The Best Worship To Do On The Best Night

When Muslims seek the Night of Power (Lailat Al-Qadr) during the last ten nights of Ramaḍān, they often find themselves wondering what the best act of worship is to perform on such a blessed night. Is it praying ṣalāh? Is it reciting the Qur’ān?
While the acts of worship one can perform are many, one of the best we can do is to make du‘ā’. Du‘ā’, the Prophet (S) said, is the best form of worshiping Allah. Similarly, the Night of Power is the best night in the entire year.
So we have two of the bests amongst their classes. Imagine the power of combining them at the same time. You would be performing the best possible worship during the best possible time.

Greater than or equal to 1,000
The Night of Power is usually associated with being equal to a thousand months. But in the Qur’an in Surah Qadr, Allah (SWT) answers His question of what is the Night of Power is by stating it is better than, not equal to, a thousand months. The true amount to is left to our imagination.

With that considered, if one were to perform enough du‘ā’ during the Night of Power , the result would be something better than, not equal to, an entire lifetime of making du‘ā’ to Allah (SWT).

Imam Aḥmad’s Du‘ā’ List
It was said about Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal that he would carry around a list of names for people who asked him to make du‘ā’ for, adding requests to his list as they came in. It’s amazing that even someone in his position and as busy as he was would fulfill the trusts given to him by the people.

This Night of Power , follow his footsteps and create your own list of du‘ā’ to make for both yourself and for all the people who have asked you to make du‘ā’ for. We all have people who’ve asked us to remember them in our du‘ā’. More often than not, though, we forget to make du‘ā’ for them like they requested. The Night of Power is our chance to make it up to all of them.

And don’t think fulfilling this is just to help others. The Prophet (S) told us if we make du‘ā’ for others, an Angel will make that same du‘ā’ for us. Imagine getting all of what you’re asking for others to have for yourself. The bigger your du‘ā’ list, the more you can get.

‘Ā’isha’s question
The most critical connection between du‘ā’ and the Night of Power comes from an instance when ‘Ā’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, asked the Prophet (S) what she should say if she found herself with the Night of Power . The Prophet (S) responded with the well-known du‘ā’, “Allahumma, innaka ‘Afūwwun, tuḥibbu al-‘afwa fa‘afu ‘annī,” which means, “O Allah! Indeed you are Pardoning, you love to pardon, so please pardon me,” which may already know about.

But try to envision what the scenario is here. ‘Ā’isha didn’t ask what she should do if she found the Night of Power. Instead, she asked what should she say. In other words, she knew that if there was one thing to focus on that blessed night, it should be du‘ā’ to Allah.

On top of that, the Prophet (S) responded with just the advice of making du‘ā’ (and in specific one asking for forgiveness of one’s sins). Here is ‘Ā’isha, the most beloved of his family who you would think he would give a huge list of monumental acts of worship to perform, yet even she is being told to make du‘ā’ the priority. If ‘Ā’isha was instructed to do so during the blessed Night of Power , what about us during that night?

A lifetime of Night of Powers
The Prophet (S) once told the Companions that whoever misses out on the benefit of the Night of Power will have lost something irreplaceable. As you’re searching the night and making du‘ā’ during every one of the last ten nights, do yourself a favor and make a smart du‘ā’.

Ask Allah (SWT) to enable you to worship during the last 10 nights of every Ramadan for the rest of your life, guaranteeing that you will always find the Night of Power.
When that du‘ā’ is accepted inshaAllah, not only will you have asked Allah (SWT) for more than a lifetime to grant you this ability, He will give you a lifetime of nights worth more than a lifetime in which you can keep asking to find again and again.

That’s a du‘ā’ worth making for a lifetime.