Tahajjud, also known as qiyām al-layl, is one of the greatest acts of worship a servant can perform. After the obligatory deeds, it is one of the most beloved deeds to Allah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Hold on tight to the night prayer. Indeed it is the habit of the righteous who came before you. It brings you close to your Lord, wipes away your sins, prevents you from sinning and repels sickness from the body” (Tirmidhī).
The Prophet ﷺ would always pray tahajjud. He would not miss tahajjud even when travelling, and when he was sick, he would pray sitting down.
Tahajjud will intercede on behalf of the servant on the Day of Judgement. The Qur’ān will say: ‘I prevented him from sleeping at night, so accept my intercession on his behalf’ (Aḥmad). Tahajjud removes laziness, strengthens the body and illuminates the heart. Tahajjud is the believer’s honour: the believer stands at night in humility, and in return, Allah honours his servant and grants him a lofty status.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “There are three people whom Allah loves, is delighted with and smiles at. [Of them is] a man who has a beautiful wife, and a comfortable bed. He then gets up to pray (at night), so Allah says to His Angels, “My Angels, look! This is My servant. He has a comfortable bed and a beautiful wife, but he left them both. He then stood to pray, humbly begging Me, and reciting My verses. And if he wished, he could have slept…” (Ḥākim).
Tahajjud Strengthens Iman
Tahajjud provides great spiritual and physical strength. Night prayer leaves a deep impression on the soul as it requires a person to fight his nafs and Shayṭān. When Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) wanted to prepare the Prophet ﷺ for His weighty message, He chose for him night worship. Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) says,
“O you wrapped up (in your clothes)! Stand at night (in prayer) except a little—half (the night), or a little less, or a little more—and recite the Qur’ān slowly and distinctly. We will soon send down to you a weighty revelation. Indeed, worship in the night is more impactful and suitable for recitation” (73:1-6).
Similarly, tahajjud was made obligatory at the very beginning for the early Muslims. The Companions (radiy Allāhu ʿanhum) were commanded to spend the greater part of every night in prayer. This is because tahajjud is one of the most effective methods of nurturing and strengthening one’s īmān. Since these noble Companions were being tasked with a difficult mission, their hearts had to be imbued with īmān and guidance through tahajjud.
Tahajjud and the Sweetness of Worship
Tahajjud is one of the best provisions a believer can take in his journey to Allah. It brings a sweetness which is nearly impossible to experience otherwise. One of life’s greatest joys is being able to cry out to one’s Maker in the stillness of the night, in qiyām, and in sajdah, when one is closest to Him.
The most illuminating worship occurs in the darkness of the night. It is when the treasures of the heart unfold, and the heart connects fully to Allah. The night is when we unfurl our masks and let down our guard in the company of our Beloved Lord. We pour our hearts out to Him and shed tears for Him Alone.
Pray two rakʿahs in the darkness of the night for the darkness of the grave. Fast on a very hot day for the heat of the Day of Resurrection, and give charity to ward off the perils of a very difficult Day. – Abū al-Dardā (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu)
Allah Has a Surprise for You!
From His immense kindness, Allah al-Barr (The Kind), has concealed a magnificent everlasting reward for His slaves who hid away from His creation, shunned their cosy blankets away, and turned to Him in the depths of the night. He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) says,
“Their sides shun their beds, praying to their Lord in fear and hope; and they spend (in charity) some of what We have given them. Not a single soul is aware of the blissful delight that has been reserved for them in secret, as a reward of what they used to do” (32:17).
Ḥasan al-Basrī (raḥimahullāh) said, “The people concealed their deeds, so Allah reserved for them in secret what no eye has seen and what has not crossed the mind of any human being.”
By Allah, if it wasn’t for the night prayer (qiyām al-layl), I would not have loved the world. By Allah, the people of the night (prayer) experience more delight in their night than the people of entertainment experience in their entertainment. Sometimes the hearts experience moments in which they leap out of joy due to the remembrance of Allah, to the extent that I say: ‘If the people of Paradise have anything like this, then how blissful must their lives be!’ – Abū Sulaymān al-Dārānī (raḥimahullāh)
Qur’an at Night
There is a strong connection between worship at night and enjoying a lofty rank in the sight of Allah. At night, when one sacrifices the comfort of their sleep and the company of their spouse, and instead turns towards their Creator, their heart brimming with His love and trembling from His fear — they are closer to receiving the exclusive outpourings of Allah’s mercy and light.
The night time is more conducive to reflecting upon and reciting the words of Allah. Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) says,
“Indeed, worship in the night is more impactful and suitable for recitation” (73:6).
Night prayer leaves a deep impression on the soul. In the stillness of the night, the heart is calmer, distractions are limited, and one is able to absorb the weighty message of Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā).
Imām al-Nawawī (raḥimahullāh) states that one should devote more time to reciting at night, as Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) says,
“…There are some among the People of the Book who are upright, who recite Allah’s revelations throughout the night, prostrating” (3:113).
Tahajjud was a norm in the earlier generations outside of Ramaḍān. Abū al-Aḥwaṣ al-Ḥabashī (raḥimahullāh) said, “Indeed a person would go out in the districts at night, and would hear a buzzing like the buzzing of bees from the residents (i.e. everyone was reciting Qur’ān). What is wrong with these people; they feel secure from what the (earlier ones) used to fear?”
I recite the Qur’ān, and I reflect on a verse, and it leaves me mind-boggled. I am astonished at those who have memorised the Qur’ān, how do they enjoy sleep? And how can they occupy themselves with a worldly thing whilst they are reciting the words of Allah? If they had understood what they were reciting, recognised its worth, derived pleasure through it and experienced the sweetness of intimately conversing with Him – then they would not wish to sleep out of happiness from what they have been given. – Aḥmad b. al-Ḥawārī (raḥimahullāh)
Tahajjud Cultivates Sincerity
Tahajjud enjoys a high status because it is usually done in private, making it more conducive to sincerity. This is why the night has been called the ‘school of sincerity’ — only those with true love for Allah will enrol. Tahajjud protects a servant from riyā’ (showing off ) and is an achievable ‘secret’ deed’ between him and Allah.
Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī (raḥimahullāh) would stand the entire night in prayer. In the morning, he would raise his voice, making it out as though he had just woken up at that moment.
If you sleep all night then wake up feeling regret (for not having prayed qiyām al-layl), that may be better for you than if you were to pray all night and wake up in the morning filled with self-admiration. For the deeds of the one who admires himself are not accepted. – Ibn al-Qayyim (raḥimahullāh)
Tahajjud Brings Victory
After the Battle of Qādisiyyah (15 AH), Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) sent a letter to ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu), relaying to him the good news of the victory. In the letter, he mentioned: ‘Saʿd b.ʿUbayd the Reciter (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) was martyred, and so-and-so, and so-and so was martyred, and men amongst the Muslims who are only known to Allah; He surely knows them… When night would fall, they would recite the Qur’ān like the buzzing of the bees; and during the day, they were lions unlike any other.’
When Ṣalāḥuddīn al-Ayyūbī (raḥimahullāh) would pass by a tent and hear those inside it were performing tahajjud, he would say: “This is where victory comes from.” And when he would find a tent with people sleeping inside it, he would say, “This is where defeat comes from.”
Don’t Miss out on the Best Time
The most virtuous part of the night is the last third of the night. This is when Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) descends to the lowest heaven (in a manner befitting Him) and says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer Him? Who will ask Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’” (Bukhārī). About this time, Allah (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) says,
“And those who seek forgiveness before dawn,” (3:17)
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The closest the Lord ever is to the servant is in the last depth of the night. If you can be amongst those who remember Allah at that time, then do so” (Tirmidhī).
Ibn Rajab (raḥimahullāh) writes, “The middle of the night is reserved for the lovers who wish to spend time in seclusion with their Beloved (Allah), and the end of the night is reserved for the sinners to seek forgiveness for their sins. Whoever is unable to join the striving of the lovers in the depth of the night should at least join the sinners pleading forgiveness at the end of the night.”
I cannot imagine that someone would sleep during the last part of the night! – Ṭāwūs (raḥimahullāh)
We should try to not miss out on this special time, even if it means praying two rakʿahs. Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī (raḥimahullāh) used to say, “Pray at night, even if it is for the duration of milking a goat.”
One night, a short while before Fajr, ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar (radiy Allāhu ʿanhumā) said to Abū Ghālib (raḥimahullāh), “Abū Ghālib, will you not get up and pray, even if it is a third of the Qur’ān?” He replied, “It is nearly Fajr time. How can I recite a third of the Qur’ān?” ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar said, “Indeed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ – Qul Huwa Allāhu Aḥad – is equivalent to a third of the Qur’ān.”
