TAHAJJUD - IS IT A SALAT?

 TAHAJJUD - IS IT A SALAT? IS IT SALAT AL ESHA OR AL SALAT AL USTA?

The Traditionals claim that Tahajjud is an additional Nafl Salat. This is simple to debunk. Quran mentions 3 Salat by name - Fajr, Usta,  Esha.  There is no Salat mentioned in verses 17.78- 79.

Now, some persons / a group calling Al Salat al Usta is at the evening after sunset and then Esha is between this evenning salat and Fajr salat. - or something like that - which one is what is not clear from their claims. The claim is so manipulated that even difficult to fathom.

You find answer to Traditionals claim embedded in following write up. In addition, let us address this second claim.

1. There is no salat named Salat al Jumma. It is Salat on the day of Jumma. That is one of the 3 salat mentioned in Quran. But it has two clear conditions -

     A. You leave your work to join Jumma

     B. You return to work after Jumma.

Think- which salat or time of salat fulfills these conditions? 

      Fajr? No- you do not leave work at Fajr

      Esha? No - you do not go back to work

      Midnight? No - neither leave or join back.

Please read my article - SALAH IN JUMMAH AND DAY OF JUMMAH AND SALAH ON THE DAY OF JUMMAH.

2. Next they do is manipulation of verse 11.114. It talks about two salats and not 3. The 2nd WA is a clarifier / emphasis for 1st part of the verse.

[11:114] Stand / Do the Salat at (NEAR) the two ends of the day THAT IS (AW) during the approaches of the night. The good deeds wipe out the bad deeds. This is a reminder for those who remember.

'Ends of the Day' are demarcation lines and not end of a day or day time. They are Sunrise and sunset.  There are 4 approaches- 

Before Sunrise

After Sunrise 

Before Sunset

After Sunset.

Next part of the verse - 'during the approaches of the night' ' clarifies which two of those approaches are Salat times. The ones touched the night that is - Before Sunrise and After Sunset.

So, two salats referred in this verse is Fajr and Esha. 

3. Next they manipulate the meaning of Duluk in verse 17.78. Unfortunately, Quran used the word only once. Few things to note to determine the meaning of the word from Quran-

  A. There is a salat during day time when you leave work and join back to work on the day of Jumma and that is one of the 3 salats.

  B. 11.114 talks about only two salats.

  C. Sunset and sunrise has different names in Quran- 

20.130 So be patient over what they say and GLORIFY with praise (of) your Lord BEFORE (the) RISING (of) the SUN and BEFORE ITS SETTING; and FROM (the) HOURS (of) THE NIGHT, and GLORIFY (at the) ends (of) THE DAY so that you may be satisfied.

50.39 So be patient over what they say and GLORIFY (the) praise (of) your Lord, BEFORE (the) RISING (of) the SUN and before the SETTING,

   D. Tarafayi in 11.114 are two and not one. But Duluk is only once. We do not see use of Duluk to name these demarcations. Instead Allah uses - ṭulūʿi l-shamsi and qabla ghurūbihā as in verse 20.130.

   E. Duluk means decline. The day time starts at dwan and not at ṭulūʿi l-shamsi and that is when rising of the sun starts. It continue to rise till midday and then starts declining till the daytime ends and Night starts and not at qabla ghurūbihā. 

Mentionable here that ghasaqi al-layli is name of the last period of day time and not part of the night.

So, it is  clear from above notes - Duluk is not at Sunset. Duluk happens once a day and that is at mid-day. 

4. Lastly to debunk the Traditionals claim and as this new conjecture.

[17:78] Stand / Do  the Salat from the duluk of the sun until the darkness of the night, as well as the Quran at dawn; the Quran at dawn is witnessed.

[17:79] And during the night MEDITATE WITH IT, an additional benefit for you, then perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy position.

Some interpreters have misinterpreted the word "tahajjad" in 17:79 to claim that this word speaks of a Salat which they gave the name 'Tahajjud Salat'. They add that this Salat is to be observed in the late night hours!

The first thing we notice when we try to verify this claim, is that the subject of 17:79 is not the Salat, nor is the word Salat mentioned anywhere in this verse. The Salat is indeed the subject of the opening words in 17:78, however, the subject changes in 17:78 with the words "as well as the Quran at dawn; the Quran at dawn is witnessed."

The last words in 17:78 speak about the reading of the Quran and that the reading of the Quran at dawn is witnessed. The words continue in verse 79 to say that we should do tahajjud (reflect/meditate) with the Quran during the night. Here we must pay very close attention to the Arabic words "tahajjad bihi" (meditate with it). The word "it" refers to the Quran, which is the subject carried forward from the last words in 17:78. The word "it" does not refer to the Salat. The Arabic word "bihi" (with it) is masculine. This is because the word Quran is masculine. In contrast, the word Salat is feminine. If the subject was the Salat, the Arabic word to use would have been 'biha'.