What is the Night of Power?
The quick answer
“The Night of Power” is a translation of the divinely given Arabic title “Laylat Al-Qadr,” in the Quran for the special night Allah chose to send this Heavenly Book down complete, first from on high to the lowest heaven of the world, and then in segments of verses – five on that night – into the world through Archangel Gabriel, peace on him, to its human vessel and messenger, the Prophet Muhammad, on him be blessings and peace.
Allah names it this three times in the Quran in one small surah (a self-contained portion of Revelation known by the same name as the night it titles, Surat Al-Qadr, 97:1-3).
He also refers to The Night of Power by its virtue of holiness – “a blessed night” – in another of the Quran’s surahs (Surat Al-Dukhan, 44:3), and more generally in the context of “the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was first sent down,” in commemoration of which He commanded: “Whoever among you bears witness to the month shall then fast it” (Surat Al-Baqarah, 2:185).
(See The Night of Empowering Decree and Why Is the Night of Power in Ramadan So Important?)
Can you translate this surah and related verses?
Here’s Surat Al-Qadr:
Indeed, it is We who have sent this [Quran] down [from on high]
on the Night of Empowering Decree.
And do you realize what is the Night of Empowering Decree?
The Night of Empowering Decree is better than a thousand months!
Therein do the angels and the Spirit [Gabriel] descend,
by the permission of their Lord,
with every divine commandment.
Peace it is till the rise of dawn!
Allah calls it “laylatin mubarakatin,” a “blessed night,” in Surat Al-Dukhan (44:3):
Indeed, We alone have sent it [the Quran] down on a blessed night.”
Why is “power” ascribed to this night?
The Arabic word ‘qadr’ means ‘decree,’ ‘power,’ ‘greatness,’ ‘proportion,’ ‘honor,’ and terms of similar senses, and the divine name Laylat Al-Qadr embodies, not only ‘power,’ but all these senses specifically, with an emphasis on the meaning of ‘decree.’
For this reason, its translation as “The Night of Empowering Decree,” as some have said it, better represents Laylat Al-Qadr because it highlights three of this Night’s incomparably holy virtues:
Preeminence as the single night Allah chose to ennoble with
(a) the first words of the Quran spoken into the world
(b) the initiating experience of Divine Revelation for its Messenger, Muhammad, on him be blessings and peace, and
(c) the coming of the last of all prophets and the seal of prophethood among humanity
On this night every Ramadan, Allah sends down all the decrees of the coming year:
(a) who (and what) shall come to life, go on living, and die
(b) the provisions each one shall have
(c) what will happen on and to the earth for the coming year (wars, rainfall, droughts, quakes, storms, and every other blessing and calamity to be), and
(d) He will do it with such irrevocable power that not a single decree shall fail or be turned back
The one who worships Allah alone without partner and sincerely on this night out of belief in the night’s holiness – shall receive from Allah (i.e., be empowered by Him with)
(a) an excessively magnified proportion in reward for each good deed and act of devotion done in it, and
(b) forgiveness for past sins
How is this night still blessed for us?
First and foremost, as Allah Himself said in Surat Al-Qadr:
The Night of Empowering Decree is better than a thousand months!”
This means that all the worship and good acts one does from sunset that night to sunrise Allah records in our Book of Deeds as if we had done that same righteous work or devotion for more than a thousand months.
So while Allah will admit people who believe in Him without partner, and in all His angles, Books, messengers, the Judgement Day, and His divine decree to His Gardens (Jannat) by His grace, He says He does so by weighing our good deeds against our sins in a literal Divine Balance of Scales (Al-Mizan).
So a thousand months of ritual worship and devotions, and righteous deeds gained in a single night makes that a night of unequaled blessing.
Simple arithmetic tells us that $1 given in charity on Laylat Al-Qadr can equal $30,000 at other times. A few hours of worship on this night becomes a lifetime of worship, at least 83 and 1/3 years to be exact. And so on.
There is unseen divine favor in this night, as well, including the descent from Heaven at Allah’s command of the angels with blessings, mercy, and forgiveness. One of those angels is the great Spirit, the Archangel Gabriel, who, since the closing of Divine Revelation of Books and prophethood, only descends to earth now on this night.
Peace from Allah is also of its blessings unseen. It means great good is done in this night. Abundant salvation of people from punishment is granted in it. The evil of Satan and his swarms is curtailed with their severest divine restriction.
Crucially, Allah pardons our past sins. The Prophet, on him be blessings and peace, said:
One who stands much [in salah, ritual prayer] in Laylat Al-Qadr out of faith [in its blessedness] and anticipating reward from Allah will be forgiven all his past sins” (Bukhari and Muslim).
And how deep is our desire to have all our many sins wiped away by our most merciful Lord?
What night of Ramadan is Laylat Al-Qadr?
Only Allah knows when the Night of Empowering Decree falls. We know it’s in Ramadan because Allah told us. We know it’s very likely in the last 10 nights of Ramadan because the Prophet told us. And we know of those last nights, it probably comes in an odd-numbered one.
So, the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th nights of Ramadan, are the likelier night for Laylat Al-Qadr. And of these, there is some prophetic evidence that there is a stronger chance that it comes in the last three nights (Bukhari). And out of these three nights, the 27th is the most favored possibility. A report in the esteemed hadith collection of Sahih Muslim says:
One searching for Laylat Al-Qadr should seek it on the night of the 27th.”
But there is no sure way to catch The Night of Power but to seek it diligently with prayer and devotion in every one of the last ten nights, especially.
Muslims often disagree on the starting and ending dates of Ramadan. Calculation has grown common among Muslims, especially in the West, but there are strong arguments for the superiority of moonsighting by eye over astronomical assessment, though the latter can be used to help the former.
What worship and deeds should I do on Laylat Al-Qadr?
Salah prayer – as much as you can – is the very best thing you can do on this night. Laylat Al-Qadr is about standing in prayer, reciting Quran, before the Sole Lord of the Magnificent Throne.
Ritual Retreat (i‘tikaf) in a mosque for the last 10 nights (or as many of those nights as you can) is a great, great sunnah (prophetic practice) of the Prophet, on him be blessings and peace. If you can do this, it’s absolutely the best Ramadan and Laylat Al-Qadr investment you can make, again, praying throughout the night as much as possible.
(See On Ritual Retreat (I’tikaf))
Keep the remembrances of Allah (dhikr) upon your tongue, right from the Prayer of Dawn (Salat Al-Fajr).
Feed the fasting at iftar, sunset fast breaking time.
Give as much sadaqah, voluntary charity, as you can to the poor and in need, and prepare for this as far ahead as you can, if that is possible.
(See The Importance of Giving Sadaqah on Laylat Al-Qadr)
Schedule your obligatory annual Zakat payment for this time, if feasible.
Do as many of the sunnah prayers that the Prophet, on him be blessings and peace, did in your day as you can – again, praying as much as possible in the night.
Say this du‘a supplication tirelessly (as much as possible) in the night:
O Allah! You are the Pardoner. You love pardoning. So pardon me.”
(Allahumma! Anta ‘Afuwun. Tuhib Al-‘Afwa fa ‘afu ‘anni)
(See A Simple Prayer for Laylat Al-Qadr)
What should I not do for Laylat Al-Qadr?
Stay away from all the things that violate your fast, of course (arguing, backbiting, acting on anger, in addition to eating, drinking, and intimate relations etc.).
(See What Acts Invalidate Fasting?)
But also avoid becoming preoccupied with trying to “see” or “feel” the signs of Laylat Al-Qadr to predict when it will be or when it was. People who do this tend to focus on that time and neglect the other nights, when it may well occur in one of these other nights.
The same goes for relying on one night as Laylat Al-Qadr, like the 27th, for the same reasons.
Laylat Al-Qadr very likely comes in the last 10 nights. So you have to treat each one as if it is The Night of Power. That’s not to say that doing so will be easy. It’s a striving for sure. But we should push ourselves to strive to catch Laylat Al-Qadr with a striving that is worthy of its blessed holiness and its Lord. For there is much to gain from it, and that is the only sure way to get it.
(Why Ramadan Is So Important)