MISCELLANEOUS AAMAL FOR THE 21ST NIGHT OF RAMADHAN
(6) Al-Kaf’ami has quoted Sayyid Ibn Baqi as saying that it is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer at the twenty-first night of Ramadan:
اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اقْسِمْ لِي حِلْما يَسُدُّ عَنِّي بَابَ الْجَهْلِ وَ هُدًى تَمُنُّ بِهِ عَلَيَّ مِنْ كُلِّ ضَلالَةٍ وَ غِنًى تَسُدُّ بِهِ عَنِّي بَابَ كُلِّ فَقْرٍ وَ قُوَّةً تَرُدُّ بِهَا عَنِّي كُلَّ ضَعْفٍ وَ عِزّا تُكْرِمُنِي بِهِ عَنْ كُلِّ ذُلٍّ وَ رِفْعَةً تَرْفَعُنِي بِهَا عَنْ كُلِّ ضَعَةٍ وَ اَمْنا تَرُدُّ بِهِ عَنِّي كُلَّ خَوْفٍ وَ عَافِيَةً تَسْتُرُنِي بِهَا عَنْ كُلِّ بَلاءٍ وَ عِلْما تَفْتَحُ لِي بِهِ كُلَّ يَقِينٍ وَ يَقِينا تُذْهِبُ بِهِ عَنِّي كُلَّ شَكٍّ وَ دُعَاءً تَبْسُطُ لِي بِهِ الْاِجَابَةَ فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ وَ فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ السَّاعَةِ السَّاعَةِ السَّاعَةِ يَا كَرِيمُ وَ خَوْفا تَنْشُرُ [تُيَسِّرُ] لِي بِهِ كُلَّ رَحْمَةٍ وَ عِصْمَةً تَحُولُ بِهَا بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَ الذُّنُوبِ حَتَّى اُفْلِحَ بِهَا عِنْدَ الْمَعْصُومِينَ عِنْدَكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ
It has been narrated that Ali ibn Hammad visited Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq(a.s.) at the twenty-first night of Ramadan. “Have you bathed yourself, Hammad?” asked the Imam. “Yes, I have,” answered Hammad. The Imam (a.s.) then asked him to stand by him so as to imitate him in offering prayers. Hammad did. When they finished all the prayers, the Imam (a.s.) began to supplicate and Hammad listened and prayed for response. When dawn rose, the Imam (a.s.) declared the adhan (call to prayer), uttered the iqamah (the prefatory part of prayers), and then summoned one of his servants to participate in the prayer. They all stood behind the Imam (a.s.) who led their congregational Fajr (dawn) Prayer reciting Surahs al-Faatehah and al-Qadr in the first unit and Surahs al-Faatehah and al-Tawheed in the second. When he finished the post-prayer litanies and doxologies, praising Him, venerating Him, thanking Him, invoking His blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household, and praying Him for the good of all the believing men and women as well as all the Muslims, Imam al-Sadiq(a.s.) prostrated himself. The companions could not hear anything except the Imam’s breaths for a long time. Hammad narrated: I could then hear him saying the following:
لَااِلٰهَ اِلَّا اَنْتَ مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوْبِ وَالْاَبْصَارِ….
This long supplicatory prayer has been mentioned by Sayyid Ibn Tawus in his book of Iqbal al-A’mal.
Al-Kulayni has narrated that Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) used to supplicate Almighty Allah at the twenty-first and twenty-third nights of Ramadan up to midnight. After that, he would offer prayers.
As for the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), it has been narrated that he used to bathe himself at each of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Being the best time of I’tikaf (the ritual seclusion in places of worship for practicing acts of worship), it is highly recommended to practice the ritual I’tikaf at the last ten nights of Ramadan, for this deed brings about an abundant reward. According to narrations, its reward is as same as the reward of two times of Hajj and two times of ‘Umrah. In this regard, it is reported that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), at the last ten nights of Ramadan, used to confine himself to the mosque where a dome made of camel hair would be erected for him while he would roll up his bed and prepare himself for worship.
It is worth mentioning that at the twenty-first night of Ramadan, the sadnesses of the Shi’ah should be shown. At the twenty-first night of Ramadan, AH 40, Imam Ali ibn Abi-Talib, Ameer al-Momineen – peace be upon him – departed life as martyr. It is narrated that fresh blood would be found under any rock that was lifted at that night. The same thing happened at the night of Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom.
Shaykh al-Mufid says: At this night, it is highly recommended, as frequently as possible, to invoke Almighty Allah’s blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household and to invoke His curse upon those who have wronged the Ahl al-Bayt and upon the killer of Imam AliAmeer al-Momineen.