H𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 The 𝐓𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐣𝐮𝐝 Prayer

Tahajjud linguistically means to abandon sleep or stay awake. Allah says in the Quran:

"And during the night wake up and pray, as an extra offering of your own, so that your Lord may raise you to a (highly) praised status."
[Surah Al-Isra, 17:79]

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐓𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐣𝐮𝐝
𝟭. Arrange to wake up after midnight. After praying the Isha prayer and before going to sleep, make arrangements to wake up during the night before the Fajr prayer (for instance, you may want to set an alarm clock or have a family member agree to wake you). Though the Tahajjud can be prayed at any part of the night, if possible, it is best to pray it after midnight, especially during the last third of the night. The time two-thirds of the way between Isha and Fajr is a good time for Tahajjud. This is because Allah descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, asking, "Who is asking me, so I can give to him? Who is calling upon me, so I can answer him? Who is seeking my forgiveness, so I can forgive him?'

■ If you make an honest effort to wake up and perform the Tahajjud but accidentally sleep through the night, don't feel guilty. According to a hadith, Allah records your genuine intention to perform the Tahajjud and grants you sleep as an act of mercy. You will be rewarded as if your intention had been fulfilled

𝟮. Wake up during the night at the time you've chosen and perform Wudu. Then go somewhere clean, quiet, and dignified to conduct your prayer. Remove all worldly worries from your heart.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞:
The Tahajjud prayer is just like any other Sunnah prayer. It is a minimum prayer of two raka’at as mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him:

"When any one of you gets up at night, he should begin the prayer with two brief raka’at"
[Sahih Muslim]

𝟯. Make your intention (Niyyah) to pray known. As you start your prayer, make a definitive mental declaration to yourself that you are about to perform the Tahajjud. Decide that you are going to complete the Tahajjud in the specific way you have chosen, including how many raka'ats you will make.

𝟰. Give the Takbir (Takbiratul-Ihram) and perform a two raka’at prayer. End the prayer after two raka’at with salam.

■ The maximum number of raka’at for the Sunnah Tahajjud prayers are not limited to any specific number. You may perform it as many you want, as long as it is done in pairs. Should you wish to pray 4 raka’at of Sunnah Tahajjud prayer, for example, you may not perform it with 4 raka’at successively without any intervals of salam like the Isha prayer. In other words, you will have to perform the salam at intervals between every two raka’at. The Prophet, peace be upon him said:
"The night prayer is offered in pairs (as two raka’at) followed by a pair (of two raka’at)"
[Sahih Al-Bukhari]

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞:
Upon making the Tahajjud, we may invoke Allah with any heartfelt supplications.
There are some narrations of the Prophet making this Dua for us to benefit and learn from:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ، وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ، وَقَوْلُكَ حَقٌّ، وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّبِيُّونَ حَقٌّ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَقٌّ، وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ، اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ، وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ، أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ، لاَإِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ ـ أَوْ لاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: "Allahumma Lakal-Hamd. Anta Qaiyyimus-Samawati Wal-Ard Wa Man Fihinna. Walakal-Hamd, Laka Mulkus-Samawati Wal-Ard Wa Man Fihinna. Walakal-Hamd, Anta Nurus-Samawati Wal-Ard. Wa Lakal-Hamd, Anta-l-Haq Wa Wa'duka-Lhaq, Wa Liqa'uka Haq, Wa Qauluka Haq, Wal-Jannatu Han Wan-Naru Haq Wannabiyuna Haq. Wa Muhammadun, Sallal-Lahu'alaihi Wasallam, Haq, Was-Sa'atu Haq. Allahumma Aslamtu Laka Wabika Amantu, Wa 'Alaika Tawakkaltu, Wa ilaika Anabtu Wa Bika Khasamtu, Wa ilaika Hakamtu Faghfir Li Ma Qaddamtu Wama Akh-Khartu Wama As-Rartu Wama'a Lantu, Anta-l-Muqaddim Wa Anta-l-Mu Akh-Khir, La ilaha illa Anta."

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: "O Allah! All the praises are for you, You are the Sustainer of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth And all the praises are for You;
You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth, And to meet You is true, Your Word is the truth, And the Paradise is true, And Hellfire is true, And all the Prophets are true; And Muhammad s.a.w. is true, And the Day of Resurrection is true.
O Allah! to You I submit, in You I believe and to You do I rely upon. And to You I repent, And by You I face my adversaries, And to You I will be judged. So forgive me my previous and later sins; and that which I concealed and revealed; You are the One Who brings forth and suspends. There is none to be worshipped but you."

■ After performing any of the mentioned Sunnah prayers, you may wish to end the night with the Sunnah Witr prayer or Salat-ul Witr.

Salat-ul Witr is a Sunnah prayer that is done after the obligatory Isha prayer. Although the Witr prayer is not obligatory, the Prophet, peace be upon him never missed it. He once mentioned in a hadith:  "Indeed Allah is Witr (One), and He loves Al-Witr, so perform Al-Witr O people of the Qur'an"  [Sunan At-Tirmizi]

 

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[Eng. Yahaya Muyodi]