Text size
Sincere worship on this night wipes away past sins.
The Prophet ﷺ tied an extraordinary promise to this night: 'Whoever stands (in prayer) on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for reward, his previous sins will be forgiven' (Bukhari 1901). Two conditions are attached — iman (genuine belief that this worship is what Allah loves and has legislated) and ihtisab (seeking Allah's reward alone, not to be seen or praised).
This forgiveness is not automatic for anyone merely present; it is for the one who worships with a sincere, hopeful heart. That is why the last ten nights are typically filled with extra night prayer (qiyam), Qur'an, and dhikr — not because the reward is transactional, but because sincere, sustained effort is itself what the hadith describes as iman and ihtisab.
Hadith
Sahih al-Bukhari · 1901
Sahih
“Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.”
Practical steps
1
Renew your intention before each night of worship — for Allah's sake, hoping for His reward.
2
Pray qiyam al-layl in the last ten nights, even if only a few rak'ahs.
This guide does not endorse a single fixed calendar date or folk 'signs' for identifying the night — only what the Qur'an and authentic hadith state.