Prayer of Lailatul Qadar Night According to Sunnah, Prayer Procedure, and Characteristics of its Presence

Dream – The last ten days of Ramadan are a great opportunity to improve the quality of worship. The majority of scholars from the Shafi'i school of thought believe that in the last third of Ramadan, there is a very special night called Lailatul Qadar.

This night is said to be better than a thousand months. Worshiping on the night of Lailatul Qadar will earn greater rewards than worshiping for a thousand months. This privilege is eagerly awaited by many Muslims.

However, Allah does not specifically mention on which night Lailatul Qadar descends. This night is estimated to occur in the last ten nights of Ramadan. Therefore, in order to obtain that noble night, Muslims must anticipate it by increasing their worship every day.

Lailatul Qadar night can also erase past and future sins. With its various virtues, it is important to take advantage of it by increasing prayers, one of which is reading the prayer of Lailatul Qadar according to the Sunnah. What is the prayer? Here is the complete prayer of Lailatul Qadar night according to the Sunnah, along with the prayer procedure and its characteristics.

Prayer Procedure of Lailatul Qadar

Sholat Lailatul Qadar (Prayer of Lailatul Qadar) is a recommended prayer as an effort to attain blessings on that super special night. In addition to tahajud prayer and hajat prayer, you can add the sunnah prayer of Lailatul Qadar. This prayer can be performed for two or four raka'at.

In the Kitab Durratun Nashihin fil Wa'zhi wal Irsyad by Sheikh Utsman Al-Khaubawi, here is the prayer procedure of Lailatul Qadar prayer that needs to be known:

Recite the intention for the sunnah prayer of Lailatul Qadar, two raka'at:

أُصَلِّى سُنَّةَ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ لِلّٰهِ تَعَالٰى

Ushalli sunnata lailatil qadri rak'ataini lillahi ta'aalaa.

Meaning: "I intend to perform the sunnah prayer of Lailatul Qadar, two raka'at for the sake of Allah Ta'ala."

After reciting the intention, continue by reciting Surah Al-Fatihah as usual. Then, recite Surah Al-Ikhlas seven times.

In the second raka'at, it is the same, recite Surah Al-Fatihah once followed by Surah Al-Ikhlas seven times. Then, continue with the movements of the prayer until the final sitting and salutation. Meanwhile, in the sunnah prayer of Lailatul Qadar for four raka'at, you do not need to sit for the initial sitting.

Once the prayer is completed, continue by reciting istighfar (seeking forgiveness) 70 times:

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْهِ

Astaghfirullāha wa atūbu ilayhi

Meaning: "I seek forgiveness from Allah and I repent to Him."

Prayer of Lailatul Qadar According to the Sunnah

This prayer is recited after the sunnah prayer of Lailatul Qadar or practiced every night during Ramadan. There are two versions of the prayer of Lailatul Qadar night according to the Sunnah. Both prayers are narrated from Sayyidah Aisyah radhiyallahu'anha. The prayer of Lailatul Qadar night is also widely practiced by the Muslim community.

First Prayer

The first version of the prayer of Lailatul Qadar night according to the Sunnah is based on the narration of Imam Tirmidhi. Here is the prayer:

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ  تُحِبُّ اَلْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Allāhumma innaka afuwwun karīmun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annī (‘annā if recited in congregation)

Meaning: "O Allah, You are indeed the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. You also love forgiveness. Therefore, forgive me (forgive us)."

Second Prayer

Meanwhile, the second version of the prayer of Lailatul Qadar night according to the Sunnah is based on the narration of the five hadith scholars except Abu Dawud. Here is the prayer:

 اَللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ اَلْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Allāhumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annī (‘annā if recited in congregation)

Meaning: "O Allah, You are indeed the Most Forgiving. You also love forgiveness. Therefore, forgive me (forgive us)."

Characteristics of the Presence of Lailatul Qadar Night

Although its exact arrival is unknown, Lailatul Qadar night can be identified through different characteristics compared to other nights. Here are the characteristics of the arrival of Lailatul Qadar night based on the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad:

1. Calm Air

The first characteristic of Lailatul Qadar night is marked by calm air and gentle breeze. The weather is cool, neither cold nor hot. The gentle breeze makes sleep feel peaceful. These are the characteristics of Lailatul Qadar night as narrated by Ath Thoyalisi.

Ibn Abbas RA said, the Prophet Muhammad SAW said, "Lailatul Qadar is a night full of gentleness, brightness, not too hot, and not too cold. In the morning, the sun shines weakly and appears reddish."

2. Worship Feels More Devout

In addition, the characteristics of Lailatul Qadar night can also be felt by those who wake up at night to worship. They feel a tranquility and devotion that is not felt on other nights. There is no fear or worry in their hearts while performing night worship. This is because the angels descend to the earth to provide tranquility, so that people feel peace and enjoyment in worship.

3.There are People who See it in a Dream

The characteristics of the night of Lailatul Qadar will be known by some people through their dreams, as experienced by some companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Those who can see the night of Lailatul Qadar are the chosen people of Allah, whose devotion to Allah SWT is unquestionable.

4.The Night Sky Appears Clear

The characteristics of the night of Lailatul Qadar can also be seen through the very clear night sky. On that night, the sky is clear without a single cloud. Meanwhile, the atmosphere is calm, quiet, and cool.

This is as mentioned in a hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad, the Prophet Muhammad said: "The night of Lailatul Qadar is a clear sky, the air is neither cold nor hot, the sky is not cloudy, there is no rain, the stars are not visible, and during the day the sun shines without being too hot."

5.The Morning Sun Rises Without Radiance

Another characteristic of the night of Lailatul Qadar that needs to be known is that in the morning the sun rises calmly without radiance. The sun is clear and very beautiful to behold. This has also been conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad in his hadith: From Abi bin Ka'ab, the Prophet Muhammad said, "In the morning of the night of Lailatul Qadar, the sun rises without radiance, as if resembling a vessel until the sun rises." (Narrated by Muslim)

Source: NU Online