The Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz – may God have mercy on him – explained that the best tahajjud is with eleven or thirteen, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, often used to pray Witr with eleven or thirteen, and perhaps he prayed with seven, five and three, and the least is one rak’ah after the evening prayer and the regular one. And if Witr is performed with three palms, or five palms, or seven palms, except that the best is eleven or thirteen, he should say the salutations from every two pairs, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to do. It means: two by two – and if one of you fears the morning prayer, he prays one rak’ah, witr for what he has already prayed, meaning: he prays witr with one at the end.
Regarding delaying tahajjud, he said, may God have mercy on him: The best is at the end of the night if that is possible. Because the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of it, and whoever hopes to get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, because the prayer at the end of the night is witnessed, and that is better; When Muslim narrated it in the Sahih, on the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him: Our Lord descends to the heavens of the world every night when there is still one-third of the night left, and He says: Who calls upon Me so that I may answer him, who asks of Me so that I may give him, who seeks forgiveness of Me so that I forgive him, this divine descent is a great opportunity for supplication and worship for the believer who supplicates his Lord; Because He, Glory be to Him, says: Who calls upon Me so that I respond to him, who asks of Me so I give him, who seeks My forgiveness so that I forgive him, so if it is possible for the believing man and woman to perform Tahajjud at the end of the night in the last third, it is better until this divine descending coincides with this generosity and bounty from the Lord, Glory be to Him, Glory be to Him.
And about Witr, he said: If he prays Witr at the beginning of the night, that is sufficient. Because the Messenger, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, did not specify a known number of rak’ahs, he released and said: The night prayer is two by two, and he did not specify, so he indicated expansion, praise be to God, but the best of that is eleven or thirteen, following the example of him, peace and blessings be upon him, and following in Ramadan and at other times.
Ali Al-Rubai (Al-Baha) @Al_ARobai
