Are there any supplications (duas) to be said before or after Tahajjud prayer?

- Is there a dua of request to be said before or after tahajjud prayer?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is possible to say the duas that the Prophet (pbuh) said before or after tahajjud prayer, or other duas mentioned in the verses of the Quran and hadiths, or any other duas.  

The supererogatory (nafilah) prayer to be performed after isha (night) prayer without sleeping or by sleeping for a very short time is called “salatul-layl”. The prayer to be performed after sleeping for a while and waking up after midnight and before the time of imsak is called “tahajjud” prayer. Tahajjud prayer is performed as two, four, six and eight rak’ahs. It is more virtuous to salute after every two rak’ahs.

Tahajjud prayer was fard for the Prophet (pbuh). The reason why it was fard is the following verse:  

“And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a Station of Praise and Glory.” (al-Isra, 17/79)

The other believers are also encouraged to perform tahajjud prayer. As a matter of fact, the Prophet (pbuh) states the following:

“If a person wakes up at night, awakens his spouse and performs a prayer of two rak’ahs, they will be recorded among the men and women that remember Allah a lot.” (Abu Dawud, Salat, 307)

When the Prophet woke up to perform tahajjud prayer at night, he said the following dua:

للَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ، وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَقَوْلُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ، وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ، وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّبِيُّونَ حَقٌّ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ حَقٌّ، اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ، وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ، وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ وَلا إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

"O Allah, to You be praise, You are the light of the heavens and the earth, and everyone therein. To You be praise; You are the holder of the heavens and the earth, and everyone therein. To You be praise; You are True; Your promise is true; Paradise is true; Hell is true; the Hour is true; the Prophets are true and Muhammad is true. To You have I submitted; in You I put my trust and in You I have believed. To You I turn in repentance; by Your help I argue; to You I refer my case; so, forgive me for my past and future sins, what I have done in secret and what I have done openly. You are the One Who brings forward and puts back. None has the right to be worshipped but You, and there is none who has the right to be worshipped other than You." (Tirmidhi, Daawat 29; see Bukhari, Tahajjud, 1)

According to what is narrated from Ubade b. Samit, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"If a person wakes up at night and prays as follows, his sins will be forgiven: 'La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shayin qadir. Subhanallahi wal hamdu lillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar,  wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah."

"There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him; to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him is praise due; and He is Potent over everything. Glorified is Allah; all the praises and thanks are to Allah; there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is no omnipotence and power except by Allah.” Then, "Rabbighfirli (O Lord! Forgive me!" (Abu Dawud, Adab, 98-99 no: 5060)

Shariq al-Hawzani narrates: I asked Hz. Aisha: "What supplication did the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say when he woke up at night?" She said,

"You have asked something that nobody has asked me before.

When he woke up at night, he would say, "Allahu akbar (Allah is the Greatest)" ten times, "alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah)" ten times, "Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and praise be to Him)" ten times and "Subhanal malikil quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy)" ten times. He would ask forgiveness from Allah ten times and say, "Lailaha illallah (There is no god but Allah)" ten times. Then, he would pray as follows: "Allahumma inni audhu bika min diqid-dunya wa diqi yawmil qiyama (O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee from the strait of the world and the Day of Resurrection). After that, he would start tahajjud prayer.” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 99-100 no: 5085)

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