Night Prayer and Tahajjud: The Number of Rak'ahs, Their Time, and Lengthening the Prayer

Question : We conclude this session with a question from listener S.M.H. He says: Honorable Shaykh, tell us about the Tahajjud prayer and standing in night prayer, about the number of rak'ahs, about its time in hours, and about the amount that a Muslim must recite in it. May you be rewarded.

Answer : The Tahajjud prayer is among the best of acts of worship. Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Its time is from the 'Isha' prayer until the dawn breaks, and the best of it is the last third of the night after the middle, which is the standing of Dawud (peace be upon him).
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that the best standing is the standing of Dawud. He would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth of it. The matter is broad in this regard. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) preferred any part of the night, whether the beginning, the middle, or the end.
It is best not to exceed eleven or thirteen rak'ahs. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked how the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was in Ramadan? She said: He did not exceed eleven rak'ahs in Ramadan or otherwise, and she explained that. It is also established from him (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) that he prayed thirteen rak'ahs. A person should lengthen the recitation, the bowing, and the prostration, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to do so, but on the condition that it does not burden him. If it burdens him, let him rest, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) ordered the one who dozed in his prayer to sleep so that he would not recite incorrectly.