Laylatul Qadr, “The Night of Power,” according to Islam, is the holiest night of the year, and it falls on the odd-numbered nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar.
Date of Laylatul Qadr 2023
Lyalatul Qadr differs from year to year, as it depends on the calculations of the lunar year. This year Laylatul Qadr will fall on 17 April 2023.
The Importance of Laylatul Qadr
No day or night has been emphasized more than the night of “Laylatul Qadr” – The Night of Power – Allah Almighty has dedicated an entire Surah for this night. Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:
“Indeed, We revealed [the Qur’an] during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? 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.” – Surah Al-Qadr.
Laylatul Qadr is the night on which Allah – Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala – first revealed the Qur’an to our Beloved Prophet ﷺ through the Angel “Gabriel – Jibril”.
Laylatul Qadr holds additional significance as a night in which angels descend to earth with myriad tasks, leading to a night of peace, blessings, and divine guidance until the dawn. And that’s why Muslims commemorate this night with solemnity, devotion, and prayers.
Laylatul Qadr in Quran
This one night is so exceptional that Allah Almighty dedicated a whole Surah for this blessed night. Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:
“Indeed, We revealed [the Qur’an] during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? 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.” – Surah Al-Qadr.
Laylatul Qadr in Hadith
Our Beloved Prophet has revealed the blessing of this special night. He ﷺ told his Companions to seek that night and to worship Allah with an honest devotion, and to ask Allah His mercy and forgiveness, and praise him with sincere Dua’a to grant His mercy, pardon, and forgiveness.
- Abu Huraira reported The Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying, “He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Lailat al-qadr [Night of Decree] in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.” – Bukhari and Muslim.
- The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan and say, “Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree) in the odd nights out of the last ten nights of Ramadan.” – Al- Bukhari.
- ‘A’isha (RAA) narrated, ‘With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. keep away from his wives) and used to stay up praying all night, and he would also wake his wives (to pray and recite Qur’an etc..).” – Agreed upon.
- When Aisha (RAA) asked the Prophet ﷺ “O Messenger of Allah, if it is Laylatul Qadr, then what should I supplicate with?” He ﷺ replied with the famous dua: “Allahumma, innaka Afuwwun Karimun, tuḥibbu al-afwa fa‘afu anna” – “O Allah, indeed You are Pardoning and Generous; You love to pardon, so pardon us.”
Laylatul Qadr Rewards
Abu Huraira reported The Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying, “He who fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; he who prays during the night in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven; and he who passes Lailat al-qadr [Night of Decree] in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven.” – Bukhari and Muslim.
According to this Hadith, he who passes Laylatul Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And if this reward is not enough, then what is?
During Ramadan, all good deeds Muslims do, come back as rewards multiplied by 70, and the reward for any righteous act during Laylatul Qadr is equivalent to having performed the same virtuous act for over 83 years!
Observation and Celebration of Laylatul Qadr
Muslims worldwide spend the last ten days of Ramadan focusing on worshipping Allah Almighty, refraining as much from being involved in daily affairs as possible. It is a time of repentance, a time to increase our religious knowledge and recite the Qur’an. It is a time to do more good deeds, pray more prayers, and seek closeness to Allah SWT to obtain His forgiveness and pleasure.
Many Muslims prefer to spend these ten nights in Masjids with their brothers in the community as they stand together before the sight of Allah Almighty, praying for Him, reciting Qur’an, and asking for His acceptance, forgiveness, and to be set free from the Hellfire on the Judgment Day.
Donate to this Special Night
Every righteous act you do on the Night of Power – Laylatul Qadr – is equivalent to performing this same action for over 83 years. And since this special night is not revealed to us, then we take the last ten days of Ramadan as an opportunity to gain multiple rewards from Allah the Most Merciful by giving sadaqah to those in need for the sake of seeking the pleasure and forgiveness of Allah Almighty.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Sadaqa extinguishes sin as water extinguishes fire.” – Tirmidhi.
And in another Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ explained that Allah SWT offers relief on Judgement’s Day for those who give Sadaqa: “The believer’s shade on the Day of Resurrection will be their charity,”. – Tirmidhi.
FAQ
What is the Reward of Laylatul Qadr?
He who passes Laylatul Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And the reward for any righteous act during Laylatul Qadr is equivalent to having performed the same virtuous act for over 83 years.
How can we Take Advantage of Laylatul Qadr?
We can take advantage of Laylatul Qadr by focusing on worshipping Allah Almighty, increasing our religious knowledge and reciting the Qur’an, doing more good deeds, praying more prayers, and seeking closeness to Allah SWT.
What is Laylatul Qadr, and why is it Important to Muslims?
Laylatul Qadr’s “The Night of Power”, according to Islam, is the holiest night of the year, and it falls on the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. Laylatul Qadr is important because it is the night on which Allah – Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala – first revealed the Qur’an to our Beloved Prophet ﷺ through the Angel “Gabriel – Jibril”.