The second important thing about “how many rakats are best for Tahajjud prayer?” what I’m going to explain now is a specific answer. So, I really hope you guys read the explanation below very well.
Before I explain about “how many rakats are best for Tahajjud prayer?”, I will quote some hadiths about best rakats for Tahajjud prayer. Pay attention to the explanation below!
Hadith About Best Rakats for Tahajjud Prayer
As for the hadith about best rakats for Tahajjud prayer what I mean is as follows:
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 in between its two pillars. He said, “What is this rope?” The people said, “This rope is for Zainab who, when she feels tired, holds it (to keep standing for the prayer.)” The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, “Don’t use it. Remove the rope. You should pray as long as you feel active, and when you get tired, sit down.”
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 which is within your capacity as Allah never gets tired of giving rewards till 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’ve heard Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Ash radiyallahu 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 the night and observe Saum (fast) during the day.” I said, “(Yes) I do so.” He said, “If you do so, your eye sight will become weak and you will become weak. No doubt, your body has right on you, and your family has right on you, so observe Saum (for some days) and do not observe it (for some days), offer Salat (for sometime) and then sleep.”
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 the 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 and if you are afraid of dawn (the approach of the time of the Fajr prayer) pray one rakat and that will be the with for all the rakats which you have prayed.”
Now, if we understand some of the hadiths above, we can conclude that best rakats for Tahajjud prayer are rakats that does not burden us. We should not force ourselves to do a lot of rakats in Tahajjud prayer even though we are not able to do it all.
All readers! That is a brief explanation of “how many rakats are best for Tahajjud prayer?” and some important things about it. Do you understand? If you want to ask, please ask.
I think that’s enough for this article. May be useful. Amen.
See you again in the next article!