23rd Night of Ramadhan

Text and Translation

The twenty-third night of Ramadan, the last of the Qadr Nights, is more meritorious than the two before it — the nineteenth and the twenty-first. Many narrations confirm it is the Night of Decree at which all wise affairs are settled. Beyond the general acts recommended on all three Qadr Nights, the following are recommended specifically on the twenty-third:

First: recite Surah al-Ankabut (29) and Surah al-Rum (30). Imam al-Sadiq (a) said: whoever recites these two surahs this night will be counted among the people of Paradise.

Second: recite Surah al-Dukhan (44).

Third: repeat Surah al-Qadr a thousand times.

Fourth: it is highly recommended to repeat the following famous supplication as many times as possible this night:

اَللّٰهُمَّ كُنْ لِوَلِيِّكَ الْحُجَّةِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ صَلَوَاتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلٰى اٰبَآئِهِ فِي هٰذِهِ السَّاعَةِ وَفِيْ كُلِّ سَاعَةٍ

ALLAAHUMMA KUN LI-WALIYYIKAL HUJJATIBNIL HASANI SALAWAATUKA A'LAYHI WA A'LAA AABAAA-IHI FEE HAAZIHIS SAAA-A'TI WA FEE KULLI SAAA-A'H

O Allah, be for Your representative, the Proof, son of al-Hasan — Your blessings upon him and his forefathers — in this hour and in every hour,

وَلِيًّا وَحَافِظًا وَقَآئِدًا وَنَاصِرًا وَدَلِيْلًا وَعَيْنًا حَتّٰى تُسْكِنَهُ اَرْضَكَ طَوْعًا وَتُمَتِّعَهُ فِيْهَا طَوِيْلًا

WALIYYAW WA HAAFIZAW WA QAAA-IDAW WA NAASIRAW WA DALEELAW WA A'YNAN HATTAA TUSKINAHU ARDAKA TAWA'AW WA TUMATTI-A'HU FEEHAA TAWEELAA

a guardian, a protector, a leader, a helper, a guide, and an eye, until You settle him on Your earth willingly, and let him enjoy it for a long time.

Fifth: it is recommended to say:

اَللّٰهُمَّ امْدُدْ لِي فِي عُمْرِيْ وَاَوْسِعْ لِي فِي رِزْقِي وَاَصِحَّ لِي جِسْمِيْ وَبَلِّغْنِيْ اَمَلِيْ

ALLAAHUMMAM DUD LEE FEE U'MREE WA AWSI-A' LEE FEE RIZQEE WA ASIHHA LEE JISMEE WA BALLIGHNEE AMALEE

O Allah, extend my life, expand my sustenance, keep my body sound, and bring me to attain my hope,

وَاِنْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الْاَشْقِيَاۤءِ فَامْحُنِيْ مِنَ الْاَشْقِيَاۤءِ وَاكْتُبْنِيْ مِنَ السُّعَدَاۤءِ

WA IN KUNTU MINAL ASHQIYAAA-I FAMHUNEE MINAL ASHQIYAAA-I WAK TUBNEE MINAS SU-A'DAAA-I

and if I am among the wretched, then erase me from the wretched and record me among the felicitous,

فَاِنَّكَ قُلْتَ فِيْ كِتَابِكَ الْمُنْزَلِ عَلٰى نَبِيِّكَ الْمُرْسَلِ صَلَوٰتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهِ يَمْحُو اللهُ مَا يَشَاۤءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِنْدَهُ اُمُّ الْكِتَابِ

FA-INNAKA QULTA FEE KITAABIKAL MUNZALI A'LAA NABIYYIKAL MURSALI SALAWAATUKA A'LAYHI WA AALIHI YAMHUL LAAHO MAA YASHAAA-O WA YUTHBITU WA I'NDAHU UMMUL KITAAB

for You have said, in Your Book revealed to Your sent Prophet — Your blessings upon him and his Household — "Allah blots out whatever He wills and confirms whatever He wills, and with Him is the source of the Book."

Sixth: it is recommended to say:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِيْمَا تَقْضِيْ وَفِيْمَا تُقَدِّرُ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ الْمَحْتُوْمِ وَفِيْمَا تَفْرُقُ مِنَ الْاَمْرِ الْحَكِيْمِ فِيْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ

ALLAAHUMMAJ-A'L FEEMAA TAQDEE WA FEEMAA TUQADDIRU MINAL AMRIL MAHTOOMI WA FEEMAA TAFRUQU MINAL AMRIL HAKEEMI FEE LAYLATIL QADR

O Allah, among what You decree and ordain from the decisive matter, and among what You distinguish from the wise command on the Night of Decree,

مِنَ الْقَضَاۤءِ الَّذِيْ لَا يُرَدُّ وَلَا يُبَدَّلُ اَنْ تَكْتُبَنِيْ مِنْ حُجَّاجِ بَيْتِكَ الْحَرَامِ فِيْ عَامِيْ هٰذَا

MINAL QADAAA-IL LAZEE LAA YURADDU WA LAA YUBADDAL AN TAKTUBANEE MIN HUJJAAJI BAYTIKAL HARAAMI FEE A'AAMEE HAAZAA

from the destiny that is not reversed nor changed — record me this year of mine among the pilgrims of Your Sacred House,

الْمَبْرُوْرِ حَجُّهُمْ الْمَشْكُوْرِ سَعْيُهُمُ الْمَغْفُوْرِ ذُنُوْبُهُمُ الْمُكَفَّرِ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُهُمْ

AL-MABROORI HAJJUHUM AL-MASHKOORI SA-I'YUHUM AL-MAGHFOORI ZUNOOBUHUM AL-MUKAFFARI A'NHUM SAYYI-AATUHUM

whose pilgrimage is accepted, whose effort is thanked, whose sins are forgiven, and whose bad deeds are absolved,

وَاجْعَلْ فِيْمَا تَقْضِيْ وَتُقَدِّرُ اَنْ تُطِيْلَ عُمْرِيْ وَتُوَسِّعَ لِي فِيْ رِزْقِيْ

WAJ-A'L FEEMAA TAQDEE WA TUQADDIRU AN TUTEELA U'MREE WA TUWASSI-A' LEE FEE RIZQEE

and among what You decree and ordain, prolong my life and expand my sustenance for me.

Seventh: it is recommended to say the following, mentioned in Iqbal al-A'mal:

يَا بَاطِنًا فِيْ ظُهُوْرِهِ وَيَا ظَاهِرًا فِيْ بُطُوْنِهِ

YAA BAATINAN FEE ZUHOORIHI WA YAA ZAAHIRAN FEE BUTOONIH

O He Who is Hidden in His manifestation, O He Who is Manifest in His hiddenness,

وَيَا بَاطِنًا لَيْسَ يَخْفٰى وَيَا ظَاهِرًا لَيْسَ يُرٰى

WA YAA BAATINAL LAYSA YAKHFAA WA YAA ZAAHIRAL LAYSA YURAA

O He Who is Hidden yet not concealed, O He Who is Manifest yet not seen,

يَا مَوْصُوْفًا لَا يَبْلُغُ بِكَيْنُوْنَتِهٖ مَوْصُوْفٌ وَلَا حَدٌّ مَحْدُوْدٌ

YAA MAWSOOFAL LAA YABLUGHU BI-KAYNOONATIHI MAWSOOFUW WA LAA HADDUN MAHDOOD

O He Who is described, though no description can attain His Being, nor any bounded limit,

وَيَا غَاۤئِبًا غَيْرَ مَفْقُوْدٍ وَيَا شَاهِدًا غَيْرَ مَشْهُوْدٍ

WA YAA GHAAA-IBAN GHAYRA MAFQOOD WA YAA SHAAHIDAN GHAYRA MASH-HOOD

O He Who is absent yet not lost, O He Who is present yet not perceived,

يُطْلَبُ فَيُصَابُ وَلَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْاَرْضُ وَمَابَيْنَهُمَا طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ

YUTLABU FA-YUSAAB WA LAM YAKHLU MINHUS SAMAAWAATU WAL ARDU WA MAA BAYNAHUMAA TARFATA A'YN

He is sought and found, and the heavens, the earth, and what is between them have never, for the blink of an eye, been empty of Him,

لَا يُدْرِكُ بِكَيْفٍ وَلَا يُؤَيَّنُ بِاَيْنٍ وَلَا بِحَيْثِ

LAA YUDRAKU BI-KAYFIN WA LAA YU-AYYANU BI-AYNIN WA LAA BI-HAYTH

He cannot be grasped by asking "how," nor located by asking "where" or "in what place,"

اَنْتَ نُوْرُ النُّوْرِ وَرَبَّ الْاَرْبَابِ اَحَطْتَ بِجَمِيْعِ الْاُمُوْرِ

ANTA NOORUN NOORI WA RABBUL ARBAAB AHATTA BI-JAMEE-I'L UMOOR

You are the Light of light and the Lord of lords; You have encompassed all matters.

سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْبَصِيْرُ

SUBHAANA MAL LAYSA KA-MITHLIHI SHAY-UW WA HUWAS SAMEE-U'L BASEER

Glory be to Him, nothing is like unto Him, and He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing;

سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ هٰكَذَا وَلَا هٰكَذَا غَيْرُهُ

SUBHAANA MAN HUWA HAAKAZAA WA LAA HAAKAZAA GHAYRUH

Glory be to Him Who is thus, and none other is thus.

One may then pray for the fulfillment of his needs.

Eighth: it is recommended to perform a fresh bathing besides the first, in the last hours of the night. Bathing, spending the whole night in worship, visiting the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (a), and offering the hundred-unit prayer are all confirmed by narrations for the twenty-third night of Ramadan.

In Tahdhib al-Ahkam, Shaykh al-Tusi narrates that Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) instructed Abu-Basir to offer, on the night expected to be the Night of Decree, a hundred-unit prayer, reciting Surah al-Faatehah once and Surah al-Ikhlas ten times in each unit. Abu-Basir asked, "If I cannot manage all its movements, what shall I do?" The Imam said, "Offer it sitting." "And if I cannot manage sitting either?" The Imam said, "Offer it lying on your bed."

Da'a'im al-Islam records that the Holy Prophet (s) used to roll up his bedding and tie his garment to devote all his time to worship during the last ten nights of Ramadan, and would wake his family on the twenty-third night by splashing water on their faces. Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (a) likewise kept her household from sleeping that night, reducing their food and making them nap by day so sleep would not overtake them at night, saying, "The truly deprived one is he who is deprived of the good of this night." It is also narrated that Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a), being unwell one twenty-third night, had his servants carry him to the mosque, where he spent the night until morning.

Allamah al-Majlisi confirms it is recommended to recite as much of the Qur'an as possible this night, and to pray with the supplications of al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah generally, and with the supplications known as Makarim al-Akhlaq and al-Tawbah in particular.

The sanctity of the Qadr days should likewise be honored with worship, Qur'an recitation, and supplication — a substantial chain of narration holds the Qadr days to be as holy as the Qadr nights.