DhikrThe Dhikr Library · Ramadan 2027 · 4 min read
The dua for Laylatul Qadr
The dua the Prophet ﷺ taught 'A'ishah to say if she found Laylatul Qadr (Laylat al-Qadr, often called the Night of Power) is Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul-'afwa fa'fu 'anni, "O Allah, You are the One who pardons, and You love to pardon, so pardon me" (Sunan Ibn Majah 3850; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3513; graded sahih by al-Albani).
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul-'afwa fa'fu 'anni
O Allah, You are the One who pardons, and You love to pardon, so pardon me.
'Aishah asked the Prophet ﷺ what she should say if she came upon Laylat al-Qadr, and he told her to say this.
Grading. Al-Albani graded it sahih, and Bashar 'Awad and Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut graded it hasan sahih.
On the wording. Some printed copies and posters add an extra word to this dua. The text above follows Sunan Ibn Majah 3850. The Arabic of Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3513 on sunnah.com includes that word, and its English translation puts it in brackets.
What it asks for
'Afw means pardon: the erasing of sins. The dua describes Allah as the One who pardons and who loves to pardon, and then asks Him to pardon you. The narration does not set a number of times, so you can repeat it as often as you like through the night.
Why this night matters
- Better than a thousand months. Allah describes Laylatul Qadr as better than a thousand months (Qur'an 97:1-5; see also Qur'an 44:3-4). A thousand months is more than 83 years.
- Forgiveness. Whoever stands in prayer on Laylatul Qadr out of faith and hoping for its reward has his past sins forgiven (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901).
- Do not let it pass. "Whoever is deprived of its good is truly deprived" (Sunan Ibn Majah 1644, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani; Zubair Ali Zai graded it weak).
When to look for it in 2027
The Prophet ﷺ told his Companions to seek it in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari 2017), and also pointed to the last seven (Sahih al-Bukhari 2015). Ubayy ibn Ka'b swore that it is the 27th night (Sahih Muslim 762a), so many people hope for the 27th, but no one can be certain which night it is.
If Ramadan 2027 begins with a first fast on Monday, February 8 (a calculated date that depends on moonsighting), the odd nights fall on these evenings. Each night begins at Maghrib on the evening before the day of the same number.
| Night | Begins on the evening of (expected) |
|---|---|
| 21st | Saturday, February 27 |
| 23rd | Monday, March 1 |
| 25th | Wednesday, March 3 |
| 27th | Friday, March 5 |
| 29th | Sunday, March 7 |
If your mosque begins Ramadan a day later, move each evening one day later. For all ten nights and a simple nightly routine, see the last ten nights of Ramadan; for how the dates are calculated, see Ramadan 2027 dates.
Signs, and why not to wait for them
One authentic sign is seen afterward: the sun rises the next morning without rays (Sahih Muslim 762d). Because the signs are mostly known once the night has passed, the practical way to reach Laylatul Qadr is to worship on every one of the last ten nights.
Many "signs" passed around online have no basis in authentic hadith. Nor is there a sound source for special prayers with a fixed number of rak'ahs or surahs on this night. What the narrations describe is night prayer and extra effort in worship (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901; Sahih al-Bukhari 2024), and the dua above.
A companion dua: pardon and wellbeing
When the Prophet's ﷺ uncle al-'Abbas asked him what to ask Allah for, he told him to ask Allah for wellbeing ('afiyah) (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3514, graded sahih by al-Albani). This fuller dua asks for both pardon and wellbeing, in this world and the next:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فِي دِينِي وَدُنْيَاىَ وَأَهْلِي وَمَالِي اللَّهُمَّ اسْتُرْ عَوْرَاتِي وَآمِنْ رَوْعَاتِي وَاحْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَىَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِينِي وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِي وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِي
Allahumma inni as'alukal-'afwa wal-'afiyata fid-dunya wal-akhirah. Allahumma inni as'alukal-'afwa wal-'afiyata fi dini wa dunyaya wa ahli wa mali. Allahummastur 'awrati wa amin raw'ati, wahfazni min bayni yadayya wa min khalfi wa 'an yamini wa 'an shimali wa min fawqi, wa a'udhu bika an ughtala min tahti
O Allah, I ask You for pardon and wellbeing in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, I ask You for pardon and wellbeing in my religion and my worldly life, my family and my wealth. O Allah, cover my faults and calm my fears. Guard me from in front of me and behind me, from my right and my left, and from above me, and I seek refuge in You from being taken unawares from beneath me.
Ibn 'Umar said the Prophet ﷺ never left these words in the evening and the morning. Waki', one of the narrators, explained being taken from beneath as the earth giving way.
Keep this dua ready for the last ten nights
Dhikr for iPhone keeps this dua in its dua library's Fasting & Ramadan section, with its source, transliteration, and English and Urdu meanings that you can read or listen to. Search "laylatul qadr" or "shab e qadr" to find it, and save it to your saved duas before the last ten nights begin. If you like to keep count as you repeat it, the app's digital tasbih counter can do that. Dhikr is free to download; using its features requires an active subscription.
This page is educational. The 2027 dates are calculated and depend on moonsighting. Translations are approximate; consult qualified scholars for religious rulings.