Tahajjud | What, When, How?

Summary

In this episode of 'Deen and Chai', the speaker explains the difference between Qiyam al-Layl and Tahajjud, two types of night prayers in Islam. Qiyam al-Layl refers to any prayer done between Isha and Fajr, while Tahajjud specifically requires a person to sleep first and then wake up to pray. The best time for Tahajjud is the last third of the night, which is considered especially blessed. The prayer is performed in sets of two rak'ahs and can be concluded with Witr. The speaker encourages incorporating Tahajjud during the last 10 nights of Ramadan.

Takeaways

• 🕌 Tahajjud is a prayer performed after rising from sleep during the night, unlike Qiyam al-Layl, which can be done without having slept.
• 🌙 Qiyam al-Layl refers to standing in prayer at night, which can be done anytime between Isha and Fajr, whether or not you've slept.
• 😴 Tahajjud requires having slept for some time before waking up to perform the prayer, no matter how short the sleep is.
• 📖 The term Tahajjud comes from an instruction in the Quran, where Allah tells the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to rise from sleep for additional prayers.
• 💫 The last third of the night is considered the best time to perform Tahajjud, as it is believed that Allah descends to the lowest heaven, ready to answer prayers and grant forgiveness.
• 🕒 The last third of the night can be calculated by dividing the time between Maghrib and Fajr into three equal parts. For example, if Fajr is at 4:30 AM, the last third starts at 2:10 AM.
• 🕌 Tahajjud is prayed in sets of two rak'ahs. You can pray as many as you wish, ending with one rak'ah of Witr prayer.
• 🕋 Some narrations state that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prayed up to 11 rak'ahs during Tahajjud, but the important thing is to perform at least two rak'ahs.
• 🤲 The last 10 nights of Ramadan are an ideal time to incorporate Tahajjud, especially if you're already waking up for Suhoor, as it coincides with the last third of the night.
• 📅 You can start by waking up 5-10 minutes earlier for Suhoor and perform at least two rak'ahs of Tahajjud during these special nights.

Q & A

What is the difference between Qiyam al-Layl and Tahajjud?

Qiyam al-Layl refers to any prayer performed at night between Isha and Fajr, regardless of whether one has slept. Tahajjud, however, specifically refers to prayers performed after waking up from sleep.

What does the term 'Tahajjud' mean?

The word 'Tahajjud' literally means 'to rise from sleep,' signifying that the prayer is done after one has slept and then wakes up to pray.

What is Nafila, and how is it related to Tahajjud?

Nafila refers to an extra or voluntary prayer, performed in addition to the obligatory prayers. Tahajjud is one form of Nafila, as it is a non-obligatory prayer performed at night after sleep.

When is the best time to pray Tahajjud?

The last third of the night is considered the best time to pray Tahajjud. According to narrations, Allah descends to the lowest heaven during this time and responds to those who call upon Him.

How can one calculate the last third of the night for Tahajjud prayer?

To calculate the last third of the night, take the time between Maghrib (sunset) and Fajr (dawn), divide it by three, and the last portion of that duration is the final third of the night. For example, if Fajr is at 4:30 AM and Maghrib is at 9:30 PM, the last third would begin around 2:10 AM.

What is the minimum number of Rak'ahs for Tahajjud prayer?

The minimum number of Rak'ahs for Tahajjud is two. After completing two Rak'ahs, one can conclude with Witr (a single Rak'ah) to finish the night prayer.

How did the Prophet (PBUH) pray Tahajjud according to different narrations?

Different narrations describe the Prophet (PBUH) praying Tahajjud in varying numbers of Rak'ahs. Some narrations mention seven Rak'ahs (2+2+2+1), others mention nine (2+2+2+2+1), and some mention eleven (2+2+2+2+2+1).

What should one do if they are already waking up for Suhoor during Ramadan?

If someone is already waking up for Suhoor, they can easily incorporate Tahajjud into their routine by waking up a few minutes earlier and praying two or more Rak'ahs before eating Suhoor.

Does the duration of sleep before praying Tahajjud matter?

No, the duration of sleep before praying Tahajjud does not matter. You could sleep for as little as 20 minutes or as long as eight hours before waking up to pray Tahajjud.

What is the significance of Tahajjud prayer during the last 10 nights of Ramadan?

The last 10 nights of Ramadan are especially significant because they may contain Laylatul Qadr, a night more blessed than a thousand months. Praying Tahajjud during these nights is a great way to seek Allah's mercy and forgiveness.

Outlines

00:00

🕌 Understanding Tahajjud and Qiyam-ul-Lail

In this section, the speaker introduces the concept of Tahajjud and distinguishes it from Qiyam-ul-Lail. While both are night prayers, Qiyam-ul-Lail refers to any prayer performed at night after Isha and before Fajr, whether one has slept or not. Tahajjud, on the other hand, is a specific prayer performed after one has slept and then awoken to pray. The speaker explains that Tahajjud is mentioned in the Qur'an, where Allah instructs the Prophet (PBUH) to rise from sleep and pray, indicating its significance as an extra prayer (nafila) beyond the obligatory prayers.

05:01

🌙 The Best Time for Tahajjud

This section discusses the timing of Tahajjud. Although it can be prayed anytime between Isha and Fajr after sleeping, the last third of the night is considered the best time for it. The speaker refers to a hadith in which Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the final third of the night, ready to respond to those who call upon Him. The speaker explains how to calculate the last third of the night based on local prayer times, using an example where Maghrib is at 9:30 PM and Fajr is at 4:30 AM, resulting in 140 minutes as the final third.

📿 How to Pray Tahajjud

The speaker explains how Tahajjud should be performed, citing a narration from the Prophet (PBUH). The prayer is done in units of two rak'ahs, and it concludes with one rak'ah of Witr prayer before Fajr. While the minimum is two rak'ahs, there are various narrations of the Prophet (PBUH) praying different numbers, such as seven, nine, or eleven rak'ahs in total. The focus, however, is on doing at least two rak'ahs. The speaker encourages the audience to incorporate Tahajjud, especially during the last ten nights of Ramadan, suggesting that those who are already waking up for Suhoor can add a few more rak'ahs for Tahajjud.

Keywords

💡Tahajjud

Tahajjud refers to the night prayer performed after waking up from sleep. The word itself means 'to rise from sleep,' emphasizing that it is a voluntary prayer done after resting. In the video, it is highlighted as a special act of worship during the night, particularly during the last third of the night in Ramadan, where it is highly encouraged.

💡Qiyam al-Layl

Qiyam al-Layl means 'standing at night' and refers to any voluntary prayers performed during the night, between the Isha and Fajr prayers. Unlike Tahajjud, Qiyam al-Layl does not require one to have slept first. The video distinguishes between these two practices, noting that all Tahajjud is Qiyam al-Layl, but not all Qiyam al-Layl is Tahajjud.

💡Last third of the night

The last third of the night is considered the most virtuous time for making Tahajjud prayers. According to Islamic tradition, it is a time when Allah descends to the lowest heaven and responds to supplications. In the video, a hadith is mentioned where Allah asks who is seeking His forgiveness and who is calling upon Him during this period, making it an ideal time for worship and dua.

💡Nafila

Nafila refers to extra, voluntary prayers that are performed in addition to the obligatory prayers. Tahajjud is described as a type of Nafila prayer, a way of seeking extra closeness to Allah. The video mentions that performing Tahajjud is an optional, but highly rewarding act of worship.

💡Isha

Isha is the fifth and final obligatory prayer of the day, performed at night. In the video, it is mentioned as the starting point for both Qiyam al-Layl and Tahajjud prayers, as any night prayers must occur between Isha and Fajr. It's important to know that any additional prayers during this time frame are voluntary.

💡Fajr

Fajr is the first obligatory prayer of the day, performed at dawn. The video references Fajr when discussing the time frame for night prayers like Tahajjud. The last third of the night, which is the preferred time for Tahajjud, ends at the time of Fajr.

💡Witr

Witr is a prayer consisting of an odd number of rakahs (units of prayer), typically one, and is often prayed at the end of the night prayer. The video mentions that after performing sets of two rakahs for Tahajjud, it is encouraged to conclude the night prayer with Witr to make the number of rakahs odd, following the practice of the Prophet.

💡Ramadan

Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting and heightened spirituality. The video emphasizes the significance of performing Tahajjud during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, which are especially important for increased acts of worship. These nights include Laylat al-Qadr, considered the most blessed night of the year.

💡Laylat al-Qadr

Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Decree, is a night during the last 10 days of Ramadan that is believed to be better than a thousand months in reward. While the video does not mention it explicitly, it implies that the last 10 nights, which are a focus of Tahajjud, are particularly special due to this night.

💡Hadith

A hadith is a narration of the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The video references several hadiths, including one where Allah is described as descending to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night. These narrations provide the foundation for the practices discussed, particularly regarding the timing and virtue of Tahajjud.

Highlights

Introduction to Deen and Chai: A casual space to talk about Islamic topics.

Explanation of the term 'Tahajjud' as a prayer done after one has slept.

'Qiyam al-Layl' refers to standing at night in prayer, regardless of sleep.

Difference between Qiyam al-Layl and Tahajjud: Tahajjud is a form of Qiyam al-Layl but requires sleep beforehand.

Tahajjud means 'to rise from sleep' and is referenced in the Quran.

Nafila is an extra prayer beyond the obligatory ones, which includes Tahajjud.

Tahajjud can be performed anytime between Isha and Fajr but requires sleep before performing.

The length of sleep before Tahajjud does not matter, even a short nap qualifies.

The last third of the night is the most preferable time to perform Tahajjud.

Narration about Allah descending to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night to respond to prayers.

Explanation of how to calculate the last third of the night based on Fajr and Maghrib times.

Tahajjud prayer is performed in sets of two rakahs (units of prayer), followed by a single witr prayer.

Different narrations indicate that the Prophet (PBUH) performed between 7 and 11 rakahs for Tahajjud.

Encouragement to add Tahajjud during the last 10 nights of Ramadan for increased spiritual benefit.

Recommendation to wake up a few minutes earlier than usual to include Tahajjud before Suhoor.

Transcripts

assalamualaikum and welcome back to dean

and chai a casual space to talk about

deen i hope you're having a beneficial

ramadan insha allah

today we're going to be talking about

tahedr as

we are approaching the last 10 nights of

ramadan this is a word you might

be hearing so what is the hedgehood

now sometimes you might hear tahedjud

you might hear

male and they might sound the same we

might think that they're the same thing

but there is a slight difference between

the two so when we say

malays it means to stand at night

so the prayers that we do when we stand

at night the extra prayers that we do we

call that

you don't necessarily have to have slept

um

at night you could you you can do priama

whether you've slept

or not any prayer that you stand at

night for between

isha and vegeta you can refer to it

generally as kriya male because you

stood at night

in prayer but tahen jud specifically

refers to

a prayer that you do after you have

slept

because the word tahedr literally means

to rise from

sleep so you break your sleep you

interrupt your sleep and you get up

and then you go and pray we have an ayah

in the quran where allah is telling the

prophet

rise from sleep during the night this is

an

additional prayer for you possibly your

lord will raise you to an honored

position so to help judd literally means

to rise up

from sleep to pray and nafila

is an extra prayer an extra prayer that

is on top of the obligatory

prayer so that prayer that we do at

night which is

after we interrupt our sleep to get up

and do that prayer

that is we call it the head judd

okay so when do we pray to hedjud it is

between naisha and fajir

but you have to have slept so at some

point

between aisha and vegeta you have to

have slept and then you wake up from

that sleep to pray

to head join it doesn't matter how long

you've slept it could be

20 minutes it could be two hours eight

hours there there isn't a set

requirement on the amount of sleep that

you need to get the only thing is that

you have to have slept and then you wake

up from that sleep

and you perform what we call prayer

which is an extra form of prayer at

night

now it is believed that the last third

of the night

is actually preferable for tahejud

prayer why is this because of narrations

we have for example let's take a look at

this

hadith that says

our lord almighty descends to the lowest

heaven in the last

third of every night saying who is

calling upon me that i may answer him

who is asking from me that i may give

him

who is seeking my forgiveness

that i may forgive him so the last third

of the night

is considered the best part of the night

to wake up

and make the hatred prayer and make dua

and make extra worship

because we believe that allah has

descended and he

is waiting to respond so this is a

preferable time

to pray this to hijat prayer so it will

depend on where you are

when the last third of the night is for

example if you are somewhere where

maghrib is at 9 30 pm and

federer is at 4 30 a.m that is

seven hours between the two seven hours

is 420 minutes when you divide that by

three you get 140 minutes

so each third of the night is 140

minutes long so the last

third of the night is 140 minutes

so those 140 minutes before fed your

prayer

that is the last third of the night so

in this example

when we said fajr is 4 30 a.m

if we look 140 minutes before that

that is 2 10 a.m so between 2 10

and 4 30 a.m that is the

preferable time that is considered the

best time

to pray so it really depends on where

you are

so look at the time that the prayer is

look at the time that fajr prayer is and

do this quick calculation insha'allah

so you can figure out when the last

third of the night is

per your location inshallah okay and

then how do we pray this prayer

so the prophet sallallahu alaihi

wasallam was asked how is the prayer at

night performed

and he answered two and then two and

when you apprehend the approach of dawn

pray one rakah as witter so

the prayer is prayed in sets of twos the

minimum is two you can just do two

and then conclude with one raka of

wetter and you're done

or you can pray two and then another two

and then another two

you can decide how many you want to do

and that would all be part of your tahed

prayer

and then you end with the one witter

prayer in sha allah

now some narrations say that the prophet

prayed in total seven meaning

two two two and then one some say it was

nine

meaning two two two two and then one

some say it was eleven meaning two

two two two two and then one

witter there's different narrations

perhaps because he did different things

at

different times and the only thing

that's important is that we do

at least two and this is the perfect

time

to try to incorporate to hajj at prayer

especially as we approach the last 10

nights of ramadan

if you are already waking up for sure

then you are already waking up in the

last third

of the night so why not add a couple of

raka's

and pray to hajjad prayer inshallah so

wake up five

ten minutes earlier so that you can add

two or four

or six raka's in sha allah as part of

your tahedjad prayer

let's try to incorporate this in the

last 10 nights of ramadan in sha allah

i hope that gave a quick overview

insha'allah of what the hajjad is

how to pray it insha allah and motivated

you insha allah to try to incorporate

this in the last 10 nights of

ramadan so that's it for today and

until next time assalamualaikum

you