Tahajjud Q & A

Qiyamul Lail is a general term used to describe nafl salat performed after ‘Isha, either before or after sleeping, while tahajjud salat is specifically performed after sleeping. [ ‘Umdatul Qari ]

Hazrat Ibn ‘Umar (R) asked Rasul Allah ( ) about the night vigil. He ( ) replied, “two rakats by two rakats.” [ Nasai ]

Hazrat ‘Umar Bin Khatab ( R ) relates that he ( ) would perform salat as long as the Lord willed, and would even wake up his noble wives and say, “Salat! Salat!” Then the Holy Prophet ( ) would recite the verse, Wa’ mur ahlaka bissalaati was tabir alayha. (Command your household towards salat and to remain steadfast on it.) [ Istiskaar, Ibn ‘Abdur Razzaaq ] Hazrat ‘Umar ( R ) would read tahajjud all night and would wake his wives up during the last part of the night. [ Qiyamul Lail ] Muhammad Bin Talha says that his father would wake his wives, daughters, and servants for tahajjud salat and would say, “Pray two rakats at least.” [ Qiyamul Lail ]

Hazrat Abu Hurairah and Hazrat Abu Sa’ed ( R ) narrate that he ( ) said, “When a man wakes his family in the night and they pray salat together, they are written among the zakireen and zakiraat. [ Nasai, Ibn Maja, and Targheeb ]

Hazrat Aswad ( R ) asked ‘Aisha ( R ) about Holy Prophet’s ( ) praying habit during the night. Hazrat ‘Aisha ( R ) said, “He ( ) would sleep during the beginning of the night and would perform his salat in the last part of the night.” [ Musnad Tiyalsi ]

Hazrat ‘Aisha ( R ) is reported to have said that sometimes the Holy Prophet ( ) would spend the entire night (in tahajjud) repeating one verse.” [ Tirmizi ]

Hazrat Salman ( R ) says that he ( ) said, “Tahajjud is incumbent upon you. It was the habit of the righteous before you. It is a means to get closer to the Lord, to please the Lord, to have the sins forgiven, to keep away from sins, and to protect the body from sickness. [ Kanzul ‘Ummaal ]