Additional Salat (prayer) in the Month of Ramadan

“Once we visited abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), and abu Basir asked, ’What do you say about al- salat (prayer) during the month of Ramadan?’ He (the Imam) replied, ’The month of Ramadan has a special respect and right, unlike the other months. You should perform salat (prayer) as much as you can in optional forms during the nights and days. If you can, perform a thousand Rak’at salat (prayer) every twenty-four hours you can. Imam Ali (a.s.), toward the end of his life would say one thousand Rak’at salat (prayer) in twenty-four hours. O abu Muhammad, you should perform more salat (prayer) during the month of Ramadan.’ I then asked, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, how many Rak’ats (should one perform)?’ He said, ’During the first twenty nights, say twenty Rak’ats each night; eight Rak’ats before al-‘Atmah (late evening) and twelve Rak’ats thereafter, besides the prayers you would say before. During the last ten days, you should say thirty Rak’at every night; eight Rak’at before late evening, and twenty-two Rak’ats thereafter besides what you had been saying before these nights.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would increase his salat (prayer) during the month of Ramadan. After al-‘Atmah (late evening salat [prayer]), he would perform more prayers. People behind would stand up (for prayer), but he would go inside and leave them. Then, after he came out, they would come and stand up behind him (for prayer), but he would leave them and go inside several times.’ He (the narrator) has said that the Imam then said, ‘You must not perform salat (prayer) after late evening prayer during the times other than the month of Ramadan.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan would prepare himself well, stay away from women, stay awake the whole night, and free himself for worship.’”

“Abu al-Hassan (a.s.), has said, ‘In the twenty- first and twenty-third nights, you should perform salat (prayer) of one hundred Rak’ats and in each Rak’at read Chapter 112 of the Holy Quran ten times.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), during the twenty-first and twenty-third nights, would pray until the end of the night, then perform (the obligatory) salat (prayer).”

"Qul huwa Allahu ahad" (Surah 112) ten times. He would perform thirty Rak‘at in the remaining nights to the end of the month, as I have explained for you.’