Night and Day Amaal of the 25th Dhul Qa’dah (Dahw al-Ard): A Practical Worship Guide

The Night Begins at Maghrib

The 25th of Dhul Qa’dah is Dahw al-Ard — the day on which Allah spread the earth from beneath the Ka’bah over the primordial waters, making it habitable for all of creation. Its significance and the events connected to it — the births of Prophets Ibrahim and Isa (as), the landing of Nuh’s (as) Ark — are covered in their own right. What this guide addresses is the practical question: how do you actually spend this night and day in worship?

The night of the 25th begins at Maghrib and runs until Fajr. The tradition of the Ahlul Bayt (as), preserved in Mafatih al-Jinan (Shaykh Abbas Qumi) and classical Shia devotional literature, provides a framework — not a rigid schedule, but a set of acts to fill the hours with. The goal is not quantity. It is presence. A single dua recited with a present heart outweighs hours of mechanical recitation.

Before beginning: perform Ghusl, make a sincere intention (niyyah) for the sake of Allah alone, and choose a clean, quiet space. Send salawat upon the Prophet (s) and his household to open the night — for salawat is itself the key that unlocks the doors of divine mercy.

Night Amaal: From Maghrib to Fajr

Dua al-Iftitah

Beginning a special night of worship with Dua al-Iftitah — the Opening Supplication — is a well-established practice in Shia devotional tradition. Its full text is available in Mafatih al-Jinan. This dua opens the night as it should be opened: with acknowledgment of Allah’s greatness, gratitude for His creation, and a turning of the heart toward the Ahlul Bayt (as). Read it slowly, attending to its meaning. Let it settle the heart before the hours of worship that follow.

Recitation of the Quran

Spending time with the Quran on this night carries particular weight within a sacred month. The tradition recommends reciting Surah Ya-Sin (36), Surah al-Waqi’ah (56), and Surah al-Duha (93) on nights of elevated worship — but any recitation offered with contemplation and presence is valuable. The instruction from the Ahlul Bayt (as) was always to recite with understanding rather than speed, to feel the meaning rather than only produce the sound. Read slowly. Pause. Return.

Dua al-Kumayl and Dua al-Tawbah

This night is among those on which Dua al-Kumayl — the supplication of Kumayl ibn Ziyad, transmitted from Imam Ali (as) — is especially powerful. Its themes are repentance, acknowledgment of sin, and complete reliance on Allah’s mercy. It is available in Mafatih al-Jinan and is best recited aloud, with attention to each passage, in the quiet of the night. Dua al-Tawbah (the supplication of repentance) may also be recited — particularly for those who wish to begin the night by addressing their shortcomings before Allah before turning to anything else.

Voluntary Prayers (Nafl)

Voluntary prayers in sets of two rak’aat throughout the night are among the most valued acts of worship in Islamic tradition. There is no fixed number prescribed for this night specifically — the guidance is to pray as the heart is moved, particularly in the last third of the night, which classical tradition consistently identifies as the time when Allah’s mercy is most accessible to those who rise for it. After each set of prayers, pause in dua — the moments of prostration and the time immediately following prayer are among the most receptive times for supplication.

Dhikr and Salawat

The continuous remembrance of Allah — SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illa Allah — accompanies every other act of the night. Between prayers, between duas, in the silences: dhikr keeps the heart oriented. Send salawat abundantly throughout the night. Imam al-Sadiq (as) taught that no act raises a believer’s spiritual rank more consistently than the salawat upon the Prophet (s) and his household.

Reflection on the Names of Allah

The night of Dahw al-Ard is a night of creation — and meditating on the Creator through His names is one of the deepest forms of worship available to a believer. Al-Rahman — the Most Merciful whose mercy extended over all creation before any of it had acted to deserve it. Al-Ghaffar — the Repeatedly Forgiving, whose forgiveness does not diminish with use. Al-Khaliq — the Creator, who spread this earth and placed you upon it for a purpose. Allow the names to become something felt rather than merely recited.

The Day: Fasting and Daytime Worship

Fasting on the 25th

Fasting on Dahw al-Ard is among the most strongly emphasized acts of this day in Shia narrations. The reward described in classical sources is exceptional — some narrations report a reward equivalent to seventy months of fasting, others to fasting for six months. The variation between narrations reflects different chains of transmission rather than contradiction; the consistent message is that this fast carries a reward far beyond an ordinary voluntary fast. Intend the fast before Fajr, abstain from food and drink until Maghrib, and let the hunger itself become a form of dhikr — a reminder that you are dependent on what Allah provides.

Dhuhr and Asr with Full Presence

The obligatory prayers of the day — Dhuhr and Asr — are themselves acts of immense value when offered with concentration and awareness. On a day of special worship, take the time to perform them unhurriedly. After each prayer, remain seated and turn to dua: ask for forgiveness, for your family, for the believers, for protection from what you fear, and for what you hope. These moments after obligatory prayer are among the most accepted times for supplication in the tradition.

Dua and Salawat Throughout the Day

The daytime continues what the night began. Salawat upon the Prophet (s) and his household, istighfar, and personal dua for your specific needs and worries should continue through the hours of the day. The believer who fasts and fills the fasting hours with dhikr and dua is — in the language of the tradition — using both the hunger and the remembrance as simultaneous offerings.

Charity (Sadaqah)

Giving in charity on Dahw al-Ard, the day that commemorates Allah’s provision for all of creation, carries its own particular meaning. What was spread on this day was not given to one people — it was given for all. Sharing from what you have received on this day is a participation in that original generosity. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as) taught that sadaqah protects from calamity and is among the acts most beloved to Allah in the sacred months. (Al-Kafi, vol. 4)

Closing the Day

At Maghrib, break your fast with gratitude — Alhamdulillah before anything else. The night that follows is the night of the 26th, which carries no particular designation, and that is perhaps the lesson that closes this one: not every night is Dahw al-Ard. This one was. Use what it offered.

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