Theme
قيام الليل
Night prayer
Qiyam al-Layl
The night prayer was the private worship of the Companions: a few rak'ahs while others slept, a witr before bed, a page of Quran in the last third of the night. Some kept long nights, and the Prophet ﷺ also taught them balance, reminding them that their bodies and families had rights too.
Here you will find how different Companions fitted the night prayer into real lives, from Abu Hurayrah's household taking turns through the night to Abu Bakr praying his witr early because he feared he might not wake.
… لَهَا قَرْنَانِ، وَإِذَا فِيهَا أُنَاسٌ قَدْ عَرَفْتُهُمْ فَجَعَلْتُ أَقُولُ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ النَّارِ ـ قَالَ ـ فَلَقِيَنَا مَلَكٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ لِي لَمْ تُرَعْ. فَقَصَصْتُهَا عَلَى حَفْصَةَ فَقَصَّتْهَا حَفْصَةُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، لَوْ كَانَ يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ". فَكَانَ بَعْدُ لاَ يَنَامُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِلاَّ …
“Abdullah is a good man. I wish he prayed Tahajjud”
34 practices from 26 companions
Open any practice to read it in full on the Companion's page, with the Arabic and English text of every source.
Abdullah ibn Abbasعبد الله بن عباس
Watching and learning the night prayer
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Learn one part of qiyam, even a few rak'ahs, from the Sunnah and keep to it.
Sit with this Which part of the Prophet's night prayer could you learn and keep?
Abdullah ibn Abbasعبد الله بن عباس
Reflecting on creation in the last third of the night
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In the last part of the night, look up for a moment and recite 3:190 before you pray.
Sit with this Could you look at the sky tonight and recite the end of Al Imran?
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Asعبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص
Balanced night prayer and sleep
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Do not burn yourself out on worship; keep time for rest and family.
Sit with this Does your worship leave room for the rights of your body and the people at home?
Abdullah ibn Salamعبد الله بن سلام
Spreading salam, feeding people and praying at night
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Greet more people, feed someone and make a small night prayer, as this is the Prophet's first advice in Medina.
Sit with this Which of the three, salam, food or night prayer, comes least easily to you?
Abdullah ibn Umarعبد الله بن عمر
Praying at night
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Rise for even two rak'ahs in the night. A small, regular habit is what the Prophet loved.
Sit with this What would two rak'ahs in the night change about the next morning?
Fasting and prayer with balance
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Keep worship regular but never at the cost of your health or family.
Sit with this Is your worship steady enough to last, or intense enough to burn out?
Abu Bakr al-Siddiqأبو بكر الصديق
Praying witr early, before sleep
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If you might sleep through the night, pray witr before you go to bed.
Sit with this If you might not wake tonight, have you prayed witr?
Witr before sleeping
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Pray witr before bed unless you are sure you will wake before fajr.
Sit with this Is witr part of your bedtime, or left to chance?
Sharing the night for worship
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Share the night with your household: each person takes a turn.
Sit with this How could your household share the night between you in worship?
Abu Musa al-Ash'ariأبو موسى الأشعري
Reciting at night
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Make some Quran a regular part of your night, even a page.
Sit with this What would your home sound like if a page of Quran was read in it every night?
Witr dua (Allahumma-hdini fiman hadayt)
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Add this short dua to your witr prayer.
Sit with this Do you know the words of qunut to say in your witr?
Ali ibn Abi Talibعلي بن أبي طالب
Waking for night prayer, and honest humility about it
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Wake your household for night prayer with kindness, and accept a reminder without defending yourself.
Sit with this How do you take a reminder about worship without defending yourself?
Asma bint Abi Bakrأسماء بنت أبي بكر
Night prayer at Muzdalifah
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Make the last third of the night, even during travel or hajj, a time for prayer.
Sit with this Could part of tonight's last third be yours?
Calling the adhan before dawn
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Set a reliable alarm for tahajjud or fajr and wake someone else for it.
Sit with this Who could you help wake for Fajr or tahajjud tomorrow?
Fatimah bint Muhammadفاطمة بنت محمد
The night prayer invitation
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Invite your household to the night prayer, even briefly.
Sit with this Could you invite your household to pray even two rak'ahs tonight?
Relaying a dream and the advice to pray at night
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Pass on good counsel, and let it move you to qiyam.
Sit with this Whose good counsel could you pass on to someone you love?
Seeking the last ten nights of Ramadan
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Plan some time in the last ten nights, even a day or night in the masjid.
Sit with this How will you set aside time in the last ten nights of Ramadan?
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamanحذيفة بن اليمان
Long night prayer behind the Prophet
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Pray at night with a slow recitation and respond to the verses when you hear mercy or warning.
Sit with this When a verse of mercy or warning passes, do you pause and respond?
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamanحذيفة بن اليمان
Using the siwak when waking at night
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Keep a siwak or toothbrush by your bed and use it before night prayer.
Sit with this Is there a siwak or toothbrush waiting by your bed for the night prayer?
Khabbab ibn al-Arattخباب بن الأرت
Remembering the Prophet's long prayer of hope and fear
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Make a prayer of hope and fear, and make du'a for the whole Ummah, not only yourself.
Sit with this When did you last make du'a for the whole Ummah, not only yourself?
Maymunah bint al-Harithميمونة بنت الحارث
Opening the home to family for worship
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Host family members so the young can watch worship practised.
Sit with this Could your home be a place where the young see worship practised?
Sleep, then rise to pray, and intend reward for both
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Plan rest so it serves worship; intend reward even in sleeping.
Sit with this Could you intend your sleep tonight as rest for worship?
Night prayer and voluntary fasting
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Add one small voluntary deed to the obligatory: a fast day, a charity, or two rak'ahs at night.
Sit with this Which voluntary deed could you add to your obligatory ones this week?
Safiyyah bint Huyayyصفية بنت حيي
Visiting the one in i'tikaf and sitting with them
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Spend a little time with a family member who is in worship or retreat in the last ten nights; support their ibadah.
Sit with this Whose worship could you support simply by being present for a while?
Sleeping early and rising for the last part of the night
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A short prayer in the last third of the night is better than an exhausting night you cannot keep up.
Sit with this Would a short, steady prayer in the last third serve you better than an exhausting night?
Ubadah ibn al-Samitعبادة بن الصامت
Remembering Allah when waking at night
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Keep these words by your bed and use them on waking in the night.
Sit with this Do you know the words to say when you wake in the night?
Leading Qiyam in Ramadan
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Join the congregation for night prayers in Ramadan and benefit from the recitation.
Sit with this Will you stand with the congregation for the night prayer this Ramadan?
Praying witr with Sabbih, Kafirun, Ikhlas
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Make your witr prayer a short routine with the same three surahs.
Sit with this Could al-A'la, al-Kafirun and al-Ikhlas become your witr routine?
Seeking Laylat al-Qadr and praying through the night
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Seek the last nights of Ramadan actively.
Sit with this How will you seek Laylat al-Qadr this Ramadan?
Umar ibn al-Khattabعمر بن الخطاب
Praying witr at the end of the night
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If you trust yourself to wake, move your witr to the last part of the night; if not, pray it before sleeping.
Sit with this Do you trust yourself to wake for witr, or should you pray it before sleep?
Umar ibn al-Khattabعمر بن الخطاب
Organising the community for night prayer in Ramadan
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Pray taraweeh with your congregation, and if you can, keep some of the late night for yourself.
Sit with this Will you stand in congregation for taraweeh, and keep some of the night for yourself?
Umm Hani bint Abi Talibأم هانئ بنت أبي طالب
Listening to the Quran at night
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Make time to listen to Quran recitation at night, even if only a few minutes.
Sit with this Could you listen to a few minutes of Quran recitation tonight?
Reciting Surah al-Baqarah at night
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Recite aloud at night, even when it is just a few verses.
Sit with this Could you recite a few verses of al-Baqarah aloud tonight?
Uthman ibn Madh'unعثمان بن مظعون
Balance between worship and rights
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Keep worship sustainable; do not neglect your family or health for it.
Sit with this Is your worship sustainable for you and fair to those around you?
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