Lailatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as, “better than a thousand months” (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for 1000 months which do not contain the night of Qadr.
Allah’s Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last 10 nights to a greater extent than at any other time.” (Muslim). Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet.
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet said, Look for Lailatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last 10 nights of Ramadan (Bukhari).
The Prophet said, “Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira). Here are some tips we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and after it.
Take a vacation for Allah
We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator.
If this is not possible, at least, take a few days off if you can. This can make it easier to stay awake at night to do extra Ibadah, not having to worry about getting to work the next day. It will also facilitate doing Itikaf.
Do Itikaf
It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last 10 days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for Itikaf.
Those in Itikaf stay in the masjid all this time, performing various forms of zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Quran. They do not go outside the masjid except in case of emergencies, therefore, they sleep in the masjid. Their families or the masjid administration takes care of their food needs.
Itikaf of a shorter period of time, such as one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well.
Make this special Dua
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah: ‘O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?’ He said, “Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi).
The transliteration of this Dua is “Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee”16
Recite and reflect on the meaning of the Quran
Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran, which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan and recite.
If you attend a class where the recitation of the Quran is taught, this is a great time to put your knowledge into practice.
Make a personal Dua list.
Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything, no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things:
- Ask Allah to give you those things
- Think about what actions you have taken to get those things
- Develop a work plan to get those things in future.
Make long, sincere and deep Duas
One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night.
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said, When the last onethird of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? (Bukhari, Muslim).
That means, for instance, waking up one hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for anything and everything you want that is Halal. This can be done using the Duas of the Sunnah, but also Dua in your own language, with sincerity and conviction.
For some tips on making Dua please see the article Some personal Duas you can make.
Memorise a different Dua every night
They don’t have to be long. They can be just one line. And be sure to know what they mean generally at least, even if you don’t know the exact translation in English.
You can put them on index cards (or and keep them with you during the day, glancing at them during work, while driving, waiting in line, etc.) Then practise them at night in prayer.
Have Iftar with the family
If you’ve spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at work alone with a couple of dates, now is the last few days you’ll have this Ramadan to spend with your family. Use it wisely.
Take the family to Tarawih
Have your spouse and kids missed Tarawih most of Ramadan because you weren’t there to drive them to the Masjid, which is too far away to walk to? If so, do yourselves a favour and bring everyone for Tarawih in the last10 nights.
Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation
Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in the last 10 nights. They may try to end on one of the odd nights and read the Dua at the end of a reading of the Quran. Attend this particular night’s Tarawih prayer with your family. See if you could attend different Masjids’ Tarawih prayers the night they finish reading the Quran.
