The Importance of Giving Sadaqah on Laylatul Qadr

Is it desirable to give sadaqah (voluntary charity) on Laylatul Qadr?

Yes, very much so, for three related reasons:

1. Throughout the entire month of Ramadan, Allah greatly multiplies the divine reward of all good deeds done with the intention to please and worship Him alone.

   Moreover, the Prophet, on him be peace, specifically singled out the voluntary ṣadaqah charity given in Ramadan as the very best charity.

   Ibn ‘Abbas, a youthful cousin of the Prophet, on him be peace, renowned for his knowledge of the Quran and the wisdom of its Messenger, reports that the Companion Anas asked the Prophet, on him be peace:

   “ ‘What is the best charity?’ He said: ‘A charity in Ramadan.’ ”

   Yet of all Ramadan’s days of divine rewards, none approaches Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Empowering Decree, on which every good deed and act of worship Allah rewards as more than a thousand months. That’s as if one has done that particular act continuously for 83 years and 4 months. This is a lifetime of divine recompense obtained in just a few hours of striving.

   This means $1 of ṣadaqah given on Laylatul Qadr will grow to at least $30,000 with Allah’s special nurture of it.

2. Allah Himself rewards the worship of fasting according to a divine magnitude over and above all other worship of Him.

   Ramadan’s fast gives those who do it – “unseen” by all but Allah – a power in how it pleases Allah and in the sense of how Allah raises its divine reward. The Prophet, on him be peace, said:

   Indeed, your Lord says: ‘Every good deed of the Child of Adam shall be the like of 10 to 700 extra, but the fast is for Me, and I shall reward for it (Muslim, no. 115).

   This indicates fasting’s reward weighs heavier than all other good deeds of worship in one’s divine scales on the Day of Judgment. This, too, Allah augments exponentially by virtue of Laylatul Qadr.

3. The Prophet’s Way, or Sunnah, is distinguished by his unparalleled generosity at all times. Yet he increased his already unequaled charitable giving greatly in Ramadan. This establishes that the Muslim’s generosity through ṣadaqah should vastly increase in Ramadan.

   Ibn ‘Abbas said:

   Ever was the Prophet, on him be peace, the most generous of people. Yet he was even more generous in Ramadan, for then he would meet [the Archangel] Gabriel. Indeed, Gabriel, on him be peace, would meet him in every night of Ramadan, and the Prophet would review with him the Quran. Then would the Messenger of God, on him be peace, become more generous in deeds of charity than the gusting of a heaven-sent wind (Bukhari, no. 3554).

   Note also that since the close of Heavenly Revelation with the completion of the Quran, Laylatul Qadr is the only night of the year that the Archangel Gabriel, by the command of his Lord, again descends to earth.

What sadaqah is best to give on Laylatul Qadr?

Feeding the fasting in your presence is also replete with Allah’s grace.

The Prophet, on him be peace said:

“The angles send blessings upon the faster who feeds others present with one until they finish” (Tirmidhî).

When is Laylatul Qadr?

The Prophet, on him be peace, said Laylatul Qadr is one of the last odd nights of the last 10 nights of Ramadan. So people should strive in their ritual prayer (ṣalâh) and other worship most on the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th nights of Ramadan.

Of these, the strongest prophetic indication is one of the last three nights (Bukhârî), and the 27th favored among these, according to a prophetic report:

“One searching for Laylatul Qadr should seek it on the night of the 27th” (Muslim).

Yet in reality, we do not know with certainty on which of these last 10 Ramadan nights Laylatul Qadr falls.

We do know these last 10 nights of Ramadan are the greatest nights of the year because they contain Laylatul Qadr (just as the first 10 days of Dhu’l Ḥijjah, the month of Ḥajj, are the greatest days of the year because they hold the Days of Sacrifice (Ayyâm Al-Tashrîq), the Day of the Standing on ‘Arafah (which is the Ḥajj), and the Day of Tarwiyah (the 8th Day of Dhu’l Ḥijjah that begins the Ḥajj sojourn)).

Scholars have criticized those who seek to definitively designate the night of Laylatul Qadr (or various unknown locations of worship) as being like the Christians who celebrate Christmas. In other words, one should follow the instructions of the Prophet, on him be peace, when it comes to Laylatul Qadr: seek it out in the last 10 nights of Ramadan.

How can one be sure to give sadaqah on Laylatul Qadr?

The best way to ensure one’s worship “finds” Laylatul Qadr is to strive in all the last 10 nights as if each one is the Night of Empowering Decree.The best practice is to give in charity on each of the last 10 nights. This also follows the example of the Prophet, on him be peace. He greatly increased his generous giving throughout Ramadan, and he endeavored in his worship more than any other time its last 10 nights.

What worship is best on Laylatul Qadr?

Laylatul Qadr holds forgiveness for sins for the one who particularly makes much ritual prayer (ṣalâh) in it, while doing it in hope of reward from Allah.

The Prophet, on him be peace, said:

“One who stands much (in ṣalâh, ritual prayer) in Laylatul Qadr waiting for reward from Allah will be forgiven all his past sins” (Bukhari and Muslim).

The Prophet, on him be peace, strove harder in worship – in Ṣalâh-Prayer, in reciting Quran, in supplication (du’a), and in Allah’s remembrances (dhikr) – in Ramadan’s last 10 nights than at any other time.

He would stay up all night in worship, wake his family up for worship, and abstain from marital relations in these nights, according to his wife, ‘Aishah, Allah be pleased with her.

She specifically asked the Prophet, on him be peace:

“If I know a night to be Laylatul Qadr, what should I say on that night?”

He said: “Say: O Allah! You are all-pardoning. You love to pardon. So pardon me.” (In transliterated Arabic: Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbu’l-‘afwa fa‘afu ‘anni.) (Tirmidhi).