Tahajud is a special prayer in Islam that is recommended (but not obligatory) for all Muslims. Tahajud is performed after the Isha prayer (obligatory prayer at night) and before the Fajr prayer (obligatory prayer in the morning), which means that the person who performs Tahajud must wake up from his sleep specifically to perform this prayer. If possible, it is best to perform Tahajjud between midnight and the time of the Fajr prayer, especially in the last third of the night. Although Tahajjud is not obligatory, many devout Muslims try to make it a part of their daily routine as a sign of their obedience and as an opportunity to gain salvation and forgiveness from Allah. To start learning how to perform the Tahajjud prayer according to the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad, see Step 1 below.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Preparation for Salat
Step 1. Arrange to wake up after midnight
Tahajud is a prayer that is usually done after sleeping for a few hours (not after staying up late). After performing the Isha prayer and getting ready for bed, make plans to wake up at night before you perform the Fajr prayer (for example, you could set an alarm or ask a family member to wake you up). Although Tahajjud can be performed at any time of the night, if possible, it is best to do it after midnight, especially in the last third of the night. This is because Allah descended into the heavens of the world in the last third of the night, then said, "Whoever asks Me, I will give! Who prays to Me, I will grant it! Who asks forgiveness from Me, it will be I forgive!"
If you've been sincerely trying to get up and do Tahajjud but accidentally fell asleep all night, don't feel guilty. According to the hadith, Allah records your sincere intention to perform Tahajud and grants you sleep as a form of mercy
Step 2. Get up and perform ablution
Get up at night at a time of your choosing. After you wake up, perform wudu, which is a Muslim ritual of purification used to clean oneself before praying or holding the Koran. Traditionally, performing ablution means using clean water to wash oneself in the following four ways:
- Wash face
- Wash your arms and hands up to your elbows
- Rubbing head
- Washing feet to ankles
- Note that many Muslims (including Prophet Muhammad SAW) also choose to wash their mouths and teeth before Tahajud.
Step 3. If necessary, move to a clean and quiet place
Next, go to a clean, quiet, and holy place to pray. This is done because Allah's name is holy, so, if possible, Muslims are encouraged to pray to Him in a clean and holy place as a form of exaltation. Sit on the prayer rug and face the Kaaba in Mecca as you usually do when you pray.
To be clear, you don't have to perform Tahajjud in a special place, such as a mosque or a lavishly decorated room in your home. What is needed is a clean and proper place for God's majesty. You can even do it in your own room
Step 4. Remove all worldly affairs from the heart
Prayer time is a time to contemplate and focus quietly on the majesty of Allah. This is not the time to dwell on worldly matters which are ultimately insignificant in comparison to His infinite grace and mercy. Calm yourself and forget about your worldly problems, hopes and fears. Ignore any negative and disturbing thoughts or feelings. Close your eyes and focus your attention on the inner part of your heart when you begin to reach a higher state of spiritual awareness.
Part 2 of 3: Performing Tahajud Prayers
Step 1. Make an intention to pray
When you start the prayer, make a definite mental statement to yourself that you are going to perform Tahajjud. Decide that you are going to complete Tahajud in the particular way you have chosen and decide why you are performing the Tahajjud prayer - for example, to glorify Allah or ask His forgiveness. You don't have to say your intentions out loud - Allah knows your thoughts, so your intentions will be clear to Allah as long as they are clear to you too.
Tahajud is usually performed by repeating several rak'ahs (rounds) of prayer, which is the ritual that Muslims use to perform the obligatory prayers every day. For Tahajud, the rak'ahs are usually done in pairs, so you should also decide exactly how many rak'ahs you intend in your current prayer. See below for more information
Step 2. Do two rakats
To start your Tahajjud, start by performing two rak'ahs (rounds) of prayer. The prayer begins with standing and reciting the verses of the Koran. Then, the person praying continues by doing bowing with his hands placed on his knees, as if waiting for Allah's command, prostrating on the floor with his forehead, nose and palms resting on the floor and elbows raised, sitting on his knees with his legs folded underneath, and finally stood up and said "Allahu Akbar." This is an overview of prayer in general - if you are unsure about how to perform the prayer properly, learn these basic skills for Muslims before trying to perform Tahajjud.
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To imitate the practice of reading used by the Prophet Muhammad in Tahajud, consider reciting the following surahs of the Qur'an in each rak'ah:
- After reading Al-Fatihah in the first rak'ah, read the letter "Al-Kafirun".
- After reading Al-Fatihah in the second rak'ah, read the letter "Al-Ikhlas".
Step 3. Repeat the rak'ah as you wish
In general, two rak'ahs are the minimum required to perform Tahajjud properly. However, you can repeat as many rakats as you wish. For example, according to the hadith, Prophet Muhammad SAW often prayed Tahajud up to thirteen rakaat. For most Muslims, Tahajud cycles are performed in pairs and eight is considered a large number. In other words, most Muslims will pray in two, four, six, or eight rak'ahs, although more than that is not prohibited.
Following the example given by the Prophet Muhammad SAW, if you see that dawn is approaching when you pray Tahajud, you can end it by praying one rakaat as Witr (sunnah prayer before dawn performed before the obligatory Fajr prayer)
Step 4. Add your own prayers after performing your rakats of prayer
Once you have completed the number of rak'ahs you have specified for the Tahajjud prayer, you can add any prayer you wish as long as the prayer is sincere, full of praise, and performed in full obedience to Allah. You can add gratitude and praise to God, pray for strength and guidance, or make a special request. For example, after completing your rak'ah, you can wish good luck to a friend or other person who is going through a difficult time. Every prayer you make will be heard, and, God willing, your prayer will be answered accordingly.
Step 5. If you are too tired to complete Tahajjud, go back to sleep
Since Tahajjud interrupts your normal sleep, it is natural that you will be a bit tired when you try to perform this prayer. However, if you feel so tired that you forget what you read in your prayers or you fall asleep in the middle of your Tahajjud, do not try to finish your prayers. In this case, according to the hadith, Allah records your sincere intention to complete the Tahajjud. You can go back to sleep without feeling embarrassed.
Part 3 of 3: Studying the Tahajud Prayer
Step 1. Read the books that discuss the Tahajud worship of the Prophet Muhammad
To gain a better understanding of the importance of this particular Tahajjud prayer, you should read one of the various references to this prayer in Islamic books. Most notably, Tahajud is mentioned in the Qur'an and discussed at length in the hadiths. However, the Tahajjud prayer is also discussed in the works of Islamic scholars throughout the history of this religion.
To start, try reading book 21 (Night prayer) from Sahih Bukhari. There are 70 hadiths in this book that describe the habits of the Prophet Muhammad in performing Tahajud. Comments on Tahajud are also found in several places in the Koran, including in Surah Al Isra':79 and Surah Az-Zumar:9
Step 2. Consider performing Tahajjud in congregation with your family
Muslim families are encouraged to pray Tahajud in congregation because the Prophet Muhammad and his wife 'Aisyah recommended that husbands and wives pray Tahajud in congregation. Performing Tahajjud with your family will also bring you closer to each other in obedience to Allah and to show togetherness in your worship. If you are interested in trying it, ask your spouse and/or your children to join you before the first night when you plan to perform the Tahajjud prayer together, then, if they need your help to do so, wake them up and celebrate the infinite majesty of Allah. in quiet congregational prayers.
Usually, families who perform Tahajud prayers in congregation make exceptions for family members who need sleep, such as small children, the sick, and the elderly
Step 3. Imitate the practice of Tahajud of Prophet Muhammad SAW
All Muslims are encouraged to live a life following the instructions of Prophet Muhammad SAW, Allah's Apostle and Seal of the Prophets. If you are looking for guidance to do Tahajud, you can learn how the Prophet Muhammad SAW did Tahajud and try to practice this habit in your daily life. By trying to imitate the way of Tahajud of Prophet Muhammad SAW, Muslims can practice it perfectly as exemplified by Prophet Muhammad SAW and, thus, can get closer to Allah.
As mentioned above, Book 21 of Sahih Bukhari is a good place to start if you are looking for information on the Tahajjud customs of the Prophet Muhammad
Step 4. Make Tahajud a part of your routine
As a sunnah prayer, Tahajud is certainly not something every Muslim should do. However, many Muslims choose to perform Tahajjud regularly (though not every night) if they can afford it. Like all types of prayer, Tahajjud will bring the person who performs it closer to Allah. In addition, Tahajud is often associated with Allah's gifts of forgiveness and salvation, which makes Tahajud a great way to correct minor mistakes, sins, and bad behavior on a daily basis. If you are interested in making Tahajud a regular part of your life, you may want to try setting an alarm periodically to wake you up at night or even having a special place in your house for performing the Tahajjud prayer.
Tips
- "The place of intention is in the heart. By only deciding in the heart to perform this action, one has made an intention. Therefore there is no guidance to read intentions aloud when one wants to perform an action. On the contrary, hardening the intention is a form of worship innovation that does not narrated in the Qur'an or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah grant him peace and blessings), nor was it ever narrated by the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah have mercy on them all). See Syarah al-Mumti', 2/283."
- Ask a Muslim you know to teach you how to recite the prayer readings.
- Beware that reciting the intention out loud before prayer is a bidah (something new in worship)!
- https://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/20193/intention%20before%20prayer
