Last 10 Days of Ramadan (Dua and Hadith)

Ramadan begins with excitement.

But ends with seriousness.

The last ten days are not just “more reward.” They are the peak of the entire month.

If Ramadan were a journey, these days are the summit.

And at the summit, every step matters.

The Prophet ﷺ did not treat these days like the rest of Ramadan. His effort changed. His nights changed.

His focus changed.

Essential Duas for the Last 10 Nights of Ramadan

When the Last Ten Nights Entered, Everything Changed

Before we dive into the specific practices, duas, and strategies, you need to understand WHY the last ten days are so critical.

Aisha (RA) said:

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ شَدَّ مِئْزَرَهُ، وَأَحْيَا لَيْلَهُ، وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ

When the last ten nights of Ramadan entered, the Prophet ﷺ would tighten his waist belt, spend the night in worship, and wake his family.

Let's break down what this means:

"Tighten his waist belt" – This is an Arabic expression meaning he prepared for SERIOUS effort. Like an athlete tying their shoes tighter before the final round. He cut off everything unnecessary and focused 100% on worship. No distractions. No worldly engagement.

"Spend the night in worship" – He stayed up. ALL night. Not just Taraweeh and then sleep. He prayed Tahajjud, read Quran, made dua, engaged in Dhikr—until Fajr. Night after night. For ten consecutive nights.

"Wake his family" – He didn't just do this alone. He woke Aisha (RA), Fatimah (RA), and the others. He wanted EVERYONE to benefit. Because these nights are too valuable to sleep through.

Now here's the question: If the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ—whose past and future sins were already forgiven—went THIS hard in the last ten nights, what about us?

Where does that leave YOU?

Related: 30 Essential Hadith Collection For Ramadan Kareem.

Why the Last 10 Nights Are Different

The first ten days were about Rahmah (Mercy)—Allah opening His doors and pouring His mercy on you.

The middle ten days were about Maghfirah (Forgiveness)—you actively seeking forgiveness for every sin.

But the last ten days are about Itq min an-Nar (Freedom from the Fire).

This is when Allah writes the names of those who will be SAVED. Freed. Protected. Granted Jannah.

And more than that—one of these ten nights is Laylatul Qadr, described in the Quran as better than a thousand months.

Let's do the math:

• 1,000 months = 83.3 years
• If you worship sincerely on Laylatul Qadr, it's like you worshiped for 83 YEARS straight
• That's an entire LIFETIME of worship compressed into ONE night

Would you sacrifice ten nights of sleep for a lifetime of reward? Of course you would.

So the question isn't "Should I stay up?" The question is "How could I NOT?"

What to DO in the Last 10 Nights

Here are the practical things you have to do in the last 10 days of Ramadan:

1) I'tikaf

I'tikaf means secluding yourself in the masjid for worship, cutting off from worldly distractions.

The Prophet ﷺ performed I'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan every single year (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Now the question is, can you do it at home?

For men, the reward of I'tikaf is specifically in the masjid.

But if you can't physically go to the masjid ir unable to do this, you can create an "I'tikaf mindset" at home:

• Designate one corner as your worship zone
• Cut off social media, TV, unnecessary conversations
• Spend as much time as possible in Salah, Quran, and dua
• Sleep only when necessary

For women, I'tikaf at home in a designated worship area is valid and highly rewarded.

2) Qiyam al-Layl (Night Prayer / Tahajjud)

This is NON-NEGOTIABLE for the last ten nights.

Our prophet (PBUH) would pray long into the night—sometimes 8, 10, or even 11 rak'ahs of Tahajjud, reciting lengthy portions of Quran in each rak'ah.

So here is your task:

Wake up in the last third of the night (around 2-4 AM) and pray at least 8 rak'ahs of Tahajjud.

How to pray it:

• 2 rak'ahs at a time
• Slow, focused, with long sujood
• In sujood, make extensive dua—this is when you're closest to Allah

Pro Tip: Don't just pray. Feel every word. Cry if you can. If tears don't come, at least make your HEART cry.

3) Reading the Entire Quran

Angel Jibreel would review the entire Quran with the Prophet ﷺ every Ramadan.

In his final Ramadan, they reviewed it TWICE.

Now, if you can read one Juz (30 pages) per night for the last ten nights, you'll read 10 Juz. If you've been consistent throughout Ramadan, you'll finish the entire Quran.

BTW, here is how to maximize it:

• Read slowly, with meaning
• Pause at powerful verses
• Make dua based on what you read
• Don't just race through pages—let the Quran transform you

4) Excessive Dua

The Prophet ﷺ said,

"There is no Muslim who calls upon Allah with a supplication that contains no sin or cutting of family ties, except that Allah will give him one of three things: either He will hasten the response, or He will store it for him in the Hereafter, or He will turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil." (Musnad Ahmad)

Your dua is ALWAYS answered. Always.

Make dua before Iftar (guaranteed acceptance), during Tahajjud (last third of the night), in sujood (closest position to Allah) and even after every Salah.

For better approch, write down EVERYTHING you want to ask Allah for and then go through this list every night.

Multiple times.

5) Giving Sadaqah (Charity)

The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous person, and he was MOST generous in Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari).

In the last ten nights, multiply your charity:

• Feed the fasting
• Donate to Islamic projects
• Help the poor
• Support oppressed Muslims

Even $1 given with sincerity on Laylatul Qadr could outweigh thousands given on other days.

A Practical Schedule for the Last 10 Nights

Here's a realistic, sustainable schedule you can follow:

6:00 PM - Maghrib:

• Break fast mindfully
• Pray Maghrib
• Read 10 pages of Quran
• Make dua for 10 minutes

7:30 PM - Isha & Taraweeh:

• Pray Isha
• Pray full Taraweeh with focus
• Make long dua during Witr

9:00 PM - 11:00 PM:

• Read another 10 pages of Quran
• Make dua from your list
• Give Sadaqah
• Engage in Dhikr

11:00 PM - 1:00 AM:

• Sleep (power nap to recharge)

1:00 AM - 4:00 AM (CRITICAL HOURS):

• Wake up for Tahajjud
• Pray 8-12 rak'ahs
• Make extensive dua
• Read final 10 pages of Quran (total: 1 Juz)
• Say "Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun" 500+ times

4:00 AM - Fajr:

• Pray Fajr on time
• Stay on prayer mat until sunrise
• Make more dua

The Mindset You Need

The last ten nights will be HARD.

You'll be tired. Your body will resist. Your mind will say, "Just sleep. You've done enough."

But here's what you need to remember:

One night = 83 years.

Would you sacrifice ten nights of sleep for 83 YEARS of reward?

Of course you would.

So when you're exhausted at 2 AM and you want to quit, think about standing in front of Allah on Judgment Day and regretting that you slept through Laylatul Qadr.

Don't be that person.

Be the person who refuses to quit. Who pushes through. Who gives it EVERYTHING.

Because when Ramadan ends, you'll either look back with PRIDE or with REGRET.

The choice is yours.

May Allah grant you the strength to worship throughout the last ten nights. May He grant you Laylatul Qadr.

May He accept your fasting, your prayers, your Quran, and your duas.

May He erase all your sins and write your name among those who are freed from the Fire.

Ameen.