Muslims around the world will spend more time in worship in the hope of catching Laylat al-Qadr [Getty]
With the Islamic holy month of Ramadan drawing to a close, millions of Muslims around the world are exerting greater efforts to catch one of the most important nights of the year – Laylatul Qadr.
What is Laylat al-Qadr?
Laylat al-Qadr, meaning ‘Night of Power’ or ‘Night of Decree’ in Arabic, is the night when the Prophet Muhammad first received a revelation of the Quran, according to the Islamic tradition.
“Indeed, We sent it [i.e., the Qur’ān] down during the Night of Decree,” reads the opening verse of the Quran’s 97th chapter, titled ‘Al-Qadr’.
The same chapter says that the night is “better than a thousand months”, and is understood by Muslims to mean that any prayers or good deeds committed on this night will be multiplied manifold.
Muslims also believe that angels descend to earth at this time, making it a night of peace and blessings until dawn.
When is Laylat al-Qadr?
Laylat al-Qadr is believed to fall on one of the odd nights during the last ten nights of the holy month of Ramadan, but its exact date is unclear.
In the Sunni tradition, it is reported that the prophet would spend the last ten nights of Ramadan exerting greater efforts in prayer and encouraged his followers to seek out Laylat al-Qadr in this period, particularly during the odd nights.
Days, according to the Islamic calendar, begin and end at sunset.
Some Sunni traditions also relate that Laylat al-Qadr is on the 27th night, although debate remains on whether this is the case.
For those who began fasting on 1 March, the 27th night falls on Wednesday evening.
Shia Muslims also believe that Laylat al-Qadr falls during the last few nights of Ramadan. They revere the 19th, 21st, and 23rd nights, of which the last is often believed to be the Night of Power and given the most importance.
The 19th of Ramadan coincides with the night that Imam Ali, whom Shias believe was the rightful successor of the Prophet, was attacked while praying at the Great Mosque in Kufa. He is believed to have died two days later on the 21st of the month.
Will any special events take place?
Unlike the upcoming festival of Eid al-Fitr, which is considered a celebratory feast marking the end of Ramadan, Muslims seeking out Laylatul Qadr will usually spend their time in worship and recitation of the Quran.
Last week, the 22nd day going into the 23rd night of Ramadan saw more than 3 million worshippers gather at the Grand Mosque of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, according to figures released by Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.
It is expected that the Grand Mosque, which is considered Islam’s holiest site, will continue to be busier than usual for the remainder of Ramadan.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, considered Islam’s third holiest site, sees crowds of hundreds of thousands of worshippers on the 27th night of Ramadan.
