Prayers for the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadar)
Laylatul Qadar is described as the night of power, the night of decree or the night of forgiveness, which is to apologize on your sins and in this blessed night a single deed done is better than the deeds done in one thousand months such as reciting Quran and performing voluntary prayers. The Holy Quran says about the night of power in these words: “The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, (i.e. 83 years and 4 months).” (Quran, 97:3)
Laylatul Qadr is one of the most blessed nights of the Islamic calendar and perhaps there is no other night that stands equal to it in sacredness and Holiness in Islam. This night usually resides in the last ten days of Ramadan and within those days it is in the odd nights 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 of the third Ashra. Every Muslim tries to catch this night and do acts of righteousness to earn greater rewards and blessings from Almighty Allah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also spoke about this Night in one of His hadiths: “Whoever establishes Salah on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Bukhari)
Nafil Prayers for Laylatul Qadar
Below mentioned are some voluntary (Nafil) prayers for the night of decree that we should perform in order to get more blessings and rewards from Allah (SWT).
- Offer 2 Rakat Nafil prayer after performing ablution. Abu Hurairah (RA) said to Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him): “Tell me about the best of your deeds (i.e. one which you deem the most rewarding) since your embracing Islam because I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise.” Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: “I do not consider any act of mine more rewarding than that whenever I make ablution at any time of night or day, I perform Prayer for as much as was destined for me to do.” (Bukhari)
- Perform Salat ul Tasbih. This is a very rewarding prayer that we should pray on each of the odd numbered nights of 3rd Ashra of Ramadan.
- Recite the Holy Quran as much as you can and also try pondering over its meanings in the last 10 days of Ramadan in order to grasp the true purpose and gist of the reason why the particular verses were revealed and what message and preaching, they entail. During the Nights of 3rd Ashra, the recitation of the Holy Quran can also serve as a great means of worship worthy of the Blessed Night. In addition to reciting the Quran and receiving reward against every word of it, one also needs to reflect on the words of the Quran as well because they can open the new horizons of meanings for a Muslim.
- Perform Tahajjud prayer for getting closer to Allah Almighty. Offer 8 Rakats of Tahajjud prayer with long Sajdas, reciting as many surahs as you know in order to attain Khushu in prayer.
- Do Tasbeeh of this Dua as much as you can in this blessed night. Aisha (RA), 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: Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuh.ibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee ;Translation ’O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.'” (Tirmidhi)
- Get your sins wiped out while standing longer in your prayers. Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting a reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven” (Bukhari). So, we should try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful.
- Increase Dhikr glorify Allah Almighty night and day, especially in the last odd nights of Ramadan.
