How Many Rakats Did the Prophet Pray for Tahajjud? Find Out Here!
Hi all readers! Are you looking for an explanation of "How many rakats the Prophet prayed for Tahajjud"? If your answer is "Yes," congratulations! You are now reading the right article. Why? Because that is exactly what I will explain here. As Muslims, we must understand this, and that’s why I wrote this article. So, make sure to read it until the end!
Specifically, there are some important points about "How many rakats the Prophet prayed for Tahajjud" that I will explain in this article. These key points are as follows:
The Best Rakats for Tahajjud Prayer
One important points about "How many rakats the Prophet prayed for Tahajjud" that I will explain now is the best rakats for Tahajjud prayer. I want you to understand this first before we go into more detail because it’s one of the essential parts of this discussion that must be well understood.
Before I explain the best number of rakats for Tahajjud prayer, I will quote some hadiths relevant to this topic. Some of the hadiths are as follows:
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَر رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا : أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يَخْطُبُ ، فَقَالَ : كَيْفَ صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ ؟ فَقَالَ : مَثْنَى مَثْنَى، فَإِذَا خَشِيتَ الصُّبْحَ فَأَوْتِرْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ ، تُوتِرُ لَكَ مَا قَدْ صَلَّيْتَ
From Ibn Umar (radliyallahu anhuma): "A man came to the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam while he was delivering a sermon and asked him how to offer the night prayers. The Prophet replied, 'Pray two rakats at a time, and then two, and then two, and so on. If you are afraid of dawn (the time for Fajr prayer), pray one rakat, and that will be the witr for all the rakats you have prayed.'"
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ : كَانَتْ عِنْدِي امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ : مَنْ هَذِهِ ؟ قُلْتُ فُلاَنَةُ لاَ تَنَامُ بِاللَّيْلِ . فَذُكِرَ مِنْ صَلاَتِهَا . فَقَالَ : مَهْ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا تُطِيقُونَ مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَمَلُّ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا
From Aisha (radliyallahu anha), she said: "A woman from the tribe of Bani Asad was sitting with me, and Allah's Apostle (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam came to my house and said, 'Who is this?' I said, '(She is) so-and-so. She does not sleep at night because she is engaged in prayer.' The Prophet said disapprovingly, 'Do (good) deeds within your capacity, for Allah does not get tired of rewarding you until you get tired of doing good deeds.'"
عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا ـ قَالَ لِيْ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَتَصُومُ النَّهَارَ ؟ قُلْتُ : إِنِّي أَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ : فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ هَجَمَتْ عَيْنُكَ وَنَفِهَتْ نَفْسُكَ ، وَإِنَّ لِنَفْسِكَ حَقٌّ ، وَلأَهْلِكَ حَقٌّ ، فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ ، وَقُمْ وَنَمْ
From Abu al-Abbas, he said: "I heard Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Ash (radliyallahu anhuma) say, 'Once Allah's Messenger (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said to me, "I have been informed that you offer Salat (prayer) all night and observe Saum (fast) during the day." I said, "Yes, I do." He said, "If you continue like that, your eyesight will weaken, and you will become exhausted. No doubt, your body has a right over you, and your family has a right over you, so fast some days and break your fast on others, and offer prayers for part of the night and then sleep."'"
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : دَخَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ بَيْنَ السَّارِيَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ : مَا هَذَا الْحَبْلُ ؟ قَالُوا هَذَا حَبْلٌ لِزَيْنَبَ فَإِذَا فَتَرَتْ تَعَلَّقَتْ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : لاَ ، حُلُّوهُ ، لِيُصَلِّ أَحَدُكُمْ نَشَاطَهُ ، فَإِذَا فَتَرَ فَلْيَقْعُدْ
From Anas bin Malik (radliyallahu anhu), he said: "Once the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam entered the Mosque and saw a rope hanging between its two pillars. He asked, 'What is this rope?' The people said, 'This rope is for Zainab, who, when she feels tired, holds onto it (to continue standing in prayer).' The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, 'Don't use it. Remove the rope. You should pray as long as you feel energetic, and when you get tired, sit down.'"
Dear readers! If we reflect on these hadiths, we can conclude that the best number of rakats for Tahajjud prayer is what does not burden us. We should not force ourselves to pray many rakats in Tahajjud if we are not capable of completing them.
That is a brief explanation of the best rakats for Tahajjud prayer. As Muslims, we must understand this.
How Many Rakats Did the Prophet Pray for Tahajjud?
The important thing about "How many rakats did the Prophet pray for Tahajjud?" that I'm going to explain now is a specific answer. So, I hope you read the explanation below carefully.
Before I answer this question (how many rakats did the Prophet pray for Tahajjud?), I will quote some hadiths that are directly related to it. These hadiths are as follows:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا , قَالَتْ : كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْهَا الْوِتْرُ وَرَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ
From Aisha radiyallahu anha, she said, "The Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed at night as many as thirteen rakats, including the Witr prayer and two rakats for Fajr prayer."
The above hadith explains that Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam prayed at night up to thirteen rakats, including the Witr prayer and two rakats for Fajr prayer. So, we can understand that he performed ten rakats of Tahajjud prayer.
عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ ، قَالَ : سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا عَنْ صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِاللَّيْلِ . فَقَالَتْ : سَبْعٌ وَتِسْعٌ وَإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ سِوَى رَكْعَتَىِ الْفَجْرِ
From Masruq, he said, "I asked Aisha radiyallahu anha about the night prayer of the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. She said, "Sometimes seven (rakats), or nine (rakats), or eleven (rakats), apart from the two rakats for Fajr prayer."
The above hadith explains that sometimes Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam prayed seven, nine, or eleven rakats at night, in addition to the two rakats of Fajr prayer. So, we can understand that he performed six, eight, or ten rakats for Tahajjud prayer.
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا , قَالَ : كَانَ صَلاَةُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً ( يَعْنِي بِاللَّيْلِ)
From Ibn Abbas radliyallahu anhuma, he said, "The Prophet’s (Muhammad) sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam prayer at night was thirteen rakats."
This hadith explains that Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed thirteen rakats at night. The Witr and Tahajjud prayers are among the prayers he performed at night. So, we can assume that he prayed twelve rakats for Tahajjud and one rakat for Witr.
All readers! If we analyze the hadiths above, we can conclude that the number of rakats the Prophet Muhammad performed for Tahajjud prayer varied. Sometimes he performed six rakats, sometimes eight, sometimes ten, and sometimes twelve rakats.
That is a brief explanation of "How many rakats did the Prophet pray for Tahajjud?" As Muslims, it is important for us to understand this.
Prophet's Dua After Tahajjud Prayer
An important aspect related to the question, "How many rakats did the Prophet pray for Tahajjud?" is the Prophet's dua after the Tahajjud prayer. I will explain it now, and I hope you take this into account as it is one of the key elements you need to understand after grasping the points I have previously explained.
Before I explain the Prophet's dua after Tahajjud, I will quote a hadith that specifically addresses this. The hadith is as follows:
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ : كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ يَتَهَجَّدُ قَالَ : اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيْهِنَّ , وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ ، لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيْهِنَّ ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ , أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ , أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ ، وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ ، وَقَوْلُكَ حَقٌّ ، وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ ، وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ ، وَالنَّبِيُّونَ حَقٌّ ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَقٌّ ، وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ ، اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ ، وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ ، وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ ، وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ ، أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ ـ ( أَوْ لاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ )
From Ibn Abbas, radliyallahu anhuma, he said, "When the Prophet (Muhammad) sallallahu alaihi wa sallam woke up at night for Tahajjud, he would say: 'O Allah, all praise belongs to You. You are the sustainer of the heavens and the earth and everything within them. All praise belongs to You. The dominion of the heavens and the earth and everything in them belongs to You. All praise belongs to You. You are the light of the heavens and the earth. All praise belongs to You. You are the Truth. Your promise is true. Meeting You is true. Your word is true. Paradise is true. Hell is true. The Prophets are true. Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is true. The Hour is true. O Allah, to You I have submitted. In You I have believed. In You I have placed my trust. To You I have turned in repentance. With Your help, I argue, and to You I seek judgment. Forgive me for what I have done and what I have left undone, for what I have done secretly and openly. You are the One who advances and the One who delays. There is no god but You.'"
Dear readers, I want you to reflect on the hadith above. The sentences that I have highlighted in the hadith are the Prophet's dua after Tahajjud. This is a supplication we can recite after performing the Tahajjud prayer.
That is a brief explanation of the Prophet's dua after Tahajjud. As Muslims, we should understand its significance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the number of rakats that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed during Tahajjud is essential for Muslims seeking to emulate his practices. The various hadiths indicate a range of rakats, typically between six to twelve, demonstrating flexibility according to individual capacity. The Prophet encouraged moderation, advising that one should not overburden themselves with lengthy prayers, as Allah rewards efforts that align with one's abilities. Moreover, the Prophet's prayers were often followed by heartfelt duas, emphasizing the significance of supplication in connecting with Allah. This guidance not only serves as a reminder of the importance of Tahajjud prayer but also encourages believers to approach their worship with balance and sincerity. Ultimately, by embracing the Prophet's teachings, Muslims can cultivate a more profound spiritual connection through the practice of Tahajjud, fostering both devotion and personal growth.
I believe that’s enough for this article. May it be useful, inshaAllah. Ameen.
See you in the next article!
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