The question/claim: "Is Tahajjud (the night prayer) obligatory?"
The night prayer (tahajjud) is an act of worship mentioned, praised, and encouraged repeatedly in the Qur'an. But the question "is it obligatory for everyone?" often blurs what the text states firmly with what later layers of interpretation conclude. In this article we first look at the wording of the verses, then separate the differing readings by name.
(Note: the verse renderings below follow Mehmet Okuyan's translation; the Arabic text is the original.)
What does the Qur'an say?
The central verse commands the night vigil directly to the Prophet while describing it as "additional / special for you":
As something special for you, keep vigil at night (giving up some sleep)! (Thus) your Lord will surely raise you to a praiseworthy station. (Al-Isrāʾ 17:79)
The night prayer is also praised as a quality of the believers:
They spend the night for their Lord, prostrating and standing. (Al-Furqān 25:64)
Is the one who worships during the hours of the night, prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for his Lord's mercy, (like the denier)? Say: "Are those who know and those who do not know ever equal!" Only those of deep understanding take heed. (Az-Zumar 39:9)
And in part of the night, prostrate to Him; and glorify Him through a long part of the night! (Al-Insān 76:26)
At the opening of Sūrat al-Muzzammil, however, there is a specific and seemingly binding command:
O you who wrap yourself (in the prophetic mantle)! Stand at night, except a little — half of it, or reduce a little from it, or add to it; and recite the Qur'an slowly and distinctly! (Al-Muzzammil 73:1-4)
Yet at the end of the same sūrah this burden is explicitly lightened:
Indeed your Lord knows that you stand (in prayer) for nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or a third of it, as does a group of those with you... He knew that you could not (fully) keep count of it, so He has accepted your repentance. So recite what is easy of the Qur'an!... Recite what is easy of it! And establish the prayer, give the zakat, and lend Allah a goodly loan! (Al-Muzzammil 73:20)
Key word / grammar
The phrase نَافِلَةً لَّكَ (nāfilatan laka) in 17:79 is decisive.
- Nāfila: means "extra, additional, done voluntarily." Lexically it evokes an act of worship added on top of what is obligatory.
- Laka ("for you"): directs the command specifically to the Prophet, placing the worship in a position particular to him.
(Interpretation:) The pairing of these two words places the night vigil in a category distinct from the five obligatory prayers — at the level of "extra/additional." Since the wording itself says "nāfila," calling it "obligatory for everyone" at the level of the text would be a stretch.
Differing readings
(a) The majority view: The night prayer is supererogatory (nāfila) for the community (an encouraged, merit-bearing extra), while for the Prophet it is counted as obligatory (wājib) — because it is reported that he never abandoned it throughout his life. (This is a view resting on the hadith and jurisprudence literature; the Qur'anic text does not draw this distinction in these words.)
(b) The abrogation/lightening reading: At the opening of al-Muzzammil (73:1-4) the night prayer was first made obligatory, and then the burden was lightened / its ruling changed by 73:20 at the end of the same sūrah. On this reading the initial bindingness was later removed. (This too is largely a matter of tafsir and fiqh debate.)
(c) The Qur'an-centered reading: Since the wording of 17:79 already says "nāfila" (additional), the night prayer is from the outset not obligatory but an act of worship at the level of encouragement. On this reading, verses like 25:64, 39:9, and 76:26 are a language of praise and encouragement, not of compulsion.
The honest boundary
- Firm in the text: That the night prayer is a legitimate, encouraged, meritorious act of worship that the verses praise in believers. On this the verses are clear (17:79; 25:64; 39:9; 76:26).
- Debated in interpretation: What the ruling "obligatory / binding / supererogatory" is, and to whom and to what degree it applies. These distinctions come largely from the layer of tafsir, hadith, and fiqh.
- Not in the Qur'anic text: The number of cycles (rakʿahs), exact time, and form of the night prayer are not stated in the verses; these are descriptive details of hadith/fiqh origin and cannot be elevated above the Qur'anic text. Verse 11:114, which mentions the general framework of the obligatory prayers, is a separate matter:
Establish the prayer at the two ends of the day and in the parts of the night near (the day)! Indeed good deeds drive away bad deeds. This is a reminder for those who would remember. (Hūd 11:114)
Conclusion: Saying "Tahajjud is obligatory for everyone" does not follow directly from the Qur'anic text. The wording (17:79) explicitly describes the night prayer as "nāfila / additional"; the verses praise and encourage it strongly. The grading of "obligatory / binding / supererogatory" and to whom it applies and how much is debated at the level of interpretation (tafsir/fiqh). The soundest statement at the level of the text is this: the night prayer is a Qur'anic, highly encouraged, meritorious additional (nāfila) act of worship.
Source: Qur'an translation — Mehmet Okuyan, kuranokuyan.com. Verse references are given as (Surah:Ayah). Rulings/grades (obligatory vs. supererogatory) are tafsir and fiqh opinions, labeled as "interpretation."