General Goals for the Nights of Decree (Qadr)

Chapter 97 ؞ Sūrat al-Qadr

In the Name of God, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.

Indeed We sent it down on the Night of Decree.

What will show you what the Night of Decree is?

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

In it the angels and the Spirit descend, by the leave of their Lord, with every command.

It is peaceful until the rising of the dawn.

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ

لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍۢ

تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍۢ

سَلَٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ

The last days and nights of the month of Ramaḍān are of particular spiritual significance. While we may tend to want to rest on our laurels as the last days of fasting pass us by and the prospect of ʿĪd comes into view, our tradition teaches that during the last ten days the Prophet (ṣ) intensified his spiritual efforts and went into secluded worship. On the Nights of Decree (Qadr) he would stay up all night in vigil, orienting his soul toward God, and asking for well-being for the next year.

While the last ten days and nights of the month are important, particular emphasis is placed on the 19th, 21st, and the 23rd nights of the month of Ramaḍān as the most probable to be the Night of Decree. Our scholars recommend various transmitted supplications, formal prayers, and acts of worship to be done throughout these evenings. You can find manuals of devotion such as Mafātīḥ al-Jinān in English that illustrate the various recommended acts of worship in depth.

However, in order to avoid getting lost in the details, below are the high level priorities to keep in mind during these nights as we close out the Month of Mercy.

General goals

 ؞ To ask for well being and sustenance for one’s self, family, and community
 ؞ To plead for forgiveness
 ؞ To plead for justice
 ؞ To spend some time studying the Qur'an and the religion generally
 ؞ To spend time in reflection thinking about one's state, one's goals for the year, and how to flourish while oriented toward God
 ؞ To spend some time, books and screens set aside, speaking openly and vulnerably to God

Plan ahead

 ؞ Plan a light dinner (ifṭār) and plan the pre-dawn meal (saḥūr) ahead of time
 ؞ Plan a nap the day prior and, if able, take a half day at work the following day
 ؞ Plan which prayers and chapters of the Qur’an to read and read some of the translation beforehand
 ؞ Plan to engage meaningfully and don't overtax one's self with getting through every recommended act
 ؞ Plan to focus on the quality of connection - take your time