Guide
Tahajjud: The Night Prayer
Tahajjud is a voluntary night prayer offered after waking from sleep, in the stillness of the late night. It is among the most praised of the optional prayers: the Qur'an describes the believers as those who "forsake their beds" to call upon their Lord. It is prayed quietly, alone, and is a personal act of devotion rather than a congregational one.
When it is prayed
Tahajjud's window runs from after Isha until true dawn, but it specifically refers to prayer offered after sleeping. The most virtuous time is the last third of the night, just before Fajr, when — in the words of the tradition — God's mercy is described as descending and supplications are especially answered. Your prayer timetable gives you Isha and Fajr, and the last third is the final stretch between them.
How it is prayed
Tahajjud is prayed in pairs of units (two rak'ahs at a time), with no fixed maximum — the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) commonly prayed eight units, followed by Witr. Even two short units offered sincerely count. There is no special congregation and no call to prayer; it is a quiet, private prayer.
Tahajjud and Qiyam al-Layl
The broader term Qiyam al-Layl ("standing in the night") covers any night prayer. Tahajjud is the portion prayed after sleeping. In Ramadan, the congregational night prayer known as Taraweeh is a form of Qiyam al-Layl prayed earlier, after Isha.
Getting started
A practical way to begin is to pray two units before Fajr a few nights a week, keeping it modest and consistent rather than long and occasional — the tradition praises the deeds that are small but steady.