Ramadan rises to its height in its final third. The Prophet ﷺ marked the change in his own conduct so clearly that his wife ʿĀʾishah described it in a few phrases, and his Companions learned to expect it. These nights hold Laylat al-Qadr, and the way he spent them is the best guide to spending them well.
This page describes his practice, explains iʿtikāf (اعْتِكَاف, “seclusion in the mosque for worship”), gives the expected dates for Ramadan 1448 AH (2027), and offers a simple structure for each night that a working adult can sustain.
How the Prophet ﷺ spent the last ten
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ شَدَّ مِئْزَرَهُ، وَأَحْيَا لَيْلَهُ، وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ
| Phrase | What it describes |
|---|---|
| He tightened his waist-wrapper | A figure of speech for earnest, undivided effort in worship |
| He gave life to his night | He spent the night awake in prayer and remembrance |
| He woke his family | He brought his household into the same effort |
ʿĀʾishah also stated the comparison directly: he exerted himself in the last ten nights to a degree he did not reach at any other time.2 The reports describe a change of pace. The same man who fasted and prayed throughout the month raised his effort again when the final third arrived, and he did not keep that effort to himself.
Iʿtikāf: seclusion in the mosque
The Prophet ﷺ spent the last ten nights in iʿtikāf and told his Companions, while in it, to seek the Night of Decree in those nights, as the page on when Laylat al-Qadr falls explains.3 He kept the practice every year until his death, and his wives observed it after him.4
One year he began his seclusion in the middle ten nights, then told those with him that he had been shown the night and caused to forget it, and that they should continue into the last ten. That same year, rain fell and he was seen prostrating in water and mud, the sign he had been shown.5
| Question | What the reports show |
|---|---|
| When did he observe it? | In the last ten nights of Ramadan, each year until his death |
| Where? | In the mosque |
| Did women observe it? | Yes. His wives continued it after him |
| What was its purpose? | Undivided worship in the nights that hold Laylat al-Qadr |
Few people today can withdraw for ten full days. Many mosques welcome those who join for a night or for the evening hours, and a believer who cannot leave home or work can still shape the nights around worship. The spirit of iʿtikāf is withdrawal from distraction, and part of that spirit can be kept anywhere by setting aside the phone, clearing the calendar and guarding the hours after the night prayer.
The last ten nights of Ramadan 1448 AH (2027)
Ramadan 1448 AH is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027 under the Umm al-Qura calendar, or a day later where local sighting decides.6
| Night (Hijri) | If 1 Ramadan falls on Mon 8 Feb 2027 | If 1 Ramadan falls on Tue 9 Feb 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Night of 21 Ramadan 1448 AH | Evening of Sat 27 Feb | Evening of Sun 28 Feb |
| Night of 23 Ramadan 1448 AH | Evening of Mon 1 Mar | Evening of Tue 2 Mar |
| Night of 25 Ramadan 1448 AH | Evening of Wed 3 Mar | Evening of Thu 4 Mar |
| Night of 27 Ramadan 1448 AH | Evening of Fri 5 Mar | Evening of Sat 6 Mar |
| Night of 29 Ramadan 1448 AH | Evening of Sun 7 Mar | Evening of Mon 8 Mar |
| 1 Shawwal 1448 AH (Eid al-Fitr, expected) | Tue 9 Mar | Wed 10 Mar |
A structure for each night
The reports describe the Prophet’s effort without prescribing a timetable. The outline below is a workable suggestion for someone who works during the day; adjust it to your prayer times and circumstances.
| Time | Suggested focus |
|---|---|
| Sunset to ʿIshāʾ | Break the fast lightly; a short rest; prepare the list of personal supplications |
| After ʿIshāʾ | Voluntary night prayer with the congregation or at home |
| Middle of the night | Sleep, so that the last third is spent awake and attentive |
| Last third of the night | Long prayer, recitation, and the supplication taught for the night |
| Before dawn | The pre-dawn meal, seeking forgiveness, the dawn prayer |
Charity, family and the odd nights
Many believers set aside their largest gifts of the year for these nights, spreading them across all ten so that a gift falls on Laylat al-Qadr whichever night it is. The practice follows from the virtue of the night; this guide cites no narration that prescribes it.
The Prophet ﷺ woke his family, and a household can share the nights in ways suited to each member. Children can pray part of a night, learn Sūrat al-Qadr, or help prepare the pre-dawn meal. A woman who is not praying because of menstruation keeps the night through supplication, remembrance and seeking forgiveness, all of which remain open to her.
What to fill the nights with
The authentic reports point to a small number of acts, each with its own page in this guide. Standing in prayer comes first: whoever stands on the Night of Decree out of faith and in hope of reward is forgiven his previous sins.7 The supplication the Prophet ﷺ taught ʿĀʾishah comes next, and it can accompany every other act of the night.8 Recitation of the Qurʾān, sent down on this very night, completes the core.
| Act | Why it belongs to these nights | Where this guide covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Night prayer | Forgiveness is promised to whoever stands on the Night of Decree | Prayer and Worship |
| The duʿāʾ for the night | Taught by the Prophet ﷺ for exactly this occasion | Laylat al-Qadr Duʿāʾ |
| Recitation | The Qurʾān was sent down on this night | Sūrat al-Qadr |
| Seeking forgiveness | The night centres on pardon | The duʿāʾ for pardon |
When the ten nights end
The last ten close with the sighting of the new moon and the arrival of Eid al-Fitr. The end of the season is also a test of what it built. Habits of night prayer and a daily portion of recitation are the gains most worth carrying into the months that follow.
Common questions
Is iʿtikāf only for men?
The wives of the Prophet ﷺ observed iʿtikāf after his death, so the practice is open to women. Arrangements depend on the facilities of the mosque; ask locally.
Can I observe part of the last ten?
The Prophet ﷺ observed all ten, and that is the fullest form. Whatever part of the nights a believer can give to worship brings its share of reward, and a partial effort made sincerely is better than none.
Why does the effort increase at the end of the month?
Because the Night of Decree lies in these nights, and because a believer who has fasted for twenty days has built the habits that make longer worship possible. The end of the month gathers the fruit of its beginning.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2024. VERIFIED on sunnah.com/bukhari:2024, 25 September 2026. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1175. VERIFIED on sunnah.com/muslim:1175, 25 September 2026. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2020. VERIFIED on sunnah.com/bukhari:2020, 25 September 2026. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2026. VERIFIED on sunnah.com/bukhari:2026, 25 September 2026. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2016. VERIFIED on sunnah.com/bukhari:2016, 25 September 2026. ↩︎
- Dates follow the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia, as encoded in the Unicode CLDR calendar “islamic-umalqura”; they update automatically each year. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 35. VERIFIED on sunnah.com/bukhari:35, 25 September 2026. ↩︎
- Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 3850, graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī and by Dār al-Salām. VERIFIED on sunnah.com/ibnmajah:3850, 25 September 2026. ↩︎