Salatul Hajat is a voluntary (nafl) prayer of two rakat offered when you have a specific need. Make a perfect wudu, pray two rakat with full focus, then praise Allah, send salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him), and ask Allah for your need with sincerity and certainty.
Key Facts
- Number of rakat
- 2 rakat (the well-known practice)
- Best time
- Last third of the night (tahajjud time)
- Most accepted moment
- Dua in sujood (Sahih Muslim 482)
What is Salatul Hajat?
Salatul Hajat (the Prayer of Need) is a voluntary prayer a Muslim offers when facing a specific need or difficulty, after which they turn to Allah and ask Him directly for that need. The word *hajat* means a need, so this is simply praying nafl and then making a focused dua for whatever you are seeking.
The general basis for it is strong and clear: Allah loves to be asked, He invites His servants to call on Him, and He has promised to answer. Praying two rakat of nafl and then making dua is an established and encouraged way of approaching Allah at a time of need.
It is important to be honest about the evidence. The specific hadith that mentions a named "Salatul Hajat" with a fixed wording is reported in Jami at-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah from Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa, and many scholars consider its chain of narration weak. However, the broader practice it points to (praying voluntary prayer and then asking Allah for a need) is supported by sound, authentic texts. So you can pray it with confidence as nafl plus dua, without attaching it to a weak wording as if it were obligatory.
How do you pray Salatul Hajat? (step by step)
To pray Salatul Hajat, perform a complete wudu, pray two rakat of voluntary prayer with focus, then praise Allah, send salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him), and make a heartfelt dua for your specific need. The steps below give you the full method in order.
- Make a perfect wudu. Purify yourself well and face the qiblah, the same as any prayer.
- Form the intention. Intend in your heart to pray two rakat of nafl (voluntary prayer) seeking Allah's help for your need. The intention is in the heart and need not be spoken aloud.
- Pray two rakat. Pray two normal rakat as you would any prayer, reciting Surah al-Fatihah and then any surah or verses you wish in each rakat, with calmness and full concentration.
- Praise Allah after the prayer. Begin your supplication by glorifying and praising Allah, the way every accepted dua should start.
- Send salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him). Send blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him), as this is a recommended cause for a dua to be accepted.
- Make your dua for the need. Ask Allah clearly and humbly for your specific need, with certainty that He hears and can grant it. Repeat and insist, and do not be hasty for the answer.
What do you recite in each rakat?
There is no fixed, obligatory surah for Salatul Hajat because the authentic basis is general nafl prayer. You recite Surah al-Fatihah in every rakat (which is required in any prayer) and then any portion of the Quran you choose in each of the two rakat.
Because there is no binding text specifying particular surahs, you are free to choose what helps you focus and what you have memorised well. The table below is one simple, commonly chosen pattern that is easy to follow. Treat it as a helpful suggestion, not a required formula.
| Step | Rakat 1 | Rakat 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Opening surah | Surah al-Fatihah | Surah al-Fatihah |
| Then recite | A surah you know well, e.g. Surah al-Ikhlas | Another surah, e.g. Ayat al-Kursi or al-Ikhlas |
| Manner | Calm, unhurried, with focus | Calm, unhurried, with focus |
When should you pray Salatul Hajat?
Salatul Hajat can be prayed at almost any time of day when nafl prayer is allowed, but the most blessed time is the last third of the night, the same time as tahajjud, because Allah descends and invites His servants to ask of Him. You should, however, avoid the three forbidden times for voluntary prayer.
The three times to avoid for nafl are: at sunrise (as the sun is rising), when the sun is at its zenith (midday, just before it passes the meridian), and at sunset (as the sun is setting). Outside of these, you may pray Salatul Hajat whenever your need is pressing on your heart.
| Time | Status |
|---|---|
| Last third of the night (tahajjud time) | Best and most encouraged |
| After Salah, or any time nafl is allowed | Permitted |
| As the sun is rising | Avoid (forbidden time for nafl) |
| Midday, when the sun is at its zenith | Avoid (forbidden time for nafl) |
| As the sun is setting | Avoid (forbidden time for nafl) |
A dua for need with transliteration and meaning
After praying and praising Allah and sending salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him), you may make your own dua in any language, and you may also use a known supplication for relief and need. One well-known and authentic dua at times of distress is the supplication of Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him), which Allah Himself records in the Quran.
Allah says about it: "And [mention] the man of the fish (Yunus), when he called out in the darknesses, There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (Quran 21:87). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said no Muslim ever supplicates with it for anything except that Allah answers him (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3505).
Arabic: La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu mina az-zalimin.
Meaning: There is no deity except You; glory be to You. Indeed, I have been among the wrongdoers.
You can recite this with full presence of heart and then ask Allah plainly for your need. Keep your dua sincere, specific, and full of good expectation of Allah, and ask Him at the moments most likely to be accepted.
Why dua in sujood matters most
The single most powerful moment to ask Allah for your need is while you are in sujood (prostration), because that is when a servant is closest to their Lord. Many people focus only on the dua after the prayer and forget the strongest opportunity, which is inside the prayer itself.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so make plenty of supplication then." (Sahih Muslim 482). So during the sujood of your two rakat, after the obligatory glorification, you can pour out your need to Allah in your prostration.
Combine both: ask in your sujood during the prayer, and ask again after you finish, having praised Allah and sent salawat. This way you are using the most accepted moments rather than rushing through.
The right state of heart when you ask
The way you ask matters as much as the prayer itself. Allah answers the dua that comes from a present, certain heart, so ask with full conviction that Allah hears you and is able to give, and never approach Him doubting or in a careless state.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Call upon Allah while being certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not respond to a supplication from the heart of one heedless and distracted." (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3479). So remove distractions, lower your voice and your heart, and mean every word you say.
Be patient as well. The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that a believer's dua is answered as long as he does not become impatient and say, "I supplicated but no answer came" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6340). Allah may give you exactly what you asked, give you something better, or store an even greater reward for you in the next life. Every sincere dua is answered in one of these ways.
Common mistakes to avoid with Salatul Hajat
Because some weak narrations and folk practices have spread around Salatul Hajat, it helps to keep your worship clean and on the authentic path. Avoiding these mistakes keeps the prayer sincere and free of innovation.
- Treating it as obligatory. It is voluntary (nafl). Do not present it as a duty Allah commanded, and do not blame anyone who does not pray it.
- Fixing a specific count or wording from weak reports. The basic, safe practice is two rakat of nafl followed by sincere dua. Do not insist on numbers or formulas that lack authentic backing.
- Praying in the forbidden times. Avoid sunrise, the midday zenith, and sunset for voluntary prayer.
- Rushing the prayer or the dua. The focus and presence of heart are the soul of this act, so slow down.
- Despairing if the answer is delayed. Keep asking, keep good thoughts of Allah, and trust His timing and wisdom.
“The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so make plenty of supplication then.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Salatul Hajat: How to Pray the Prayer of Need