Can I Pray Tahajjud Without Sleeping?

quranmualim
September 27, 2025
Prayer (Salat)

Can I Pray Tahajjud Without Sleeping? Tahajjud prayer is a Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and is strongly advisable for Muslims to practice on a regular basis. Although it is a common practice during Ramadan, it is promoted year-round.

Also Read: How Many Rakats For Zuhr Prayer?

What is Qiyam al-layl?

Qiyam al-layl refers to spending the night, albeit briefly, in prayer, reading the Quran, remembering Allah (dhikr), and other forms of worship. No one says that it should occupy most of the night.

What is tahajjud?

In regard to tahajjud, it is (voluntary) nocturnal prayers. Other scholars require that prayers be made at night or after sleeping. Though the opinion of the majority of the jurists is that it is any prayers said at night.

Also Read: How Many Rakat Zuhr Namaz?

How to offer prayers at night

Conclude his prayers with one rakkah, in order that the prayers may be odd-numbered.

Tahajjud can be practiced during the early part of the night, during the middle of the night or during the later part of the night, although following obligatory salatul Isha (Evening prayer). But it is preferable to wait till the latter third part of the night, ere this prayer is offered. Abu Hurairah quoted that the Messenger of Allah said: Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven on the last third part of the night, and asks: Who will call on Me so that I may call on him. Who is doing me a favor to make me give him something? Who demands of Me My forgiveness that I may forgive him? This is related by the group.

The narrator, Amr ibn Abasah, has reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, The nearest that a slave can get to his Lord is when he is in the middle of the second half of the night. Should you be among those who will remember Allah the Exalted One at that time, then remember Him.

Also, in the case a muslim will not sleep at night, then he/she can perform Tahajjud Prayer any time before Fajr, having already fulfilled the duty of performing the Isha. But it is preferable to wait until the close third of the night, as above. The fact that Tahajjud sleeps is not a precondition for its validity.

Expanding on this, Sheikh Abdul-Majeed Subh, one of the leading Azharite scholars, says: There is nothing wrong in performing before sleeping or without sleep Tahajjud and Witr Prayer, and it is valid even in case the Shafi’i persons think that the person should sleep before performing Tahajjud.

But it is a kind of ijtihad (personal reasoning) which does not preclude the validity of the Tahajjud and Witr Prayer that one offers before going to sleep. On this note, we are told in the hadith of Abu Ad-Dardaa, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to perform three things (consistently): to fast three days in every month, to perform Duha Prayer, and to perform Witr Prayer before I sleep.

Also Read: How Many Rakats in Zuhr? Find Out Now

Conclusion

Can I Pray Tahajjud Without Sleeping? Tahajjud Prayer does not require one to sleep in advance. It is still valid and a very important worship ritual, particularly when it is done in the last third of the night.