Al-Muzzammil (Surah 73)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
"O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad SAW)! (1) Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. (2) Half of it, or a little less than that, (3) Or a little more; And recite the Qur'ân (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style[] (4) Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word (i.e. obligations, laws). (5) Verily, the rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and good for governing oneself, and most suitable for (understanding) the Word (of Allâh). "(6)
The following acts are recommended for one who wishes to perform the Tahajjud Prayer:
* Upon going to sleep, one should make the intention to perform the Prayers. Abu Ad-Darda' quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying:
“Whoever goes to his bed with the intention of getting up and praying during the night, but, being overcome by sleep, fails to do that, he will have recorded for him what he has intended, and his sleep will be reckoned as a charity (an act of mercy) for him from his Lord.” (An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah)
* On waking up, it is recommended that one wipes the face, use a toothbrush, and look to the sky and make the supplication which has been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Abu Hudhaifa reported:
"Whenever the Prophet intended to go to bed, he would recite: (With Your name, O Allah, I die and I live)." And when he woke up from his sleep, he would say: (All the Praises are for Allah Who has made us alive after He made us die (sleep) and unto Him is the Resurrection.)" (Al-Bukhari)
* One should begin with two quick rak`ahs and then one may pray whatever one wishes after that. `A’ishah said:
“When the Prophet prayed during the late-night, he would begin his Prayers with two quick rak`ahs.” (Muslim)
* It is recommended that one wakes up one's family, for Abu Hurairah quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying:
“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.” (Ahmad)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said:
“If a man wakes his wife and prays during the night or they pray two rak`ahs together, they will be recorded among those (men and women) who (constantly) make remembrance of Allah.” (Abu Dawud.)
* If one gets sleepy while performing Tahajjud, one should sleep. This is based on the hadith narrated by `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who quoted Allah’s Messenger as saying:
“When one of you gets up during the night for Prayer and his Qur’anic recital gets mixed up to the extent that he does not know what he says, he should lie down.” (Muslim.)
Tahajjud 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 `Isha’ Prayer (night Prayer).
It is best to delay this Prayer to the last third portion of the night. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) quoted the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying:
“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?’” (Al-Bukhari)
`Amr ibn `Absah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:
“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.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Tahajjud Prayer does not entail a specific number of rak`ahs that must be performed, nor is there any maximum limit that may be performed. It would be fulfilled even if one prayed just one rak`ah of Witr after `Isha’.
Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“The Messenger of Allah ordered us to pray during the night, a little or a lot, and to make the last of the Prayer the Witr Prayer.” (At-Tabarani and Al-Bazzar)
In Du’a : The Weapon of the Believer by Shaykh Yasir Qadhi (Chapter 7)
1) Allah describes the true believers as those who:
‘…and, in the hours of dawn, they seek forgiveness from their Lord…’ Surah Al-Dhariyat, Ayah 18
The distinction between a believer and one who is just a Muslim is further defined by this act.
2) The doors of Mercy and Forgiveness are open during the last 1/3 of night:
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
Our Lord descends every night, during the last third of it, to the skies of this world, and asks: ‘Who is making du’aa to me, so that I can respond to him? Who is asking Me, so that I can give him? Who is asking for My forgiveness, so that I can forgive him?’
(Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah)
3) If a person wishes his/her Du’aa to be accepted this is the best time to ask as shown in hadeeth above.
4) Huge incentive for the believer to wake up when everyone else is asleep and remember Allah (Subbhana Wa Ta’ala) privately.
5) Allah favored this time over other times and Allah distinguised this timing so that the worshipper can eagerly anticipate this time and pray earnestly and sincerely; The worshipper should ensure his/her du’aa is more frequent and sincere during these times.
DUA TO ASSIST ONE IN AWAKENING FOR TAHAJJUD
A person remarked to Abdullah bin Abbas [radhiyallahu anhu], "I always intend awakening in the last portion of the night to perform Salaat but sleep overpowers me."
Ibn Abbas [radhiyallahu anhu] replied, "Before sleeping recite from "QUL LAW KAANAL BAHRU MIDADAL..." to the end of Surah Kahf. Allah Ta'ala will waken you at whatever time you intend rising." [Tha'labi-Ma'ariful Quraan vol 5]
قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ ٱلۡبَحۡرُ مِدَادً۬ا لِّكَلِمَـٰتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ ٱلۡبَحۡرُ قَبۡلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـٰتُ رَبِّى وَلَوۡ جِئۡنَا بِمِثۡلِهِۦ مَدَدً۬ا (١٠٩
"Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind). "If the sea were ink for (writing) the Words of my Lord, surely, the sea would be exhausted before the Words of my Lord would be finished, even if we brought (another sea) like it for its aid." (109)
قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۟ بَشَرٌ۬ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمۡ إِلَـٰهٌ۬ وَٲحِدٌ۬ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلۡيَعۡمَلۡ عَمَلاً۬ صَـٰلِحً۬ا وَلَا يُشۡرِكۡ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦۤ أَحَدَۢا (١١٠)
"Say (O Muhammad SAW): "I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (God — i.e. Allâh). So whoever hopes for the Meeting[] with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord." (110)
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Narrated Aisha r.a:
Once in the middle of the night Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) went out and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed with him. The next morning the people spoke about it and so more people gathered and prayed with him (in the second night). They circulated the news in the morning, and so, on the third night the number of people increased greatly. Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) came out and they prayed behind him.
On the fourth night the mosque was overwhelmed by the people till it could not accommodate them. Allah's Apostle came out only for the Fajr prayer and when he finished the prayer, he faced the people and recited "Tashah-hud" (I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle), and then said,
"Amma ba'du. Verily your presence (in the mosque at night) was not hidden from me, but I was afraid that this prayer (Prayer of Tahajjud) might be made compulsory and you might not be able to carry it out."