Understanding and preparing the third night of Destiny

The Messenger of Allah (Allah's prayers be upon him and upon his holy Household) said, "Allah has favored Friday over all other days, the month of Ramadhan over all other months, and the Night of Destiny (Lailatul-Qadr) over all other nights."

This name was used for Lailatul-Qadr because Allah Almighty determines in it for everyone all what will happen the entire next year. The "Qadr" in this sense means destiny. Imam Abu Abdullah As-Sadeq (peace be upon him) saying, "During Lailatul-Qadr, the angels, the spirit, and the trusted scribes all descend to the lower heavens and write down whatever Allah decrees that year, and if Allah wishes to advance something or postpone it or add thereto, He orders the angel to erase it and replace it with whatever He decrees." Sulayman al-Marzawi has asked Imam Ar-Reda (peace be upon him), "Could you please tell us why the Chapter of Qadr was revealed?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said, "O Sulayman! Lailatul-Qadr is the night when Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, decrees what will take place from one year to another of life or death, good or evil, or regarding sustenance, and whatever He then decrees is sure destiny." This night is better that thousand nights like stated in the holy verse: {The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.} (97:3) which is enough proof for the importance of this night.

The third night of Qadr "the eve of the twenty third of the month of Ramadan". The "A'maal" (religious performances) of this night are of great reward. In addition to the General a'amal at all the three Qadr Nights, there are other 'specific additional a'amal' for the 23rd night as below:

  1. Recite Surahs of al-`Ankabut (No. 29) and al-Rum (No. 30). Imam As-Sadeq (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Anyone who recites these two Surahs at this night will be included with the people of Paradise.”
  2. Recite Surah of al-Dukhan (No. 44).
  3. It is recommended to repeat Surah of al-Qadr (No 97) thousand times.
  4. The night is inextricably linked to the Imam of our time. Recite the special supplications related to the Imam such as dua al-faraj.
  5. It is recommended to say the following supplication:

"O Allah: (please do) prolong my lifetime, And expand my sustenance, And make my body healthy, And make me attain my hopes, And if I am written with the unhappy ones, (please) erase my name from this list, And write it with the happy ones, For You have said in Your Book that You revealed to Your missioned Prophet, Your peace be upon him and his Household: “Allah makes to pass away and establishes what He pleases, and with Him is the basis of the Book.”

“"اللَّهُمَّ امْدُدْ لِي فِي عُمْرِي، وَأَوْسِعْ لِي فِي رِزْقِي، وَأَصِحَّ لِي جِسْمِي، وَبَلِّغْنِي أَمَلِي، وَإِنْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الاَشْقِياءِ فَامْحُنِي مِنَ الاَشْقِياءِ وَاكْتُبْنِي مِنَ السُّعَداءِ، فَإِنَّكَ قُلْتَ فِي كِتابِكَ المُنْزَلِ عَلى نَبِيِّكَ المُرْسَلِ (صَلَواتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ): ﴿يَمْحُوالله ما يَشاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِنْدَهُ اُمَّ الكِتابِ﴾".

  1. Recite the following supplication:

"O Allah: (please), among the matters that You decide and make, From among the inevitable affairs, And from among the wise matters that You make distinct, At the Grand Night From among the act that is neither rejected nor altered, That You decide me to be with the pilgrims to Your Holy House, At this year, Those whose pilgrimage is admitted, Whose efforts are praised, Whose sins are forgiven, And whose offenses and pardoned. And (please), among the matters that You decide and make, Decide to prolong my lifetime, And to expand my sustenance."

"اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِيْما تَقْضِي وَفِيما تُقَدِّرُ مِنَ الاَمْرِ المَحْتُومِ وَفِيما تَفْرُقُ مِنَ الاَمْرِ الحَكِيمِ فِي لَيْلَةِ القَدْرِ مِنَ القَضاء الَّذِي لا يُرَدُّ وَلا يُبَدَّلُ، أَنْ تَكْتُبَنِي مِنْ حُجَّاجِ بَيْتِكَ الحَرامِ فِي عامِي هذا المَبْرُورِ حَجُّهُمُ المَشْكُورِ سَعْيُهُمُ المَغْفُورِ ذُنُوبُهُمُ المُكَفَّرُ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئاتُهُمْ، وَاجْعَلْ فِيْما تَقْضِي وَتُقَدِّرُ أَنْ تُطِيلَ عُمْرِي وَتُوَسِّعَ لِي فِي رِزْقِي".

  1. Recite the following supplication that is mentioned in the book of ‘Iqbal al-A`mal’:

"O He Who is intrinsic though He is evident, And He Who is evident though He is intrinsic; O He Who is intrinsic that is not missed And He Who is evident but He cannot be seen; O He Who is described, but neither any other described thing nor can any boundary attain His Being; O He Who is absent but not lost, And He Who is present but not witnessed. When He is sought, He shall be obtained, And neither the heavens, nor the earth nor can anything that is between them be empty of Him. He cannot be realized by asking ‘How is He?’ And His place cannot be identified by asking, ‘Where is He?’ or ‘What is His place?’ You are verily the light of all lights and the Lord of all lords. You have comprehended all things. Glory be to Him Whose like is nonexistent, And He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing. Glory be to Him Who is in this state and nothing else can be ever in his state."

"يا باطِنا فِي ظُهُورِهِ، وَيا ظاهِراً فِي بُطُونِهِ، وَيا باطِنا لَيْسَ يَخْفَى، وَيا ظاهِراً لَيْسَ يُرى، يا مَوْصُوفاً لا يَبْلُغُ بِكَيْنُونَتِهِ مَوْصُوفٌ وَلا حَدٌ مَحْدُودٌ، وَيا غائِبا غَيْرَ مَفْقُودٍ، وَيا شاهِداً غَيْرَ مَشْهُودٍ، يُطْلَبُ فَيُصابُ، وَلَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْهُ السَّماواتُ وَالأَرْضُ وَمابَيْنَهُما طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ، لا يُدْرَكُ بِكَيْفٍ، وَلا يُؤَيَّنُ بِأَيْنٍ وَلا بِحَيْثٍ، أَنتَ نُورُ النُّورُ وَرَبُّ الأَرْبابِ، أَحَطْتَ بِجَمِيعِ الاُمور، سُبْحانَ مَنْ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ، سُبْحانَ مَن هُوَ هكَذا وَلا هكَذا غَيْرَهُ"

  1. Do a new ghusl (bathing), other than the first one, at the last hours of night.
  2. Recite the Ziyarat of Imam Al-Hussayn (peace be upon him)
  3. Performing a prayer of 100 Rak'at.
  4. Recite the supplication of the eve of the twenty third.
  5. Recite the following supplication:

"O the Director of all affairs; O the Resurrector of all those in graves; O He Who causes oceans to flow; O He Who made the iron pliant for (Prophet) David; (Please) send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad…"

""يا مُدَبِّرَ الاُمُورِ، يا باعِثَ مَنْ فِي القُبُورِ، يا مُجْرِيَ البُحُورِ، يا مُلَيِّنَ الحَدِيدِ لِداوودَ، صَلِّ عَلى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ"

You may here mention your needs, and then continue: This very night; this very night. You may raise both your hands while saying this supplication.

It is also recommended to repeat this supplication in all states—sitting, standing, prostrating... etc. at this night as well as the last night of Ramadan.
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