How Tahajjud Changed My Life
Dear brothers and sisters, Assalamu Alaikum. Tahajjud prayers (also known as the night prayer) have changed my life completely, and Alhamdulillah, Allah has blessed me with Rizq, barakah, and much more. However, the habit of praying Tahajjud did not happen overnight. I wish I had experienced Tahajjud much earlier in my life, but Allah is the best planner of everything.
If you are experiencing difficulties, struggling with any problem or sin, trying to get married, struggling to be financially well-off, trapped in a major sin, unable to pray your salah, or feeling stuck, please read my story below.
Surrounded by an enormous amount of struggle and difficulty, sadness, I decided to take a moment for myself. I booked an affordable hotel on the other side of the country, far away from people I knew and far away from my daily environment. Upon checking into the hotel, I started with a workout in the gym and had some food well before praying Isha prayers. At the end of the Isha prayer, I prayed to Allah to make me strong, allow me to change, and give me the energy to wake up for Tahajjud. I set up my alarm to wake up in the third part of the night (dividing the time into three parts, starting from Isha till Fajr prayers). I had already researched how to perform Tahajjud prayers, so I was ready for it.
My First Tahajjud Prayer
The approximate time of my first prayer was around 3:00 am, and my alarm went off. I snoozed it, it went off again, and I snoozed it again. The third time it went off, I fought a battle within myself to overcome tiredness. I thought to myself that I had to wake up and said to Allah, “I find it hard to wake up, but I really need your help.” I thought of all the difficulties and struggles during that time of my life and managed to wake up. I went to the bathroom and performed wudu. Upon walking to the main area of the hotel room and while putting down the prayer mat and getting ready to perform my first Tahajjud Prayer, I felt an unbelievable calmness, positive energy, and being alone felt good. This feeling overshadowed the tiredness I had.
I decided to start my first Tahajjud Prayer with two sets of 2 Rak’ah of prayers and end with the Witr prayer. While praying the first set of 2 Rak’ah, there was a big emotional unleash while reciting the prayer. Every time I went into sajdah (or Sujūd), I prolonged and took the moment to cry out and explain my troubles, worries, and struggles to Allah, requesting help and forgiveness as I knew I had made mistakes in life. I admitted that I am weak and require help. Once I finished my first Tahajjud Prayer, I took a moment to let out all my emotions while being in sajdah. I knew that this was the closest we, as Muslims, can get to Allah. I cried and asked for help and forgiveness. This moment took nearly 10/15 minutes. I had to take a break in between as my nose got blocked from the emotional outburst. After I was done with my first Tahajjud Prayer, I felt positive energy and I went to bed. Before I continued sleeping I wachted a video on what Allah tells us about Tahajjud Prayers and continued sleeping.
What did I feel after performing my first Tahajjud Prayer?
Normally, when I wake up in the middle of the night and then continue sleeping, I feel tired the day after. However, after I performed my Tahajjud Prayer, I felt energized, rested, and as if I had less burden on my shoulders, despite still being affected by difficulties, struggles, and issues. It felt unbelievably good to unleash all my emotions and feelings during my prayer. The immediate feeling the day after and in the weeks that followed was certainly the physical and mental burden on my mind, shoulders, and body being gone. If I had to express this in terms of a percentage, I would say above 50%. Because I was staying with family, I decided to book and stay at a hotel the next month. Although I was already not earning enough, and I was worried about the financial impact, I told myself that I needed Tahajjud Prayer and being away from my family and the environment I was in, was really necessary. So, I decided to book and plan my second Tahajjud Prayer.
While I went back to normal life, still being in the same situation, it felt different. I was longing for another emotional talk with Allah during Tahajjud Prayer. Despite still facing the same situation and struggles, the fact that some mental burden was gone made me feel differently, with so much less of a burden. I became excited because of my first Tahajjud Prayer and looked forward to my second Tahajjud Prayer.
When I prayed my first Tahajjud, I experienced an incredibly special moment—a profound sense of calm and relaxation enveloped me, making the night feel sacred. It was so powerful that I decided to make Tahajjud a monthly practice. By the time I reached my third Tahajjud prayer the following month, I realized just how unbelievably special those moments truly are. The serenity, the quiet connection with Allah, and the peace that filled my heart were unlike anything I had ever felt. At that moment, I knew this was the unique blessing of the night prayer, a gift that I wanted to cherish regularly.
What was the first outcome of my first few Tahajjud Prayers?
The first noticeable outcome of my initial Tahajjud prayers, which I offered while staying at a hotel despite facing financial difficulties, was nothing short of remarkable. Although I was concerned about the hotel expenses, I noticed they didn’t impact my finances as expected. Strangely, with less money, I was able to accomplish so much more. It felt as though my resources were stretching beyond their usual limits. This unexpected abundance led me to wonder if this was what people meant by “increased barakah.” I wasn’t entirely sure at the time, but it seemed like a glimpse of how Allah’s blessings can manifest in ways that sometimes we are surprised.
To be continued.
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Thank you and salaam.