that you are reading two rakaat nafl salaat-ul-Tahajjud, facing the Ka’aba, and then begin your prayer.
Just as you read any other salaat (namaaz), it is the same way – read Surah Fatiha, and then read any other surah you know. I usually read Surah Falaq, Surah Nas, parts of surahs that I remember, Ayat-ul-Kursi, Surah Kafiroon, Surah Ikhlas, Surah Kauser, Surah Quraysh – so you can choose to read whichever surah you remember.
Make sure you have ample time to read Tahajjud, especially if you like to read more than two rakaats. Some nights, you may only be able to read two rakaats and that’s okay because that’s the minimum.
After reading your Tahajjud nawafl, read Durood Ibhahimi three times or more, and make dua. The best way to make dua is in sujood. Whenever you do sujood, make sure you say Allahu Akbar, and then read Subhana Rabbiyal Ala three times or more, then read durood during sujood (sajdah) and make ample dua for your needs and hajaat (desires).
Allah SWT is the closest to the heavens on Earth during the last third portion of the night so this is the best time to read Tahajjud and make as much dua as you can for yourselves and others.
Of course, if you work, or unable to get up in the last third portion of the night, but you don’t want to miss Tahajjud, you can always read this beautiful nawafl right after you complete Isha, and before you pray Witr.
I’ve done this before. I had to be up early for a personal training session at the gym, and then we had to drive down to San Diego to spend the day with my mom’s best friend, my aunty, during the Thanksgiving holiday we just had. I knew that I was not going to be able to get up earlier to read Tahajjud, so I decided to read four rakaats right after Isha, and before my Witr prayer.
I had to do this again a few days before too because I had to wake up earlier and needed the extra half hour of sleep; so that I wouldn’t miss Tahajjud, I read it after Isha.
I remember telling my mom that although we could read Tahajjud after Isha, I felt the sweetness of reading Tahajjud after waking up in the middle of the night – the last third portion of the night. The connection with Allah SWT and my duas made during that time was just so much more special for me and I love it. My mom agreed with me and said that’s why it’s such a special time and why Allah SWT wants to hear our duas and answer them even more. Waking up from a comfortable sleep and remembering Allah SWT brings us closer to Him, and that’s ultimately what we are doing. We are creating our relationship and connection with Allah SWT (click here to read my previous post about ways to create connection with Allah SWT). We are also striving to attain Jannah through this beautiful act of praying Tahajjud.
I look forward to waking up and reading Tahajjud no matter how tired I may be. I still have to adjust my sleeping schedule however, but I make sure to wake up no matter how tired I am. I try to make up my sleep after I read Fajr.
Usually after Fajr, I read Surah Yaseen daily. This is another blog post for another time where I will tell you why I read Surah Yaseen every morning and how this happened (through a miracle, nonetheless!).
It is my hope that this post convinces you to read Tahajjud. If you have never read it before, begin today, as soon as you read my blog. Make it a point to find out what time Fajr is and then set your alarm to wake up at least 30 minutes before to give yourself time to do your wudu and read Tahajjud, and make dua.
Duas that are made during Tahajjud, (and in sujood) are answered more – duas are answered all the time, but this is the time that duas are answered more because Allah SWT descends to the heavens of the Earth to hear our supplications. How many people are actually waking up and reading Tahajjud? It is that much more special because not everyone takes advantage of this time to wake up and remember Allah SWT.
Also, let me give you all a piece of advice. If you can’t go all gung ho like I did – meaning, you can’t wake up every night to pray Tahajjud and feel it’s going to be too much for you, start slowly. I just started waking up every night and made it a part of my life. But this is not the same for everyone because we all have different situations. Some people cannot wake up in the last third portion of the night due to sickness, or because they are elderly – some people have to work so waking up early may hinder their productivity for the day, some people have to take care of their children in the middle of the night – babies cry and then there is no time left for Tahajjud once the baby is calm. Things happen.
If you are unable to read in the last third portion of the night, then make it a habit to read at least four rakaats of Tahajjud right after Isha, before Witr, and then sleep. That option is there since there is no pre-condition to having to sleep before praying Tahajjud. However, sleeping, and then waking up to read is much more beneficial of course. But if not, Allah SWT loves whatever it is you can do to remember Him. If that means reading it after Isha, do it.
If you feel that you wake up late (which happens to me) and you may not have the time to read Witr after Tahajjud, or fear that you will miss it completely, please at least read Witr after Isha. You do not have to repeat it and must not repeat it again. You can still wake up to read Tahajjud in the third portion of the night even if you have already read Witr, so don’t complicate yourself by listening to someone who says you can’t. You can. This is confirmed through various Islamic books, shaikhs, and muftis.
Lastly, start off slowly by incorporating Tahajjud once or twice per week. Slowly as you are able to, add in another day, and another until you are able to get up and read all seven days of the week.
Don’t feel bad if you are unable to wake up for Tahajjud. Like I stated before, you can read Tahajjud prayers right after Isha and before Witr so you don’t miss it if you love reading it. Last night, I was unable to wake up for Tahajjud, but had planned that I would wake up for it or, at least try, and I missed it completely because I didn’t read after Isha. Since Tahajjud is not obligatory it was okay, but I felt like I lost out on something beautiful, so inshallah, I will be up and reading it in the last third portion of the night, tonight.
You may have to adjust your sleeping schedule – do it. It’s worth it. And I will tell you, even if you don’t adjust your schedule and still sleep by midnight (which I still do no matter how early I try to sleep), it will still be worth SO much to wake up in the last third portion of the night and pray. You will never want to stop.
Please, make this a habit for the rest of your life. Try your level best to get up and read Tahajjud, then Fajr, and stay up if you can to do dhikr. You will find your duas manifesting, life being easier, problems being solved, ease during the day – and more importantly, your connection with your Lord becoming stronger and stronger even more, inshallah.
-Dr. Aasiyah N. Ghazi