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Laylatul Qadr of Ramadan 2025, Ramadan’s most significant night, will greatly affect the lives and conditions of people worldwide. It is the most important night throughout the Islamic lunar calendar. On this night, Allah revealed the entire Quran to the Noble Prophet (s). Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months and a night on which Allah determines the destiny of humanity for the next year. This is what will influence people’s lives. In this article, we will look into the circumstances of this crucially important night.
When Is Laylatul Qadr?
Based on narrations and hadiths, the exact date of Laylatul Qadr is unknown. However, our Imams say that it is the eve of either the 19th, 21st, or 23rd of Ramadan. If Ramadan 2025 is on March 1, Laylatul Qadr would be on the eve of the 19th, 21st, or 23rd of March 2025. If Ramadan is on March 2, 2025, Laylatul Qadr would be on the eve of the 20th, 22nd, or 24th of March 2025. Nevertheless, Muslims commemorate all three nights because there is the likelihood that one of them is Laylatul Qadr. However, they say that it is more likely that Laylatul Qadr is on the eve of the 23rd of Ramadan. Therefore, they deem this night more important than the previous nights.
Keeping Vigil During Laylatul Qadr
Narrations have been quite emphatic about keeping vigil on the Night of Qadr, known as iḥyā’ (إحياء) in Arabic (meaning keeping alive). Staying awake and engaging in saying dhikr, reciting the Quran, offering the recommended prayers, reciting the specific duas of Ramadan, repenting, asking forgiveness from Allah, and praying to Allah to grant wishes are all the acts that Muslims can perform during Laylatul Qadr while staying awake the whole night until dawn. To do this, Muslims usually take longer naps during the day before Laylatul Qadr. This way, they won’t feel tired and sleepy during Laylatul Qadr.
What Happens During Laylatul Qadr?
The significance of knowing the tafsir of the Quran is evident. The Quran describes Laylatul Qadr as a blessed night on which Allah revealed the Quran and determines all matters for the following year, specifically, the destiny of humankind. Allah in the Quran has dedicated an entire surah for this night, Surah Qadr. First, let’s look at the first verse of Surah Qadr:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ﴿١﴾
Indeed We sent it down on the Night of Ordainment. (1)
This “it” refers to the Quran. In the second and third verses of Surah Qadr, Allah highlights the significance of Laylatul Qadr:
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ ﴿٢﴾ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ ﴿٣﴾
And what will show you what is the Night of Ordainment? (2) The Night of Ordainment is better than a thousand months. (3)
This further increases the significance of Laylatul Qadr and keeping vigil during this night.
In the next two verses, Allah explains what else happens on this night and how one should honor it until the rising of dawn:
تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ ﴿٤﴾ سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ ﴿٥﴾
In it, the angels and the Spirit descend, by the leave of their Lord, with every command. (4) It is peaceful until the rising of the dawn. (5)
Laylatul Qadr in Surah Dukhan
There are two verses in Surah Dukhan that show that Laylatul Qadr is, first of all, a blessed night on which Allah revealed the Quran and a night on which Allah decides all matters:
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ ﴿٣﴾ فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ ﴿٤﴾
We sent it down on a blessed night, and We have been warning [humankind]. (3) Every definitive matter is resolved on it. (4)
What Duas Do Muslims Recite During Laylatul Qadr?
Laylatul Qadr is a night when people do everything to earn more rewards, become closer to Allah, and have their prayers answered.
Dua al-Jawshan al-Kabīr
Muslims perform many acts of worship during Laylatul Qadr. One of them is reciting duas. One of the most well-known and recommended duas that Muslims recite during this night is “Dua al-Jawshan al-Kabīr (دعاء الجَوشن الكبير).” This dua consists of a hundred passages, each enumerating ten of His names and attributes, making it a total of one thousand of Allah’s names and attributes. After each passage, the supplicant recites the following refrain:
سُبْحانَكَ يا لا إلهَ إلَّا أَنْتَ ، الْغَوْثَ الْغَوْثَ الْغَوْثَ ، خَلّصْنا مِنَ النَّارِ يا رَبّ
Glory be to You, O, who there is no god but You. Help, help, help! Save us from the Fire, O Lord.
Here is the first passage of this dua:
أَللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِاسْمِكَ ، يا اللهُ ، يا رَحْمنُ ، يا رَحِيمُ ، يا كَرِيمُ يا مُقِيمُ يا عَظِيمُ يا قَدِيمُ يا عَلِيمُ يا حَلِيمُ يا حَكِيمُ ، سُبْحانَكَ يا لا إلهَ إلَّا أَنْتَ الْغَوْثَ الْغَوْثَ الْغَوْثَ خَلِّصْنا مِنَ النَّارِ يا رَبِّ.
O Allah, I ask You by Your Name, O Allah, O Most Merciful, O Most Compassionate, O Generous, O Sustainer, O Magnificent, O Eternal, O All-Knowing, O Forbearing, O Wise. Glory be to You, O, who there is no god but You. Help, help, help! Save us from the fire, O Lord.
Muslims recite this dua on all three probable nights of Qadr, meaning the eve of Ramadan’s 19th, 21st, and 23rd. It brings immense rewards for the supplicant, erases their sins, frees them from hell, and grants them paradise, provided they remain pious and do not taint their souls with sin. Click here to download the full PDF of this dua, along with the English translation.
The Dua of Imam Zayn al-‘Ābidin (a)
There is a famous dua that historians attribute to the fourth Imam, Zayn al-‘Ābidīn (a). Our Imams recommended that we recite this dua during Ramadan’s Laylatul Qadr in our prayer. Here is the dua in Arabic and English:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّی أَمْسَیْتُ لَکَ عَبْدا دَاخِرا لا أَمْلِکُ لِنَفْسِی نَفْعا وَ لا ضَرّا وَ لا أَصْرِفُ عَنْهَا سُوءا أَشْهَدُ بِذَلِکَ عَلَی نَفْسِی وَ أَعْتَرِفُ لَکَ بِضَعْفِ قُوَّتِی وَ قِلَّهِٔ حِیلَتِی فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَنْجِزْ لِی مَا وَعَدْتَنِی وَ جَمِیعَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ مِنَ الْمَغْفِرَهِٔ فِی هَذِهِ اللَّیْلَهِٔ وَ أَتْمِمْ عَلَیَّ مَا آتَیْتَنِی فَإِنِّی عَبْدُکَ الْمِسْکِینُ الْمُسْتَکِینُ الضَّعِیفُ الْفَقِیرُ الْمَهِینُ اللَّهُمَّ لا تَجْعَلْنِی نَاسِیا لِذِکْرِکَ فِیمَا أَوْلَیْتَنِی وَ لا [غَافِلا] لِإِحْسَانِکَ فِیمَا أَعْطَیْتَنِی وَ لا آیِسا مِنْ إِجَابَتِکَ وَ إِنْ أَبْطَأَتْ عَنِّی فِی سَرَّاءَ [کُنْتُ] أَوْ ضَرَّاءَ أَوْ شِدَّهٍٔ أَوْ رَخَاءٍ أَوْ عَافِیَهٍٔ أَوْ بَلاءٍ أَوْ بُؤْسٍ أَوْ نَعْمَاءَ إِنَّکَ سَمِیعُ الدُّعَاءِ
O Allah, I have entered this evening as Your humble servant, powerless, unable to bring benefit to myself or prevent harm, and incapable of averting evil from myself. I bear witness to this truth about myself and acknowledge before You my weakness and lack of resources. So, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and fulfill for me what You have promised me, and for all the believing men and believing women, of forgiveness on this night. Complete upon me the blessings You have granted me, for indeed, I am Your poor, weak, humble, and lowly servant. O Allah, do not make me forgetful of Your remembrance in what You have bestowed upon me, nor negligent of Your kindness in what You have given me, and do not let me despair of Your response, even if it seems delayed to me, whether in times of ease or hardship, in difficulty or relief, in health or affliction, misery or bliss. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplications.
The Acts of Worship or A‘māl of Laylatul Qadr
Muslims can perform several general acts during Laylatul Qadr of Ramadan, such as reciting duas, saying dhikr, reciting the Quran, performing ghusl (ritual bathing), and offering qaḍā’ prayers for several days. The importance of prayers (salat) in Ramadan, including the qadā’ prayers that Muslims offer on the nights of Qadr are quite evident. Then, there are the specific acts of worship. We mentioned one of the most important ones, such as reciting the dua of al-Jawshan al-Kabīr. There is one more specific act that is very much emphasized, and that is holding the Quran on the head, reciting a particular dua, swearing by Allah, the Prophet (s), and the Ahlul Bait (a), and asking Allah to answer our prayers and make the best things happen to us until the next Laylatul Qadr.
How to Hold the Quran on the Head and What Duas to Recite
This act is not so difficult. Following these steps:
- Open the Quran. It doesn’t have to be a specific surah or page. Just open it randomly.
- Look at the pages in front of you and recite this dua:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّی أَسْأَلُكَ بِکِتَابِكَ الْمُنْزَلِ وَ مَا فِیهِ وَ فِیهِ اسْمُكَ الْأَكْبَرُ وَ أَسْمَاؤُكَ الْحُسْنَى وَ مَا یُخَافُ وَ یُرْجَى أَنْ تَجْعَلَنِی مِنْ عُتَقَائِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ
O Allah, I ask You by Your revealed Book and what is within it, in which is Your Greatest Name, Your Most Beautiful Names, and that which is feared and hoped for, to make me among those freed by You from the Fire.
Saying Supplications
- The supplicant should then ask Allah whatever He wishes from Him and then say:
اللَّهُمَّ بِحَقِّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَ بِحَقِّ مَنْ أَرْسَلْتَهُ بِهِ وَ بِحَقِّ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ مَدَحْتَهُ فِيهِ وَ بِحَقِّكَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلا أَحَدَ أَعْرَفُ بِحَقِّكَ مِنْكَ
O Allah (I ask You to answer my prayer), by the right of this Quran, by the right of the one You sent with it, by the right of every believer You praised in it, and by Your right over them, for no one knows Your right better than You.
Swearing by Allah (SWT) and the Ahlul Bait (a)
- Then, close the Quran, hold it on your head, and swear by Allah (SWT), His Prophet (s), and the Ahlul Bait (a), in the following way:
Say ten times for each in Arabic while still holding the Quran on your head:
بِكَ يَا اللهُ
I swear by You, O Allah
بِمُحَمَّدٍ
By Muhammad
بِعَلِيٍّ
By Ali
بِفَاطِمَةَ
By Fatima
بِالحَسَنِ
By Hassan
بِالحُسَينِ
By Hussain
بِعَلِيِّ بْنِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ
By Ali the son of Hussain
بِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ
By Muhammad the son of Ali
بِجَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ
By Jafar the son of Muhammad
بِمُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ
By Musa the son of Jafar
بِعَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى
By Ali the son of Musa
بِمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ
By Muhammad the son of Ali
بِعَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ
By Ali the son of Muhammad
بِالْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ
By Hassan the son of Ali
بِالْحُجَّةِ
By the Proof of Allah (i.e. the Mahdi)
Conclusion
Laylatul Qadr is the summit of Ramadan. Our narrations implicate that Laylatul Qadr is on one of the three nights of Ramadan: the eve of the 19th, 21st, and 23rd of Ramadan. People observe all three nights as Laylatul Qadr and perform similar acts of worship each night. The most important thing to do is keep vigil and engage in every rewarding deed, such as performing ghusl (ritual bathing), reciting the Quran, saying dhikr, reciting duas, offering the recommended prayers, and holding the Quran on one’s head and swearing by Allah, the Prophet (s), and the Ahlul Bait (a). Laylatul Qadr’s significance can be understood due to the revelation of the Quran and the determination of all matters in the universe.
