There are many ways Muslims can make the most out of the last 10 nights of the holy month.
Ramadan has neared its end with Muslims all over the world trying to make the most out of the last 10 holy nights of the month due to the significance they hold.
The last precious nights are an opportunity to glorify God, seek redemption, ask for His forgiveness for one’s sins, while making up for the missed nights of worship during Ramadan.
The last 10 nights of Ramadan are important for Muslims as the Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Decree or Night of Power, falls in one of them. The sacred night is when the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
While no one knows the date of the holy night, numerous hadith or quotes by the Prophet pointed to it being in one of the odd-numbered nights.
Prophet Muhammad said: “Seek Laylatul Qadr in the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.” [Al-Bukhari]
The Quran also places great emphasis on the significance of Laylatul Qadr, the night where one’s destiny is decreed for the following year.
Allah says in the Quran, “The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.” (Qur’an, 97:3).
This means that when one performs a good deed on the blessed night, it is as if it has been done for more than 1,000 months.
Prophet Muhammad also said: “The one who seeks forgiveness during the last ten nights of Ramadan, while believing in Allah and hoping for His reward, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.”
Without further ado, here are six ways Muslims try to make the most out of the last 10 nights of Ramadan.
1- Increase Quran recitation
Ramadan is a chance for Muslims to complete reading the Quran, as it is the month when the holy book was first revealed. Many scholars recommended increasing the recitation of the Quran during the last 10 nights of Ramadan.
When reading the Quran, God rewards worshippers for each letter and every deed is the equivalent of 10.
Prophet Muhammed said:”Whoever recites a letter from Allah’s Book, then he receives the reward from it, and the reward of ten the like of it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter” (Sunan At-Tirmizi).
2- Give to charity (Zakat and Sadaqah)
Donating to those in need is another act of worship that is highly encouraged in Islam as part of one’s daily life especially during the last 10 nights of Ramadan.
Zakat is obligatory upon every Muslim as it is one of the five pillars of Islam, whereas Sadaqah is a voluntary deed, though both hold spiritual value.
Prophet Muhammad said: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be their charity.”
The Prophet also said that “Sadaqah extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire.”
When listing the different ways Muslims can benefit from the last 10 nights, Imam Omar Suleiman, founder of Yaqeen Institute, recommended avoiding night conversations.
Imam Suleiman said that most of the ways one would lose Laylatul Qadr’s blessings is when mixing with others, as it is only natural for one’s tongue to slip into backbiting or gossiping.
“In these last 10 nights, try to prioritise yourself, try to prioritise your worship. Join the gatherings where we are remembering Allah Almighty together, but this is not the time of socialising, this is not the time of conversation,” he said.
Other Muslims would also perform seclusion, or itikaf, where one dedicates their time to worshiping God while avoiding worldly distractions. While the sunnah is to perform the religious act for 10 days, a minimum of one can be performed at a mosque or a special place in one’s home.
4- Praying in congregation
Praying Isha and Fajr in congregation is encouraged as they increase one’s deeds.
Uthman bin Affan narrated that Prophet Muhammad said: “Whoever attends Isha in congregation, then he has [the reward as if he had] stood half of the night. And whoever prays Isha and Fajr in congregation, then he has [the reward as if he had] spent the entire night standing [in prayer].”
Muslims also perform Qiyam,or night vigil prayer, during the last 10 nights of Ramadan in mosques or their homes. The prayer usually starts at midnight, hours apart from the Ramadan prayer of taraweeh.
Qiyam translates to “standing” in Arabic and refers to the long periods of standing while reciting the Quran during the prayer.
Prophet Muhammad said: “Whoever performs Qiyam at night [throughout the whole month of Ramadan] out of sincere faith and certainty of getting rewarded by Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
5- Repeat dua
With the last 10 nights of Ramadan dedicated to worshiping God, it is highly recommended that one increases their prayers, or dua, and focus on the remembrance of the Creator.
When asked by Aisha about the best prayer during Laylatul Qadr, Prophet Muhammad told her to repeat: “O Allah, You are pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”
Imam Suleiman also advised people to keep repeating it throughout the day and night, even while in motion as each moment counts.
6- Make a dua list
It is highly encouraged that Muslims use the last 10 nights as a chance to reach out to God for forgiveness and ask for his answer to personal prayers.