Nafl salah
or unobligatory worship at night is a confirmed sunnah,
a regular and unchanging practice of the Prophet
Muhammad, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him. It
is said that worship in the quiet hours of the night was
personally obligatory upon the Prophet but upon no one
else. This order upon the Prophet is expressed in the
words of the Qur'án in Súrah al-Muzzammil, The
Enwrapped:
Al-Quran, Chapter 73
Al-Muzzammil, Verse1-8
In
the Name of Allah, The Benevolent, The Merciful
yáá 'ayyuha-l-muzzammil
— qumi-l-layla 'illá qalílá
Oh you enwrapped! Keep vigil the night, except
a little;
nisfahúú 'owi-ñ-qus minhu qalílá — 'owzid ‘alayhi
wa-rattili-l-qur'ána tartílá
half of it, or lessen it a little, or add to
it a little; and chant the Qur'án in a slow, measured chant.
'inná sanulqí ‘alayka qowlañ thaqílá
Truly We shall charge you with a weighty Word.
'inna náshi'ata-l-layli hiya 'ashaddu wat'añ wa-'aqwamu qílá
Unquestionably rising at night is more
powerful and that which is heard [in the hours of the night vigil]
more certain.
'inna laka fi-n-nahári sabhañ tawílá
Indeed in the day you have a long line of
duties [which take your time].
wa-dh-kuri-sma rabbika wa tabattal 'ilayhi tabtílá
So remember the Name of your Lord and devote
yourself to Him with utter devotion.
Even if one
can only do a little. Wholly supererogatory prayers
(unconnected with a specific time or reason) at night
are more valuable than during the day.
If one divides the night into six parts, the fourth and
fifth part are the best for prayer. If divided in half,
the second half is best. If into thirds, the middle part
is best. With this said Tahajjud is offered after ‘Isha
and before Fajr.
It is recommended to begin one's night Tahajjud with two
brief rak‘ahs, to have intended to make the Tahajjud
before going to sleep, and to not make a practice of
more prayer than one can regularly perform without harm
to oneself.
As with all practices, it is important to make an
intention to make Tahajjud and for a specific number of
rak‘ahs. If one's intented number changes, whether fewer
or greater, it is permissible to change one's intention.
One finishes every two rak‘ah with salams. It is also
recommended to finish your worship in the night with
Witr after Tahajjud.
