Ramadan 1447AH Asking Ar-Rahman Series Day 8: The Etiquettes of Tahajjud — Dr Abioye Ibraheem A

There is a prayer that the Prophet ﷺ did not ever abandon.

Not in ease. Not in hardship.

Not at home. Not while traveling.

It was not obligatory. But he guarded it.

Allaah said in Surah Al-Isra (17:79):

“And during part of the night, pray with it as additional worship for you; perhaps your Lord will raise you to a Praised Station.”

Tahajjud is a unique opportunity to commune with Ar-Rahman. It is a meeting with your Lord when the world is quiet and distractions loosen their grips.Tahajjud is more than just an extra prayer, It’s an elevation.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The best fasting after Ramadan is the (fasts in) the month of Allah, al-Muharram; and the best prayer after the prescribed prayer is the prayer of the night (salāt al-layl).”

— Sahih Muslim 1163a

If the five daily prayers are pillars,Tahajjud is intimacy.

When Is Tahajjud?

Tahajjud is prayed after ʿIshā’ and, typically, after sleeping, in the last part of the night. 

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Our Lord, the Blessed, the Most High, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: “Is there anyone to call upon Me, so that I may respond to their call? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?”

— Sahih al-Bukhari 1145

Imagine that.

The King of Kings calling out—

Not for the powerful

Not for the perfect,

But for the one who simply wakes and asks.

The last third is the climax of the night, when the sleep becomes sweetest and the bed feels the most comfortable. When rising feels hardest.

That is precisely why it is precious.

It occurs when you split in three the time from sunset (Maghrib) to Fajr, the last third is the one referenced.

But if calculating it feels overwhelming, begin simply: wake earlier than Fajr by 20 – 30 minutes.

Start there.

Not everyone will wake in the last third of the night. 

And if you fear you may not wake at all,

The Prophet ﷺ advised Abu Huraira to observe three things: “(1) to fast three days a month; (2) to pray two rak`at of Duha prayer (forenoon prayer); and (3) to pray witr before sleeping”. — Sahih al-Bukhari 1981

The scholars comment that the Prophet advised Abu Huraira thus because he was concerned he may not wake up in the third of the night. 

The Prophet ﷺ  also told Jabir ibn Abdullah:

“If anyone is afraid that he may not get up in the latter part of the night, he should observe Witr in the first part of it; and if anyone is eager to get up in the last part of it, he should observe Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable.” — Sahih Muslim 755

From these, scholars infer that if you are worried that you may not rise later, pray before you sleep. Hence, Tahajjud is also known as Qiyam ul-Layl, which means standing anytime during the night.

The principle is mercy.

Pray as you are able.

How Did the Prophet ﷺ Pray It?

Al-‘Abass ibn Abdul Muttalib sent his son, Abdullah, to spend a night in the Prophet’s household so he could watch his Tahajjud and report back. We learn a lot from this incident about the Prophet’s Tahajjud.

He described how the Prophet ﷺ woke, recited the last ten verses of Surah Āl ʿImrān, performed wuḍū’, began with two rakʿahs, and then prayed in pairs before concluding with Witr (Bukhari 117; Muslim 763).

I encourage you to read and memorize the last ten verses of Surah Āl ʿImrān. In it, Allah reminds us of how fleeting this world is.

Now, let us reflect on how the Prophet used to observe his Tahajjud.

1. He Began Light

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“When one of you stands for night prayer, let him begin with two light rakʿahs.”

— Sahih Muslim 768

This is Sunnah and often neglected.

Two light rakʿahs to awaken the body, to focus the heart, and ease into the night.

2. Then He Prayed Longer Rakʿahs

In various reports from our Mother, ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها), and from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, he was described as praying eleven rakʿahs at night. — Sahih al-Bukhari 1147, Sahih Muslim 738, 763

Typically:

• Two by two (with taslīm between each pair)
• Long recitation
• Long rukūʿ
• Long sujūd

But he did not fix it rigidly. Sometimes he prayed fewer. Sometimes slightly more.

Sometimes, he prayed a few rak’ahs, returned to sleep, and awoke again later to continue. Most times, he observed his prayers and then slept lightly until it was time for Fajr.

The principle is to pray as you are able. It is devotion,not numbers.

3. He Concluded with Witr

He said:

“Make the last of your prayer at night Witr.”

— Sahih al-Bukhari 998

Even if you can only pray three rakʿahs total, include Witr.

Did He Pray It at the Masjid?

Mostly, he prayed Tahajjud at home.

Even though he lived right next to the masjid.

One year during Ramadan, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) made a small room adjoined to the mosque, and he prayed there for a few nights. Some of his companions figured out when he prayed there and stealthily prayed following him. 

When he realized what they were doing, he told them, “You should pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is that which he prays in his house except the compulsory prayers.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 731

There is barakah in lighting your home with prayer.

Let your walls witness your sujuud.

Let your room hear your whispered Du’a.

He was consistent 

He prayed:

• While traveling.
• In cold weather.
• In unusual circumstances.

ʿĀ’ishah described nights where he stood until his feet swelled (Bukhari 1130; Muslim 2819).

In one narration during the cold nights of the Ahzab, while he and the companions were camped outside of Madinah, he was seen praying outside his tent, wrapped in a cloak.

He did not wait for perfect conditions. 

Because consistency matters in worship.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if small.”

— Sahih al-Bukhari 6464

Tahajjud is not built in one emotional night.

It is built in quiet repetition.

Between the Rakʿahs

The Prophet did not rush his Tahajjud. In between teslims, he:

• Paused.
• Made duʿā’.
• Recited Qur’an reflectively.
• Made dhikr.

Some companions would recite large portions of the Qur’an in a single rakʿah.

If you have not memorized the Qur’an in whole or in part, you may read from a muṣḥaf. Many scholars permitted this.

If using a phone instead:

• Put it on Do Not Disturb
• Remove notifications

Tahajjud is not a performance. It demands presence and concentration.

And in your last rakaa’ah, make duʿā’ in sujūd. Ask Ar-Rahman. Ask with humility. Ask with Yaqīn.

That is Tahajjud.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever stands (in prayer) during Ramadan with faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”

— Sahih al-Bukhari 37, Sahih Muslim 759

Can you pray Tahajjud with others in congregation?

Yes. The night Abdullah ibn ‘Abass spent with the Prophet, he joined him in the Tahajjud. 

However, this was not his typical practice. Usually, the Prophet prayed alone.

The Real Secret

Show up! Consistently.

Even with heavy eyelids.

Even with scattered thoughts. 

Even if it is only two rak’ahs.

Do not aim for an emotional high.

Some nights will feel luminous.

Others will feel ordinary.

Rise anyway.

Tahajjud is not built in a single night.

It is built on the decision to rise again and again.

And sometimes, the most powerful Tahajjud is prayed with heavy eyelids and an honest heart.

And Ar-Rahman sees both.