#Islam

The Night of Power (Laylat’l-Qadr): Step by Step Guide

What do you do on Layla tul Qadr? Best way to spend the Night of Power.

Published

August 9, 2012

As Muslims, we are blessed with countless blessings from Allah . Among them is that He has prescribed fasting during the month of Ramadan and has favored us over any other faith group in the past by multiplying our deeds especially in this Blessed month. Another immeasurable blessing which Allah has favored us with is the night of power. Worshiping in this night sincerely and expecting the reward from Allah carries great reward for the servants. In an authentic narration from the Prophet , we read:

“Whosoever worshiped on laylat’l-qadr, with faith and with a sincere intention, all of his previous sins are forgiven.” [i]

This night is special for the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Worshiping Allah in it is equivalent to worshiping Him for 1000 months.

I do not wish to delve into the views and opinions of the scholars regarding the timing and date of this powerful and blessed night. There are a plethora of articles and books on these topics. The reader may wish to read the writings of Imam Ibn Rajab al Hanbali in his much-celebrated book Lataif al Ma’arif in the chapter of Ramadan.

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I wish to focus on how we can prepare ourselves to reap the rewards of this night and hopefully be granted the forgiveness of our Lord. Below is a step by step guide to achieving success during laylat’l-qadr inspired by the writings of Imam Ibn Rajab and others:

1. Start preparing for it at Fajr.

After Fajr salah, ensure you recite the morning adhkar (remembrance), especially:

لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير

‘La ila illahu wahdau la sharika lahu, lahul mulku walahul hamd wahuwa ‘ala kulli shayin qadeer’

There is no God but Allah; He is alone without any partner. To Him belong the dominion and to Him belong all praise and He is over all things able.

Repeat this 100 times. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites it 100 times in the morning and evening, 100 good deeds will be recorded for him and 100 evil deeds will be erased from his tab, and he will be protected from the Shaytan. An important note here is that he will be free from the whisperings of the Shaytan to prepare for the Night of Power.

2. Treat Iftar to a fasting person, either by inviting him to your house or by buying food for him and sending it to him. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever gives food to break another person’s fast, he will receive the same reward as the person without his reward being diminished.

3. When the day breaks, make as much dua as possible that Allah helps you and makes it easy for you to worship Him during this night.

4. If you haven’t paid your Zakat money, pay it on this night as the rewards will be magnified. If you have, then prepare some sadaqah (charity) to give in the way of Allah. Remember charity burns our sins as fire burns wood.

5. During the course of the day, try and avoid people as much as possible (except those who need your support). This way you will not be harmed and will not be in a position to harm anyone, thus entering the night with a clean heart and mind.

Note: this also applies to the various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. You do not need to tell the whole world you’re going to the Mosque at Tahajjud!

6. Throughout the daytime make sure you perform the obligatory duties such as praying on time with the additional Sunnah and optional prayers. Repeat the phrases of adhan after the muadhin and make the necessary supplications.[ii]

7. When you break your fast, make sure you’re mindful that Allah may not accept your fasting, so you should yearn for and anticipate His mercy and reward. Supplicate with the following:

اللهم اعني و وفقني لقيام ليلة القدر

‘’Allahumma ‘ainni wa waffiqni li qiyami Laylatul qadr’

O Allah help me and facilitate for me to worship You in this Night’.

8. Constantly make the chosen dua for this night:

اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني

‘’Allahumma innaka ‘afuwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni’’

O Allah you the Most Forgiving, and You love to forgive, so forgive me’’[iii]

9. If you have parents, make sure you are dutiful towards them. Break Iftar with them and fulfill all their needs.

10. If you are not in good terms with a family member, try and resolve it before the night starts.

11. If you can, have a bath and perform wudu like the Prophet.

12. Put on clean clothes and put on nice perfume on before going to the Mosque.

13. When you enter the masjid perform all the etiquette of the masjid. Try not to speak to people too much, just focus all your energy on being alone with Allah .

14. Pray the prayers with khushu (humility) and try to cry. If tears do not come out, try and make them come (I don’t mean you should cut onions in the mosque. )

15. When you return home, make sure you are still doing the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah.

16. When you arrive at your house, eat and make dua, make wudu and take some rest (sleep) if you need to. Your sleep will be counted as ibadah (worship).

17. Wake up in due time and pray Tahajjud (many Mosques pray Tahajjud in a Jama’ah), eat and then pray Fajr. After Fajr, read the Qur’an, make constant dua and plead to Allah to forgive you. Do that and the morning dhikr until sunrise, all the while being mindful of the presence of the angels.

Remember this is the night in which Allah decrees your rizq (provisions) for the coming year, so implore Allah; cry your heart out as they say so that He may give you what you desire. Don’t think what you’re asking for is too much for Allah, nothing you ask will decrease His dominion. You want money, ask Him, you want a wife/husband, ask Him, you want a job, ask Him, you want children, ask Him, you want peace of heart, ask Him, anything you desire ask. Remember that you must focus and concentrate when you pray and make dua.

18. When you make dua, remember that there is certain etiquette you have to follow:

a) Praise Allah first,
b) then send salutations upon the Prophet ,
c) then make dua for your yourself,
d) then make dua for your family and the rest of the Ummah.
Try and follow this order as much as you can.

19. Remember when you supplicate you should have certainty and expect the best from Allah. Pray with humility and fear in front of Allah . Acknowledge your mistakes and shortcomings and implore and beseech Him alone to forgive you. Also, supplicate to Allah quietly – there is no need to raise one’s voice.

20. And finally, please do not forget to make dua for this poor servant who is in need of your prayers.[iv]

Important note for sisters:

Many sisters who are on the monthly menses ask what they can do during this night. They feel left out from the blessings of this night.

Although she is not allowed to perform the prayers and recite the Qur’an by touching it. The scholars have stated that she may perform as much dua as possible, remembering and praising Allah. They also state that she is allowed to recite the Qur’an from her memory. And finally, if her intention and ardent desire are to worship her Lord in this night but due to the valid excuse in the Shari’ah she is not able to perform the normal prayers; she should be certain that Allah will reward her fully according to her sincerity and intention.

Allah knows best.

[i] Bukhari and Muslim

[ii] See Hisnul Muslim. Alternatively visit: http://www.makedua.com/

[iii] Please watch a short video clip explaining briefly the meaning of this dua: http://youtu.be/QU1jDhW64ak

[iv] Please refer to Ibn Rajab’s Lataif al Ma’arif for discussion on the virtues and some actions of this night.

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Related Topics:Islam layatul qadr laylat'l-qadr night of power nightofpower ramadan Ramadan2012

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Sh. Abdullah Hasan

Sh. Abdullah Hasan holds an Imam Diploma, BA, and Ijaza Aliyah in Islamic Studies from a European seminary. Disciplines include fiqh, usul al-fiqh, Ifta, and other traditional subjects. He also has a diploma in Arabic from Zarqa Private University and studied at the college of fiqh wa usuluhu at the same university, receiving private training from renowned Scholars in Jordan and the Middle East. With a background in counselling and psychology, he has provided therapy for individuals, couples, and families for over a decade. He holds certificates and diplomas in person-centred psychotherapy, marriage and youth counselling, and SFBT psychotherapy. Sh. A. Hasan is currently pursuing a doctorate in applied psychology after completing a Master's degree in the same field, and also Masters Programme in Medical Psychology. His expertise also extends to Zakat and Islamic philanthropic studies. Having served as an Imam in various UK Muslim communities, Sh. A. Hasan is deeply committed to community and people development. He brings over 10 years of experience in management, leadership, and training within the third sector. Currently, he serves as a teacher of Islamic psychology and counselling, a Consultant Counselling Psychologist at Gift Foundation. Additionally, he provides Chaplaincy counselling from multiple mosques in London, UK. Sh. A. Hasan is the founder of significant initiatives such as Imams Against Domestic Abuse (IADA), the British Imams, Scholars Contributions and Achievements (BISCA Awards), and the British Institutes, Mosques, and Associations (BIMA Awards). He is a member of The Association of Islamic Mental-Health Specialists (AIMS) and actively contributes to numerous other community organisations and projects, nationally and globally.

25 Comments

feint

August 9, 2012 at 12:09 PM

I pray that you recieve Firdaus and get more happiniess than you can handle!

Reply
seeker

August 9, 2012 at 12:28 PM

You said, ”
They also state that she is allowed to recite the Qur’an from her memory.” I thought recitation of the Qur’an (with one’s tongue), even from memory without touching the scripture, is impermissible during menses. Could you please clarify?

Reply
- L.
  
  August 9, 2012 at 11:26 PM
  
  yes brother, a woman in menses is allowed to recite Quran from memory.
  
  Reply
- Maha
  
  August 10, 2012 at 6:42 PM
  
  actually according to Imam Abu HAnifa RahmatULLAH ALAIH a woman CANNOT recite the HOLY QURAN, with her tongue, even from her memory… I, ALHUMDULILLAH, am an Islamic Scholar…
  
  Reply
  - AbdulAleem Khan
    
    August 11, 2012 at 5:41 AM
    
    that’s the Hanafi viewpoint, but the authentic Hadith points out that a woman can recite from her memory during her menses.
    
    Reply
  - jj
    
    August 25, 2012 at 9:49 PM
    
    you, alhamdulillah, are a moron.
    
    Reply
    - Aly Balagamwala | DiscoMaulvi
      
      August 26, 2012 at 1:04 AM
      
      DeleteDelete
      
      Reply
  - Zaujihsan
    
    June 29, 2016 at 2:57 PM
    
    So are you saying that Allah would leave a sister unprotected?
    
    Reply
AJ

August 9, 2012 at 9:07 PM

Could you clarify the note for females during the menses -can they read other dua’s mentioned on these holy nights? And read the Quran without touching it?

Reply
- Maha
  
  August 10, 2012 at 6:45 PM
  
  actually according to Imam Abu HAnifa RahmatULLAH ALAIH a woman CANNOT
  recite the HOLY QURAN, with her tongue, even from her memory… and the Dua’s that are Ayaats of the Quran, like the Dua for travelling, can be recited during these days, but with this intention, that I’m making Dua, and am not reciting the Quran… I,
  ALHUMDULILLAH, am an Islamic Scholar…
  
  Reply
- TripleChocholate
  
  August 11, 2012 at 12:06 PM
  
  Salaam. I’m not a scholar. I took a women’s fiqh course and it seems that the majority opinion is that she is allowed to “read” the Qur’an in her menses and this is the opinion of Imam Malik and one opinion narrated from Imam Ahmed; the opinion of Ibn Hazm, Al Bukhari, and other Ahl al Hadeeth scholars. Also Ibn Taymiyya and Ash Shawkani believed this opinion is correct.
  
  Also according to Sheikh Waleed Basyouni she can read dua’s even the ones that have ayat of the Qur’an in them.
  
  Reply
  - um Abdullah
    
    August 14, 2012 at 11:36 PM
    
    I agree with you. I have only heard of one hadith in which Prophet Moahmmed (peace be upon him) wrote a letter and said that anyone who has the greater impurity (from menses and junaba) can not touch the Quran. But there is no hadith that says that one who has menses can not read the Qur’an. Also if there is any other writing in the Qur’an – for example, if one has a book of tafsir – one can touch it even if one has menses, as it is then not considered a mushaf. Sorry, if anyone says otherwise, please give an authentic hadith to support their view. For most things in the religion, the basis is that it is allowed unless there is an authentic proof that states otherwise.
    
    Reply
  - A Soliman
    
    June 29, 2016 at 3:19 AM
    
    Any sound hadith overrides any of the 4 schools of thought as stated by our 4 imams (schools of thought) also being a scholar doesn’t subject you to perfection. Allah knows best.
    
    Reply
Aziza

August 10, 2012 at 4:52 PM

This is very helpful, JazakAllah Khair.

Reply
saleh

August 12, 2012 at 4:13 PM

This helped me understand so much about the nice night of ramadan

Reply
Suhana

August 12, 2012 at 11:12 PM

Subhanallah :)

Reply
mehraj

August 16, 2012 at 5:11 AM

alhamdulilah thank you for the info,it helpd us to us sday

Reply
Aneeq UR Rahman Khan

August 1, 2013 at 5:34 AM

Write ALLAH’s “A” capital @suhana

Reply
Me

August 2, 2013 at 12:40 AM

can women read Qur’an from apps during menses?

Reply
Ahmad

August 2, 2013 at 7:04 AM

This is great. thank you for the guide. May Allah guide you and bless you.

Reply
sonscare

June 29, 2016 at 10:04 AM

Do not be mislead. Woman on their menses are allowed to memorize verses frm Qur an. Only by not touching it. May Allah protect us.

Reply
Ehliyet Soruları

July 6, 2016 at 12:14 AM

Maşallah.Allah’u Ekber.

Reply
Zia-e-Taiba

October 18, 2016 at 2:29 AM

The night of Laila-tul-Qadar is very important night.

Reply
Abdulmajeed abdulwahab

April 21, 2022 at 10:53 PM

Good day my lovely Muslim brotherhood, I’m here by need of your help,dua and some food stuffs ,may Allah bless and accept our ibadah Amin

Reply
Talha Ubaidullah

March 24, 2024 at 6:02 AM

Jazakallah. Thank you for sharing this comprehensive guide to preparing for Laylat al-Qadr. May Allah reward you abundantly for your efforts in spreading beneficial knowledge. Ameen.

Reply