TAHAJJUD & TARAWEEH:

 

Allah ordered his Messenger(ﷺ) to perform salatul tahajjud:

 

“And some part of the night, awake for prayer, a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised position.”

[AL-ISRA: 79]

 

 This order, although it was specifically directed to the Prophet (ﷺ), also refers to all the Muslims since the Prophet is their example and guide in all such matters.

Those who regularly perform the tahajjud prayers are the Righteous and are more deserving of Allah’s bounty and mercy. Allah says: 

 

“Lo! Those who keep from evil will dwell amid gardens and watersprings, taking that which their Lord gives them! For, lo, they were doers of good. They used to sleep but little of the night and before the dawning of each day would seek forgiveness.”

[AD-DHARIYAT: 15-18]

 

Allah praised and complemented the deeds of those who perform the late-night prayers. 

 

“The slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth in humbleness, and when the ignorant address them, they say: *Peace and they who spend the night prostrating before their Lord and standing.”

[AL-FURQAN: 63-64]

 

Allah bears witness to their belief in His signs. He says: 

 

“Only those believe in Our revelations who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and hymn the praise of their Lord and they are not scornful: who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope and spend of what We have bestowed on them. No soul knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.”

[AS-SAJDAH: 15-17]

 

Allah proclaims that those who do not possess these qualities cannot be treated as equal to those who possess them: 

 

“Is he who pays adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, aware of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord equal to a disbeliever? Say: “Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.”

[AZ-ZUMAR :9]

 

Hadith regarding Tahajjud: 

 

The preceding section was primarily concerned with what Allah says about those who perform salatul tahajjud. There also exist a number of hadith that reinforce the importance of tahajjud.

 

‘Abdullah Ibn as-Salam ( عنه الله رضي ) reports:

 

“When the Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina, the people gathered around him and I was one of them. I looked at his face and understood that it was not the face of a liar. The first words I heard him say were: ‘O people, spread the salutations, feed the people, keep the ties of kinship, and pray during the night while the others sleep and you will enter paradise in peace.”

[Ibn Majah] [At-Tirmizi]

 

Salman al-Farsi ( عنه الله رضي ) relates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 

“Observe the night prayer, it was the practice of the rightous before you and it brings you closer to your Lord and it is penance for evil deeds and erases the sins and repells disease from the body.“

[Sahih Muslim]

 

Sahl Ibn Sa’ad ( عنه الله رضي ) reports: 

“Gabriel came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Muhammad (ﷺ), live as long as you like, for you are to die. Do whatever deed you wish, for you are to be rewarded. Love whomever you wish, for you are to be parted. And know that the honor of the believer is in the night prayer and his glory is being free from want from the people.”

[Sahih Muslim]

Abu ad-Darda’ ( عنه الله رضي ) reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 

 

“Three people are loved by Allah, and He laughs for them and He grants them glad tidings. [The first] is a man who fights behind a group that flees and does so with his own soul for Allah’s sake, regardless of whether he is killed or he is aided by Allah and made victorious. Allah says: “Look to my slave there who is patient with his life for My sake. [The second] is the one who has a beautiful wife and a soft bed and rises during the night. Allah says: “He leaves his desires and remembers Me and if he wished he would sleep.” [The third] is a person who is traveling with a group and they pass the night awake and then sleep, but he still observes his prayer in hardship or ease.”

[Bukhaari o Muslim]

Etiquettes of Late Night Prayer: 

 

The following acts are sunnah for one who wishes to perform the tahajjud prayers. Upon going to sleep. One should make the intention to perform the tahajjud prayers. Abu ad-Darda’ ( عنه الله رضي ) relates that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 

“Whoever goes to his bed with the intention of getting up and praying during the night, and sleep overcomes him until the morning comes, he will have recorded for him what he had intended, and his sleep will be a charity for him from his Lord.”

[Nasa’i & Ibn Majah]

 

Upon waking, one should wipe one’s face, use a tooth stick, and look to the sky and make the supplication which has been reported from the Prophet (ﷺ):

 

“There is no God but Thee. Glory be to Thee. I seek forgiveness from You for my sins, and I ask for your mercy. O Allah, increase my knowledge and let my heart not swerve after You have guided me. And bestow mercy upon me from Thyself. All praise be to Allah who has given us back life after our death and unto Him is the resurrection.”

 

Then, one should recite the last ten ‘ayat of al-‘Imran, starting with.

 

“Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and [in] the difference of night and day are tokens (of His sovereignty) for men of understanding.”

[Al E Imran: 190 to 200]

 

Then one should say.

 

“O Allah. to You belongs the praise. You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and what is therein. And to You belongs the praise. You are the truth and Your promise is true. And the meeting with You is true.And the paradise is true. And the Fire is true. And the prophets are true. And Muhammad is true. And. the Hour is true. O Allah, to You have I submitted. And in You have I believed. And in You have I put my trust. And to You have I turned. And by You I argue. And to You do I turn for my decisions. Forgive me of my former and latter sins, and those done in private and those done in public. You are Allah, there is no God besides Thee.”

[Sahih Muslim]

One should begin Qayyam al-Layl with two quick rak’at and then one may pray whatever one wishes after that. Aisha ( عنه االله رضي ) says: 

 

“When the Prophetﷺ  prayed during the late-night, he would begin his prayers with two quick rak’at.”

 

[Sahih Muslim]

 

One should wake up one’s family. Abu Hurairah (عنه االله رضي ) reports that the Prophetﷺ said: 

 

“May Allah bless the man who gets up during the night to pray and wakes up his wife and who, if she refuses to get up. sprinkles water on her face. And may Allah bless the woman who gets up during the night to pray and wakes up her husband and who, if he refuses sprinkles water on his face.”

[At-Tirmizi]

 

The Prophet (ﷺ) also said:

 

“If a man wakes his wife and prays during the night or they pray two rak’at together,they will be recorded among those (men and women) who (constantly) make remembrance of Allah.”

[Abu Dawud]

Umm Salamah (عنه االله رضي) narrates that the Prophet (ﷺ) got up during the night and said:

 

“Glory be to Allah. What trials are descended with the night. And what has descended of treasures. Who will waken the lady occur ants of the rooms (i.e., his wives) for prayers; how many a well dressed in this world will be naked in the hereafter.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

 

 

The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) asked ‘Ali (عنه االله رضي) and Fatimah (عنه االله رضي) :

 

“Do you not pray [during the night)? Ali said: “O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we are in Allah’s hands. If He wishes to make us get up, we get up.” The Prophet (ﷺ) turned away when he said that. Then, they could hear him striking his thigh and saying: “Verily, man disputes a lot.”

[Bukhaari o Muslim]

 

One should stop praying and sleep if one becomes very sleepy. ‘Aishah (عنه االله رضي) reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 

 

“When one of you gets up during the night for prayer and his Qur’anic recital becomes confused to the extent that he does not know what he says, he should lie down.”

[Sahih Muslim]

 

Anas (عنه االله رضي) narrates that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) entered the mosque and saw a rope stretching between two posts. He asked: “What is this?” The people told him that it was for Zainab [bint Jahsh] (عنه االله رضي) who, when she became tired or weary, held it (to keep standing for the prayer). The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 

“Remove the rope. You should pray as long as you feel active, and when you get tired or weary, you should lie down to rest.”

[Bukhaari o Muslim]

 

One should not overburden one’s self with the night prayer and should only pray it to the extent that is reasonable, and not leave that practice unless there is some great need to do so.

Aishah(عنه االله رضي) reports that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

 

“Do (good) deeds according to your capacity, for by Allah, Allah does not weary from giving rewards unless you get tired of doing good deeds.”

[Bukhaari o Muslim]

 

 ‘Aishah (عنه االله رضي) said  that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) was asked: 

 

“What is the most loved deed to Allah?” He answered: “One that is performed constantly even if it is a small deed.”

[Bukhaari o Muslim]

 

And Muslim recorded that ‘Aishah (عنه االله رضي) said:

 

“The Messenger of Allahﷺ was constant in his deeds, and if he did something, he would do it consistently.”

[Sahih Muslim]

 

Abdullah ibn ‘Umar( عنه االله رضي ) reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 

 

“O Abdullah, do not become like so-and-so who used to make the tahajjud prayers and then he stopped praying it.”

[Bukhaari O Muslim]

 

On the authority of “Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (عنه االله رضي) , that it was mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ) that

“A man slept until the morning. [Thereupon] he said: “Satan has urinated into the ears of that person.”

 

[ Bukhaari O Muslim]

 

They also record from Salim Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar( عنه االله رضي ) , from his father, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to his father.

 

“Abdullah would be a good man if he would pray the tahajjud prayers. Salim said: “After that. Abdullah would not sleep during the night save for a small amount at a time.”

[Sahih Bukhaari]

The recommended time for tahajjud: 

 

Salatul Layl may be performed in the early part of the night, the middle part of the night, or the latter part of the night. but after the obligatory salatul isha.While describing the salah of the Prophet (ﷺ) Anas (عنه االله رضي) would say:

 

“If we wanted to see him praying during the night, we could see him praying. If we wanted to see him sleeping during the night. we could see him sleeping. And sometimes he would fast for so many days that we thought he would not leave fasting throughout that month. And sometimes he would not fast (for so many days) that we thought he would not fast during that month.”

[Musnad Ahmed & Nasa’I]

 

Commenting on this subject, Ibn Hajar (عنه االله رضي) says: 

 

“There was no specific time in which the Prophet (ﷺ) would perform his late

night prayer; but he would do whatever was easiest for him.”

[Sahih Muslim]

 

Best time for tahajjud:

 

 It is best to delay this prayer to the last third portion of the night. Abu Hurairah(عنه االله رضي) reports that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said:

 

“Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the

night, inquiring: Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who

is asking something of Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for

My forgiveness so I may forgive him?”

[An Nasa’I]

 

Amr ibn Abasah (عنه االله رضي) reports that he heard the Prophet(ﷺ) say:

 

“The closest that a slave comes to his Lord is during the middle of the latter portion of the night. If you can be among those who remember Allah, the Exalted One. at that time then do so.“

[Al Hakim, Tirmizi & Nasa’I]

 

Abu Muslim (عنه االله رضي)  asked Abu Dharr (عنه االله رضي) :

 

“Which late-night prayer is the best?” He said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) the same that you asked me and he said. “The (one done during) middle of the latter half of the night, and very few do it. “

[Musnad Ahmed]

 

Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (عنه االله رضي) reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

 

“The most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of David. And the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of David. He would sleep half of the night and then pray during the next third of the night and then sleep during the last sixth of the night. And he would fast one day and not fast the next.”

[ Sahihain, Nasa’I, Abu Dawood & Ibn Majah]

The number of rak’at to be performed during tahajjud:

 

 The tahajjud prayer does not entail a specific number of rak’at which must be performed nor is there any maximum limit which has to be performed. It would be fulfilled even if one just prayed one rak’ah of witr after the obligatory night prayer.

 

Samurah ibn Jundub(عنه االله رضي) says: 

 

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered us to pray during the night, a little or a lot, and to make the last of the prayer the witr prayer.”

[Al – Tibrani]

Anas(عنه االله رضي) relates that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 

“Prayer in my mosque is equal to ten thousand prayers [elsewhere]. And prayer in the inviolable mosque is equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers [elsewhere]. And prayer in the battlefield is equivalent to one million prayers [elsewhere]. And what is more than all of that is two rak’at by a slave [of Allah] during the middle of the night.”

[This is reported by Abu ash-Shaikh, Ibn Hib ban in his work ath-Thawab, and al-Mundhiri, in his book at-Targhib watTarhib, is silent about it.]

 

Iyas ibn Mu’awiyyah al-Mazni (عنه االله رضي) reports that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 

“The night prayer should certainly be performed even if it is for the length of time that it takes one to milk a sheep. And whatever is after the obligatory ‘isha is of the tahajjud.”

[At-Tabrani]

 

Ibn Abbas (عنه االله رضي) relates: 

 

“I mentioned the tahajjud prayer and some of the people said that the Prophet(ﷺ) said:

‘It may be half of the night, a third of the night, a fourth of the night or a fraction of the time for milking a camel or a sheep.”

[Ibn Majah]

Ibn ‘Abbas(عنه االله رضي) also narrates that the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered them and encouraged them to make the tahajjud prayer to the extent that he said:

 

“You should perform salatul layl even if it is just one rak’ah.”

[Tabrani]

 

It is preferable to pray eleven or thirteen rak’at. One may choose between praying them all together or to separate them. Aishah (عنه االله رضي) says:

 

“The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) never prayed more than eleven rak’at, during Ramadan or otherwise. He would pray four rak’at, and don’t ask about how excellent they were or how lengthy they were. Then, he would pray four rak’at. and don’t ask about how excellent they were or how lengthy they were. Then, he would pray three rak’at. I asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) , do you sleep before praying witr?” he replied: ‘O Aishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep.”

[Bukhaari o Muslim]

 

 Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad (عنه االله رضي) said that he heard ‘Aishah (عنه االله رضي) say:

 

“The Messenger of Allah’s (ﷺ) prayer during the night would be ten rak’at and then he would make witr with one rak’ah.”

[Bukhaari o Muslim]

 

Making qada’ for the missed tahajjud:

 

Once Aishah (عنه االله رضي) said: 

 

“If the Prophet (ﷺ) missed the late-night prayers due to pain or anything else. he would pray twelve rak’at during the day.”

[Sahih Muslim]

 

Umar (عنه االله رضي) reports that the Prophet(ﷺ)  said: 

 

“Whoever sleeps past his full portion [of the late-night prayers] or part of them, he should pray between the dawn and noon prayers and it would be recorded for him as if he had prayed during the night.”

[ This is related by the group except for al-Bukhari.]

THE SPECIAL PRAYERS DURING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN

 

The legality of the Tarawih:

 

 The specific prayers during the month of Ramadan, which are known as tarawih, are sunnah for both men and women, and they are to be performed after the obligatory ‘isha and before the performance of the witr. They should be prayed in sets of two rak’at each. It is allowed to pray them after witr; though, this is not the best thing to do. They may be performed until the end of the night.

Abu Hurairah (عنه االله رضي) reports that the Prophet (ﷺ)  would encourage people to perform the special prayers during Ramadan without commanding them as obligatory and he said: 

 

“Whoever prays during the nights of Ramadan [tarawih] with a firm belief and hoping for reward, all of his previous sins would be forgiven.”

[Sahai Sattah (The Authentic Group)]

 

“Aishah (عنه االله رضي) says:

 

“The Prophet(ﷺ) offered salah in the mosque and many people prayed with him. The next day he did the same and more people prayed with him. Then the people gathered on the third night but, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not come out to them. In the morning, he said to them: ‘Surely I saw what you did, and nothing prevented me from coming out to you, save that I feared that [that prayer] would be made obligatory upon you.” And that was during Ramadan.”

[This is related by the authentic group except for At-Tirmidhi.]

 

 

REFERENCE:

BOOK: “FIQH US SUNNAH”  VOL: 02: SUPEREROGATORY PRAYER

TRANSLATOR: MUHAMMAD SA’EED DABAS JAMAL AL-DIN M. ZARABOZO.