Tahajjud Prayer Benefits You’ll Never Forget

Today, I’m going to tell you a short story—in my own words but inspired by a true event—that beautifully illustrates some of the Tahajjud Prayer Benefits. Before I begin, I want to ask you a few questions. As you hear them, take a moment to search for the answers within your heart. Then, continue reading.

Question 1: Do you love Allah?

Question 2: What have you done for the sake of this love?

A Story of Love, Patience, and the Ultimate Benefit of Tahajjud

There was once a young man who was deeply devoted to his parents. He had endured hardship for a significant part of his life, even traveling abroad due to poverty. In time, he became a man of considerable wealth. His father was the imam of the local masjid, and the son approached him about marriage. After so many years of solitude, he wanted to finally get married. But his trust in his father was so complete that he gave him the full responsibility of finding a righteous wife. He even told his father that he didn’t feel the need to see his future wife before the wedding.

Eventually, his father found a suitable bride. The son returned to his home country for the wedding. But on the wedding night, something unexpected happened. When the husband lifted the veil to see his wife’s face, a storm of emotions swept over him. “My father chose such a plain-looking girl for me? After all these years of waiting, is this what I get from my father?”

Overwhelmed with mental anguish and restlessness, he fell asleep. The new bride in the room knew her husband was not pleased with her. In the last part of the night, she gently shook him to wake him up. When he was reluctant to get up, she sprinkled some water on his face.

After waking up, she said to her husband, “I know how disappointed you are, and I also know that I am not beautiful at all. But do you know something? I wanted to get married for only one reason. I wanted to personally experience a benefit of Tahajjud he so beautifully described by bringing to life the hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ):

“May Allah have mercy on a man who gets up at night to pray and awakens his wife. If she is unwilling to get up, he sprinkles water on her face. And may Allah have mercy on a woman who gets up at night to pray and awakens her husband. If he is unwilling to get up, she sprinkles water on his face.”

[Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith: 1308; Sunan an-Nasa’i, Hadith: 1610]

After saying this, the young woman continued, “I swear by Allah, I am grateful to you for giving me the chance to fulfill my wish. I was always eager to practice this hadith of Allah’s Messenger, but I would sometimes feel hopeless, thinking that perhaps no one would ever marry me. Will you now help me complete the rest of the hadith? I wish to pray Salah led by you.”

And so, the young man got up. He performed his ablution (wudu) and led the prayer with his newlywed wife praying behind him.

The man later swore by Allah, saying, “When we finished Tahajjud and I looked at her face, it felt as if I was sitting before the most beautiful woman on earth.”

The Story’s Lesson and Moments of Love with the Lord

The story ends here, but there is so much to learn from it. My dear brothers, my dear sisters, the ultimate purpose of our existence is to love the Lord of Honor and Majesty. Your spouse can only be a helper in that love, nothing more. As long as you are single, you must continue to love Allah on your own.

Now, let’s return to the questions from the beginning. Do you truly love Allah? If we genuinely claim to love Allah, we must examine how many times we have risen in the solitude of the night to speak with Him.

If you listen to scholars speak about Tahajjud, you will find that most of them frame the discussion of Tahajjud prayer benefits in the context of love. The consensus is that if you don’t pray Tahajjud, your claim of loving Allah is an outright lie. This is because we love to spend time with those we love. Psychologists say the last part of the night is a time for spirituality, a time when people want to share their deepest feelings and emotions. That is why Allah has chosen this very time for the loving believer. I am deeply moved by those verses in Surah Al-Muzzammil where Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, addresses His beloved Prophet, saying:

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ (١) قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا (٢) نِّصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا (٣) أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا (٤)

“O you who wraps himself [in clothing], Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little – Half of it – or subtract from it a little. Or add to it, and recite the Qur’an with measured recitation.”

[Surah Al-Muzzammil (73): 1-4]

That last phrase, “or add to it”—what does it signify? It is the love of Allah for us. It is as if He is telling His beloved Prophet, “I would be even happier if you stayed with Me a little longer.” Do we ever want to let go of someone we love easily? When this love comes from Allah, there is simply no comparison.

Tahajjud Prayer Benefits: A Sign of Status and Divine Love

This night prayer will elevate you to a unique and honored status—a promised benefit of Tahajjud. Allah says in the Quran:

وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا (٧٩)

“And from [part of] the night, pray with it as an additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.”

[Surah Bani-israil (17): 79]

Don’t we all desire this praised station? Don’t we want the love of the Creator who described Himself in the Quran as Al-Wadud (the Most Loving)?

وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ (١٤)

“And He is the Forgiving, the Most Loving.”

[Surah Al-Buruj (85): 14]

Of course, we do. To receive the love of that Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Most Loving One, we must become devoted to the night prayer. We must advance on the path of faith (Iman) and righteous deeds (Amal Salih). Then, Allah Himself will love us. Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وُدًّا (٩٦)

“Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection.”

[Surah Maryam (19): 96]

And the evidence of this love is waking in the night. The Lord of the Worlds says:

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ (١٦)

“Their sides part [i.e., they arise] from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.”

[Surah As-Sajdah (32): 16]

Only the decisions you make purely for the love of Allah will truly matter; this is one of the greatest Tahajjud prayer benefits to internalize. All worldly gains will one day turn to dust. Isn’t it time to reflect?

Tonight, take the first step in this journey of love by praying at least two rak’ahs of Tahajjud.