Aisha reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to pray at night until his feet would swell. She asked him, "Why do you do this when Allah has forgiven all your past and future sins?" He replied: "Should I not be a grateful servant?" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1142)
If the best human who ever lived, whose sins were already forgiven, still stood in prayer while the world slept, what does that tell us about the value of what happens in those hours?
Art by @artistukhtWhat Is the Night Prayer?
The night prayer, known as Tahajjud or Qiyam al-Layl, is a voluntary prayer performed between Isha and Fajr. It is not obligatory, but it holds a rank above every other voluntary act of worship in Islam.
The word "Tahajjud" comes from the Arabic root hajada, which means to stay awake at night. Specifically, it refers to waking up after sleeping to pray, which distinguishes it from simply praying late at night before sleeping.
"Qiyam al-Layl" is a broader term meaning standing in the night, and it includes any worship performed at night: prayer, Quran recitation, dhikr, or du'a. Tahajjud is the prayer portion of Qiyam al-Layl.
Witr is the final prayer of the night. It is an odd-numbered prayer (usually 1 or 3 rakaat) that closes your night worship. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Make the last of your prayers at night Witr" (Sahih al-Bukhari 998).
The Quran's Case for Night Prayer
The night prayer is not a minor recommendation buried in fiqh manuals. It is referenced repeatedly in the Quran, and Allah describes it as the defining trait of His closest servants.
When Allah first commissioned the Prophet ﷺ for his mission, the very first instruction was not about da'wah or community building. It was about the night:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُزَّمِّلُ قُمِ ٱلَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا نِّصْفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا
"O you wrapped in your clothes! Stand all night in prayer except a little. Half the night, or a little less, or a little more, and recite the Quran properly in a measured way."
Then Allah explains why the night:
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيْلِ هِىَ أَشَدُّ وَطْـًٔا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا
"Indeed, worship in the night is more impactful and suitable for recitation."
In Surah Al-Furqan, when Allah describes His most beloved servants, the Ibad ur-Rahman, one of the first qualities He mentions is:
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًۭا وَقِيَـٰمًۭا
"They are those who spend a good portion of the night, prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord."
And in the description of the people of Jannah:
كَانُوا۟ قَلِيلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ وَبِٱلْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ
"They used to sleep only little in the night, and pray for forgiveness before dawn."
Allah then poses a rhetorical question that settles the matter:
أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَـٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَآئِمًا يَحْذَرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُوا۟ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِۦ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
"Is the one who worships devoutly in the hours of the night, prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of their Lord, equal to one who does not? Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?"
The answer is obvious. The people of the night are not equal to everyone else.
What Happens When You Show Up
The Prophet ﷺ told us exactly what takes place in the last third of every night:
يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرُ يَقُولُ مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ
"Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and He says: Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?"
This is not you trying to reach Allah. Allah is reaching out to you. He is asking, every single night, who wants something. The only question is whether anyone is awake to answer.
And the Prophet ﷺ made clear where night prayer stands in relation to everything else:
"The most virtuous prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer in the depths of the night."
Not the Sunnah prayers. Not Duha. Not any other voluntary worship. The night prayer is at the top because of what it proves about a person: no one sees you at 3 AM. There is no audience. It is the purest expression of sincerity.
The Best Time to Pray
Tahajjud is valid any time between Isha and Fajr. But the times are not equal.
The last third of the night is the best. This is when Allah descends, as the hadith above confirms. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The closest that the Lord is to His servant is in the last part of the night, so if you can be among those who remember Allah at that time, then do so" (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3549).
If the last third is too difficult right now, the middle of the night is the next best time. And if that is also too hard, praying even two rakaat after Isha counts as night prayer and is better than not praying at all.
How to Pray: The Prophet's Method Step by Step
The Prophet ﷺ typically prayed 11 rakaat at night. Here is the breakdown:
Step 1: Waking Up
The Prophet ﷺ had a complete sequence when waking for night prayer. It wasn't rushed. Each step prepared his heart before his body stood in prayer.
First, say the du'a for waking from sleep:
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
"All praise is for Allah who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the return."
Then, Ibn Abbas reported that when the Prophet ﷺ woke for night prayer, he would look at the sky and recite the last ayat of Surah Aal-Imran (3:190-200), beginning with:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding."
This was his way of reconnecting with Allah's creation before standing in prayer. Then he would use a siwak (tooth stick) and make wudu.
Step 2: Open with Two Light Rakaat
The Prophet ﷺ used to begin with two short rakaat before moving to longer ones. This was his way of easing into the prayer (Sahih Muslim 1163).
Step 3: Say the Opening Du'a of Tahajjud
The Prophet ﷺ had a specific du'a he would say when opening his night prayer. This is one of the most beautiful supplications in the entire Sunnah:
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الحَمْدُ أَنْتَ نُورُ السَمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَلَكَ الحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ
"O Allah, to You is all praise. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. And to You is all praise. You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them."
The full du'a continues with beautiful praises of Allah. Learning even this first portion and saying it when you begin your night prayer transforms the experience from a routine into a conversation.
Step 4: Pray Eight Rakaat in Pairs
Pray two rakaat, give salam. Two more, give salam. Repeat until you complete eight.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The night prayer is two by two" (Sahih al-Bukhari 990). Each pair is independent.
What to recite: There is no specific surah required beyond Al-Fatiha. Recite whatever you know. The Prophet ﷺ would sometimes recite long passages, and sometimes keep it shorter. This is your time with the Quran, so recite the portions you are memorising, reviewing, or the surahs that move you most.
Step 4: Two Rakaat of Shaf'a
After the eight, pray two more rakaat. There is a preference to recite:
- First raka: Surah Al-A'la (87) after Al-Fatiha
- Second raka: Surah Al-Kafirun (109) after Al-Fatiha
Step 5: One Raka of Witr
Pray a single raka to close. Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (112) after Al-Fatiha.
In this final raka, after rising from ruku, you may raise your hands and make Dua al-Qunut. This is your moment to ask Allah for anything. Pour your heart out. Then go into sujud.
Du'as to Say During Night Prayer
The night is the best time for du'a. Here are specific moments and what to say:
In sujud: The Prophet ﷺ said: "The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is in sujud, so increase your du'a in it" (Sahih Muslim 482). Make your longest sujud at night and ask for everything you need.
Between the two sujuds: Say "Rabbi ighfir li" (My Lord, forgive me) at least once, or repeat it multiple times.
After rising from ruku in Witr (Qunut): This is the moment for extended du'a. The Prophet ﷺ used to recite:
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ
"O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me well-being among those You have granted well-being, take me into Your charge among those You have taken into Your charge, bless me in what You have given, and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed."
(Sunan Abi Dawud 1425)
After the du'a, you can add your own personal supplications in any language.
The Reward: Beyond Imagination
تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَآءًۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
"They abandon their beds, invoking their Lord with hope and fear. No soul can imagine what delights are kept in store for them as a reward for what they used to do."
Allah used the phrase "no soul can imagine." He did not describe the reward. He said your imagination is not big enough to contain it.
And in Surah Al-Isra:
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا
"And rise at the last part of the night, offering additional prayers, so your Lord may raise you to a station of praise."
The phrase "maqaman mahmuda" refers to the highest station on the Day of Judgment. The path to it runs through the quiet hours before Fajr.
Common Mistakes
1. Thinking you need all 11 rakaat to count. Two rakaat is Tahajjud. Start there.
2. Staying up all night instead of sleeping and waking. The Prophet ﷺ slept first, then woke for the last third. Waking from sleep is part of what makes this worship special. It is the sacrifice of leaving your bed that Allah is describing in the ayat above.
3. Rushing through it. Tahajjud is not about quantity. It is about stillness. Slow your recitation, lengthen your sujud, and take your time in du'a.
4. Giving up after missing a few nights. Consistency is more beloved to Allah than perfection. If you miss a night, get back to it the next night without guilt.
5. Neglecting Witr. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Make the last of your prayers at night Witr" (Sahih al-Bukhari 998). Even if you only pray 2 rakaat of Tahajjud, close with 1 raka of Witr.
6. Not making du'a. The whole point of being awake at this hour is that Allah is asking who wants something. If you pray the rakaat but skip the du'a, you have attended the appointment but not spoken.
Stories from the Sahaba and Salaf
The Sahaba didn't just pray Tahajjud occasionally. It was woven into how they lived. Here is what the sources tell us about four of them.
Abu Bakr as-Siddiq
He would pray quietly in the last third of the night. Aisha described his recitation as soft and tearful, barely audible to those around him. He chose intimacy over volume.
Sifat as-Safwah, Ibn al-Jawzi
Umar ibn al-Khattab
He would pray the first part of the night, sleep, then wake for the last third. He said: "I would not leave out my portion of the night prayer even if I were to be given what is between the east and west."
Qiyam al-Layl, al-Marwazi
Uthman ibn Affan
He was known for reciting the entire Quran in a single night prayer. His night was the Quran, and his Tahajjud was an extended conversation with Allah's words.
Hilyat al-Awliya, Abu Nu'aym
Abdullah ibn Umar
He followed the Prophet's example precisely. He would sleep after Isha, wake in the last third, pray, then close with Witr before Fajr. He maintained this habit for decades without missing.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1137