Tahajjud is the voluntary prayer offered during the night. It is often called qiyam al-layl, which means standing at night. It is not one of the five obligatory prayers, but it holds a special place in the Qur'an and in the practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

The Qur'an speaks of praying from part of the night as additional worship. In Surah Al-Isra, chapter seventeen, verse seventy-nine, an English translation of the meaning reads: “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.” And in Surah As-Sajdah, chapter thirty-two, verse sixteen, believers are described this way: “They arise from their beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.”

Al-Mughirah reported that the Prophet used to pray until his feet swelled. When he was asked why, he said, “Should I not be a thankful slave?” This is in Sahih al-Bukhari, number eleven hundred and thirty. And Aisha described his night prayer as including eight rak'ahs, then two more sitting, and two between the adhan and the iqamah of Fajr, in Sahih al-Bukhari, number eleven hundred and fifty-nine.

How do you begin? Start 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 personal supplication, or du'a. Reports about the last third of the night, such as Sahih al-Bukhari, number eleven hundred and forty-five, 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, and the schools and local practices also differ, including for the Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan. Scholars also differ on whether a night prayer must follow sleep to be called Tahajjud. Whether or not you have slept, a voluntary prayer at night is a sound act of worship.

Consistency matters more than length. A small, regular practice is a good beginning.