When is the best time to pray Tahajjud?

The best time for Tahajjud is the last third of the night, before Fajr. According to hadith in Bukhari and Muslim, Allah descends to the lowest heaven during this time and answers the calls of those who are awake and praying.

How do I calculate Tahajjud prayer time for my location?

The easiest way is to use a prayer times app like Pray Watch, which shows the exact start of the last third of the night for your location without any manual calculation needed.

Can I pray Tahajjud just before Fajr?

Yes. Waking up 20 minutes before Fajr puts you squarely in the last third of the night, the prime Tahajjud window. This is a practical starting point since you already need to wake for Fajr.

What are the Tahajjud timings and when does it end?

Tahajjud can be prayed anytime after sleeping post-Isha up until the Fajr prayer begins. The last third of the night is the most recommended window and ends at the Fajr adhan.

The Best Time to Pray Tahajjud (According to Hadith)

If you’ve started exploring Tahajjud, you’ve likely come across the phrase “the last third of the night” and then immediately wondered: What does that mean in actual clock time?

This is one of the most practical questions about night prayer, and it has a clear answer. But understanding why this time is special matters just as much as knowing when it is.

What the Hadith Says

The foundation for Tahajjud’s timing comes from a hadith that is among the most widely cited in Islamic literature:

“Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?”

(Bukhari 1145 & Muslim 758)

This hadith establishes that the last third of the night is a time of extraordinary divine proximity. It is not a metaphor. It is a reality described by the Prophet ﷺ. Allah, in a manner befitting His Majesty, comes close to those who wake to pray.

A second hadith adds:

“The closest that the Lord is to a worshipper is during the last part of the night, so if you are able to be of those who remember Allah in that hour, then do so.”

(Tirmidhi 3579)

How to Find the Last Third of the Night

The simplest way is to use Pray Watch, a prayer times app that shows the last third of the night directly for your location. No calculation needed.

Download it here: App Store OR Google Play

Not sponsored. We recommend it simply because of how easy and clean it is to use.

The Most Practical Way to Start

Wake up 20 minutes before Fajr. Pray 2 rakats. Make dua. Then pray Fajr.

That’s it. You already have to wake up for Fajr since it is obligatory. Those 20 minutes before it puts you squarely in the last third of the night, exactly where the hadith points. No alarm at 3 a.m., no disrupted sleep schedule. Just an earlier alarm than usual.

Start there. Everything else can come later.

Read the true accounts of people who discovered the power of this hour in The Power of Tahajjud.