Sunnah of Tahajjud & Witr in the Quran & Sunnah

1. In part of the night, keep vigil in prayer — your Lord may raise you to a praised station.

Allah says:

وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا

And during the night, wake up for Salāh of tahajjud , an additional prayer for you. It is very likely that your Lord will place you at Praised Station. (Surah al-Isra 17:79)

Lesson: Tahajjud was given to the Prophet ﷺ as an “additional” devotion (nafilah) — and its promise is the maqam mahmud, the praised station of intercession.

2. Their sides forsake their beds, calling on their Lord in fear and hope.

Allah says:

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

Their sides remain apart from their beds. They call their Lord with fear and hope, and spend (in charity) out of what We have given to them. (Surah as-Sajdah 32:16)

Lesson: This is the portrait of the night worshippers: beds are left behind while the world sleeps, and the heart balances fear of Allah with hope in Him.

3. In the small hours of the night, they seek forgiveness.

Allah says:

وَبِٱلْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

and in the hours before dawn they used to pray for forgiveness, (Surah adh-Dhariyat 51:18)

Lesson: The righteous are described as sleeping little at night and rising before dawn to beg pardon — istighfar is the closing act of tahajjud.

1. The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the prayer of the night.

“The best fasting after Ramadan is Allah’s month, al-Muharram — and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.” No voluntary prayer outranks it.

2. Rise in the last third — your Lord is asking who is calling on Him.

Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains and says: “Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?”

3. The nearest your Lord is to you is in the last part of the night.

“The closest the Lord is to His servant is in the last portion of the night — so if you can be among those who remember Allah at that hour, then be.”

4. Follow the Prophet’s measure: eleven rak‘ahs was his night.

‘Aishah said he never prayed more than eleven rak‘ahs in Ramadan or outside it: he would pray four — do not ask about their beauty and length — then four, then three. Quality and length over raw counting.

5. Pray the night two by two — and if dawn is feared, close with one rak‘ah of witr.

“The night prayer is two (rak‘ahs) by two; so when one of you fears the dawn, let him pray one rak‘ah, which will make what he prayed odd (witr).”

6. Make witr the last prayer of your night.

“Make the last of your prayer at night witr.” Whoever wants to pray after witr may, but the night’s seal is witr.

7. Wake your family for the night prayer — sprinkle water on their faces if needed.

‘Ali reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ woke us at night for prayer; if one of them was reluctant, he would sprinkle water on his face. The night prayer is a home project, not a solo one.

8. Begin the night prayer with the siwak, as he did.

When he rose at night he would clean his mouth with the siwak — the worshipper meets his Lord with a purified mouth and a wakeful body.

9. Once you begin the habit, never abandon it.

He said to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr: “O ‘Abdullah, do not be like so-and-so: he used to stand at night (in prayer) and then he left the standing of the night.” A little that is constant is the Sunnah way.

10. Open the night prayer with his great dua of praise.

When the Prophet ﷺ rose at night for tahajjud, he would begin with praise before any petition: “Allahumma lakal-hamd, anta qayyimus-samawati wal-ardi wa man fihinna...” — “O Allah, to You belongs all praise; You are the Maintainer of the heavens and the earth and all within them... You are the Light of the heavens and the earth... Your promise is true, the meeting with You is true, Paradise is true and the Fire is true.” The night begins by remembering Who is being addressed.