In
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
ic belief, Laylat al-Qadr () or Night of Power
is an
Islamic festival in memory of the night when the
Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
was first sent down from
heaven
Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...
to the world, the first
revelation
Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
the
Islamic prophet
Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
received from the
angel
An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
Gabriel
In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...
. The Night of Power belongs to one of the five
Kandil Nights.
In the Quran, it is said this night is better than 1,000 months (approximately 83.3 years). According to various
hadiths
Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
, its exact date was uncertain, but was one of the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
, the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar (), also known in English as the Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the Ramad ...
. Since that time, Muslims have regarded the last ten nights of Ramadan as being especially blessed.
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
s believe the Night comes again every year, with blessings and mercy of
God
In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
in abundance.
[Seyyed Hossein Nasr (2015), The Study Quran, HarperCollins, p.1539] The
surah
A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
al-Qadr is named after this Night, and the chapter’s purpose is to describe the greatness of the occasion.
Naming
''Qadr'' (قدر) in Arabic, means the measure and limit or value of something or destiny. Some reasons have been offered for its naming:
* It is said that it was called “al-Qadr” because the annual destiny of every person is determined by God.
* Some say if one stays awake on this night in prayer, reading the Quran, or repenting, one will reach a higher state.
* Some have said that it was called “al-Qadr” because it is a grand and highly valued night.
Other names for this Night include ''Laylat al-'Azama'' (Arabic: ليلة العظمة, “Night of the Greatness”) and ''Laylat ash-Sharaf'' (Arabic: ليلة الشرف; ).
Revelation to Prophet Muhammad
Some Islamic experts believe that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad twice:
*The “immediate revelation”, at the
Cave of Hira
Jabal al-Nour ( or 'Hill of the Illumination') is a mountain near Mecca in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia. The mountain houses the grotto or cave of Hira (), which holds tremendous significance for Muslims throughout the world, as it is here w ...
on the first ''Laylat al-Qadr'' in 610 CE;
*The “gradual revelation” of
Meccan and
Medinan ''surat'' over the succeeding 23 years.
The Quran uses the word ''anzal'' () which justifies “immediate revelation”, according to
Allamah Tabatabai.
Some others believe that the revelation of Quran occurred in two different phases, with the first being its entire revelation on ''Laylat al-Qadr'' to the
angel
An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
Gabriel
In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...
(''Jibril'' in Arabic) in the lowest heaven, and then the subsequent verse-by-verse revelation to Muhammad from Gabriel.
The first ''surah'' revealed were the first seven ''
āyat'' (verses) of
Sūrat al-ʿAlaq ( ).
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
would usually practice spiritual retreat (''
Iʿtikāf'') during the last ten days of Ramadan, awaiting the Night of Power, fasting and praying throughout the night, and abstaining from sexual relations. He urged his followers to do the same as one
hadith
Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
notes: "Whoever stands
n prayerduring the Night of Power out of belief and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901)
Date
The specific date of ''Laylat al-Qadr'' is not mentioned in the Quran. Muhammad said God told him the exact date in a dream, but as he went to tell his
companions about it, he saw two people fighting and God made him forget the date.
According to the Islamic calendar, an Islamic day begins at
''Maghrib'' prayer (sunset). The Night of Power thus spans ''Maghrib'' to
''Fajr'' prayer the following dawn.
Sunni Islam
Sunni
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
Muslims believe ''Laylat al-Qadr'' is most likely one of the odd-numbered nights among the last ten of Ramadan (i.e., the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th). Some scholars opine the odd-numbered night falling on a Friday is the year’s ''Laylat al-Qadr''.
Shi’a Islam
Shi’a
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood to ...
Muslims similarly believe ''Laylat al-Qadr'' to be one of the last ten odd-numbered nights in Ramadan, with the
19th,
21st, and especially the
23rd being most important.
The date of 19 Ramadan is the anniversary of
Imam
Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...
ʿAlī
Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...
’s
assassination
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
while praying in the
mihrab
''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall".
...
of the
Great Mosque of Kufa
The Great Mosque of Kufa (), or Masjid al-Kufa, is located in Kufa, Iraq and is one of the earliest surviving mosques in the world. The mosque, built in the 7th century, was home to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the 4th Rashidun caliph; and contains the s ...
, leading to his death on 21 Ramadan.
Shi’a’s say
ʿAlī
Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...
(who is also the fourth
Rashidun
The Rashidun () are the first four caliphs () who led the Muslim community following the death of Muhammad: Abu Bakr (), Umar (), Uthman (), and Ali ().
The reign of these caliphs, called the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), is considered i ...
Caliph
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
to Sunnis) had special insight and intimacy with God on this night.
Imam Sadiq is quoted as saying in Tafsir "al-Burhan" (vol. 4, p. 487):
Once Imam Ali was reciting Surat al-Qadr and his sons, Imam Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn (a) were near him. Imam Husayn (a) asked his father: "Father, how come we feel a different sensation when you recite this surah?" Imam Ali(a) replied, "O son of the Prophet and my son! I know things from this chapter that you are not aware of now. When this surah was sent down to the Prophet he asked me to go to him. When I went to him he recited this surah, then he put his hand on my right shoulder and said: O my brother and my successor! O the leader of my nation after me! O tireless fighter with my enemies! This surah is yours after me, and is for your two sons after you. Gabriel who is my brother among the angels informs me of the events of one year of my nation at the night of Qadr. And after me he will give this information to you. This surah will always have a shining light in your heart and in the heart of your successors until the rising of the dawn of the day of reappearance of Qa'im Islamic Messiah, Mahdi">Mahdi.html" ;"title="he one who rises, a title for the Mahdi">Islamic Messiah, Mahdi"
Ibn Abbas was meanwhile aware of both the date and day of the week. Hence, Shi’as have generally concluded it falls on the 23 Ramadan.
According to other
hadiths
Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
, destinies are written on the night of 19 Ramadan, finalized the night of 21 Ramadan, and ultimately confirmed the night of 23 Ramadan.
Two other possible dates for ''Laylat-al-Qadr'' are 27 Ramadan and 15
Sha'ban
Shaʽban ( ') is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. It is called the month of 'separation', as the word means 'to disperse' or 'to separate' because the pagan Arabs used to disperse in search of water.
The fifteenth night of this month ...
.
Religious importance
The Night of Power is believed by Muslims to be of uncomparable importance.
Blessings received through acts of worship and sharity during this night are said to multiply and thus receive special importance. It is stated that the reward of acts of worship done in this one night is more than the reward of a thousand months of worship.
Surah
Al-Qadr of the Quran is about Laylat al-Qadr:
Devout Muslims practice spiritual retreat (
Iʿtikāf) during the last ten days of Ramadan by staying at a mosque throughout the ten days, awaiting the Night of Power, fasting and praying throughout the night, and abstaining from sexual relations.
To celebrate the Night of Power, Muslim societies lit candles in mosques, offer public charity, and celebrate fast-breaking in communities. A special form of practise is that to pray 100
rakats. It is further said that whoever practises the Night of Power consciously, will be granted a wish by God.
Special prayers (Shi'a)
Shi'as practice the special prayers (Amaal) of the Night of Qadr every year in mosques,
tekyehs, shrines of Imams or children of Imams,
Husayniyyas or their own houses. They stay vigilant the whole night until dawn and worship God. The most important practices of the Night of Qadr include congregational prayers, recitation of the Iftitah Supplication,
Abu Hamza al-Thumali Supplication, and al-Jawshan al-Kabir, and collective supplications while they keep volumes of the Quran on top of their heads. Other rituals of the night include donations of dawn food, payment of their nadhr for the dead, feeding the poor, and emancipation of financial prisoners.
Since the assassination of Ali occurred in the last ten days of the Ramadan month, Shi'as mourn in these nights.
See also
*
Dehwa d-Šišlam Rabba, The Night of Power takes place during this festival in
Mandaeism
Mandaeism (Mandaic language, Classical Mandaic: ),https://qadaha.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/nhura-dictionary-mandaic-english-mandaic.pdf sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnosticism, Gnostic, Monotheism, ...
*
Ehya night
*
Glossary of Islam
The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural (Arab, Persian, Turkish) traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambi ...
*
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar (), also known in English as the Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the Ramad ...
*
Islamic holidays
There are two main holidays in Islam that are celebrated by Muslims worldwide: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The timing of both holidays are set by the lunar Islamic calendar, which is based upon the cycle of the moon, and so is different from the ...
*
Predestination in Islam
''Qadar'' (, transliterated ''qadar'',meaning literally "power",J. M. Cowan (ed.) (1976). ''The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic''. Wiesbaden, Germany: Spoken Language Services. but translated variously as: "divine fore-ordainment" ...
(Qadar)
*
Yaqazah
Yaqazah or Yaqazeh or Yaqzeh (''in Arabic:'' , ''in Persian:'' ; ) is a term used in certain schools of Shi'a Islamic mysticism that translates to "awakening of the heart"
or "awakening of the mettle" or "awakening from neglect" or "enligh ...
Notes
References
External links
Lailatul Qadr: Night of Power
Laylatul Qadr: The Night of Power in Islam
Surah Qadr
{{Authority control
Islamic holy days
Islamic terminology
Qadr
Public holidays in Bangladesh
Ramadan