First night of al-Qadr

The month of Ramadhan has been singled out for special worship (`Ibadat) and exclusive favours. It is a month unlike other months. One reason for this, as defined by the Qur'an, is because the Holy Qur'an was revealed in this month. In Surat al­-Baqarah: {The month of Ramadhan, that in which the Qur'an was sent down; a guidance for mankind, and clear signs of guidance and distinction} (2:185). In fact, according to a hadith of the 6th Imam (peace be upon him), the other holy books were also revealed in this month.

Among the nights of the month of Ramadhan is one special night, which is better than a thousand months (97:3). Good deeds performed on that single night are equal to those performed over a thousand months. It is the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr), when the Qur'an was revealed. Some commentators believe it was the night when the Qur'an was brought down from Baytul M`amur (Heavenly abode), for Gabriel to reveal in parts to the Prophet (Allah’s prayers be upon him and upon his holy Household). Others say it was the night when the Prophet received the entire Qur'an, but was asked to transmit it as and when the occasion demanded.

Laylatul Qadr is a celebration to commemorate the arrival of the final guidance for humans. It is a tribute to the commencement of the message revealed to mankind by their Creator, a message which shows them the way to achieve happiness in both the worlds. Just as the arrival of a child is celebrated, on its birth and then every year, as a bringer of joy and fulfilment for the family, Laylatul Qadr is celebrated as a bringer of light and guidance for mankind. Unlike the birthday which is celebrated with a feast for the senses, Laylatul Qadr includes a feast for the spirit, a feast of worship and prayers.

Some narrations indicate that the fate of every believer for the coming year is decreed on this night. That is why the Du`as for this night ask for special favours in the decree for the year. Believers are encouraged to stay awake the entire night, and pray for blessings and forgiveness. It is the holiest night of the year, and it would be unwise to be heedless of the tremendous benefits of this night.

The acts during this night are of two kinds:

1- General acts of the three destiny nights

2- Specific acts of this night

The common acts are:

  1. Take a Ghusl preferably near sunset time (wudhu also required) and Give/pre arrange for Sadaqa/Charity tonight.
  2. Recite two Rakats Salat, in every Rakat recite Surat-al-Hamd, and Surat Ikhlaas seven times. (for seeking protection against sinning for the seven organs ) After finishing Salat recite 70 times: "I seek the forgiveness of Allah and I repent before Him." [astaghfiru allaha wa atubu ilayhi أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إلَيْهِ.]
  3. Dua Raf' Al-Masahif: The Holy Quran should be opened and placed in front, then one should recite: "O Allah , in the name of this Holy Book sent by You, whatever there be in the Book. Including Your greatest name and Your good names [Asmaa-e-Husnaa] and the things to be dreaded, the things that may be expected and desired, treat me as one of those who are free from Hell fire." [Alaahumma inni asaloka be kitaabekal munzale Wa maa feeh, wa feehismokal akbaro wa asmaakal husnaa, wa maa yokhaafo Wa yurjaa an taj-alani min otaqaaeka minan-Naar", (اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِكِتابِكَ الْمُنْزَلِ، وَما فِيهِ وَفِيهِ اسْمُكَ الْأَكْبَرُ، وَأسْماؤُكَ الْحُسْنى‏ وَما يُخافُ وَيُرْجى‏، أَنْ تَجْعَلَنِي مِنْ عُتَقائِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ)

Place the Holy Qur'an on one’s head and say, "O Allah! I appeal to You by the right of this Qur'an and the right of the one who was sent along with it, and by the right of the Momin (believer) whose praise is contained in this Book and Your right on them. As no one else recognizes Your right more than You." ["Allaahumma be haqqe haazal Qur'an we be haqqe man arsaltahoo beh, Wa be haqqe kulle momenin madahtahoo feeh, we be haqqeka alaihim fa-laa ahada a'arafo be haqqeka mink" اللَّهُمَّ بِحَقِّ هذا الْقُرْآنِ، وَبِحَقِّ مَنْ أَرْسَلْتَهُ بِهِ، وَبِحَقِّ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ مَدَحْتَهُ فِيهِ، وَبِحَقِّكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلا أَحَدَ أَعْرَفُ بِحَقِّكَ مِنْكَ]

Then repeat each of the following ten times: By Your right, O Allah! By the right of Mohammad (Allah’s prayers be upon him and upon his holy Household! By the right of Ali (Peace be upon him! By the right of Fatima (Peace be upon her)! By the right of al-Hassan (Peace be upon him)! By the right of al-Hussayn (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Ali bin (son of) al-Hussayn (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Mohammad bin Ali (Peace be upon him)! By the right of J`afar bin Mohammad (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Musa bin J`afar (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Ali bin Musa (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Mohammad bin Ali (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Ali bin Mohammad (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Hasan bin Ali (Peace be upon him)! By the right of Al Hujjah (Peace be upon him)

One should then pray to Almighty Allah to fulfil one’s desires.

  1. Recite the Ziyarat of Imam Al-Hussayn (peace be upon him).
  2. Recite Dua Jawshan Kabir (1000 names of Allah) & Jawshan Saghir.
  3. Keep awake the whole night. It has been reported that whoever keeps awake during Laylatul Qadr will have all his sins forgiven even if they number the stars in the sky, the stones in the mountains and are of the quantity of water in the seas.
  4. Remember Imam Al-Mahdi (Peace be upon him) much throughout the night & recite Dua Faraj for Imam (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance) as many times as possible intermittently. Ziyarat Ale Yasin & Dua Nudba may also be recited
  5. Recite Dua Makarem akhlaq (noble traits) & Dua Afiyat & 15 Whispered prayers from Sahifa Sajjadia
  6. Recite a hundred rakats and it is preferable that in each rakat after the recitation of Surat Fatiha, Surat Ikhlaas be recited ten times...



Then come the special acts of the eve of the 19th of the month of Ramadhan:

According to Hadith, Laylatul Qadr is either on the 19th, 21st or 23rd night of Ramadhan. More emphasis is laid on the 21st and the 23rd, particularly the 23rd.

The recommended acts for this night are:

  1. Say 100 times: “Astaghfirullaaha Rabbee Wa­atoobu Ilayh” استغفر الله ربي وأتوب إليه

I seek forgiveness of Allah, and I turn (repentant) to Him.

  1. Say 100 times: Allahumma il­`an Qatalata ­ameeril mu'mineen اللهم العن قتلة أمير المؤمين

O Allah, curse the ones who killed Ameerul Mu'mineen.

  1. Munajat of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) للَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ عَلى‏ ما وَهَبْتَ لِي مِنْ انْطِواءِ ما طَوَيْتَ مِنْ شَهْرِي، وَانَّكَ لَمْ تُجِنْ فِيهِ أَجَلِي، وَلَمْ تَقْطَعْ عُمْرِي، وَلَمْ تُبِلْنِي بِمَرَضٍ يَضْطَرُّنِي إِلى‏ تَرْكِ الصِّيامِ، وَلا بِسَفَرٍ يَحِلُّ لِي فِيهِ الإفْطارُ، فَأَنَا أَصُومُهُ فِي كِفايَتِكَ وَوِقايَتِكَ، أطِيعُ أَمْرَكَ، وَاقْتاتُ رِزْقَكَ، وَأرْجُو وَأؤَمِّلُ تَجاوُزَكَ.

فَأَتْمِمِ اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيَّ فِي ذلِكَ نِعْمَتَكَ، وَاجْزِلْ بِهِ مِنَّتَكَ، وَاسْلَخْهُ عَنِّي بِكَمالِ الصِّيامِ وَتَمْحِيصِ الاثامِ، وَبَلِّغْنِي آخِرَهُ بِخاتِمَةِ خَيْرٍ وَخَيْرَهُ، يا أَجْوَدَ الْمَسْؤُولِينَ، وَيا أَسْمَحَ الْواهِبِينَ، وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلى‏ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ)

  1. Recite the following supplication (يا ذَا الَّذِي كانَ قَبْلَ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ، ثُمَّ خَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ، ثُمَّ يَبْقى‏ وَيَفْنى‏ كُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ، يا ذَا الَّذِي لَيْسَ فِي السَّمواتِ الْعُلى‏ وَلا فِي الْأَرَضِينَ السُّفْلى‏، وَلا فَوْقَهُنَّ وَلا بَيْنَهُنَّ وَلا تَحْتَهُنَّ إِلهٌ يُعْبَدُ غَيْرُهُ، لَكَ الْحَمْدُ حَمْدا لا يَقْدِرُ عَلى‏ إِحْصائِهِ إِلّا أَنْتَ، فَصَلِّ عَلى‏ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، صَلاةً لا يَقْدِرُ عَلى‏ إِحْصائِها إِلّا أَنْتَ).

[ya dhalladhy kana qabla kulli shay'in, thumma khalaqa kulla shay'in, thumm yabqa wa yafna kullu shay'in, ya dhalladhy laysa kamithlihi shay'un, wa ya dhalladhy laysa fi alssamawati al`ula, wa la fi alaradhina alssufla, wa la fawqahunna wa la tahtahunna wa la baynahunna ilhun yu`badu ghayruhu, laka alhamdu hamdan la yaqwa `ala ihsaĺihi illa anta, fasalli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin salatan la yaqwa `ala ihsaĺiha illa anta.]

O He Who has been always there before all things, And He then created all things, And He then stays while all things vanish. O He Whose like in not found at all O He; neither in the highest heavens, Nor in the lowest layers of the earth Nor above them, nor beneath them, nor there is between them any god that is worshipped save Him. To You be the praise that none can count save You, So, please bless Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad with the blessings that none can count save You.



  1. Recite the following supplication: (اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِيما تَقْضِي وَتُقَدِّرُ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ الْمَحْتُومِ وَفِيما تَفْرُقُ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ الْحَكِيمِ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ، وَفِي الْقَضاءِ الَّذِي لا يُرَدُّ وَلا يُبَدَّلُ، أَنْ تَكْتُبَنِي مِنْ حُجّاجِ بَيْتِكَ الْحَرامِ، الْمَبْرُورِ حَجُّهُمْ، الْمَشْكُورِ سَعْيُهُمْ، الْمَغْفُورِ ذُنُوبُهُمْ، الْمُكَفَّرِ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُهُمْ، وَاجْعَلْ فِيما تَقْضِي وَتُقَدِّرُ أَنْ تَطِيلَ عُمْرِي، وَتُوَسِّعَ عَلَيَّ فِي رِزْقِي، وَتَفْعَلَ بِي كَذا وَكَذا).

[O Allah, while taking decisions and rendering possible things and events decisively and determining a rational and sensible course of affairs in the Night of Qadr (which cannot be changed or bypassed), write my name in the list of those pilgrims of Your Sacred House whose pilgrimage receive Your approval, whose efforts are appreciated, whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongdoings are overlooked; and, while taking decisions and rendering possible things and events, make possible for me a long life and enough means of livelihood, and fulfil (mention your legitimate desirers)]

  1. Recite the Dua: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَمْسَيْتُ لَكَ عَبْداً داخِراً لا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي ضَرّاً وَلا نَفْعاً، وَلا أَصْرِفُ عَنْها سُوءً، أَشْهَدُ بِذلِكَ عَلى‏ نَفْسِي، وَاعْتَرِفُ لَكَ بِضَعْفِ قُوَّتِي، وَقِلَّةِ حِيلَتِي، فَصَلِّ عَلى‏ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَأنْجِزْ لِي ما وَعَدْتَنِي، وَجَمِيعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِناتِ مِنَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ فِي هذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ، وَاتْمِمْ عَلَيَّ ما آتَيْتَنِي، فَإنِّي عَبْدُكَ الْمِسْكِينُ الْمُسْتَكِينُ، الضَّعِيفُ الْفَقِيرُ الْمُهِينُ.

اللَّهُمَّ لا تَجْعَلْنِي ناسِياً لِذِكْرِكَ فِيما أَوْلَيْتَنِي، وَلا غافِلاً لإحْسانِكَ فِيما أَعْطَيْتَنِي، وَلا آيِساً مِنْ إِجابَتِكَ، وَإنْ أَبْطَأْتَ عَنِّي، فِي سَرَّاءَ كُنْتُ أَوْ ضَرَّاءَ، أَوْ شِدَّةٍ أَوْ رَخاءٍ، أَوْ عافِيَةٍ أَوْ بَلاءٍ، أَوْ بُؤْسٍ أَوْ نَعْماءَ، إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعاءِ)...
Readers' comments
No comment
Add a comment
Name:
The country:
Email:
Share: