Question:

Assalamu Alaikum,

I am unsure of how to pray Tahajjud and because of this I'm missing out on this great opportunity to ask my/our Lord for my needs.

Please correct me if my understanding so far is wrong.

Is it correct that I can pray 2, 4, 6, or 8 rakahs and pray additional 3 rakat witr if I want to?

Unfortunately I do not know much of the Qur'an from memory. Can I recite the surah's directly holding and reading the Qur'an?

If yes to the previous question, do I need to recite whilst standing for instance if I choose to recite Surah Baqarah will I need to be stood up for the duration?

When reciting the Qur'an can I recite any surahs in each rakah. For example, can I recite last 4 qul in the first rakat and then surah baqarah in the 2nd rakat?

Can I recite more than 1 surah in each rakat?

Is it recommended to recite the Qur'an in a calm and slow manner?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is commendable to see your enthusiasm to pray Tahajjud Salah. May Allah Ta’ala grant you steadfastness in your intention.

Hereunder are the answers to your queries in sequence.

1. You may pray 2, 4, 6, or 8 Rakaats of Tahajjud. [1] Tahajjud is a non-obligatory prayer, however, Witr is a Waajib (obligatory) prayer. It is necessary to perform 3 Rakaats of Witr every night. If Witr is missed any night due to negligence, it must be made up later (Qadha).
2. It is not permissible to recite Quran in Salah while looking into and reading through the Mushaf (Copy of Quran). This will nullify the Salah.[2] You may recite Quran only through memory in Salah.

3. Maintaining sequence between the Surahs is necessary in obligatory prayers. However, it is not necessary in non-obligatory Salah such as Tahajjud. Therefore it is permissible to recite a latter Surah in the first Rak’ah such as Surah Naas and a preceding Surah in the second Rak’ah such as Surah Falaq in Tahajjud Salah. [3]

4. It is permissible to recite more than one Surah in each Raka’h in Nafl Salah such as Tahajjud. However, one should not do this in Fardh (obligatory) Salah.[4]

5. It is necessary to recite the Quran with correct Tajweed (pronunciation) and to stop at the appropriate places. Each letter must be recited distinctly and clearly. One should endeavor to understand what he recites in Salah.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Abdul Azeem bin Abdul Rahman Khan

[1]  أَقُولُ: فَيَنْبَغِي الْقَوْلُ بِأَنَّ أَقَلَّ التَّهَجُّدِ رَكْعَتَانِ وَأَوْسَطُهُ أَرْبَعٌ وَأَكْثَرُهُ ثَمَانٍ، وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ (رد المحتار, ج 2, ص 25, دار الفكر)

[2]  (قَوْلُهُ أَيْ مَا فِيهِ قُرْآنٌ) عَمَّمَهُ لِيَشْمَلَ الْمِحْرَابَ، فَإِنَّهُ إذَا قَرَأَ مَا فِيهِ فَسَدَتْ فِي الصَّحِيحِ بَحْرٌ (قَوْلُهُ مُطْلَقًا) أَيْ قَلِيلًا أَوْ كَثِيرًا، إمَامًا أَوْ مُنْفَرِدًا، أُمِّيًّا لَا يُمْكِنُهُ الْقِرَاءَةُ إلَّا مِنْهُ أَوْ لَا (قَوْلُهُ لِأَنَّهُ تَعَلُّمٌ) ذَكَرُوا لِأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ فِي عِلَّةِ الْفَسَادِ وَجْهَيْنِ. أَحَدُهُمَا: أَنَّ حَمْلَ الْمُصْحَفِ وَالنَّظَرِ فِيهِ وَتَقْلِيبِ الْأَوْرَاقِ عَمَلٌ كَثِيرٌ. وَالثَّانِي أَنَّهُ تَلَقُّنٌ مِنْ الْمُصْحَفِ فَصَارَ كَمَا إذَا تَلَقَّنَ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ (رد المحتار, ج 1, ص 624, دار الفكر)

[3]  (قَوْلُهُ وَلَا يُكْرَهُ فِي النَّفْلِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ ذَلِكَ) عَزَاهُ فِي الْفَتْحِ إلَى الْخُلَاصَةِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَعِنْدِي فِي هَذِهِ الْكُلِّيَّةِ نَظَرٌ؛ «فَإِنَّهُ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - نَهَى بِلَالًا - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - عَنْ الِانْتِقَالِ مِنْ سُورَةٍ إلَى سُورَةٍ وَقَالَ لَهُ: إذَا ابْتَدَأْتَ سُورَةً فَأَتِمَّهَا عَلَى نَحْوِهَا حِينَ سَمِعَهُ يَتَنَقَّلُ مِنْ سُورَةٍ إلَى سُورَةٍ فِي التَّهَجُّدِ» . اهـ.

وَاعْتَرَضَ ح أَيْضًا بِأَنَّهُمْ نَصُّوا بِأَنَّ الْقِرَاءَةَ عَلَى التَّرْتِيبِ مِنْ وَاجِبَاتِ الْقِرَاءَةِ؛ فَلَوْ عَكَسَهُ خَارِجَ الصَّلَاةِ يُكْرَهُ فَكَيْفَ لَا يُكْرَهُ فِي النَّفْلِ؟ تَأَمَّلْ وَأَجَابَ ط بِأَنَّ النَّفَلَ لِاتِّسَاعِ بَابِهِ نَزَلَتْ كُلُّ رَكْعَةٍ مِنْهُ فِعْلًا مُسْتَقِلًّا فَيَكُونُ كَمَا لَوْ قَرَأَ إنْسَانٌ سُورَةً ثُمَّ سَكَتَ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ مَا فَوْقَهَا، فَلَا كَرَاهَةَ فِيهِ (رد المحتار, ج 1, ص 547, دار الفكر)

فتاوي محمودية, ج 7, ص 105-106, فاروقية

[4]  وَفِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة: إذَا ‌جَمَعَ ‌بَيْنَ ‌سُورَتَيْنِ فِي رَكْعَةٍ رَأَيْت فِي مَوْضِعٍ أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ. وَذَكَرَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ لَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ عَلَى مَا هُوَ ظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ. اهـ.

وَفِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ: الْأَوْلَى أَنْ لَا يَفْعَلَ فِي الْفَرْضِ وَلَوْ فَعَلَ لَا يُكْرَهُ إلَّا أَنْ يَتْرُكَ بَيْنَهُمَا سُورَةً أَوْ أَكْثَرَ (رد المحتار, ج 1, ص 546, دار الفكر)

فتاوي محمودية, ج 7, ص 90, فاروقية