Waking in the quiet of the night to be alone with one's Lord holds a special place in the hearts of many believers. In the Qur'an, this act of worship is named tahajjud. But where does this word come from, and what does it mean? Let us look calmly.
What does the Qur'an say?
Forgo sleep for part of the night, as something special for you. (Thus) your Lord will surely raise you to a praiseworthy station. (17:79)
(Rendering of M. Okuyan's Turkish meal.)
Key word / root
The word "tahajjud" and its derivatives appear in the Qur'anic text exactly once, in 17:79 above, as "fa-tahajjad bihî" (فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ).
Root note (linguistic level): The word comes from the root h-j-d (هجد). In Arabic this is one of the aḍdād roots, carrying two opposite senses at once: it can mean both "to sleep" and "to leave sleep and rise." The "tahajjud" form points to the second sense: to break off sleep and rise for night worship.
Two expressions stand out in the verse:
- "nāfilatan laka" (نَافِلَةً لَّكَ): "as something special/additional for you." Okuyan renders it "as something special for you."
- "maqāman maḥmūdā" (مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا): the promise of "a praiseworthy station."
What do we learn?
(interpretation): The verse presents rising at night to turn to one's Lord as both a value and a promise. The Qur'an praises this nocturnal standing elsewhere too; for example:
Stand at night, except for a little of it! (73:2)
Prostrate to Him during part of the night, and glorify Him through a long stretch of the night! (76:26)
The shared call here (interpretation): setting aside part of the night to turn to God is an attitude the Qur'an esteems.
Differing readings
There are two main readings of the word "nāfila" in 17:79 (interpretation):
- One reading takes it as a special/additional duty ("laka" = for you) of tahajjud specific to the Prophet.
- Another reading takes "nāfila" in the sense of voluntary/supererogatory worship, carrying an encouragement.
What the Qur'anic text states with certainty is this: there is a rising at night, and at its end comes the promise of "a praiseworthy station." Details beyond that lie in the realm of interpretation.
An honest boundary
The Qur'anic text gives no numeric description of how many cycles (rak'ahs), with which words, or at exactly what time tahajjud is to be performed. Such details derive from hadith and fiqh; they should be treated descriptively ("a view sourced from hadith/fiqh") and never placed above the Qur'anic text. What the Qur'an states with certainty is the name itself (17:79) and the call toward night worship.
Conclusion: Tahajjud is, in short, "breaking off sleep to turn to the Lord at night"; it takes its name from a single verse, 17:79. The details of form are open to discussion, but the heart of the invitation is clear: a heart that gives part of the night to Him is called to a praiseworthy path.
Source: Qur'anic verses (M. Okuyan meal). Presented with a text/interpretation distinction; not a fiqh fatwa.