Exact time for tahajjud.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Assalaam Alaikum,
I have read your answers for the questions I
have asked, thanks, but I was not completely satisfied. And I still wanted to
know some in details. I know that Tahajjud is performed in the
later 3rd part of the nite.. but what time will it be? Actual timings
are what. I just wanted to confirm that.
And also can we pray in the dark.
Please let me know the answers to the
questions above.
Jazak Allah
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Exact time for
tahajjud
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
It is best to delay the ‘tahajjud’ or late
night prayer to the last third portion of the night. Abu Hurairah reports that
the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Our Lord Descends to the lowest
heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring: 'Who will call on Me so
that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of Me so I may give it to
him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive him?"'
Related by Bukhari and Muslim.
Amr ibn Abasah reports that he heard the
Prophet (saws) say: "The closest that a slave comes to his Lord is during
the middle of the latter portion of the night. If you can be among those who
remember Allah, the Exalted One, at that time, then do so."
Related by al-Hakim, at-Tirmidhi,Nasa'i and
Ibn Khuzaimah.
Abu Muslim asked Hadrat Abu Dharr Ghaffari
(r.a.): "Which late-night prayer is the best?" He said: "I asked
the Messenger of Allah (saws) the same that you asked me and he (saws) said,
'The (one done during) middle of the latter half of the night, and very few do
it.'"
Related by Ahmad.
Abdullah ibn 'Amr reports that the Prophet
(saws) said: "The most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of (Prophet)
Dawood (a.s.). And the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of (Prophet)
Dawood (a.s.). He (Prophet Dawood (a.s.)) would sleep half of the night and
then pray during the next third of the night and then sleep during the last
sixth of the night. And he would fast one day and not fast the next."
Related by Bukhari and Muslim.
If one could divide one’s night hours into six equal
parts, then the absolute best time to offer one’s voluntary ‘tahajjud’ prayer
would be the time of the fifth of the six portions. If one is unable to offer
their ‘tahajjud’ prayers at this ‘best’ and most opportune time for any reason,
the absolute majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion
that if one strives to offer their ‘tahajjud’ prayers at any time between the
end of the ‘isha’ prayers and before the call of the ‘fajr’ prayers, they would
receive their appropriate and due reward from their Lord for their striving.
Your Question: .. but what time will it be?
Actual timings are what.
Respected brother, because the sun sets and rises at
different times, it would obviously be almost impossible for us to give you one
‘exact’ clock time as the most opportune time to offer one’s ‘tahajjud’
prayers!
Lets just say that at a particular day in the place you
reside, the time between the setting of the sun ‘Magrib’ and dawn is 12 hours
(18:00pm to 06:00am). If one divides the
night into six portions of two hours each, the most opportune time to offer
one’s optional ‘tahajjud’ prayers would be between the 5th and the 6th
portion of the night, or in this particular instance, between 02:00am and
04:00am.
Your
Question: And also can we pray in the
dark.
If for any reason one wishes to offer their prayers in the
dark, there is absolutely no harm.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan