For Male & Female

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بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

It is universally understood that sleep is an important part of life. It allows us to rest, recharge, and prepare ourselves to continue our daily activities.

But for a believer, the night can offer something more precious than sleep alone.

Yes!

Tahajjud.

Sālim ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with them) reported from his father that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“What an excellent man ‘Abdullāh is! If only he would pray at night.”

Sālim said that after this, his father, ‘Abdullāh, used to sleep very little at night.

📚 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

One of the lessons from this Hadith:

It is permissible to mention someone's good qualities or positive example to encourage others towards righteousness, provided that it is done sincerely and appropriately.

This reminds me of someone I have mentioned before.

Among the people I often refer to as an example is ‘Abdullāh, a distant friend of mine who visits me almost every year.

He is the same person I told you about—the one who once visited me, became seriously ill with what was described as typhoid and malaria, and yet refused to give up his Tahajjud.

Yes, he is that same friend.

He told me that he had not missed Tahajjud for more than 11 years, except on three nights.

And it is not that he failed to wake up at all on those three nights.

No! No! No!

He actually woke up about 40 minutes before Fajr, performed Wuḍū’, and still prayed two Rak‘ahs before Fajr entered.

Yet, according to my friend, he considered those three nights as nights on which he had missed Tahajjud because he woke up much later than his usual time.

Allāhu Akbar!

Muslim Faithful!

Allah (SWT) knows how busy human beings can become during the daytime.

And because the night gives us an opportunity to withdraw from the distractions of the world and turn privately to our Lord, the night prayer is a tremendous act of worship.

It does not require us to spend the entire night awake.

Even a few sincere minutes can be precious.

So, from today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter, strive not to allow the demands of life to completely separate you from the night prayer.

Wake up for Allah.

Stand before Him.

Make Du‘ā.

Seek His forgiveness.

And speak to Him about everything that is in your heart.

But what if you are on your menses, dear sister?

You should know that menstruation does not prevent a woman from remembering Allah, making Du‘ā, seeking forgiveness, or engaging in many other forms of worship.

So even when you cannot perform Ṣalāh, you can still wake up and spend a few minutes turning to Allah.

You can sit facing the Qiblah if you wish.

You can say authentic Adhkār, such as:

SubḥānAllāh.
Alḥamdulillāh.
Allāhu Akbar.

You can make Du‘ā.

You can cry to Allah.

You can ask Him for everything you need.

You can seek His forgiveness.

Then, after spending those precious moments with your Lord, you can return to your sleep.

The rulings concerning Qur’an recitation during menstruation differ among scholars, so this matter should be approached according to the scholarly opinion one follows. It is therefore better not to present the issue as though there is unanimous agreement on every detail.

But Du‘ā and Dhikr remain open to you.

Sitting privately and turning your heart towards Allah remains open to you.

Calling upon Allah remains open to you.

So, dear sister, do not think that menstruation means you have been completely cut off from worship during the night.

Male or Female

Strive to become among those servants of Allah who are willing to leave their warm beds and turn to their Lord.

Even if you begin with only two Rak‘ahs.

Even if you can manage only a few minutes.

Do not underestimate a small deed that is done sincerely and consistently.

Stay committed to this journey for as long as Allah gives you life.

Dearest Brother and Sister,

I want to use this opportunity to remind you:

Set your phone alarm right now if you have not already done so.

Choose a realistic time that allows you to wake up, pray, make Du‘ā, and still get sufficient rest.

You can set the alarm to repeat every night.

And when you wake up, remember why you left your bed:

You are going to stand before Allah.

When Does the Time for Tahajjud End?

The night prayer is performed after ‘Ishā’ and before Fajr.

The later part of the night is especially virtuous, and the last third of the night is a particularly blessed time for worship and Du‘ā.

Therefore, if you are able to wake up before Fajr, use those moments wisely.

Do not worry about spending hours.

Two sincere Rak‘ahs are better than abandoning the prayer because you believe you cannot do enough.

May Allah (SWT) make us among those who remember Him during the night, accept our prayers and Du‘ās, forgive our shortcomings, and grant us steadfastness until our final breath.

Āmīn.