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 third of Ramadan)

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

    - Reciting these suras: Qur'an 29, Qur'an 30 and Qur'an 44

   - Reciting Qur'an 97 (Sura al_Qadr) 1000 times

   - Reciting these du'as: al-Jawshan al-Kabir, Makarim al-akhlaq and al-Iftitah

   - Performing ghusl once at the beginning of the night and once at the end of it.

   - Reciting following du'a:

اَللَّهُمَّ امْدُدْ لِی فِی عُمُرِی وَ أَوْسِعْ لِی فِی رِزْقِی وَ أَصِحَّ لِی جِسْمِی وَ بَلِّغْنِی أَمَلِی

O Allah prolong my life span, increase my means of livelihood, keep my body in sound condition, fulfill my desires.

وَ إِنْ کنْتُ مِنَ الْأَشْقِیاءِ فَامْحُنِی مِنَ الْأَشْقِیاءِ وَ اکتُبْنِی مِنَ السُّعَدَاءِ

if I am to be thrown into calamities, cancel my entanglement with such misfortunes, and write my name in teh list of those who have been blessed to be fortunate.

فَإِنَّک قُلْتَ فِی کتَابِک الْمُنْزَلِ عَلَی نَبِیک الْمُرْسَلِ صَلَوَاتُک عَلَیهِ وَ آلِهِ

because Thou has said in Thy Book, revealed to Thy commissioned Prophet (Thy blessing be on him and his family),

یمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا یشَاءُ وَ یثْبِتُ وَ عِنْدَه‌ام الْکتَابِ

Allah cancels what He wills, and confirms (what He wills); and with Him is source of the Book (ordinance).

     Reciting following du'a:

اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِیمَا تَقْضِی وَ فِیمَا تُقَدِّرُ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ الْمَحْتُومِ وَ فِیمَا تَفْرُقُ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ الْحَکیمِ فِی لَیلَةِ الْقَدْرِ مِنَ الْقَضَاءِ الَّذِی لا یرَدُّ وَ لا یبَدَّلُ

O Allah at the time of taking decisions and rendering possible things and events decisively (decisions which cannot be changed or bypassed but can be kept in abeyance on account of the all-wise operation of laws made by Thee), in the night of Qadr,

أَنْ تَکتُبَنِی مِنْ حُجَّاجِ بَیتِک الْحَرَامِ فِی عَامِی هَذَا الْمَبْرُورِ حَجُّهُمْ الْمَشْکورِ سَعْیهُمْ الْمَغْفُورِ ذُنُوبُهُمْ الْمُکفَّرِ عَنْهُمْ سَیئَاتُهُمْ

write my name in the list of those pilgrims of Thy sacred house whose pilgrimage receive Thy approval, whose wrongdoings are overlooked,

وَ اجْعَلْ فِیمَا تَقْضِی وَ تُقَدِّرُ أَنْ تُطِیلَ عُمْرِی وَ تُوَسِّعَ لِی فِی رِزْقِی

and while making decisions and rendering possible things and events, make possible for me long life and enough means of livelihood.

- Reciting following du'a:

یا بَاطِنا فِی ظُهُورِهِ وَ یا ظَاهِرا فِی بُطُونِهِ وَ یا بَاطِنا لَیسَ یخْفَی وَ یا ظَاهِرا لَیسَ یرَی

O Intrinsic Fundamental (Secret) evident in His exposed intelligible expression (Manifest), and O Rational Exposition (Manifest) leading to His genuine quintessential (secret). O Innate Unseeable but not unintelligible. O Expressive exposition but not seeable.

یا مَوْصُوفا لا یبْلُغُ بِکینُونَتِهِ مَوْصُوفٌ وَ لا حَدٌّ مَحْدُودٌ وَ یا غَائِبا [غَائِبُ] غَیرَ مَفْقُودٍ وَ یا شَاهِدا [شَاهِدُ] غَیرَ مَشْهُودٍ یطْلَبُ فَیصَابُ

O He who is distinguished by qualities but no description points out His Being, nor any definition defines Him. O He who is transcendental but not missing. O He who is present but not perceivable! No sooner He is longed for (remembered) He reaches to pay attention.

وَ لا یخْلُو [لَمْ یخْلُ] مِنْهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَ الْأَرْضُ وَ مَا بَینَهُمَا طُرْفَةَ [طَرْفَةَ] عَینٍ

At no time, even for a flash of the eyelids (lesser than that), the heavens and the earth and that which is between them is empty of His presence.

لا یدْرَک بِکیفٍ [بِکیفَ] وَ لا یؤَینُ بِأَینٍ [بِأَینَ] وَ لا بِحَیثٍ [بِحَیثُ]

there is no way to know how is He, nor find out where is He, nor say why is He.

أَنْتَ نُورُ النُّورِ وَ رَبُّ الْأَرْبَابِ أَحَطْتَ بِجَمِیعِ الْأُمُورِ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَیسَ کمِثْلِهِ شَیءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِیعُ الْبَصِیرُ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ هَکذَا وَ لا هَکذَا غَیرُهُ

Thou art the light of every light. and the Lord of the lords, thou controls every aspect of all phenomena. Glory be to He like unto whom there is nothing. He is Hearing, Seeing. Glory be to He who is just like that and is not just like that anyone other than He.

- Reciting following du'a:

اَللّهُمَّ کنْ لِوَلِیک الْحُجَّةِ بْنِ الْحَسَنْ صَلَواتُک عَلَیهِ وَعَلی آبائِهِ

O Allah! for Your Wali, Hujjat ibn Al-Hasan That Your Blessings Be Upon Him and His Forbears,

فِی هذِهِ السَّاعَةِ وَفی کلِّ ساعَة وَلِیاً وَحافِظاً وَقائِداً وَناصِراً وَدَلِیلاً وَعَیناً

at This and all the Time, Be Guardian, Supporter, Leader, Helper, Guide and Lookout,

حَتَّی تُسْکنَهُ أَرْضَک طَوْعاً وَتُمَتِّعَهُ فِیها طَوِیلاً

Until You Make Him Settle on Your Earth Delightedly [for leading the divine global government] and Benefit Him on the Earth for a Long Time.

Asalokum al-dua