How to Pray Tahajjud and Witr? Step-by-Step Guide

Learn how to pray Tahajjud and Witr according to the Sunnah, including the correct method, number of rak'ahs, best time to pray, and authentic hadiths.

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is His slave and Messenger.

Summary: The Sunnah of praying Tahajjud and Witr is to pray voluntary night prayers two rak'ahs at a time, then conclude with one Witr prayer. Tahajjud should come before Witr, Witr should be the last prayer of the night, and both should be completed before the Fajr adhan.

1. What is Qiyam al-Layl?

Qiyam al-Layl means spending part of the night in acts of worship such as prayer, reciting the Qur'an, remembering Allah (dhikr), making du'a, and other righteous deeds. It is not necessary to spend the entire night in worship; even a short portion of the night is considered Qiyam al-Layl.

2. What is Tahajjud?

Tahajjud is the voluntary prayer offered during the night after the 'Isha prayer. Some scholars defined Tahajjud as the night prayer offered after sleeping, while the majority of scholars use the term for any voluntary prayer performed during the night.

3. How to pray Tahajjud

The Sunnah is to pray two rak'ahs at a time, ending each pair with the taslim (saying As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah).

Ibn 'Umar (رضي الله عنهما) narrated that a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the night prayer. He said:

"The night prayer is two by two. If one of you fears that dawn is approaching, then let him pray one rak'ah, which will make what he has prayed odd-numbered."

Sahih al-Bukhari, 990; Sahih Muslim, 749

You may pray as many sets of two rak'ahs as Allah enables you. There is no fixed maximum number established by the Sunnah.

4. How to pray Witr

After completing your Tahajjud, conclude your night prayer with Witr. The simplest form of Witr is one rak'ah, although three, five, seven, or more odd-numbered rak'ahs are also authentically reported.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Make the last of your prayers at night Witr."

Sahih al-Bukhari, 998; Sahih Muslim, 751

5. Do not delay Witr until after Fajr begins

Both Tahajjud and Witr should be completed before the Fajr adhan. Once true dawn begins, the time for Witr has ended.

Imam An-Nawawi (رحمه الله) said:

"These hadiths indicate that the Sunnah is to make Witr the last prayer of the night and that its time ends with the break of dawn. This is the view of the majority of scholars."

Sharh Sahih Muslim, 6/30–32

6. What is the best time to pray Tahajjud?

The night prayer may be offered any time after the 'Isha prayer until the Fajr adhan. However, the best time is the last third of the night, when Allah ﷻ descends to the lowest heaven in a manner befitting His Majesty and answers the supplications of His servants.

Jabir (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night. Whoever is confident that he will get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed, and that is better."

Sahih Muslim, 755

7. Can you pray after Witr?

If you prayed Witr early in the night and later wake up to pray Tahajjud, you may pray two rak'ahs at a time as much as you wish, but you should not repeat Witr, because there should not be two Witr prayers in one night.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"There are no two Witr prayers in one night."

Sunan Abu Dawud, 1439; Jami' at-Tirmidhi, 470 (authentic)

Conclusion

Tahajjud is one of the greatest voluntary acts of worship. Pray it two rak'ahs at a time after 'Isha and before Fajr, then conclude your night prayer with Witr. If you expect to wake during the last third of the night, delaying Witr until then is better. If you fear you may not wake up, pray Witr before sleeping. Never offer two Witr prayers in the same night.

And Allah knows best.