Tahajjud is the voluntary night prayer offered after sleeping, before Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the prayer at night” (Muslim). It is the time when Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night, asking: “Who is calling upon Me, that I may answer him?” (Bukhari, Muslim).
When is Tahajjud time?
Tahajjud can be prayed any time after Isha once you have slept, until the start of Fajr. The best time is the last third of the night. To find it, take the time from Maghrib to Fajr, divide it into three, and the last part is the final third.
Every city page on Ramzan Special shows when the last third of the night begins — see Hyderabad, Mumbai or your city.
How many rak’at?
The minimum is 2 rak’at. The Prophet ﷺ usually prayed 8 rak’at of Tahajjud, followed by Witr. Pray in sets of two, with any Surahs you know — longer recitation is better if you are able.
How to pray Tahajjud
- Wake up, do Miswak and make Wudu.
- Make the intention in your heart to pray two rak’at of Tahajjud.
- Pray exactly as you pray any two-rak’at Nafl: Takbir, Thana, Surah Al-Fatihah and another Surah, Ruku, Sujood, and so on. See the method of Namaz.
- Repeat in sets of two as long as you wish.
- If you have not yet prayed Witr after Isha, pray it at the end.
- Spend the remaining time in Dua and Istighfar before Fajr.
Making it a habit
- Sleep early, soon after Isha.
- Start with just two rak’at, 20 minutes before Fajr — consistency matters more than quantity.
- In Ramadan, wake for Tahajjud just before Sehri — the two blessings come together.
- Make the intention before sleeping; if you oversleep, you are rewarded for the intention.
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