Laylat al-Qadr — the Night of Power, or the Night of Decree — is the single most blessed night in the Islamic calendar. It is the night on which the Qurʾān was first revealed, the night better than a thousand months, and the night on which the angels descend with peace until the break of dawn. To witness it in worship is one of the greatest gifts Allah ﷻ can grant a believer.
The Qurʾānic Account
Allah ﷻ revealed an entire Sūrah about this night:
“Indeed, We sent the Qurʾān 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.”
Sūrah al-Qadr (97:1–5)
A thousand months is over 83 years — more than a human lifetime. Worship on Laylat al-Qadr earns the equivalent of over 83 years of continuous worship. This is the mercy of Allah ﷻ upon a short-lived Ummah.
When Is Laylat al-Qadr?
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramaḍān.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2017) The odd nights are the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th. The majority of scholars — including Imām Abū Ḥanīfah رح — hold that it moves among the last ten nights, and is not fixed. Some scholars, based on a narration in Musnad Aḥmad, give particular weight to the 27th night.
The Duʾāʾ to Recite
Sayyidatunā ʾĀʾshah ؓ asked the Prophet ﷺ: “If I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say?” He replied:
Allāhumma innaka ʿafwūwwun, tuḥibbuʿl-ʿafwa, faʿfu ʿannī.
“O Allah, You are the Pardoner. You love to pardon. So pardon me.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī, no. 3513 — Ṣaḥīḥ)
How to Spend Laylat al-Qadr
- Pray Tahājjud — the night prayer, even two rakʿahs with presence of heart
- Recite the Qurʾān — reflecting on its meanings
- Make duʾāʾ — ask for everything: dunya and ākhirah, for yourself and your loved ones
- Recite ṣalawāt upon the Prophet ﷺ abundantly
- Seek forgiveness — Istighfār throughout the night
- Give ṣadaqah if possible — on this night it carries the reward of a lifetime of charity
Signs of Laylat al-Qadr
The Prophet ﷺ described some signs: “On the morning of Laylat al-Qadr, the sun rises without any rays, as if it were a washbasin.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 762) Some also report a sense of peace and tranquillity during the night itself.
Do not let Laylat al-Qadr pass while you sleep. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and seeking reward, their past sins are forgiven.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1901) May Allah ﷻ grant us to witness this blessed night and accept our worship. Āmīn.
