The Night of Qadr (i.e., Laylat al-Qadr) is the night of the revelation of the Qur’an (cf Qur’an 97:1) and the predestination of the coming year for everyone. (Qur’an 44: 4) The Night of Qadr -according to the glorious Qur’an- is said to be superior and more valuable than one thousand months (Qur’an 97: 3). The Night of Qadr (i.e., Laylat al-Qadr) which is translated in English as the Night of Decree, Night of Power, Night of Value, Night of Destiny, or Night of Measures, is the most virtuous night of the year and the night of divine mercy and the forgiveness of sins, when angels descend on the Earth (Qur’an 97: 4(.
Meanwhile, the Arabic term “Qadr” means measure and limit or value of something or destiny. Some reasons have been offered for its naming:
1. It is said that it was called al-Qadr because the annual destiny of every person will be determined by Allah.
2. Some say that if one stays awake at this night praying, reading Qur’an, or repenting, one will reach a high state.
3. Some have said that it was called al-Qadr because it is a grand and high-value night.
Significance of the Night of Qadr
According to a hadith from the Prophet (PBUH), the Night of Qadr is a divine endowment to Muslims, which was not enjoyed by any of the past nations. There is a full Chapter in the Qur’an characterizing and praising the Night of Qadr, and thus it is called Sura al-Qadr [Qur’an 97]. In this Chapter, the value of the night is said to be greater than one thousand months. Besides, verses one to six of Qur’an 44 are also concerned with the importance and events of the Night of Qadr.
In other words, the night is not comparable to any others because of Muslims and according to a tradition, the blessings due to the acts of worship during this night cannot be equalled even by worshipping throughout an entire lifetime. The reward of acts of worship done in this one single night is more than the reward of a thousand months of worship.
Similarly, according to a hadith from Imam al-Sādiq (PBUH), the best month is Ramadan, and the heart of the month of Ramadan is the Night of Qadr. (Ḥuwayzī, Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 918.) There is a hadith from the Prophet (PBUHH) to the effect that the Night of Qadr is the head of all nights. (Majlisī, Biḥār al-Anwār, vol. 40, p. 54.) According to sources of hadiths and jurisprudence, the Days of Qadr are as virtuous and valuable as its Nights. (Ṭūsī, Tahdhīb al-aḥkām, vol. 4, hadith 101, p. 331.)
In essence, what gives the Night of Qadr its importance is as follows:
I) The Revelation of the Qur’an
One of the events that make the Night of Qadr superior is the revelation of the glorious Qur’an. The first verse of Qur’an 97 (Sura al-Qadr) and the third verse of Qur’an 44 categorically stated that the Qur’an was revealed on the Night of Qadr. The majority of Qur’anic exegetes believe that the whole Qur’an was instantly revealed from the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) to the Frequented House (al-Bayt al-Ma’mur) on the Prophet’s heart, which is referred to as the instant revelation or compact revelation of the Qur’an.
II) Predestination of Affairs: In an interpretation of verse four of Qur’an 44, Imam al-Bāqir (PBUH) said: every year on this night, every person’s destiny in the coming year will be determined. Thus, in some hadiths, the Night of Qadr is said to be the beginning of the year. According to ‘Allama Tabataba’ī, “the word, “Qadr,” means measurement, and thus, on this night, God measures and determines events such as life, death, livelihood, happiness, and misery. (Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 20, p. 561)]
III) Forgiveness of Sins: According to Islamic sources, the Night of Qadr is a special night for divine mercy and the forgiveness of sins. On this night, Satan will be chained, and doors of the Heaven will be opened to believers. (Sayyid Raḍī, Bāzkhānī-yi faḍ Āyil-i Shab-i Qadr, p. 94) The Prophet (PBUH) was quoted as saying: “If a person stays vigilant in the Night of Qadr and is a believer in the day of rewards and punishments, then all his sins will be forgiven.”
IV) Descent of Angels: According to verses of Qur’an 97, angels and the Spirit descend on the Earth on the Night of Qadr (Qur’an 97:4) and according to some hadiths, they meet the Imam to notify him of what is predestined for people in the coming year. Imam al-Bāqir (PBUH) said: “On this night, angels circumambulate around us, whereby we find out that it is the Night of Qadr.” (Wafā, Shab-i Qadr az Manzar-i Qurān, p. 87)
Time of the Night of Qadr
Shia Muslims similarly believe that Laylat al-Qadr is to be found in the last ten odd-numbered nights of Ramadan but mostly on the 19th, 21st or 23rd of Ramadan with the 23rd being the most important night. (Yusuf, Imtiyaz. “Laylat al-Qadr”. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World) The 19th, according to Shia belief, coincides with the night Ali was attacked in the Mihrab while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa. He died on 21 Ramadan. According to other hadiths, destinies are written on the night of Ramadan 19, are finalized on the night of Ramadan 21, and are ultimately confirmed on the night of Ramadan 23. (Kulayni, Al-Kafi, 1996, vol. 2, p. 772)
Recommended acts of Laylat al-Qadr
The recommended acts of the Qadr Nights are of two parts; the first part deals with the general acts that are advisably practiced at each of the three Qadr Nights. The second part deals with the private acts that are dedicated to each night exclusively.
1. GENERAL ACTS
These are the recommended acts of worship common to all three nights (19th, 21st and 23rd nights). These include:
First: It is recommended to have a ritual bath (Ghusl) oneself at each of the Qadr Nights. According to ‘Allamah al-Majlisī, it is preferable to perform the bathing at sunset so as to be ready for the Isha’ Prayer with bathing.
Second: It is recommended to offer a two-unit prayer reciting at each unit Surah al-Fatihah once and repeating Surah al-Tawhīd seven times. After the accomplishment of the prayer, the following imploration should be repeated seventy times:
أَستَغفّرُ اللّهَ وَ أَتُوبُ إِلَيه
NOTE: According to a Hadith reported from the Holy Prophet (PBUHH), Almighty Allah will forgive the one who offers this prayer and will forgive his parents before he leaves his place.
Third: It is recommended to open a copy of the Holy Qur’an between one’s hands and say the following:
اللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّي اَسْاَلُكَ بِكِتَابِكَ الْمُنْزَلِ وَ مَا فِيهِ وَ فِيهِ اسْمُكَ الْاَكْبَرُ وَ اَسْمَاؤُكَ الْحُسْنَى وَ مَا يُخَافُ وَ يُرْجَى اَنْ تَجْعَلَنِي مِنْ عُتَقَائِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ.
Then, one may pray to God to fulfil one’s desires.
Fourth: It is recommended to put a copy of the Holy Qur’an on the head and say the following:
اللّٰهُمَّ بِحَقِّ هٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَ بِحَقِّ مَنْ اَرْسَلْتَهُ بِهِ وَ بِحَقِّ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ مَدَحْتَهُ فِيهِ وَ بِحَقِّكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلا اَحَدَ اَعْرَفُ بِحَقِّكَ مِنْكَ
Then, one should repeat each of the following ten times:
2. PECULIAR ACTS
These are the recommended acts of worship in each of the three nights (19th, 21st and 23rd nights).
19TH NIGHT OF RAMADAN
First: It is recommended to repeat the following imploration one hundred times at the nineteenth night of Ramadan:
اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللّٰهَ رَبِّي وَ اَتُوبُ اِلَيْهِ
Second: It is recommended to repeat the following imprecatory prayer one hundred times at the nineteenth night of Ramadan:
اللّٰهُمَّ الْعَنْ قَتَلَةَ اَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Third: It is recommended to say the aforementioned supplicatory prayer that begins with the following statement:
يَا ذَاالَّذِيْ كَانَ قَبْلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ….
Fourth: It is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer:
اللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِيمَا تَقْضِي وَ تُقَدِّرُ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ الْمَحْتُومِ وَ فِيمَا تَفْرُقُ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ الْحَكِيمِ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَ فِي الْقَضَاءِ الَّذِي لا يُرَدُّ وَ لا يُبَدَّلُ اَنْ تَكْتُبَنِي مِنْ حُجَّاجِ بَيْتِكَ الْحَرَامِ الْمَبْرُورِ حَجُّهُمْ الْمَشْكُورِ سَعْيُهُمْ الْمَغْفُورِ ذُنُوبُهُمْ الْمُكَفَّرِ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُهُمْ وَ اجْعَلْ فِيمَا تَقْضِي وَ تُقَدِّرُ اَنْ تُطِيلَ عُمْرِي وَ تُوَسِّعَ عَلَيَّ فِي رِزْقِي …
One may mention his desires after that.
21ST NIGHT OF RAMADAN
The twenty-first night of Ramadan is more meritorious that the nineteenth. It is worthwhile to practice the previously mentioned general rites of the Qadr Nights. According to narrations, it is strongly advisable to do the bathing and to spend the whole night with painstaking acts of worship on this night as well as the twenty-third, since the real Qadr Night is one of these two nights.
23RD NIGHT OF RAMADAN
The twenty-third night of Ramadan, the last of the Qadr Nights, is more meritorious than the two previous ones; namely, the nineteenth and the twenty-first. Many narrations confirm that it is the Qadr Night at which all wise affairs are decided. Apart from the general acts that are advisably practiced at the three Qadr Nights, there are other acts to be practiced on the twenty-third night of Ramadan:
First: It is recommended to recite Surahs al-’Ankabut (No. 29) and al-Rum (No. 30). Imam al-Sādiq (PBUH) is reported to have said, “Whoever recites these two Surahs on this night, will be included with the people of Paradise.”
Second: It is recommended to recite Surah al-Dukhan (No. 44).
Third: It is recommended to repeat Surah al-Qadr one thousand times.
Fourth: It is highly advisable to repeat the following famous supplicatory prayer as many times as possible at this night:
اَللّهُمَّ کُنْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْحُجَّةِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ صَلَواتُکَ عَلَیْهِ وَعَلى آبائِهِ فی هذِهِ السّاعَةِ وَفی کُلِّ ساعَةٍ وَلِیّاً وَحافِظاً وَقائِداً وَناصِراً وَدَلیلاً وَعَیْناً حَتّى تُسْکِنَهُ أَرْضَکَ طَوْعاً وَتُمَتِّعَهُ فیها طَویلاً.
Fifth: It is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer:
اللّٰهُمَّ امْدُدْ لِي فِي عُمُرِي وَ اَوْسِعْ لِي فِي رِزْقِي وَ اَصِحَّ لِي جِسْمِي وَ بَلِّغْنِي اَمَلِي وَ اِنْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الْاَشْقِيَاءِ فَامْحُنِي مِنَ الْاَشْقِيَاءِ وَ اكْتُبْنِي مِنَ السُّعَدَاءِ فَاِنَّكَ قُلْتَ فِي كِتَابِكَ الْمُنْزَلِ عَلَى نَبِيِّكَ الْمُرْسَلِ صَلَوَاتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَمْحُو اللّٰهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يُثْبِتُ وَ عِنْدَهُ اُمُّ الْكِتَابِ
Sixth: It is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer:
اللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِيمَا تَقْضِي وَ فِيمَا تُقَدِّرُ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ الْمَحْتُومِ وَ فِيمَا تَفْرُقُ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ الْحَكِيمِ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ الَّذِي لا يُرَدُّ وَ لا يُبَدَّلُ اَنْ تَكْتُبَنِي مِنْ حُجَّاجِ بَيْتِكَ الْحَرَامِ فِي عَامِي هٰذَا الْمَبْرُورِ حَجُّهُمْ الْمَشْكُورِ سَعْيُهُمْ الْمَغْفُورِ ذُنُوبُهُمْ الْمُكَفَّرِ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُهُمْ وَ اجْعَلْ فِيمَا تَقْضِي وَ تُقَدِّرُ اَنْ تُطِيلَ عُمْرِي وَ تُوَسِّعَ لِي فِي رِزْقِي
Seventh: It is recommended to take another ritual bath, other than the first one, at the last hours of the night.
Eighth: To do Ziyarat of the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (PBUH),
