Tahajjud Prayer: How to Pray It, Best Time, Dua and Benefits

Tahajjud is a voluntary prayer that Muslims offer at night, after sleeping and before the dawn prayer (Fajr). It is prayed in sets of two rakat, usually between two and eleven in total, and closed with witr. The best time is the last third of the night, when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said God asks who is calling on Him.

The Quran commands the night prayer, and the Prophet kept it up throughout his life. For many Muslims it is the most personal prayer of all: no one else is awake and no one is watching. This guide covers when to pray tahajjud, how to pray it step by step, and how it differs from qiyam, witr and tarawih.

Key takeaways

• Tahajjud is a voluntary night prayer commanded in Quran 17:79 as "additional [worship] for you," with the promise of "a praised station."
• The Prophet said the most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer during the night, according to Sahih Muslim 1163.
• The best time for tahajjud is the last third of the night, when God descends to the nearest heaven and asks who will call on Him, as narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 1145.
• Night prayer is offered two rakat at a time and ended with an odd-numbered witr, according to Sahih al-Bukhari 990.
• The Prophet's usual night prayer was eleven rakat, as his wife Aisha reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 1147, though she also reported thirteen (Sahih al-Bukhari 1164).

What is tahajjud prayer?

Tahajjud (tahajjud, تهجد) comes from an Arabic root that, in this form, means to give up sleep. It refers to the voluntary prayer a Muslim gets up to offer during the night. It is not one of the five obligatory daily prayers, which are explained in our guide to why Muslims pray five times a day. It is a nafl (voluntary) prayer that the Prophet treated as a constant part of his life.

Scholars use a few overlapping terms. Many define tahajjud strictly as prayer offered after waking from sleep. Others use it for any voluntary prayer between the night prayer (Isha) and dawn. The broader term qiyam al-layl (qiyam al-layl, قيام الليل), "standing at night," covers all of it. In practice, most people use the two names interchangeably.

What does the Quran say about tahajjud?

The word tahajjud appears in the Quran in a single verse addressed to the Prophet:

And from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.

— Quran 17:79

Commentators understand the "praised station" (maqam mahmud) as the Prophet's rank of intercession on the Day of Judgment.

An earlier passage, at the opening of Surah al-Muzzammil, calls the Prophet to spend much of the night in prayer:

O you who wraps himself [in clothing], Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little - Half of it - or subtract from it a little Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation. Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word. Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words.

— Quran 73:1-6

Verse 6 gives the reason: the night is when heart and tongue agree most easily. The Quran also praises believers who "arise from [their] beds" to call on their Lord (32:16) and who "used to sleep but little of the night" and sought forgiveness before dawn (51:17-18).

What is the best time for tahajjud?

Tahajjud can be prayed at any point after Isha until the time of Fajr begins. The best time is the last third of the night, based on this hadith:

Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? 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

Mainstream Sunni scholarship affirms this descent without likening it to the movement of created things. The practical point is that the last hours before dawn are a time of answered prayer, from the One named al-Mujib, the Responder.

How to calculate the last third of the night

Most scholars count the Islamic night from sunset (Maghrib) to the start of Fajr. To find the last third:

1. Note today's Maghrib and Fajr times from a local prayer timetable.
2. Work out the length of the night between them.
3. Divide by three, and subtract that amount from the Fajr time.

If the last third is out of reach, praying earlier in the night still counts as night prayer.

How many rakat is tahajjud?

There is no fixed number. The minimum is two rakat, and there is no upper limit. The Prophet's own practice is the clearest guide. His wife Aisha said he "never exceeded eleven rak`at in Ramadan or in other months," praying four, then four, then three, and told the questioner not to ask "about their beauty and length" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1147). In another narration she reported thirteen (Sahih al-Bukhari 1164).

Quality matters more than the count. Aisha described prostrations so long that a person could recite fifty verses before he raised his head (Sahih al-Bukhari 1123).

How to pray tahajjud step by step

Tahajjud is prayed like any two-rakat voluntary prayer. If you are still learning the movements and words, start with our guide on how to pray salah.

1. Sleep after Isha, if you can. Many people pray Isha, sleep, and set an alarm for the last third of the night.
2. On waking, remember God. The Prophet taught a remembrance for anyone who wakes at night (see the dua below).
3. Make wudu. Perform ablution as explained in how to perform wudu.
4. Make the intention in your heart to pray tahajjud. No spoken formula is required.
5. Pray two rakat. Recite al-Fatihah and any other passage of the Quran in each rakah. Long recitation is recommended but not required.
6. Repeat in pairs for as many sets of two as you wish. The Prophet said, "The night prayer is offered as two Rak`at followed by two Rak`at and so on" (Sahih al-Bukhari 990).
7. Close with witr. Finish with an odd number, one or three rakat, unless you already prayed witr before sleeping.
8. Make dua. Use the quiet afterward, and the sujud during the prayer, to ask God for what you need.

Tahajjud dua: what to say when you wake at night

The Prophet said that whoever wakes at night and says the following, then asks forgiveness or makes any dua, will be answered, and if he performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted (Sahih al-Bukhari 1154):

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ. اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي

Transliteration: La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir. Alhamdu lillah, wa subhanallah, wa la ilaha illallah, wallahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah. Allahummaghfir li.

Translation: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, without partner. His is the dominion and His is the praise, and He has power over all things. Praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest, and there is no might nor power except with Allah. O Allah, forgive me."

Sahih al-Bukhari 1120 also records the longer opening dua the Prophet said when he stood for tahajjud, beginning Allahumma lakal-hamd, anta qayyimus-samawati wal-ard ("O Allah, all praise is Yours; You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth"). For the witr supplication (qunut), see the full text in our guide to daily duas.

Tahajjud vs qiyam vs witr vs tarawih

These four terms often get mixed up. The table sets out how most scholars use them.

Tahajjud and tarawih are both forms of qiyam al-layl. The Hanafi school treats witr as wajib (necessary), while the Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools treat it as a strongly recommended sunnah. The Prophet prayed in congregation in the mosque on a few nights of Ramadan and then stopped, explaining that he feared it would be made obligatory (Sahih al-Bukhari 1129).

Should you pray witr before sleeping or after tahajjud?

Both are valid. The Prophet said that whoever fears he will not wake in the last part of the night should pray witr at the start of it, and whoever expects to wake should pray it at the end, "for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is preferable" (Sahih Muslim 755). If you prayed witr before bed and then wake for tahajjud, most scholars say you pray in pairs and do not repeat witr.

The benefits and virtues of tahajjud

• It is the best voluntary prayer. "The most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night" (Sahih Muslim 1163).
• It meets the hour of answered dua. The descent hadith above makes the last third of the night the prime time to ask, especially for forgiveness. Our article on whether God forgives all sins explains why that hope is well founded.
• It was the prayer of the prophets. The Prophet said the most beloved prayer to God is that of David, who slept half the night, prayed a third, and slept a sixth (Sahih al-Bukhari 1131).
• It shapes the whole day. The Prophet described how remembering God on waking, making wudu and praying undo three "knots" of laziness, so that a person "gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1142).
• It builds sincerity. A prayer no one sees has only one audience, which is why it features in guides on how to get closer to God.

How to wake up for tahajjud

These habits make waking easier:

• Sleep early. Pray Isha and go to bed soon after, rather than staying up late.
• Start small. Begin with two rakat ten minutes before Fajr, then move earlier over a few weeks.
• Use an alarm and help each other. The Prophet praised a husband or wife who wakes to pray and wakes the other, even sprinkling water on their face if needed (Sunan Abi Dawud 1308, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani).
• Follow the sleep sunnah. Make wudu, lie on your right side, and say the bedtime remembrances listed in our daily duas guide.
• Don't despair if you miss it. The Prophet said that a person who habitually prays at night and is overcome by sleep has the reward of the prayer recorded, and the sleep is a charity to them (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1784, graded sahih by Darussalam).

Ramadan is the easiest time to start, and its last ten nights, which include Laylatul Qadr, are when night prayer reaches its height.

Read the night prayer verses on Quran Universe

You can read Surah al-Muzzammil and Quran 17:79 on Quran Universe with the Arabic text, word-by-word meaning and Tafsir Ibn Kathir. If you plan to recite longer passages in your night prayer, our guide on how to read the Quran has tips for building fluency.

Frequently asked questions

Can you pray tahajjud without sleeping first?

Yes, in the sense that any voluntary prayer after Isha counts as night prayer (qiyam al-layl) and is rewarded. Many scholars reserve the specific name tahajjud for prayer offered after waking from sleep, since the word itself means giving up sleep. If you cannot sleep first, praying before bed is still valid and still valued.

What is the tahajjud time?

Tahajjud can be prayed any time after the Isha prayer until Fajr begins. The best time is the last third of the night, based on Sahih al-Bukhari 1145. To find it, take the time between Maghrib and Fajr, divide it by three, and subtract one third from the Fajr time.

How many rakat is tahajjud?

The minimum is two rakat, and there is no maximum. The Prophet Muhammad usually prayed eleven rakat at night including witr, according to Aisha in Sahih al-Bukhari 1147, and on some nights thirteen (Sahih al-Bukhari 1164). Pray in sets of two and close with an odd-numbered witr.

Is there a special tahajjud dua?

There is no single required dua, but the Prophet taught a remembrance for anyone who wakes at night, beginning "La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah," followed by asking forgiveness (Sahih al-Bukhari 1154). He also opened his tahajjud with a longer praise of God recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 1120. Any sincere dua in your own language is welcome.

What are the benefits of tahajjud?

According to Sahih Muslim 1163, night prayer is the most excellent prayer after the obligatory ones. It falls in the hour when God asks who is seeking forgiveness (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145), it was the beloved prayer of the Prophet David, and the Prophet said it leaves a person energetic and good-hearted in the morning.

Is tahajjud the same as tarawih?

Both are voluntary night prayers that fall under qiyam al-layl. Tarawih is night prayer in Ramadan, usually prayed in congregation after Isha. Tahajjud can be prayed all year, usually alone and later in the night. In Ramadan, many people pray tarawih in the mosque and tahajjud at home before suhoor.