If you make an honest effort to wake up and perform the Tahajjud but accidentally sleep through the night, don’t feel guilty. According to ahadeeth, Allah records your genuine intention to perform the Tahajjud and grants you sleep as an act of mercy. You will be rewarded as if your intention had been fulfilled. However, if you make a conscious decision to abandon your intention to pray Tahajjud without good reason, for example through laziness, then it may not be overlooked and a sin may be recorded. t[2] X Research source
Washing the face Washing the arms and hands up to and including the elbows Wiping the head (Masah) Washing the feet up to the ankles Note that many Muslims (including the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]) also choose to wash their mouth and teeth with a miswak before the Tahajjud. [3] X Research source If you have discharged mani earlier in the night, whether during sexual intercourse, a wet dream or haram means, then the Ghusl full-body ritual cleansing must be performed. It is highly recommended to pray two rakats immediately after completing wudu. This will help you enter the right frame of mind for the upcoming prayer.
To be clear, you don’t need to be anywhere special, like a mosque or a lavishly-decorated room in your house, to pray the Tahajjud. All that’s needed is a spot that’s clean which can even be in your room.
The Tahajjud is performed by repeating pairs of rakats (cycles) of Salah, the ritual that Muslims use for their required daily prayer. You should decide exactly how many rakats you intend to perform.
Emulate the practices of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who used to recite the following surahs after each rakat in Tahajjud:[4] X Research source After reciting the Al-Fatihah the first rakat, recite the surah “Al-Kafirun”. After reciting the Al-Fatihah for the second rakat, recite the surah “Al-Ikhlas”.
If you are able to, then reciting long surahs such as Al-Baqarah, An-Nisā’ or Al-‘Imran are highly commended, even if you can manage them only from time to time. Following in the example of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), if you notice dawn approaching while you say your Tahajjud, you may end by performing one rakat as Witr (an optional pre-dawn prayer said before the required Fajr). [6] X Research source
Acknowledge each of your wrongdoings, however big or small - you may feel that some are insignificant, but Allah will have seen them and may still decide that a penalty is due. Sincerely promise not to repeat your sins and ask Allah for forgiveness. Use the fear of incurring Allah’s displeasure to drive yourself to become a better Muslim. Never lose hope of Allah’s mercy for the Qur’an tells us more than 70 times that Allah is the Most Forgiving. Any prayer you offer will be heard, and, if Allah wills, your prayer will be answered in kind. Making dua after Tahajjud should not be hurried. It is the time when Allah is in His lowest heaven, so many Muslims take the opportunity to make dua for an extended period.
To start, try reading Book 21 (Prayer at Night) from Sahih Bukhari. No less than 70 ahadeeth in this book describe the habits the Prophet (pbuh) regarding the Tahajjud, which gives an indication of its significance in the life of a good Muslim. [7] X Research source Commentary on the Tahajjud is also offered at multiple points in the Quran, including Surat 17:79 and Surat 39:9.
If you’re interested in trying this, ask your spouse and/or children to join you before the first night you plan to say the Tahajjud together, then, if they need your help to do so, wake them up and celebrate Allah’s infinite greatness and mercy in quiet prayer together. Children over the age of ten should be gently encouraged to develop the habit of praying Tahajjud when they are ready, but if it is too difficult for them to wake in the night then no blame should be apportioned and they should not be admonished, as long as they are up for Fajr and complete all their obligatory prayers correctly. Encourage your children by reminding them of the rewards that are available for completing voluntary acts of worship like Tahajjud, and warn them of the consequences of not making the sacrifices that Allah expects and deserves. Generally, families that pray the Tahajjud together make exceptions for members that need their sleep, like small children, the sick, and the elderly.
As noted above, Book 21 from Sahih Bukhari is a great place to start if you’re looking for information on Muhammad (pbuh)’s Tahajjud habits and practices.
Remember that Allah appreciates regular acts of worship, so if you start praying Tahajjud, try not to give it up. If you intend to make the Tahajjud a regular part of your life, you may want to try setting a recurring alarm to wake you up during the night or even having a predetermined area in your house for performing this prayer. If you are unable to commit to praying Tahajjud every single night, then try build up slowly by establishing the habit of saying just two or four rakats two or three times a week, whatever you can manage, with the aim of building up over time. Allah loves it when His servants gradually try to improve there worship.
