Hawzah News Agency -  The mustahab (recommended) acts for the nights of Qadr are divided into two types: the acts which are common to the three nights and are done in all of them, and particular acts for each night, which are extensively mentioned in Mafatih al-jinan and other supplication books.

* Common practices

    - Ghusl before sunset.

   - Prayer of Laylat al-Qadr:

Saying two rak'as of prayer in each rak'a, after reciting Qur'an 1 (Sura al-Fatiha), recite Qur'an 112 (Sura al-Ikhlas) seven times. After finishing the prayer, say "Astaghfir-u Allah-a wa atub-u ilayh" (استغفر الله و اتوب الیه) seventy times.

    - Night vigil (Ihya')

   - Recite one hundred rak'as (fifty prayers each of which two rak'as or Qada prayer).

    - Reciting the following supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَمْسَيْتُ لَكَ عَبْداً دَاخِراً لاَ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعاً وَ لاَ ضَرّاً وَ لاَ أَصْرِفُ عَنْهَا سُوءاً

O Allah, I am, on this night, a very humble servant of Yours. I have no control over gains and losses for myself, nor can I avert any evil from it.

أَشْهَدُ بِذَلِكَ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَ أَعْتَرِفُ لَكَ بِضَعْفِ قُوَّتِي وَ قِلَّةِ حِيلَتِي

I bear witness to that over myself, I acknowledge to You my weakness and my lack of means.

فَصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَنْجِزْ لِي مَا وَعَدْتَنِي وَ جَمِيعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ مِنَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ

Therefore, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and fulfil for me what You have promised me, and to all the believers, men and women, the (promise of) forgiveness on this night.

وَ أَتْمِمْ عَلَيَّ مَا آتَيْتَنِي فَإِنِّي عَبْدُكَ الْمِسْكِينُ الْمُسْتَكِينُ الضَّعِيفُ الْفَقِيرُ الْمَهِينُ

And complete for me what You have given me. Surely I am Your servant, poor, humble, weak, needy and disgraced.

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَجْعَلْنِي نَاسِياً لِذِكْرِكَ فِيمَا أَوْلَيْتَنِي وَ لاَ (غَافِلاً) لِإِحْسَانِكَ فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَنِي وَ لاَ آيِساً مِنْ إِجَابَتِكَ‏

O Allah, do not make me forgetful of Your remembrance, in what You have entrusted me, nor heedless of Your favours, in what You have given me, nor despairing of Your answer,

وَ إِنْ أَبْطَأَتْ عَنِّي فِي سَرَّاءَ (كُنْتُ) أَوْ ضَرَّاءَ أَوْ شِدَّةٍ أَوْ رَخَاءٍ أَوْ عَافِيَةٍ أَوْ بَلاَءٍ أَوْ بُؤْسٍ أَوْ نَعْمَاءَ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ.

even if it was delayed for me. [Let this be on all occasions] in happiness or sorrow, in difficulty or ease, in health or sickness, in misfortunes or blessings, surely You listen to the Du'as (supplications).

     - Reciting al-Jawshan al-Kabir supplication

    - Reciting Qur'an 44 and Qur'an 97

    - Ziyarah of Imam al-Husayn (a)

- Perform the rituals of holding the Qur'an on the head:

Open the Qur'an and say:

اللهم صل على محمد وال محمد. اللهم إني اسئلك بكتابك المُنزل، وما فيه وفيه اسمك الأكبر واسمائك الحُسنى، وما يُخاف ويُرجى أن تجعلني مِن عُتقائك من النار،

O Allah bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. O Allah I ask You, for the sake of Your revealed Book, and what is in it, and in it is Your greatest name, and (all) Your beautiful names, and what is feared and hoped for, make me amongst those whom You have saved from the fire.

Place the Qur'an on the head and say:

اللهم بحق هذا القرءان، وبحق من ارسلته به، وبحق كل مؤمن مدحته فيه، وبحقك عليهم فلا أحد اعرف بحقك منك

O Allah, for the sake of this Qur'an, for the sake of the one You sent with it, for the sake of every believer You have praised in it, and for the sake of Your right over them, for none is more aware of Your right over them than Yourself.

- Repeat each of the following ten times.

For Your sake, O Allah,                   بک یا الله

for the sake of Muhammad (s),                  بمحمد

for the sake of 'Ali (a),                    بعلی

for the sake of Fatima (a),             بفاطمة

for the sake of Hasan (a),              بالحسن

for the sake of Husayn (a),            بالحسين

for the sake of 'Ali b. al-Husayn (a),          بعلی بن الحسين

for the sake of Muhammad b. 'Ali (a),      بمحمد بن علي

for the sake of J'afar b. Muhammad (a), بجعفر بن محمد

for the sake of Musa b. J'afar (a),               بموسی بن جعفر

for the sake of 'Ali b. Musa (a),   بعلي بن موسی

for the sake of Muhammad b. 'Ali (a)       بمحمد بن علي

for the sake of 'Ali b. Muhammad (a),      بعلي بن محمد

for the sake of Hasan b. 'Ali (a),       بالحسن بن علي

for the sake of al-Hujjat (the proof, Imam al-Mahdi) (a)   بالحجة

- then say what you wish.

*** Particular Practices (Eve of Nineteenth of Ramadan)

   - Reciting this dhikr hundred times:

اَستَغفِرُاللهَ رَبّی و اَتوبُ اِلیهِ

I seek forgiveness of Allah, and I turn (repentant) to Him.

    - Reciting this dhikr hundred times:

اَلّلهُمَّ العَن قَتَلَةَ اَمیرِالمُؤمِنینَ

O Allah, curse the ones who killed Ameerul Mu'mineen.

    - Reciting following du'a:

اَللّهُمَّ اْجْعَلْ فیما تَقْضی وَتُقَدِّرُ مِنَ الاَمْرِ الْمَحْتُومِ

O Allah, let it be that when You decree and ordain from the matters which are certain,

وَفیما تَفْرُقُ مِنَ الاَمْرِ الحَکیمِ فی لَیلَهِ الْقَدْرِ،

that when You distinguish in the matters which are wise on the night of Qadr,

وَفِی الْقَضآءِ الَّذی لا یرَدُّ وَلا یبَدَّلُ،

in the decree which cannot be reversed nor changed,

اَنْ تَکْتُبَنی مِنْ حُجّاجِ بَیتِکَ الْحَرامِ، اَلْمَبْرُورِ حَجُّهُمْ، اَلْمَشْکُورِ سَعْیهُمْ، اَلْمَغْفُورِ ذُنُوبُهُمْ، اَلْمُکَفَّرِ عَنْهُمْ سَیئاتُهُمْ،

that You write me amongst those who will go for pilgrimage (hajj) to Your holy House, whose Hajj is approved, whose efforts are appreciated, whose sins are forgiven, whose evil deeds have been pardoned.

وَاجْعَلْ فیما تَقْضی وَتُقَدِّرُ، اَنْ تُطیلَ عُمْری، وَتُوَسِّعَ عَلَی فی رِزْقی، وَتَفْعَلَ بی‌کَذا وَکَذا.

And from what You decree and ordain, let my life be lengthened, and increase my sustenance, and ...

ask for your wishes

     - Reciting following du'a:

یا ذَا الَّذِی کانَ قَبْلَ کلِّ شَیءٍ ثُمَّ خَلَقَ کلَّ شَیءٍ ثُمَّ یبْقَی وَ یفْنَی کلُّ شَیءٍ

O that One who is (Ever-existing) Supreme Being and was there before any and everything, then (after that) He created all things. He is eternal and all that has been created is mortal.

یا ذَا الَّذِی لَیسَ کمِثْلِهِ شَیءٌ وَ یا ذَا الَّذِی لَیسَ فِی السَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلَی وَ لاَ فِی الْأَرَضِینَ السُّفْلَی وَ لاَ فَوْقَهُنَّ وَ لاَ تَحْتَهُنَّ وَ لاَ بَینَهُنَّ إِلَهٌ یعْبَدُ غَیرُهُ

O that One like unto Him there is nothing. O that One who is such that no one in the high heavens, nor in the low earths, nor above, below and in between, worship anyone other than Him as a God.

لَک الْحَمْدُ حَمْداً لاَ یقْوَی عَلَی إِحْصَائِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

Praise be to Thee. It is not possible to count up, remember and narrate Thy praise in all its dimensions. Thou alone can do it.

فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلاَةً لاَ یقْوَی عَلَی إِحْصَائِهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ.

Therefor send blessing on Muhammad and his family, blessing that no one other than Thou has the capacity to count, remember and narrate its meaning and true purpose.

Asalokum al-dua