The Du’a of Laylat al-Qadr - Shaykh Ahsan Hanif

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ أَصْدَقَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ

The Last Ten Nights of Ramadan

As we fast approach the last ten nights of this month of Ramadan — which begins on this Sunday night, inshallah — we know that it was the practice of the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ to expend more in the way of worship and effort and coming closer to Allah in those last ten nights than he would in the first twenty nights of the month of Ramadan. And that was a principle which the Prophet not only embodied himself, but it is something which the companions, رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ, understood and they too applied within their own practice of worship in this month of Ramadan.

In these last ten nights of Ramadan, that is shown in a number of narrations and ahadith. Perhaps the most famous of them is the narration of our mother Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا, in which she asks about the du'a of Laylat al-Qadr. And Imam at-Tirmidhi رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى collects in his Jami' this du'a that we find in this hadith of Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا.

It is a well-known du'a — it's the du'a that you often hear the Imam reciting in the witr prayer each and every night, or throughout many nights of the month of Ramadan, but especially in the last ten nights of Ramadan. It's a du'a that you're familiar with and I'm sure that many of you have memorized this du'a. But perhaps many of us have never stopped to think about the importance of this du'a and why the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ pinpointed and highlighted and emphasized this particular du'a over and above any other invocation and supplication that you could choose to make on the nights of the last ten while seeking Laylat al-Qadr.

The Question of Aisha and the Wisdom Behind It

One of the first benefits that we find from this hadith of Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا — when she came and she said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you see that if I find Laylat al-Qadr, which du'a should I make?" — it shows you that she understood that from the most virtuous acts of worship that you can perform on the night that you hope and wish and pray is Laylat al-Qadr, is to make du'a to Allah.

Because she didn't say: "O Messenger of Allah, what act of worship should I do if Laylat al-Qadr comes?" She already knows, because she understands, because the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ would spend those last ten nights of Ramadan in salah, and in the recitation of the Quran, and in du'a. And that is why some of the scholars went to the position that it is those acts of worship that Allah intended when He said Laylat al-Qadr is better than a thousand months of worship — because that is what the Prophet chose to do during those nights. Another scholar said no, charity and any good deed applies. But the point is that they all agreed that the Prophet didn't spend those nights doing other acts of worship; he spent them in salah, in recitation of the Quran, the dhikr of Allah, and in making du'a.

And Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا understands this. And from the benefits that we see from this therefore is the love — or the understanding — that Aisha has of this religion. She doesn't need to ask: "O Messenger of Allah, should I give charity on this night? Should I feed someone on this night? Should I do x, y, z act of worship on this night?" She knows, she understands, because she is an observant lady, she is a scholar of this religion, she knows how the Prophet worships when he is in her house and in her presence.

"O Messenger of Allah, which du'a should I make?" And Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا is a scholar from amongst the companions. It's not like she doesn't know any du'as. It's not like she is not familiar with the du'as of the Quran or the many du'as that the Prophet taught his companions that are narrated throughout the Sunnah. She knows. But she is asking: what is the most important thing that I should concentrate on in terms of asking for on this night?

And that is another point that we should understand. Because you can make any du'a on the nights of the last ten — if you think it's Laylat al-Qadr, you can ask for anything: make du'a for yourself, your families, your wealth, your health, anything and everything. But what is it that you should be focusing on? What is it that you should be concentrating on? That is what Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا is asking.

And the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ — as we know — loved Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا more than he loved anyone else. When he was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who do you love?" he said: "Aisha." So he is not going to tell her to focus on something that is less important; he is not going to tell her to focus on something that is maybe okay — he is going to tell her to focus on what is the most essential thing.

Because there are limited hours on the night of Laylat al-Qadr. It is a finite opportunity of a few hours. You have to take that time and use it wisely. Just as the people of Hajj on the Day of Arafah — they don't mess around, they don't play around. Once the time of Dhuhr comes in, there are a few hours that you have to ask of Allah for the most important and most integral things that you need. Similar to the night of Qadr — Laylat al-Qadr — you don't have the time to just make du'as for anything and everything. Yes, you can. But there is something that you should concentrate on more than anything else.

The Du'a of Laylat al-Qadr

And so the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ told her — and another benefit — he said in the du'a:

(Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3513; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3850 — graded Sahih)

"O Allah, You are the one who pardons, and You love to pardon, so pardon me."

The Name of Allah: Al-'Afuw

And that is from the names of Allah — that He is al-'Afuw — the One who pardons. And al-'Afuw, the One who pardons, is similar in meaning to the One who forgives, similar in meaning to the One who has mercy and kindness and generosity towards His creation. But there is a difference between maghfirah, which is forgiveness, and al-'afw, which is to pardon.

Because al-maghfirah in the Arabic language — in its root word — means to conceal, to veil. So when someone sins and Allah forgives them, He is essentially covering their sin. And we know in the hadith of the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ that whoever Allah covers their sins — generally speaking — on Yawm al-Qiyamah, He will forgive them. It is a good sign if Allah conceals our sins and veils them — that is a sign of forgiveness, inshallah, on the Day of Judgment.

But when you conceal someone's sin, the sin is still there, still present. All you did is draw a curtain and veil the sin — but the sin is still there. The meaning of the word 'afw is more eloquent. It is a higher form and a more complete form of forgiveness. Because al-'afw is to expunge — al-'afw is to wipe out — al-'afw is as if it never happened in the first place. So you no longer need to conceal it, because Allah didn't only forgive and conceal and veil, but Allah wiped it away as if it never occurred.

And that is why the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ chose this name. That is why he focused on this name. He said: "O Allah, You are the One who is al-'Afuw — the One who pardons — tuhibbu al-'afw — and You love to pardon — fa'fu 'anni — so pardon me."

The Two Dimensions of Al-'Afw

Of all of the things that you could ask for, all of the du'as that the Prophet could have taught the one that he loved most — Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا — and by extension therefore the rest of his ummah, he chose to focus on this one issue. And it is extremely brief and concise in its words but extremely comprehensive in its meanings. Because al-'afw includes two things: the 'afw of the dunya, and the 'afw of the akhirah.

1. The 'Afw of the Dunya

The 'afw of the dunya — the pardoning that Allah gives to people in this life — includes everything that takes place in this world. Because we know that on the night of Qadr — because Aisha asks specifically; she didn't say "O Messenger of Allah, what du'a do I make in Ramadan? What du'a do I make in the last ten nights of Ramadan?" She asks: "If I meet or I see Laylat al-Qadr, what du'a should I make?" — why al-'afw then?

Because from the purposes of Laylat al-Qadr, as Allah mentions in the Quran in Surah ad-Dukhan:

Allah descends the decree of the following year on the night of Laylat al-Qadr. Allah has decreed everything in the Preserved Tablet — everything that will happen until Yawm al-Qiyamah has been written and recorded — but that decree is sent down to the earth on an annual basis, a yearly basis. And that night is the night of Qadr. And that's why some of the scholars said — and there are different opinions — but some of them said it is called Laylat al-Qadr because it speaks to the decree of Allah that is sent to the earth on that night.

So when you ask Allah to forgive you and to pardon you on the night that Allah will cause His decree to descend — and we know that the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: nothing changes the decree of Allah except du'a — you're asking Allah to give you a decree for the following year in which Allah has bestowed upon you His forgiveness and His pardon. And how many calamities, how many hardships, how many tests and trials and tribulations — as we've just seen in the past 18 to 24 months of the lives that we've just lived and the experiences that we've just had — only Allah knows what the future holds. But when you spend that night making du'a, only Allah knows how much evil has been warded off from you, and how much has changed in terms of the evil and hardship that may have struck you, and how Allah pardoned you — that even in those hardships and those calamities that do strike you and that you do suffer from, that Allah gives you the steadfastness and the patience and the perseverance and the discipline to be able to deal with them in a way that is pleasing to Allah.

So you ask Allah for al-'afw. And there are stories — if you read the stories of the scholars — of how they would meet people and they would teach them this du'a on the night that they would consider to be Laylat al-Qadr, maybe the 23rd, the 25th, the 27th night of Ramadan. And that person who had no understanding of the religion, didn't worship Allah, never prayed — even on the night of the 27th of Ramadan they're outside on the streets, dossing and messing around rather than worshipping Allah — but when they make this du'a, Allah transforms their lives. Because they're asking Allah to pardon. And when you ask Allah for His pardon, it is a comprehensive term that includes every good.

And that is why the Prophet taught it — because if Allah pardons you and forgives you and has His mercy upon you, then what else do you need? What more is there? Because every good and every blessing is entailed within the mercy of Allah. Every kindness, every generosity that you could possibly need in this life and the next comes from the mercy and the forgiveness and the pardon of Allah. If Allah forgives you, you are saved. If Allah forgives you, you have Jannah. If Allah showers His mercy upon you, there is no force in the rest of the universe that can come and stand before the mercy of Allah.

2. The 'Afw of the Akhirah

And then you have the second meaning — which is al-'afw, the pardon of Allah on the Day of Judgment. When all of us will stand before Allah, with all of the sins that we've committed, with all of the errors that we've done, with all of the oppression that we've committed upon ourselves and to one another — when we stand before Allah and Allah has accepted that du'a and all of it is expunged and wiped clean — that is the power of one simple du'a that doesn't take you more than four, five, six seconds to utter from the words of your tongue. But its meaning is so vast and so great. You ask Allah to treat you on the Day of Judgment as if those sins never existed — they will be wiped away clean. And to come to Allah with a clean slate, with a white page, with no sins, is the greatest of achievements and the greatest of victory in the sight of Allah.

And that is why the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ told us to focus on this.

The Wisdom of Ibn Rajab on Seeking Forgiveness After Good Deeds

Al-Hafidh al-Imam Ibn Rajab رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى has an amazing statement in his book Lata'if al-Ma'arif. He says: why did the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ tell us to focus on this issue of forgiveness and pardon — when for twenty days, the first twenty days and nights of Ramadan, all you've been doing is worshipping Allah? How much Quran have you already read? How many fasts have you completed? How many Taraweeh prayers and salah? How many du'as have you been making for twenty days? Now the Prophet is saying: ask for more forgiveness, make this du'a — why?

He says رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: because the believer is the one who — despite all of those good deeds, despite everything that they've already accomplished by the will of Allah in the month of Ramadan — the believer is the one who doesn't take it for granted. They don't know if Allah is going to accept those deeds. They don't put their guarantee on those deeds that they've completed, because they don't know the quality and the level and the value that it has in the sight of Allah. And they know from themselves that — despite even if Allah does accept them, despite all of that — the sins that they have are still far greater, and the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon them are far more and far more numerous. And so therefore, why wouldn't they ask for the 'afw of Allah on these last ten nights of Ramadan in the hope of attaining Laylat al-Qadr?

And that is why Allah tells us that from the attributes of the believers is that when they come towards the end of their good deeds — when they accomplish amazing things in terms of worship — they make istighfar of Allah and they ask Allah for His forgiveness. When you finish the salah — every obligatory salah — what's the first dhikr that you make?

When the people of Hajj make Hajj and they finish from Arafah and they leave, Allah says to them:

When you leave from Arafah and you go to Muzdalifah — having completed the main pillar of Hajj — now seek Allah's forgiveness. They just completed Arafah; inshallah Allah's just wiped away all of their sins. No — now you make istighfar of Allah. And likewise, now that you've done twenty-odd nights of Ramadan, you've done two thirds of this month — now is the time for you to redouble your efforts in terms of seeking the forgiveness of Allah.

May Allah make us from amongst those that He forgives and pardons.

بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لِي وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَالسُّنَّةِ، وَنَفَعَنِي وَإِيَّاكُمْ بِمَا فِيهِمَا مِنَ الْآيَاتِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ. أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِجَمِيعِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا

Second Khutbah — Redoubling Efforts in the Last Ten Nights

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَمَنْ وَالَاهُ، وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا

It is because of the meanings that we've mentioned and the points that we've discussed that the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ would put more time and effort in these last ten nights of Ramadan than in any other time of the year. He would spend the whole night awake — and that wasn't his norm — because the Prophet would pray Qiyam al-Layl but he would sleep a portion of the night. But in these ten nights, he doesn't sleep.

And he would do more in terms of acts of worship and coming closer to Allah, and he would wake up his family and ask them to spend the night awake with him — and he wouldn't do that often. Normally his wives would sleep and he would pray. Normally they wouldn't be asked or awakened by the Prophet. But because of what is so precious during these last ten nights — and that is the night of Laylat al-Qadr, worth a thousand months of worship.

The Story of How the Last Ten Nights Were Established

The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ made i'tikaf for the first ten nights of Ramadan because he didn't know where Laylat al-Qadr was. So Jibreel, peace be upon him, came to him at the end of the first ten nights and he said: "Continue — make i'tikaf — because it wasn't in the first ten nights." So he made i'tikaf for the middle ten nights of Ramadan. Can you imagine? Twenty nights of Ramadan already in i'tikaf. Jibreel comes to him and says: "No, still you haven't attained Laylat al-Qadr — continue in i'tikaf." And then the Prophet made i'tikaf for the last ten nights. And then after that, every year he would only make it in the last ten nights of Ramadan.

And that is why the position — or the strongest position — amongst the scholars of Islam, and Allah knows best, concerning when Laylat al-Qadr is, is that it could be on any of the last ten nights of Ramadan, and it changes from year to year — one year perhaps the 23rd, one year the 21st, one year the 27th. Only Allah knows. And that is because Allah wants you to seek out Laylat al-Qadr because of how important it is.

Closing Du'a and Encouragement

And so to spend these last few nights — inshallah, that begin on Sunday — worshipping Allah: reading Quran, making salah, making du'a to Allah — in particular with the du'a that we just mentioned inshallah — it is from the greatest acts of worship that you can perform, in the hopes that Allah allows me and you to witness the night of Laylat al-Qadr.

And we ask Allah with His most beautiful names that He allows us to do so, and that Allah makes us from amongst those who worship Him and make du'a to Him on that night, and that Allah pardons and forgives us, raises our levels in Jannah, that Allah increases our rewards and forgives our sins, and that Allah makes us from amongst those who will be emancipated from the Fire of Hell.