🕯️ Epigraph:
"Their
sides forsake their beds to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend
from what We have provided for them."
— Qur’an 32:16
⏱️ Reading Time: 3–4 minutes
We are
entering—or may already be living through—an age where certain ‘acquired’
actions in life demand a fresh venture of the soul. Among the most spiritually
enriching of these is the Night Prayer—Salat al-Tahajjud. Its benefits are
immense, both inwardly and outwardly. It is during this time, in the stillness
before dawn, that God is closest, and we may whisper to Him our
hopes, needs, fears, and gratitude.
The
revered scholar Imam al-Shafi‘i once remarked that a dua made
during Tahajjud is like an arrow that never misses its target. Such is the
potency of this sacred time, when hearts are soft and distractions few.
Though not
obligatory for us, this prayer was enjoined upon the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). The Qur’an speaks directly of this in Surah Al-Isra
(17:79):
“And
rise at the last part of the night, offering additional prayers, so your
Lord may raise you to a station of praise.”
And
further, in Surah Al-Muzzammil (73:5-6), Allah explains the reason behind
this practice:
“Indeed,
We will soon send upon you a weighty word. Verily, rising at night is hard, but
most potent and good for governing the soul, and most suitable for
understanding the Word (of God).”
This
intimate time of the night is not just for prayer—it is for communion.
Many people talk about God, but very few talk to God. Tahajjud is a
time for such personal conversation—unhurried, heartfelt, and healing.
🌙 When to Pray Tahajjud
The time
for Tahajjud begins after midnight and ends at Fajr. A
practical, doable approach is to wake up around 20 minutes before Fajr,
offering a few rakaats before beginning the day with the obligatory morning
prayer.
Although
non-obligatory for us, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would offer it
consistently, typically in odd-numbered units—three, five, seven, nine, or
eleven rakaats. He would recite the Qur’an in a voice audible to himself,
a practice that helps in both concentration and reflection.
👉 Why is Tahajjud offered Odd
Numbered?
The
Maghrib prayer in obligatory Farz Namaz makes the Farz Namaz for the day an odd
number. (If we add only the Farz prayer rakaat, they add up to 17
rakaat). Likewise, the Tahajjud prayer (offered in odd numbers by the
Prophet with a minimum of three and maximum of 11 rakaat) makes the
non-obligatory prayers (Nafal) for the whole day odd numbered.
Odd number
has significance. By breaking the pair of the rakaat, both in the obligatory Farz
namaz and Tahajjud namaz, we pronounce and proclaim the Oneness of God, that He
has no pair. Just like the seven skies, the seven rounds of the Kaaba, the
seven rounds of Sa'i.
The pair
of rakaat in the first two rakaat of each pair signifies that God has created in
pairs, Qur'an (51:49):
"And
We have created everything in pairs so that you may receive a reminder."
The concept of pairs is explained in the Qur’an by
mentioning the cases of day and night, sky and earth, man and woman, animals,
plants, etc. In each of these cases, we have two partners playing their roles
in a way that one supports the other by making up for the weaknesses of the
other. The day is bright and allows us to work for our means of living but
causes us to be fatigued and tired; the night is dark and offers us the
atmosphere that suits our need for resting. The sky carries the sun and clouds,
while the earth has the soil that has fertility to raise crops; when the rain
falls and the sun shines, the fertility of the soil brings out crops. One
without the other couldn’t have completed the process of cultivation. Likewise,
is the case of all other pairs.
The Qur’an says that God has created everything in
pairs so that you may reflect. In other words, it is an invitation to everyone
to ponder over the fact that, like everything has a partner, this life too must
have a partner to make it a meaningful pair, in harmony with everything else
that has been created in this world.
💫 A Hadith That Moves the
Heart
In a
deeply touching Hadith recorded in Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said:
“Our
Lord, the Blessed and Superior, descends every night to the nearest heaven
during the last third of the night, saying: ‘Is there anyone to invoke Me so
that I may respond? Is there anyone to ask Me so I may grant? Is there anyone
seeking My forgiveness so I may forgive him?’”
What a
profound invitation to grace. In this sacred window of the night, we are
not just permitted to ask—we are asked to ask.
So let us
strive, in solitude or silence, to engage in this timeless act of devotion. The
night prayer is more than a ritual—it is a conversation, a cleansing,
and a closeness to the Divine that transforms the heart.
May our
nights be filled with light, and our hearts with presence.
Aamir
Yazdani
Reflecting on
timeless truths in a restless world
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