Tahajjud (Night Prayer)
The voluntary night prayer performed in the last third of the night.
Tahajjud (Arabic: تهجد) is a voluntary night prayer performed after one has slept and awakened again in the last third of the night, before Fajr. Tahajjud is considered the most meritorious voluntary prayer after the obligatory ones.
The Quran encourages Tahajjud: "And during a part of the night, keep vigil for prayer as an extra devotion for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praised station" (Surah Al-Isra 17:79).
Tahajjud can be prayed with any number of rak'ah, typically 2-12, preferably concluded with the Witr prayer. The last third of the night is considered a particularly blessed time, when Allah is closest to His servants. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says: Is there anyone calling upon Me, so that I may answer?"
Related terms
Isnad (Chain of Narration)
The chain of narrators connecting a hadith back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Najasah (Ritual Impurity)
Impure substances that must be removed before prayer according to Islamic law.
Takbir (Allahu Akbar)
The exclamation "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest), marking transitions in the prayer.
Salaf (The Pious Predecessors)
The first three generations of Muslims: sahabah, tabi'in, and tabi' al-tabi'in.
Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
Legal analogy used to derive Islamic rules for new situations based on established rules.
Mihrab (Prayer Niche)
The semicircular niche in the mosque wall that indicates the qibla direction.