This night is called Laylat Dahw al-Ardh (the night at which the earth was spread on the water where the Holy Ka`bah is now situated).
Being distinctively honorable, at this night the mercy of Almighty Allah is poured on people. A great reward is obtained by those who practice acts of worship at this night.
`Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Washsha’ has narrated that when he was young, he was with his father in the hospitality of Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him) at the twenty-fifth night of Dhu’l-Qa`dah. After they had their supper, Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him) said, “At the twenty-fifth night of Dhu’l-Qa`dah, Prophet Abraham(as) was born, Prophet Jesus the son of Mary(as) was born, and the earth was spread on the water ( earth became habitable) where the Holy Ka`bah is now situated. Hence, if one observes fasting on this day, he will be given the reward of observing fasting for seventy months.”
According to a narration reported from Imam Ridha (peace be upon him), it is a day in which God's Mercy extended to all; the Earth was extended; the Ka’ba was established; and Adam descended upon the Earth.
According to another narration, Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him) added, “Verily, on this day, al-Qa'im (i.e. Imam al-Mahdi) will appear.”
Fasting is highly recommended on this day. ,It is counted amongst the four most important fasts of the year.
According to a narration, to observe fasting on this day is equal to seventy months of fasting. It also erases the sins of seventy years. According to another narration, to observe fasting on this day and to practice acts of worship at its night is equal (in reward) to one hundred year worship.
Everything that is between the sky and the earth will ask God’s forgiveness for one who does these rites. On this day, the mercy of Almighty Allah has been spread.

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25th Zilqad " Dahwul Ardh" The Spreading of the Earth Day , birthday of Prophet Ibrahim (as.) and Prophet E'esaa (as.)
Almighty Allah in Surat al-Nazi'aat 79:30 speaking about dahwul ardh says: "and the earth-after that He spread it out (dahahaa).."
1. What is Dahwul Ardh ?
"Dahwul Ardh" - the 25th of Dhulqa'dah, according to a tradition of the Holy Prophet (s) reported by one of his Sahabi - 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud , is the day when the earth was spread for the advantage of human beings.and became habitable. The phrase "Dahwul Ardh" literally means "The spread of the earth". In another tradition it is reported that the first Rahmah and blessing descended on this very day.
Hence it is a very important occasion indeed. According to a tradition of the Holy Prophet (s), whosoever fasts on this day his fast would equal 60 months of fasting.
Having known these merits, should we limit our celebration with fasting and the expression of joy, or should our struggle transcend beyond that? This obviously would depend on our vision about this important day. And in order to understand properly the importance of this day, we should understand the earth better.
Understanding the Earth Better
We would like to now ask the Holy Qur'an two basic questions about the earth:
A) Why was the earth created?
The Holy Qur'an in chapter 20, verse 53 says:"He who appointed the earth to be a cradle for you."
Allamah Tabataba'i in his Al-Mizan says:"Thus Allah stationed man in the earth to live an earthly life, so that he may earn a provision for his heavenly and exalted life, in the manner that a baby is stationed in the cradle, and is brought up for a more sacred and developed life..." (vol. 14, pg. 171)
From this we come to realize that the earth was created as a preparing ground & means for human perfection and the purity of the heart. Sadly, however, many a people, instead of maintaining it for a good Hereafter, tend to destroy it for selfish gains.
B) Do the human beings employ the earth for the purpose it was created?
The Holy Qur'an in chapter 30, verse 41 clearly talks of a people who instead of practically thanking Allah (swt) by utilizing the earth for its sacred purpose cause mischief therein and subsequently face its evil consequences:
"Corruption has appeared in the land and sea, for that men's own hands have earned, that He may let them taste some of that which they have done, that haply so they may return."
And in chapter 7, verse 10, Almighty Allah says:"Indeed We made you live in the earth and made therein for you the means of livelihood; little is it that you thank."
In this verse, "little is it that you thank" should not merely taken as "verbal thanks," for the reality of "shukr" is to use the gift for the purpose it was created.

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Iqbal Aamal Contents

Section 7 On the Day the Earth Was Extended 1
Pen and pencil are unable to write the Blessings of God who is the King of this World and the Hereafter who has extended the Earth for His worshippers and has made it as inhabitations for His worshippers. Therefore, I first report a few narrations that I have chosen in this regard. Then I shall mention a few facts about the virtue and the nobility of the 25th day of Zil-Qa'dih that has come to my mind.
1 "And the earth, moreover, hath He extended (to a wide expanse);" The Holy Qur‟an Al-Nazeat 79:30

Section 8 On the Deeds for the 25th Day of Zil-Qa'dih
The following is narrated through a chain of documents on the authority of Sheikh Muhammad ibn Ya‟qub Kulayni (May God have mercy upon him) in the book Al-Kafi, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Sayqal, “On the 25th day of the month of Zil-Qa'dih, Abul Hassan ar-Reza (as) came out of his (as) home in Marvih and told us,"Fast on this day. I am fasting on this day, too". I said, "May I be your ransom! With which day does today coincide?‟ He (as) replied,"It is a day in which God‟s Mercy extended to all; the Earth was extended; the Ka‟ba was established; and Adam (as) descended upon the Earth”.

Section 9 The Time of the Descension of the Ka’ba from the Heavens
The following is narrated based on a chain of documents on the authority of Al-Sheikh Abi Ja‟far Muhammad ibn Babuyih – may God have mercy on him – in his book Man La Yahzaruh Al-Faqih. Indeed the Sheikh has guaranteed the correctness of its narrations in the introduction and the sermon of his book saying that all narrations have been narrated based on the quoted priciples narrated by the Divine Leaders (as). In it we read, “It has been narrated the God the Almighty sent down the Ka‟ba on the twenty-ninth day of Zil-Qa'dih. And this is the first blessing that has been sent down. Thus, whoever fasts on this day, it would count as expiation for seventy months of his sinfulness.”

Section 10 On the Nobility of the Day the Earth was Extended
Abu Ja‟far Muhammad ibn Babuyih in his books Man La Yahzaruh Al-Faqih and Thawab Al-A‟maal has narrated that Al-Hassan ibn al-Vusha says, “Once when I was young, I was with my father on the twenty-fifth night of Zil-Qa'dih. We ate dinner with Al-Reza (as). He (as) told my father, “Abraham (as) and Jesus the son of Mary (as) were born on the twenty-fifth night of Zil-Qa'dih. And on that night the Earth was extended from beneath the Ka'ba. So, anyone who fasts on the twenty-fifth day of Zil-Qa'dih is like the person who has fasted for sixty months.”
It has been written in the book in a copy of Thawab Al-A’maal which I have, “On this day the Riser (as)2 will rise.”

Section 11 On the Almighty God’s Nobility in Extending the Earth1 and Spreading It for His Worshippers
Here we mention the Sublime the Glorified God‟s greatness in extending the Earth for the worshippers and point out some of the secrets of this blessing and God‟s Favor. Any animal must have a place to live in and to keep himself safe from being hurt by other creatures. Thus, creating the Earth for the living of the creatures is one of God‟s great Favors. And one of its secrets is that God the Almighty has not entrusted the planning and the creation of the Earth to the angels or to other special ones; rather, He Himself has assumed the responsibility of this task with the hand of His Power and Mercy and has filled it up with his treasures of Patience, Indulgence and Kindness. O‟ the human whom God has bestowed the light of the intellect on you remember and confess to the Lordship of the Lord of the lords. Think deeply about the point that if you are poor and in need in this ephemeral world and you do not have any money to build a home to reside in and be safe from the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter: If in this situation, the king of the time without your knowing him and your having served him, feels pity for you and builds a home for you with his own hands, and fills it up with all sorts of goods that you need, and he does not use your family‟s limbs and heart in this work, and then asks you to live in it and you enter it and see it filled up with all sorts of resources, in this situation how would you like that great king and how would you observe His Great Rights? And how would you confess to His absolute Kindness? Thus, you should treat God at least like you would treat that king who is himself owned by the Almighty God. The other fact to consider is that the Almighty God is the root of all blessings. Also God bless you! On the anniversary day of creating of this new home you should confess to the right of the great Master over His servants just like you do on a Festival. Engage in thanking and praising the Almighty God on this day and other days. Do not let such a great day pass without realizing its value and ignoring your Lord and His Great Status. Do not be lethargic about this lest you may be deprived of His Attention, become belittled and be blamed about this as He says, “And how many Signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by? Yet they turn (their faces) away from them!”
Also God bless you! Pay attention to the fact that if in your home you need some furniture and things and the king of the time furnishes your home with his own hands, would you not make the utmost efforts by using your self, your wealth, your tongue, your wife and children to be kind to him and serve him. So, you should be careful not to treat the Almighty God less than you would treat that king given the fact that God has extended the Earth like a carpet for you to live on and He has put your sustenance in it. Also, may God have mercy upon you! On this day, remember that the Sublime the Glorified God favored you and was kind to you and remember how He sent down the Holy Ka‟ba. He appointed it as His Threshold and the place for opening the doors of His Pardoning and Mercy at the time of acting rudely with Him. He asked you to face it at times of turning to Him; and become happy with him by visiting Him as a pilgrim when you are polluted with the filth of sins and the ugliness of faults.
Thus, have mercy upon the weakness of the heart and the thinness of your skin and body. And do not expose them to the danger that the Master and the Owner of this world and the Hereafter faces you, calls you towards Himself and you turn back your face from Him and you act impudently with Him. May God have mercy upon you! If you destroy your existence, from where will you gain it again? If you neglect your survival, from where will you acquire it? If you turn your face back on your life, from where it will be acquired for you? If you lose your health from where will you regain it? And who will support you against His Stern Outrage? And who will ward off His Anger if He gets angry at you from near or faraway? And if you go out of His Support and turn away from His Direction and choose what is not lasting without the presence of the Everlasting God and prefer it to Him, who do you hope will ward off the bad happenings, calamities and miseries and who will help you achieve your wishes?
May God have mercy upon you! Thus, go on the pilgrimage to the Ka‟ba of His Generosity. And with humility circumambulate around the Threshold of His Forbearance, Mercy and His previous blessings. Shed some tears out of humbleness and close your eyelids before the end of crying and let some tears flow out and like a person who is aware of his great sin and is unable to resolve his grief, cry for what you have done negligently. In this case, you will find the Almighty God Merciful, Affectionate and Patient with you regarding your unwise acts. If you do not act humble in front of Him, who is more deserving for you to be humble to? If you do not cry for Him, for whom will you cry? I ask you by God to also remember me at that time when you are supplicating, praying and entreating to God at the Threshold of God the Almighty.

Section 12 On the Nobility of the Night and the Day the Earth was Extended1
The following has been narrated based on a narration in the handwriting of Ali ibn Yahya al-Khayat. And we mention that indeed it has been narrated through a chain of documents on the authority of Abdul Rahman al-Salmi, on the authority of the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (as), “The first Mercy which was descended from the heavens to the Earth was on the twenty-fifth day of Zil-Qa‟dih. For this reason, if one fasts on that day and worships God on the night of the twenty-fifth of Zil-Qa'dih, it will be accepted as the worship of one-hundred years for him. It would be as if he has fasted all its days and worshipped God all nights. Also, any group of people who gather together for remembering the Almighty God on that night, all their needs will be fulfilled before they separate from each other. A million blessings from God will descend on this day and 99% of it will be put in the circles formed for the remembrance of God, the ones who fast on this day, and those who have worshipped God on that night.” In another narration Abdullah ibn Masood narrated the following on the authority of God‟s Prophet (as), “In the five remaining nights of Zil-Qa'dih, God shall descend His Mercy. Thus, the fasting of anyone who fasts on this day will be considered like the fasting of seventy months for him”. Also he (as) said the following in another narration, “On the twenty-fifth night of Zil-Qa'dih Mercy descended from the sky and the commandment of the exaltation of the Ka‟ba was sent to Adam (as). Thus, all of the creatures between the earth and the heavens will ask for forgiveness for anyone who fasts this day.

Section 14 On What Is Best for the 25th Day of Zil-Qa’dih
Know that one of the important affairs for the prosperous people at the time of the renewal of great blessings is to engage in thanking the grantor of those gifts. This is especially true when one is in disagreement with his Master's Will and he treats his friends with more pleasure and loyalty than his Master – who is the Owner of all things and controls all the affairs of the ephemeral world and the everlasting world are in His Hand and all aspirations and hopes land on His Threshold.
Thus, one should be amazed that even though when the Almighty God created him He was aware that he shall have these attributes of opposition and disobedience of God, He prepared a place for him to live in, and created the things which he will need until the time of his death for him. One should also be amazed that God does not call him to account for his crimes and does not hurry to punish him and treats him the same as the people who are obedient to God.
It is also best for those who obey their Lord to thank God for the blessing of the house that God has granted them and the good things which God has granted them like when they need it and buy it or the king bestows it on them, or build it with a lot of effort and hardship with the help of a builder and workers. The sign of happiness and thankfulness should be seen in them at least like the time when they are provided with or rent a house that they need. Otherwise, if their heart is totally void of recognizing this kind of Divine Blessings they are like dead persons who are never praised or like blind persons who do not look at the gifts which those who observe Divine Limits deserve, or like deaf persons who do not hear the sound of those who call them. Such persons should cry for losing the benefits of their heart and intellect and must repent.

Section 15 On How to End This Day
It is best for the people to end every blessed day and new time as if the king has given a party and set up a table for them and has granted them as much as he can, and has offered them rewards, and the people are seated at the table that will not be set up again until the same time next year and eat as much as they need and then they get up.
Thus, it is best for the people who are familiar with this great blessing that the king sees them thankful of these blessings, remember his generosity and honor the right of his rank in the best possible way. At the end of the day, the people should ask for Perfect Kindness from God who is aware of their secrets and ask God to accept their deeds. They should ask God to help them attain their highest aspirations and wishes and let their life end while obeying Him. This is because if one tries to observe worshipping etiquette of blessed days, it is hoped that the Blessed God soon make him worthy of an increase in blessings. This can be seen from the following verse, “If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; But if ye show ingratitude, truly My Punishment is terrible indeed.”