Fatwa ID: 01605
Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Question:
Asalamualikum, brothers I hope that you can provide some guidance for me please?
I am aware that Thajud prayer is recommended at the final third of the night, however how does one perform this salah? Are there any particular supplications which one should recite?
I hope you can help me as I am eager to pray this salah however im confused with how to go about it.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Allah 
in the Holy Qur’an has said, “And during the night, wake up for salah, an additional prayer for you. It is very likely that your Lord places you at a praised station.” (Surah Bani Israeel v.79)
The word “Tahajud” has been derived from Hujud. It means in this context ‘being awake with the Qur’an;” which indicates to a nightly salah called the prayer of tahajud. Speaking generally, the prayer said after waking up from a short sleep is called tahajud. But, according to Tafsir Mazhari, the sense of the verse is no more than sacrificing sleep to make salah during some part of the night. Very similarly, it is also good if one begins by postponing the sleep for tahajud and makes the salah. The condition that one has to sleep before doing the prayer of tahajud is not found in the words used by the Qur’an.
Hasan Basri 
says; “the prayer of tahajud holds good for every prayer that is said after Isha and, it will be applied to that which is said after some sleep. (Extracted from Maariful Qur’an p.533 –p.538 v.5)
There are narrations, which prove that the Prophet of Allah 
read 10 rakats for the tahajud prayer. However, the Prophet of Allah normal habit was that he would read 8 rakats, hence, it is preferable to read 8. Similarly to pray 2 or 4 rakats is also allowed. (Fatawa Darul Uloom p.304 v.4)
If you are going to delay your witr salah until the last portion of the night you can read the 8 or 10 rakats followed by the witr.
Finally, the tahajud prayer is like a normal nafl prayer and there is no specific surahs or supplications required to perform this prayer.
Only Allah Knows Best
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham.
