23RD NIGHT OF RAMADHAN
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 at the twenty-third night of Ramadan:
First: It is recommended to recite Surahs al-’Ankabut (No. 29) and al-Rum (No. 30). Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) is reported to have said, “Whoever recites these two Surahs at 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:
اَللهمَّ کُن لولیّکَالحُجةِ بنِ الحَسَنِ صَلَواتُکَ عَلَیهِ و عَلی ابائهِ فی هذهِ السّاعةِ، و فی کُلّ ساعَة وَلیّا و حافظا وقائِداً وَ ناصِراً وَ دَلیلاً وَ عَیناً حَتّی تُسکِنَهُ اَرضَکَ طَوعاً و تُمَتّعَهُ فیها طَویلًا.
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 say the following supplicatory prayer that is mentioned in the book of Iqbal al-A’mal:
يَا بَاطِنا فِي ظُهُورِهِ وَ يَا ظَاهِرا فِي بُطُونِهِ وَ يَا بَاطِنا لَيْسَ يَخْفَى وَ يَا ظَاهِرا لَيْسَ يُرَى يَا مَوْصُوفا لا يَبْلُغُ بِكَيْنُونَتِهِ مَوْصُوفٌ وَ لا حَدٌّ مَحْدُودٌ وَ يَا غَائِبا [غَائِبُ] غَيْرَ مَفْقُودٍ وَ يَا شَاهِدا [شَاهِدُ] غَيْرَ مَشْهُودٍ يُطْلَبُ فَيُصَابُ وَ لا يَخْلُو [لَمْ يَخْلُ] مِنْهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَ الْاَرْضُ وَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا طُرْفَةَ [طَرْفَةَ] عَيْنٍ لا يُدْرَكُ بِكَيْفٍ [بِكَيْفَ] وَ لا يُؤَيَّنُ بِاَيْنٍ [بِاَيْنَ] وَ لا بِحَيْثٍ [بِحَيْثُ] اَنْتَ نُورُ النُّورِ وَ رَبُّ الْاَرْبَابِ اَحَطْتَ بِجَمِيعِ الْاُمُورِ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ هَكَذَا وَ لا هَكَذَا غَيْرُهُ
Then, one may pray for settling his needs.
Eighth: It is recommended to do a new bathing, other than the first one, at the last hours of night. In fact, to bathe oneself, to spend the whole night with acts of worship, to visit the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (a.s.), and to offer the one hundred unit prayer at this night – all these deeds have been confirmed by narrations to be done at the twenty-third night of Ramadan.
In Tahdhib al-Ahkam, Shaykh al-Tusi has narrated that Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq(a.s.) instructed Abu-Basir to offer at the night that is expected to be the Qadr Night a prayer of one hundred units reciting at each unit Surah al-Faatehah once and repeating Surah al-Tawheed ten times. “If I fail to do all the movements of this prayer, what will I do?” asked Abu-Basir. “You may then offer it while sitting,” said Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.). “What if I, too, fail to offer it while sitting?” asked Abu-Basir. “You may then offer it while lying on your bed,” said Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.).
In the book of Da’a’im al-Islam, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used to roll up his bed and tie his garment so as to dedicate all his time to acts of worship at the last ten nights of Ramadan. He also used to awaken his family members at the twenty-third night of Ramadan (so as to practice acts of worship) by splashing water on their faces. Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’(a.s.), too, used to prevent her family members from sleeping at the twenty-third night of Ramadan by reducing the amount of food that she usually gave to them and by making them sleep at day so as not to be overcome by sleepiness at night. She then used to say, “The actual deprived one is he who is deprived of the good of this night.”
It has been also narrated that Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq(a.s.), at the twenty-third night of Ramadan, ordered his servants to carry him to the mosque because he was ailed. He spent that night in the mosque up to the next morning.
‘Allamah al-Majlisi has confirmed that one should recite as much amount as possible from the Holy Qur’an at this night and should also pray Almighty Allah by saying the supplicatory prayers of al-Sahifah al-Kamilah al-Sajjadiyyah in general and the supplicatory prayers known as Makarim al-Akhlaq and al-Tawbah in particular.
The sanctity of the Qadr Days should be considered by engaging oneself with acts of worship, recitation of the Holy Qur’an, and praying Almighty Allah. Through a considerable chain of authority, it has been narrated that the Qadr Days are as holy as the Qadr Nights.