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 Twenty first of Ramadan)

     - Reciting du'as which belong to the last ten days of Ramadan

   - Reciting following du'a:

یا مُولِجَ اللَّیلِ فِی النَّهارِ، وَمُولِجَ النَّهارِ فِی اللَّیلِ،

O (One) who causes the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night.

وَمُخْرِجَ الْحَی مِنَ الْمَیتِ، وَمُخْرِجَ الْمَیتِ مِنَ الْحَی،

O (One) who brings forth the living from the dead, and brings forth the dead from the living.

یا رازِقَ مَنْ یشآءُ بِغَیرِ حِساب، یا اَللهُ یا رَحْمنُ، یا اَللهُ یا رَحیمُ، یا اَللهُ یا اَللهُ یا اَللهُ،

O the Provider of sustenance for whoever He pleases, without measure. O Allah, O Beneficent, O Allah, O Merciful. O Allah, O Allah, O Allah,

لَکَ الاَسْمآءُ الْحُسْنی، وَ الاَمْثالُ الْعُلْیا، وَالْکِبْرِیآءُ وَالاْلاءُ،

You have the most beautiful names, the highest examples, the grandeur, the bounties.

اَسْئَلُکَ اَنْ تُصَلِّی عَلی مُحَمَّد وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد، وَ اَنْ تَجْعَلَ اسْمی فی هذِهِ اللَّیلَهِ فِی السُّعَدآءِ،

I beseech You to, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and place my name, in this night, among the fortunate,

وَ رُوحی مَعَ الشُّهَدآءِ، وَاِحْسانی فی عِلِّیینَ، وَاِسآئَتی مَغْفُورَهً،

and my soul among the martyrs, let my good deeds be (written) in the 'Illiyyin (Book of the virtuous), and my evil deeds be forgiven.

وَاَنْ تَهَبَ لی یقیناً تُباشِرُ بِهِ قَلْبی، وَاِیماناً یذْهِبُ الشَّکَّ عَنّی، وَتُرْضِینی بِما قَسَمْتَ لی،

(And I beseech You to) grant me a certainty which gives joy to my heart, and a faith which drives doubt away from me, and make me pleased with what You have granted me.

و آتِنا فِی الدُّنْیا حَسَنَهً، وَ فِی الاْخِرَهِ حَسَنَهً، وَ قِنا عَذابَ النّارِ الْحَریقِ،

(And I beseech You to) Give us good in this world, and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the burning fire. (Q 2:201)

وَارْزُقْنی فیها ذِکْرَکَ وَ شُکْرَکَ، وَ الرَّغْبَهَ اِلَیکَ وَ الاِْنابَهَ،

(And I beseech You to) grant me in it (Laylatul Qadr) Your remembrance, and Your gratitude, and desire for (pleasing) You, turning (to You for repentance),

وَ التَّوْفیقَ لِما وَفَّقْتَ لَهُ مُحَمَّداً وَ آلَ مُحَمَّد عَلَیهِ وَ عَلَیهِمُ السَّلامُ.

and success, for all that You have granted Muhammad and his family, peace be on him and on them.

   -  Reciting following du'a:

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلی مُحَمَّد وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد،

O Allah send blessing on Muhammad and his family,

وَاقْسِمْ لی حِلْماً یسُدُّ عَنّی بابَ الْجَهْلِ، وَهُدی تَمُنُّ بِهِ عَلَی مِنْ کُلِّ ضَلالَه،

and inculcate maturity (of thought and action) in me so that it stops me at the gate of ignorance;

وَغِنی تَسُدُّ بِهِ عَنّی بابَ کُلِّ فَقْر، وَقُوَّهً تَرُدُّ بِها عَنّی کُلَّ ضَعْف،

let me have enough means to barricade the gaps of poverty, give me strength to avert weakness.

وَعِزّاً تُکْرِمُنی بِهِ عَنْ کُلِّ ذِلَّه، وَرِفْعَهً تَرْفَعُنی بِها عَنْ کُلِّ ضَعَه،

raise me to noble heights to abstain from anything low and mean; let me reach higher regions to leave behind humiliation;

وَاَمْناً تَرُدُّ بِهِ عَنّی کُلَّ خَوْف، وَعافِیهً تَسْتُرُنی بِها مِنْ کُلِّ بَلاء،

take me to peaceful sanctuary to remain safe from all terrors; cover me with safety to shield from the impact of all calamities;

وَعِلْماً تَفْتَحُ لی بِهِ کُلَّ یقین، وَیقیناً تُذْهِبُ بِهِ عَنّی کُلَّ شَکٍّ،

open my mind with knowledge to cultivate sure belief; let me be certain of the indubitable truth to dispel all doubts;

وَدُعآءً تَبْسُطُ لی بِهِ الاِْجابَهَ فی هذِهِ اللَّیلَهِ، وَفی هذِهِ السّاعَهِ السّاعَهِ السّاعَهِ یا کَریمُ،

stimulate me to make use of prayer to draw Thy attention for fulfillment (of my desires) in this night, (in fact) at this very moment.O Generous Giver;

وَ خَوْفاً تَنْشُرُ لی بِهِ کُلَّ رَحْمَه، وَعِصْمَهً تَحُولُ بِها بَینی وَ بَینَ الذُّنُوبِ،

put fear (of the consequences of breaking Thy laws) in my heart to deserve (Thy) all-embracing mercy; preserve incorruptible integrity in me

حَتّی اُفْلِحَ بِها بَینَ الْمَعْصُومینَ عِنْدَکَ، بِرَحْمَتِکَ یا اَرْحَمَ الرّاحِمینَ.

so that it puts a barrier between me and wrongdoing till I reach the sanctuary of the infallibles, to be presented before Thee for obtaining Thy mercy, O the Most Merciful.

- Saying Salawat as more as you can.

Asalokum al-dua