**1. **“And during part of the night forsake sleep by prayer, beyond what is incumbent on thee; maybe thy Lord will raise thee to a position of great glory” (17:79).
2. “The rising by night is the firmest way to tread and the best **corrective of speech” (73:6).
3.** “Surely thy Lord knows that thou passest in prayer nearly two-thirds of the night, and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) one-third of it, and also a part of those who are with thee” (73: 20).
Tahajjud, from hajada meaning he remained wakeful in the night, is the prayer which is offered during the latter part of the night, before daybreak. It is a supererogatory prayer, but special stress is laid on it in the Holy Qur’ān (vv. 1, 2).Witr, (lit. an odd number), originally a part of the Tahajjud prayer. is a supererogatory prayer of three rak’ahs, generally said after the ‘Ishii’ prayer. Tarāwīh (pl. of tarwihah meaning rest) is a supererogatory prayer of eight or twenty rak’ahs said during the month of Ramadzān immediately after the ‘Ishā’ prayer.
The Tahajjud prayer is said, after one has enjoyed sleep, during the latter third of the night (h. 1), This prayer consists of eleven rak’ahs (h. 2). but may be shortened to nine or seven or even less (hh. 3. 4), there being a break after every two rak’ahs. As all people could not afford to get up in the latter part of the night, three rak’ahs of witr were added to the ‘Ishā’ prayer, being the final act of devotion before going to sleep (hh. 5, 6). The last rak’ah of witr war, characterized by a special prayer offered before or after rukū’ and called the qunūt (h. 7).
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The Tarāwīh prayer really takes the place of Tahajjud, in the case of those who cannot get up for Tahajjud, in the month of Ramadzān. In its present form, it was introduced in the time of 'Umar** (h. 8).
Abn Hurairah reported, The Messenger of Allāh, peace and blessings of Allāh be on him, said,** "Our Lord, blessed and exalted is He, descends every night to the nearest heaven when the latter one-third of the night remains, (and) says, Is there any one who calls upon Me so that I may accept of him, who asks of Me so that I may grant him, who seeks forgiveness of Me so that I may forgive him?**
Ibn 'Umar reported, The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allāh be on him, said:“Let the witr be your last prayer at night.”
'Abd al-Rahmān said, I went out with 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb to the mosque on a certain night in Ramadzān, and the people had formed themselves into different groups–one man saying prayer alone and another saying prayers with a number of people following his prayer. So 'Umar said,** I think if I gather them together behind one reciter, it would be much better. Then he made his decision and gathered them together behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b. Then I went out with him on another night and the people were following the prayer of their reciter.**
'Umar said, **This innovation is very good; and the part (of the night) in which they sleep is better than that in which they stand saying prayers–he meant the latter part of the night; and the people stood praying in the first part.
**Source: A Manual of Hadith: Chapter XIII: Supererogatory Prayers ... | Sacred Texts Archive
