Prayer and Supplication on Laylat al-Qadr - Hadith, Book of Fasting
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
All praise is due to Allah, the Most High and Most Great. May blessings be upon our Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, and may Allah be pleased with all of his Companions.
Today we will share a topic: increasing prayer and supplication on Laylat al-Qadr, the Noble Night, the Night of Decree.
The Virtue of Prayer on Laylat al-Qadr
In the two major hadith collections, it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr with sincere faith and hoping for reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
In Musnad Ahmad, it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The Noble Night is in the last ten nights of Ramadan. Whoever stands in prayer during it, seeking reward, Allah will forgive his sins before and after. It is on the odd nights: the ninth, the seventh, the fifth, the third, or the final night.”
This hadith explains the virtue of increasing prayer on the Noble Night, Laylat al-Qadr. On Laylat al-Qadr, one should also increase in supplication. Although the Sacred Law encourages supplication at all times, supplication in Ramadan is especially encouraged, particularly during the last ten days, and especially on its odd nights. The Sacred Law encourages us to recite the following supplication often on these days:
O Allah, You are Most Pardoning, and You love pardon, so pardon me.
The Supplication Taught for Laylat al-Qadr
In Musnad Ahmad, Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, Sunan Ibn Majah, and al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim, it is narrated that ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked:
“O Messenger of Allah, if I encounter Laylat al-Qadr, how should I supplicate?”
The Messenger ﷺ said:
“Say: O Allah, You are Most Pardoning, and You love pardon, so pardon me.”
The supplication in its original Arabic is:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ العَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul-‘afwa fa‘fu ‘anni
Why Increase Prayer on This Noble Night
Now let us briefly understand why, on Laylat al-Qadr, this noble night, we should increase in prayer and in supplication to our Lord with the supplication narrated by ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).
The hadith states:
“Whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr with sincere faith and hoping for reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”
When a person’s sins are forgiven, that person receives dignity and honour. For our Lord created Adam, breathed into him the rūḥ, and commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam. Iblis was from the jinn; he did not prostrate, nor did he repent, and so he was expelled by the Lord. In this there is the honour of the human being.
The angels are noble because they are obedient servants. They submit to the will of their Lord, conform to His decree, and carry out His command. When their Lord commanded them to prostrate to Adam, they prostrated. Thus, the angels are noble servants brought near to Allah.
If human beings are to attain true honour, they must receive the guidance of their Lord and prostrate to Him. Our Lord has guided humanity to complete the acts of worship of Islam. There are the daily acts of worship devoted to Allah. He guides humanity to fulfill what He has made obligatory, and He also guides them to increase in voluntary deeds in seeking nearness to Him, so that they may become servants who are thankful and praising.
Honour Through Prostration, Humility, and Worship
If human beings do not prostrate to their Lord, and instead become ungrateful, then they are base and will be humiliated. In Surah al-Hajj, verse 18, we learn:
{أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَن فِي الأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاء} يَشَآءُ ۩ [الحج:18]
22:18 Do you not see that to Allah bow down ˹in submission˺ all those in the heavens and all those on the earth, as well as the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and ˹all˺ living beings, as well as many humans, while many are deserving of punishment. And whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour. Surely Allah does what He wills.” (Prostration verse)
In Surah al-Ra‘d, verse 15, it is mentioned:
{وَلِلّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَظِلالُهُم بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالآصَال}وَٱلْـَٔاصَالِ ۩ [الرعد:15]
13:15 To Allah ˹alone˺ bow down ˹in submission˺ all those in the heavens and the earth—willingly or unwillingly—as do their shadows, morning and evening.” (Prostration verse)
If human beings do not bow down before their Lord with submission, obedience, humility, and lowliness before Him, they will be humiliated and become base. But if human beings prostrate to their Lord in humility, and their prayer is accepted with the pleasure of their Lord, then they may become the noblest of created beings in the heavens and the earth.
Why It Is Called the Night of Decree
Laylat al-Qadr is called the Night of Decree because our Lord decrees the provisions of the creatures upon the earth. In Surah al-Dukhan, verse 4, we learn:
{فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيم} [الدخان:4]
44:4 On that night every matter of wisdom is ordained
In Tafsir Ibn Kathir, it is explained that on Laylat al-Qadr, the angels entrusted with recording affairs write down the matters of the coming year from the Preserved Tablet. They come to know the life spans, provisions, and all other affairs of people for the coming year.
Our Lord also sent down the Qur’an on Laylat al-Qadr, so that humanity and jinn may be guided. In Tafsir al-Tabari, it is narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and other scholars that Allah sent down the Qur’an all at once from the Preserved Tablet to the Noble House in the nearest heaven, then over twenty-three years He revealed it in stages to the Prophet ﷺ according to the events that occurred.
Allah has described the greatness of Laylat al-Qadr, the night on which the Qur’an was specifically sent down: What will make you know what Laylat al-Qadr is? Laylat al-Qadr is better than a thousand months.
Our Lord decrees sustenance for the creatures on earth, and He also sends down guidance for humanity and jinn. In particular, the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet and Messenger sent to humanity. Human beings must become servants who are thankful and praising, for even the animals on earth prostrate to their Lord. In Surah al-Nahl, verse 49, Allah says:
{وَلِلّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَالْمَلآئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُون} [النحل:49]
16:49 And to Allah ˹alone˺ bows down ˹in submission˺ whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of living creatures, as do the angels—who are not too proud ˹to do so˺.
Humanity as Allah’s Vicegerent on Earth
Human beings are the vicegerents of the earth. If they do not prostrate to their Lord, they are no more noble than animals. If human beings do not prostrate to their Lord with humility, submission, and obedience, they cannot subdue the jinn; rather, they will be subdued by the jinn.
For example, Sulayman once became occupied with his love of noble horses and forgot the ‘Asr prayer. He sincerely repented by slaughtering the horses, and he attained the pleasure of his Lord. Then our Lord subdued the jinn for him.
During Ramadan, our Lord chains up the devils and subdues the jinn on behalf of human beings. Human beings must therefore become servants who are thankful and praising. For this reason, during Ramadan itself, one should be careful in observing the prayers, and stand, bow, and prostrate before the Lord in humility.
On the Noble Night, the Lord who nurtures sends down sustenance and sends down guidance. He guides humanity and jinn to seek the grace of His all-encompassing mercy and the grace of His special mercy, so that they may become servants of the Most Merciful. Human beings are vicegerents on earth and possess the honour of being created beings. Therefore, on the Noble Night, they should stand, bow, and prostrate before their Lord in humility, fulfill the obligations, increase in voluntary deeds, and even remain in worship throughout the entire night.
Our Lord says in Surah al-Furqan, verse 64:
{وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا} [الفرقان:64]
25:64 ˹They are˺ those who spend ˹a good portion of˺ the night, prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord.
What is meant here is spending the night in prayer until dawn.
Seeking Laylat al-Qadr in the Last Ten Nights
Human beings are the vicegerents on earth. On the Night of Decree, the Noble Night, our Lord sends down sustenance, sends down guidance, and sends down criterion. Human beings must become servants who are thankful and praising, seek the blessings of this life and the next, and become servants of the Most Merciful. Therefore, on the Noble Night, they should spend the whole night prostrating and standing in prayer before their Lord.
Our Prophet ﷺ did not tell us exactly which night in the last ten nights of Ramadan is Laylat al-Qadr. He only told us to seek it in the odd nights of the last ten. We revive the last ten nights of Ramadan, and so during the last ten days of Ramadan we should devote ourselves to worship and increase in prayer.
In the two authentic hadith collections, it is narrated from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said:
“When the last ten nights of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stay awake through the night, awaken his family, tighten his waist-wrapper, and devote himself fully to worship.”
Ramadan itself already contains the congregational night prayer of Tarawih. In order to seek the blessing of the Noble Night, going into retreat in the mosque also makes it easier to take part in the congregational night prayer. If one does not have the means for that, then at home one should wake one’s family and pray together. And if one does not even have that ability, one should still seek the blessing of the Noble Night, increase in prayer, become a servant who is thankful and praising to the Lord, and seek nearness to Him so that the honour of created being may be realized.
The Meaning of Increasing Supplication on the Night of Decree
Now let us briefly understand the meaning of increasing supplication to our Lord on the Night of Decree, Laylat al-Qadr.
To make supplication means that there is One who receives the supplication. The Creator, the Lord, is the Lord of decree, the Lord upon whom all things depend, the Lord who nurtures and sustains. On the Noble Night, the Night of Decree, He sends down sustenance. He guides human beings to seek grace, and He guides them to rely on Him alone, trust in Him alone, and supplicate to Him alone, without associating any partner with Him in His Lordship.
When a person sincerely supplicates to the Lord on the Night of Decree, there is in that a sign that the Lord is the One and only Lord who nurtures and sustains. Such a person becomes one who affirms this truth.
Our Lord sends down guidance on the Night of Decree. He sends down the criterion that guides humanity and jinn. Human beings and jinn have the defects of created beings, and they also have nafs and hawā—lower desire and vain inclination—so they make mistakes, forget, fall short, and may even commit sins. They therefore ask their Lord for forgiveness and seek His pardon. For this reason, on the Night of Decree, the Noble Night, one should increase greatly in seeking forgiveness.
When the Prophet ﷺ answered the question of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)—how should one supplicate on the Noble Night?—he told her to say:
“O Allah, You are Most Pardoning, and You love pardon, so pardon me.”
This supplication itself contains the meaning of seeking forgiveness from the Lord. It begins by affirming the beautiful attributes of the Lord.
On the Night of Decree, our Lord sent down the Revelation for humanity. He guides humanity through the Book that He sent down so that they may know the Lord of Truth. The Creator, the Lord, created Adam and taught him the names of all things, in order to guide humanity in seeking grace, and so that through the named things of creation they might perceive the signs of the Lord and know the Lord of Truth.
Our Prophet ﷺ taught us to supplicate to our Lord on the Night of Decree. First, the supplication itself affirms the beautiful attributes of the Lord. When a servant supplicates with this supplication on the Night of Decree, there is in that a sign that the Creator and Lord is the Lord of Truth. He is the Judge and Arbiter in truth. He possesses His own attributes, beautiful names, and majestic names. He is the sole Possessor of sovereignty. When a servant supplicates with this supplication, the servant is affirming that the names of the Creator and Lord cannot be likened to anything and cannot be associated with any partner.
The Blessing of the Night of Decree
Whoever seeks the blessing of the Night of Decree will naturally increase in prayer on that night and increase in supplication during prayer. When a servant attains the blessing of the Night of Decree, that servant becomes a sign and an affirmer of the oneness of the Creator and Lord in His Lordship, the oneness of His Names, and the oneness of His sole right to be worshipped.
A person who believes in the One Lord, acknowledges the One Lord, and worships the One Lord receives the blessing of this life and the next: a happy life in this world, a happy life in the Hereafter, and deliverance from the punishment of the Fire. In this way, that person attains the blessing of the divine decree.
A person who sincerely seeks the decreed grace of the Lord throughout life will not abandon seeking the blessing of the Night of Decree in Ramadan. Once such a person receives the blessing of the Lord, that person becomes a servant brought near to Him, and becomes a noble and honoured person.
Closing Supplication
Finally, we ask our Lord to guide us and help us, so that in Ramadan we may increase in prayer and increase in supplication, and we ask our Lord to let us attain the blessing of the Night of Decree.
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. We ask our Lord to send blessings and grace upon Muhammad ﷺ, upon his family, upon his descendants, and upon those who follow his path.
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Qur’an translation source: The Clear Qur’an — Dr. Mustafa Khattab.
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