Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Power)

Definition

Laylat al-Qadr (ليلة القدر), the Night of Power or the Night of Decree, is the most sacred night in the Islamic calendar. It is the night on which the Quran was first revealed, and worship on this single night is better than worship for a thousand months (over 83 years).

Quranic Description

An entire surah (Surah al-Qadr, chapter 97) is devoted to this night: 'Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.'

When Is It?

The Prophet said: 'Search for Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan' (Sahih al-Bukhari 2017). The strongest scholarly opinion is that it falls on the 27th night of Ramadan, based on the report of Ubayy ibn Ka'b (Sahih Muslim 762), though many scholars maintain it shifts from year to year among the odd nights (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th).

How to Observe It

The Prophet taught Aisha the dua: 'Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibb al-afwa fa'fu anni' (O Allah, You are the Pardoner, You love to pardon, so pardon me) (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3513). The night is spent in prayer, Quran recitation, dhikr, and supplication. The Prophet would spend the entire last ten nights in worship, waking his family and tightening his belt (a metaphor for increased effort, Sahih al-Bukhari 2024).