16 things you can do on the Night of Power Crying in front of allah Its not impossible 31 personal duas to choose

from What the prophet did in sajdah I ask myself tonight

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The Night of Power

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16 things you can do on the Night of Power

Abdul Malik Mujahid

Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power) is described in the Quran as, "better than a thousand months" (97:3). Any action done on this night such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, etc. is better than acting for one thousand months which do not contain the night of Qadr. Allah's Messenger used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time." (Muslim). Allah's peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an oddnumbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari). The Prophet said: "Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira).
Jazakumullah Khairan http://soundvision.com/info/ramadan/

Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the time before and after it. 1. Take a vacation for Allah We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not this time to focus on worshiping and thanking our Creator.

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If this is not possible at least take a few days off if you can. This can make it easier to stay awake at night to do extra Ibadah, not having to worry about getting to work the next day. It will also facilitate doing Itikaf. 2. Do Itikaf It was a practice of the Prophet to spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the masjid for Itikaf. Those in Itikaf stay in the masjid all this time, performing various forms of zikr (the remembrance of Allah), like doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Quran. They do not go outside the masjid except in case of emergencies, therefore, they sleep in the masjid. Their families or the masjid administration takes care of their food needs. Itikaf of a shorter period of time, like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged as well. 3. Make this special Dua Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.' "(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Tirmidhi). The transliteration of this Dua is "Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee"

14. Did I constantly check my intentions, to make sure that my good deeds were for the sake of Allah alone, not to impress others, gain their favor, or to show off? 15. Was there even an atom of pride in my heart? 16. Was I quieter and more contemplative? 17. Did I cry in my prayers? 18. Did I read more Islamic literature apart from the Quran? 19. Did I make sincere repentance to Allah, really feeling sorry for my sins? 20. Did I forgive those who hurt me? 21. Did I avoid hurting anyone with my attitude, words, intentions or actions? 22. Did I give any more Sadaqah (charity) than I normally give? 23. Did I share the message of Ramadan and Islam with a non-Muslim? 24. Did I share the message of Ramadan and Islam with a non-practicing Muslim family member or friend? 25. Did I feel annoyed at being hungry while fasting or did I rejoice? ----------------

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1. Have I kept pace with the amount of Quran I wanted to read, or have I fallen behind? 2. If so, how much do I have to read on a daily basis the rest of Ramadan to catch up? 3. Have I tried to attend Tarawih regularly, or did I use weak excuses to get out of it? 4. Did I ever pray the night prayer? 5. Did I try praying my five daily prayers with more sincerity, concentration, and focus than usual? 6. Did I invite anyone over for Iftar (breaking the fast)? 7. Did I help any needy person, even a panhandler or beggar, when I was fasting? 8. Did I regularly seek Allah's Forgiveness and Mercy with sincerity, fear and hope? 9. Did I encourage my family to fast or participate in regular opportunities for more rewards that come with Ramadan (i.e. good deeds in general, but also Tarawih, more reading of the Quran, etc.). 10. Did I memorize any more Quran than what I knew before Ramadan started? 11. Did I try to be more patient in Ramadan than I normally am? 12. Did I try to control my anger, especially while fasting? 13. Did I try harder to avoid backbiting and slander?

4. Recite the Quran Perhaps you can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran which you have heard in Tarawih this past Ramadan to recite. If you attend a class where the recitation of the Quran is taught, this is a great time to put your knowledge into practice. 5. Reflect on the meaning of the Quran Choose the latest Surah or Surahs you've heard in Tarawih and read their translation and Tafseer. Then think deeply about their meaning and how it affects you on a personal level. (If you want to study the Quran with more understanding, check out Way to the Quran and Access to Quranic Arabic. 6. Get your sins wiped out Abu Huraira narrated that the Messenger said: Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven. [Bukhari and Muslim). Don't just pray using the shorter Surahs that you know. Try to make your prayers longer, deeper and meaningful. If you are familiar with longer Surahs, read the translation and explanation and then pray reciting these Surahs, carefully reflecting on the meaning while you pray.
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Even if you are only familiar with the shorter Surahs, read the translation and explanation beforehand, and then pray reflecting on the message of the Surahs. This is a good way to develop the habit of concentration, even in regular prayers, where many of us tend to be fidgety and/or easily distracted. 7. Make a personal Dua list. Ask yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything, no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals with this world or not. Allah loves to hear from us. Once this list is ready, you can do three things: Ask Allah to give you those things Think about what actions you have taken to get those things Develop a work plan to get those things in future. 8. Evaluate yourself. Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. (see a short and a long evaluation guide) This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah's sincere forgiveness when making the Dua mentioned in tip number one above.

tonight! I ask myself tonight!

By Sound Vision Staff Writer

"Oh how swiftly, it's mid-Ramadan now I sit here, wondering and thinking how, Have I spent my first days of Ramadan fruitfully? Or have I wasted the time unknowingly?" Ramadan comes, for a short month it's here Will I ever meet the Ramadan next year? Allah Oh Allah, help me guide my heart through For only You know, if I've devoted enough to You." -excerpts of the poem "Not done enough this Ramadan" by Udiana Jamalludin Ramadan, as usual, has flown by. Despite planning beforehand, many of us may have gotten caught up in a routine after accustoming ourselves to the change in schedule the blessed month brings. This may have affected our initial plans to increase our worship, contemplation and to seek Allah's Forgiveness and Mercy with greater fervor. But the last ten days and nights of Ramadan are still ahead for us to benefit from. Ask yourself these questions and see what you can do to make the most of what's left of Ramadan this year, Insha Allah.
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Ma'dan b. Talha reported: I met Thauban, the freed slave of God's Messenger, and asked him to tell me about an act for which, if I do it, God will admit me to Paradise, or I asked about the act which was loved most by God. He gave no reply. I again asked and he gave no reply. I asked him for the third time, and he said: I asked God's Messenger about that and he said: Make frequent prostrations before God, for you will not make one prostration without raising you a degree because of it, and removing a sin from you, because of it. Ma'dan said that then he met Abu al-Darda' and when he asked him, he received a reply similar to that given by Thauban. In the second Hadith, Rabi'a b. Ka'b said: I was with God's Messenger one night and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in Paradise. He (the Prophet) said: Or anything else besides it. I said: That is all (what I require). He said: Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration. Sajdah is truly a humbling experience. We can beg for God's forgiveness and cry by thinking about our misdeeds, as well as seek refuge in God from the Hellfire. We are in one of the most submissive physical positions when in Sajdah. It is one of the best occasions to ask God for forgiveness, guidance, and all that we want. It is one of the best positions in which to talk to God. Seeking God's pleasure and forgiveness need to be given top priority in these remaining days and nights of Ramadan.
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9. Make long, sincere and deep Duas One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night. Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet said: When the last one-third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? (Bukhari, Muslim). That means for instance, waking up one hour before Suhoor time to ask Allah for anything and everything you want that is Halal. This can be done using the Duas of the Sunnah, but also Dua in your own language, with sincerity and conviction. For some tips on making Dua please see the article Some personal Duas you can make. 10. Memorize a different Dua every night They don't have to be long. They can be just one line. And be sure to know what they mean generally at least, even if you don't know the exact translation in English. You can put them on index cards (or and keep them with you during the day, glancing at them during work, while driving, waiting in line, etc.) Then practice them at night in prayer.

11. Have Iftar with the family If you've spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at work alone with a couple of dates, now is the last few days you'll have this Ramadan to spend with your family. Use it wisely. 12. Take the family to Tarawih Have your spouse and kids missed Tarawih most of Ramadan because you weren't there to drive them to the Masjid, which is too far away to walk to? If so, do all of yourselves a favor and bring everyone for Tarawih in these last ten nights. 13. Attend the Dua after the completion of Quran recitation Almost all Masjids where the Imam aims to finish an entire reading of the Quran in Tarawih prayers in Ramadan will be completing their recitation in these last ten nights. They may try to end on one of the odd nights and read the Dua at the end of a reading of the Quran. Attend this particular night's Tarawih prayer with your family. See if you can attend different Masjids' Tarawih prayers the night they finish reading the Quran. 14. Finish reading a book on the Prophet Read about the Prophet's life, which can increase your love for him and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah's sake. It may inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights. This community is built on sacrifice.
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obligatory prayers. He used to cry in Sajdah. He would spend an extended amount of his time in Sajdah whenever he was praying on his own. Many times, however, Muslims would join him when they found him praying alone. Aisha, may God be pleased with her, mentions that: the Prophet one night stood up for Salah and he stayed in it for so long that I thought the Prophet had passed away or died. When I felt that way I stood up shook his toe and I felt the movement then I laid down again and I heard the Prophet saying in Sajdah "I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath, and in Your pardon from Your punishment, and in You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praises as You praise Yourself." (Transliteration: Audhu bi ridaka min sakhatika, wa bi muafatika min uqubatika wa bika minka, la uhsiy thana'an alayka, anta kama athnayta ala nafsika). When he stood up from the Sajdah he asked Aisha, "do you think God's Prophet has betrayed you?" Aisha responded "No Preophet of God, because of the long Sajdah I thought you had died." (hadith from Baihaqi but Dua wording from Muwatta Imam Malik) One of the Prophet's companion, Abdullah ibn Zubayr, would pray with such concentration that when he was in Sajdah the sparrows would come flying and sit on his back. In a separate narration, Abdullah ibn Abbas, another companion, said if you want to see how the Prophet of God used to pray, you should copy how Abdullah ibn Zubayr used to pray. And consider these two Hadiths from the Sahih Muslim:
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What The Prophet did in Sajdah

Abdul Malik Mujahid

15. Plan for the next year Once you've done a self-evaluation, you can plan on where you want to go, at least in the next 12 months. Laylatul Qadr is a great night to be thinking about this (without taking away from your worship), since you'll Insha Allah, be in a more contemplative state. You may choose to dedicate one night of power for evaluation and one night for planning for the next year. 16. To do list for the Night of Power Make a to do checklist for each Night of Power. This should define how you would like your night, the one better than a thousand months, to be used. Pick things from this list and define the sequence you would like to do things in. This will help you avoid wasting your time in unproductive chats which common in the festive atmosphere of Masjids at the Night of Power. --------------

"I happened to pray one night with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet started reciting al-Baqarah chapter of the Quran and I thought he would stop after 100 verses. But when he went beyond it I thought that he may want to recite the whole chapter in one Rakah. When he finished al-Baqarah I thought he would do Ruku but then he immediately started reciting al-Imran and when he finished he started reciting an-Nisa. The Prophet was reciting very slowly with enough pauses and would do Tasbih (praising God) and Dua (supplication) according to the subject being discussed in the relevant Ayah. After that the Prophet did Ruku (bowomg). In Ruku he stayed as long as he did when he was in Qiyam (standing in prayer). After Ruku he stood up for almost same time and then he performed Sajdah (prostration) and stayed there as long as he recited Quran while doing Qiyam". (Hudaifa, may God be pleased with him, narrated this hadith as in Sahih al Muslim, Nasai) Of course, not all the Prayers of the Prophet were this long. In public he would pray for a shorter period of time and ask other imams to do the same. The Prophet use to make dua in Sajdah not just tasbeeh as we do in
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AllahCrying in Front of Allah-It's not impossible

by Abdul Malik Mujahid

When was the last time you cried? Not a few drops of salty water from your eyes, or the odd tear that slipped down your face while watching a tragic event. I'm talking about warm tears of the heart. Tears that sting your face because they've been there so long, their bitter saltiness hurts your skin. When was the last time you cried like a baby? Aisha, may Allah be pleased with our mother, relates that: In the last ten of Ramadan, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to tighten his waist belt, pray all night, and wake up his family for the night prayers (Bukhari and Muslim). Almost two thirds of Ramadan is gone. We powerless people will soon be looking for the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr), which we are advised to seek in these last ten nights of Ramadan. Aisha related that the Prophet said: Look for Laylatul Qadr on an odd-numbered night during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Bukhari). We can't afford not to be crying in front of Allah, the Merciful, All-Aware. Tears flow when we remember how much Allah has blessed us with and how much we disobey Him. We can
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These duas are being written just as guidelines. No names are real. Please adopt, modify, and write your own Duas. If you like. share those with others in our forums. The point is to get into talking to our Lord directly, in our style, in our language. While talking to Him with our forehead on His earth in Sajdah (prostration), we may reach a point where our words and minds may give way to a reflective heart which may help us talk to our Lord. It is Sajdah (the position of prostration in prayer) where a servants talks to his Lord. Please don't say that Allah knows what you need. Yes, He does. But He also loves to hear from you. Consider this Hadith: Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: Allah is angry with those who do not ask Him for anything (Tirmidhi). ------------

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24. Oh Allah, I have been so impatient and angry in my behavior, please give me patience and help me control my anger for Your sake. 25. Oh Allah, open a way for me to make Hajj as soon as possible, so that I can fulfill my obligation to You. 26. Oh Allah, give my sister Lisa patience with her cancer. She is in so much pain because of her treatments. Please give her patience and let her sickness be a way for her sins to be forgiven. 27. Oh Allah, bless brothers Ali, Mike and Manzoor, who are always at our Masjid working on repairs, cleaning bathrooms or keeping the place clean after everyone else has left a mess. 28. Oh Allah, lift the veils from the eyes of those who have been deceived into seeing Islam as something bad because of ignorance and media stereotypes. 29. Oh Allah, bring all humans closer to You and each other. Please do not make us Muslims a test for them with our misrepresentation of Islam because of our bad behavior. 30. Oh Allah, help me stop my bad habits of eating and talking too much. 31. Oh Allah, please help me give up smoking this year. It's so hard to give up smoking after all of these years, but only You can make it easy.

never repay Allah for everything we have, yet we still blatantly commit sins both big and small: whether it's backbiting, hurting other human beings, not standing up for the truth, treating our family badly, lying, doing good deeds to show off, cheating, etc. Allah opens ways out of problems for us, easing our burdens. Yet, we still disobey Him and take His Mercy for granted. Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said he would rather shed two tears from the fear of Allah than give a thousand dinars in charity. And the most telling example of a man who few would think would cry because of Allah is Umar, may Allah be pleased with him. He was known for being strong, fearless, and uncompromising when it came to matters of faith. Yet, Abdullah ibn Isa said that Umar had two black streaks on his face because of constant weeping. He feared Allah so much that he once said, "If someone announced from the heavens that everybody will enter Paradise except one person, I would fear that that person would be me." Umar was one of the strongest believers. Yet he cried and feared Allah. And Abu Bakr, he was simply known for his crying. These people loved to serve human beings in the day and spent time begging God to save humanity at night. May Allah be pleased with them.

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Let's be more contemplative and pray for an awareness of and forgiveness for our sins, as well as softness in our hearts. If Umar the brave and pious did it, we have even more need and urgency to do it. Human beings are in turmoil. Connecting with God with our hearts and begging for His Mercy for His Creation will bring us Closer to Him and human beings. ---------------

possible, so that I can face You on the Day of Judgment free of all debts. 17. Oh Allah, open a way for my son to marry as soon as possible. Let him marry a sister who is sincere and devoted to You and who is compatible with him. 18. Oh Allah, open a way for my daughter Salma to marry as soon as possible. Let her marry a brother who is sincere and devoted to You and who is compatible with her. 19. Oh Allah, please grant my friend Ali and his wife Shaheen healthy children. They so badly want children and they Insha Allah would make such great Muslim parents. Please grant them children who will grow up to be a source of Mercy for them. 20. Oh Allah, help orphans and poor wherever they are, but especially right now in Afghanistan. Give me the means and ability to do whatever I can for them. 21. Oh Allah, guide and protect our teenagers who need Your Help and Guidance from all of the temptations of sex, drugs, alcohol and all of the other Harams in our society. 22. Oh Allah, cleanse my heart of the sicknesses of arrogance and pride and let me die as one of the sincere, humble Muslims. 23. Oh Allah, all of my brothers and sisters who are suffering for Your sake through torture, violence, in jails, etc., around the world please forgive their sins and grant them Paradise.
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31 Personal Duas to Choose From

by Abdul Malik Mujahid

Dua (supplication) is the essence of worship. (Anas, may Allah be pleased with him related that the Prophet said this as reported in Tirmidhi). The Prophet said: Duas of three persons are not refused: a fasting man when breaking the fast, a just ruler, and an oppressed person, Allah's blessings be upon him. (Abu Huraira in Tirmidhi). No one makes a Dua without Allah giving him what he asks for, or keeping away from him a similar amount of evil, provided he does not ask for something sinful, or for breaking family ties (Jabir related this as the Prophet saying: Tirmidhi). For a number of non-Arabic speaking Muslims, Duas are sometimes perceived as the good Arabic words Imams
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are moderate and gentle, who are not harsh or impatient with me, and who understand where I'm coming from, my situation as a Muslim in this country, living in this world today. 11. Oh Allah, please help me stay away from Haram in achieving the best of this world. 12. Oh Allah, don't let me ever turn away from You, no matter how many trials and difficulties You test me with. Let these difficulties serve to make me a stronger Muslim and more sincere to You. 13. Oh Allah, bless our scholars and leaders who are striving to establish Islam in this world on the balanced path of Your beloved Prophet. 14. Oh Allah, bless all of those who have taught me about You and Islam, from little Marya at the Islamic school, who taught me the importance of being patient with little kids, to Shaykh Ikram, who, despite his harshness, taught me the importance of speaking the Truth, no matter how much others dislike it. 15. Oh Allah, give me the ability to forgive all those who have hurt me in word and deed, especially my brother ......, who has ignored every attempt I have made to reconcile with him. And please Oh Allah, join our hearts. 16. Oh Allah, please get me out of this horrible debt that is burdening me. Please give me means that are Halal (Islamically permissible) to get out of this as soon as

utter after prayers. They usually resort to simply repeating "Ameen" after everyone else, without understanding what they are asking Allah for. Other non-Arabic speaking Muslims may try to memorize some of the major Duas in Arabic and can and do understand what's being said. But one thing that's often forgotten about Dua is that it's direct communication with Allah. And Allah is multilingual. He actually created and knows all languages, whether it's the specific dialect of your village back home of the street talk of urban America. Allah also knows what's hidden in the deep recesses of our hearts. Those feelings of pain, anguish, resentment, love, hatred, bitterness, longing, etc. that we so successfully hide from everyone else, including our closest family members and friends. So why not let it all out. Why not let Allah be your "therapist". Let your prayer mat be your "couch" while you reveal and ask the One who is in control, Who knows you better than you know yourself, for all that you want in these next ten days and especially, nights, of Ramadan. There are Duas that are definitely part of the Sunnah which you can and should use during Laylatul Qadr. For example in this Hadith: It is narrated from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the Night of Qadr what should I say?.' He said: 'Say: O Allah you are
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embodiment of forgiveness and you love to pardon so pardon me.' [Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi] However, Dua cannot be done in a distracted manner, as the Prophet has said in a Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira: Make Dua and be assured of being answered, and know that Allah does not answer a Dua from a careless heart which is not concentrating (Tirmidhi). Here are some examples of personal, relevant Duas you can make in these remaining days of Ramadan, Insha Allah (God willing): 1. Oh Allah, please forgive me for all of the bad that I've done, and I continue to do. You are so Merciful and kind, please forgive me, and help me stay away from all that's wrong. It's so hard for me, and I'm so weak but You are the Strong. Please increase me in sincerity. 2. Oh Allah, I beg You, please guide my parents and my sister toward You. Do not let them die without realizing who their Lord is. Let them see the truth and help them resist the pressure of friends who try to turn them away from You. 3. Oh Allah, bless those fine human beings with your bounties whose kind heart reaches out to their Christian neighbors in Pakistan and Muslim neighbors in America. 4. Oh Allah, please guide my neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, toward You. They are such decent, good people, and they are so good to us. They have never opposed us in our

Deen, and You have seen how they have been so open to us. Please guide them to the right path. 5. Oh Allah, make every single aspect of my life be for You and in service of Your Creation. Please remove all false intentions that I have. 6. Oh Allah, save humanity from being its own enemy. Protect Your creation from oppression. Save the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Kashmir,and Chechnya from internal and external oppressors and give them justice. Protect us all from violence, fear and danger, You are our Protector. 7. Ya Allah, let me love You as You deserved to be loved, and let me fear You as You deserve to be feared, and let me leave this world serving Your creation for Your sake. 8. Oh Allah, increase me in knowledge, but let this knowledge be with sincerity, not seeking fame, glory, status, material wealth. Let this knowledge serve Your cause in a way that You accept, and let it benefit humanity. 9. Oh Allah, please guide my children and all children. They are surrounded by so much temptation and Haram (forbidden things). Protect them my Lord from all of the evil influences that are around them. Give them friends who will strengthen their faith and help them stay on the Straight Path. 10. Oh Allah, guide me to seek my knowledge of You and this blessed Deen (religion) from those who are sincere, who possess the correct Islamic knowledge, who
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