What Tahajjud is, what the Qur’an and hadith say about praying at night, and a simple way to begin.
AI-generated English narration.
Tahajjud is the voluntary prayer offered during the night. It is often called qiyam al-layl, “standing at night”. It is not one of the five obligatory prayers, but it holds a special place in the practice of the Prophet ﷺ and in the Qur’an.
What the sources say
- The Qur’an speaks of praying from part of the night as additional worship (17:79), and describes believers who rise from their beds to call on their Lord in fear and hope (32:16).
- Al-Mughirah reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to pray until his feet swelled, and when asked why, he said, “Should I not be a thankful slave?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1130).
- Aisha described his night prayer as including eight rak‘ahs, then two more sitting, and two between the adhan and the iqamah of Fajr (Sahih al-Bukhari 1159).
Practical steps
- Begin small: two rak‘ahs before Fajr, on the nights you can, is a sound start.
- Pray two rak‘ahs at a time, as taught in the Witr lesson, and close with Witr.
- Use the quiet of the night for du’a. Reports about the last third of the night, such as Sahih al-Bukhari 1145, present it as a time when supplication is especially hoped for.
There is no single required number of rak‘ahs; different reports describe different numbers. Consistency matters more than length.
Key points
- Tahajjud is the voluntary prayer offered at night; it is also called qiyam al-layl (standing at night).
- The Qur’an mentions praying from part of the night as additional worship, and describes the believers who rise from their beds to supplicate their Lord.
- The Prophet ﷺ prayed at night so long that his feet swelled, and said he did so as a thankful servant.
- It is voluntary and flexible in length; a small, regular practice is a sound beginning.
Qur’an
“And from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.”
Surah Al-Israa (17) — 17:79
“They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.”
Surah As-Sajda (32) — 32:16
Hadith
Narrated Al-Mughira:The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stand (in the prayer) or pray till both his feet or legs swelled. He was asked why (he offered such an unbearable prayer) and he said, "Should I not be a thankful slave?"
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1130 .
Narrated `Aisha;:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) offered the `Isha' prayer (and then got up at the Tahajjud time) and offered eight rak`at and then offered two rak`at while sitting. He then offered two rak`at in between the Adhan and Iqama (of the Fajr prayer) and he never missed them.
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1159 .
Hadith text and grading above are shown as supplied by their source. HikmahBridge does not grade Hadith itself. See Sources & Methodology.
Scholarly notes
Scholars differ on details rather than on the worth of the prayer. One question is whether a night prayer must follow sleep to be called Tahajjud: some scholars say it does, while others include any voluntary prayer prayed in the night after Isha. The number of rak‘ahs in qiyam varies across the reports and across the schools; in Ramadan, the number of rak‘ahs prayed in Taraweeh also differs by school and local practice. Follow your school or local teacher.
FAQ
Do I have to sleep before praying Tahajjud?
Scholars differ on whether sleep is a condition for the name Tahajjud. Whether or not you have slept, a voluntary prayer at night is a sound act of worship.
How many rak‘ahs should I pray?
There is no single required number. The reports describe different numbers, so start with a small, regular practice you can keep.
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