Night of Power
| Night of Destiny | |
|---|---|
 Reading the Quranis a key observance ofLaylat al-Qadr | |
| Official name | ليلة القدر |
| Also called | Night of Destiny, Precious Night, Night Of Decree or Night of Determination[1] |
| Observed by | Muslims |
| Type | Angelsdescend to the earth and theannual decreeis revealed to them |
| Observances | Tahajjudnight prayers, reading theQuran,makingdua,doingdhikr,observingiʿtikāf,givingsadaqah |
| Date | Often observed as21st,23rd,25th, 27th or 29th Ramadan and some add19thto series. |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Part ofa serieson |
| Islamic culture |
|---|
| Architecture |
| Art |
| Clothing |
| Holidays |
| Literature |
| Music |
| Theatre |
TheNight of Power[2](Arabic:لیلة القدر,romanized:Laylat al-Qadr;also rendered as theNight of Destiny,[3]Night of Decree,[4]Night of Determination,or thePrecious Night), is, inIslamicbelief, the night when Muslims believe theQuranwas first sent down from heaven to the world, and also the night when its first verses wererevealedto theIslamic prophetMuhammad;it is described as better than a thousand months of worshipping.[5]According to varioushadiths,its exact date is uncertain but was one of the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days ofRamadan,the ninth month of theIslamic calendar.Since that time, Muslims have regarded the last ten nights of Ramadan as being especially blessed.Muslimsbelieve the Night comes again every year, with blessings and mercy ofGodin abundance.[6]
Naming[edit]
Qadr (قدر), in Arabic, means measure and limit or value of something or destiny.[7]Some reasons have been offered for its naming:
- It is said that it was called al-Qadr because the annual destiny of every person will be determined by God.[8]
- Some say that if one stays awake at this night praying, reading Quran, or repenting, one will reach a high state.[9]
- Some have said that it was called al-Qadr because it is a grand and high-value night.[10]
Other names such as "Laylat al-'Azama" (Arabic: ليلة العظمة; night of the greatness) and "Laylat al-Sharaf" (Arabic: ليلة الشرف;lit. 'night of the honor') have also been used.[11]
Revelation to Muhammad[edit]
Some commentators believe that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad twice;
- the 'immediate revelation' happening on the Laylat al-Qadr and
- 'gradual revelation' over 23 years.
The Quran uses the wordanzal(انزل) which justifies 'the immediate revelation', according toAllamah Tabatabai.[12]Some others believe that the revelation of Quran occurred in two phases, with the first phase being the revelation in its entirety on Laylat al-Qadr to theangelGabriel(Jibrilin Arabic) in the lowest heaven, and then the subsequent verse-by-verse revelation to Muhammad by Gabriel.[3]The revelation started in 610 CE at theHira caveon Mount Jabal al-Nour in Mecca. The first Surah that was revealed wasSūrat al-ʿAlaq(in Arabicالعلق).[13]During Muhammad's first revelation, the first five verses of this Surah, or chapter, were revealed.[14]
Muhammadwould 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. According to onehadith,Muhammad said: "Whoever stands [in prayer] during the Night of Power out of belief and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901)[15][16]
Date[edit]
A specific date of Laylat al-Qadr is not mentioned in the Quran.[17][18]Muhammad said God told him the exact date of Laylat al-Qadr in a dream, that he went to tell hiscompanionsabout that date, and that he saw two people fighting and was caused to forget the date(by God).[19]
According to the Islamic calendar, an Islamic day begins atMaghribprayer (sunset). The Night of Power extends from Maghrib toFajrprayer (dawn).[20]
Sunni Islam[edit]
SunniMuslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr most likely occurs among the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th). Some scholars opine that if a Friday night occurs on an odd numbered night, the night is likely to be Laylat al-Qadr.[citation needed][21][22]
| Last five odd nights | Gregorian date[23] |
|---|---|
| 1441 | 25 May 2019, 27 May 2019, 29 May 2019, 31 May 2019, 2 June 2019 or 4 June 2019 |
| 1442 | 15 May 2020, 17 May 2020, 19 May 2020, 21 May 2020 or 23 May 2020 |
| 1443 | 4 May 2021, 6 May 2021, 8 May 2021, 10 May 2021 or 12 May 2021 |
| 1444 | 22 April 2022, 24 April 2022, 26 April 2022, 28 April 2022, or 30 April 2022 |
| 1445 | 11 April 2023, 13 April 2023, 15 April 2023, 17 April 2023, or 19 April 2023 |
Shia Islam[edit]
Shia Muslims similarly believe that Laylat al-Qadr is to be found in the last ten odd-numbered nights of Ramadan but mostly on the19th,21stor23rdof Ramadan with 23rd being the most important night.[24]The 19th, according to theShiabelief, coincides with the nightAli was attackedin theMihrabwhile worshipping in theGreat Mosque of Kufa.He died on 21 Ramadan.[25]
Shia Muslims say thatAli(the first ShiaImam,and the fourthcaliphof theRashidun Caliphateto Sunnis) had special insight and intimacy with God on this night.Imam Sadiqis quoted as saying (Tafsir "al-Burhan", vol. 4, p. 487):
Once Imam Ali was reciting Surat al-Qadr and his sons,Imam Hasan(a) andImam 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 ofQa'im[the one who rises, a title for theIslamic Messiah, Mahdi]. "[26]
Ibn Abbaswas aware of both the date and the day of the week.[27][28]Hence the Shia's have generally concluded that it is the 23rd[3]
According to otherhadiths,destinies are written on the night of Ramadan 19, are finalized on the night of Ramadan 21, and are ultimately confirmed on the night of Ramadan 23.[29]
Two other possibilities about the time of the Night of Qadr are the nights of Ramadan 27 andSha'ban15.[30]
| 23rd of Ramadan | Gregorian date |
|---|---|
| 1440 | 28 May 2019[31][32] |
| 1441 | 16 May 2020[33] |
| 1442 | 5 May 2021[34] |
| 1443 | 24 April 2022[35] |
| 1444 | 1 April 2024, 23 April 2024[36] |
Religious importance[edit]
The night is not comparable to any others in view of Muslims[24]and according to a tradition, the blessings due to the acts of worship during this night cannot be equaled even by worshipping throughout an entire lifetime. The reward of acts of worship done in this one single night is more than the reward of a thousand months of worship.[37]
SurahAl-Qadrof the Quran is about Laylat al-Qadr:[3][24]
- We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Decree:
- And what will explain to thee what the Night of Decree is?
- The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
- Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:
- Peace!... This until the rise of dawn!
Devout Muslims 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. Some Muslims practiceIʿtikāfby staying at a mosque throughout the ten days.[38]
Special prayers (Shi'a)[edit]
Shi'as practice the special prayers (Amaal) of the Night of Qadr every year in mosques,tekyehs,shrines of Imams or children of Imams,Husayniyyasor 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-ThumaliSupplication, and al-Jawshan al-Kabir, and collective supplications while they keep volumes of the Qur'an 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.[39]
See also[edit]
- Predestination in Islam(Qadar)
- Ehya night
- Glossary of Islam
- Islamic calendar
- Islamic holidays
- Dehwa d-Šišlam Rabba,The Night of Power takes place during this festival inMandaeism
References[edit]
- ^Britannica Guide to the Islamic World.Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 2009.ISBN9781593398491.Archivedfrom the original on 8 April 2022.Retrieved2 June2017.
- ^Daneshgar, Majid; Saleh, Walid A (eds) (2017).Islamic Studies Today: Essays in Honor of Andrew Rippin.Leiden. p. 93.ISBN9789004337121.Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2020.Retrieved31 May2017.
{{cite book}}:|first2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^abcdA. Beverley, James (2011)."Laylat al-Qadr".In Melton, J. Gordon (ed.).Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations [2 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations. Volume two L-Z.Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 517.ISBN9781598842067.Archivedfrom the original on 4 November 2020.Retrieved31 May2017.
- ^Halim, Fachrizal A. (2014).Legal Authority in Premodern Islam: Yahya B Sharaf Al-Nawawi in the Shafi'i School of Law.Routledge.p. 15.ISBN9781317749189.Archivedfrom the original on 4 November 2020.Retrieved31 May2017.
- ^Sahih al-Bukhari."Book of Revelation - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)".As-Sunnah Foundation of America.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2020.Retrieved21 March2020.
- ^Seyyed Hossein Nasr (2015), The Study Quran, HarperCollins, p.1539
- ^Qarashī, Qāmūs al-Qurʾān, vol. 5, p. 246–247.
- ^Tabatabai, Tafsir Al-Mizan, 1363, vol. 20, p. 561.
- ^Ghadmiari, "Night of Destiny in Hafez's lyric poems", p. 180.
- ^Makarem Shirazi, Tafsir Nomoneh, 1996, vol. 27, p. 188.
- ^Majidi Khameneh.Nights of Glory in Iran.p. 1.
- ^Staff."Qadr night from the view point of Allamah Tabtabaei".Allamah Tabtabaei University.Archived fromthe originalon 3 July 2016.Retrieved12 June2016.
- ^al-Mubarakpuri, Safi-ur-Rahman (2002).The Sealed Nectar.Riyadh: Dar-us-Salam. p. 68.ISBN978-1591440710.
- ^Roslan Abdul-Rahim (December 2017)."Demythologizing the Qur'an Rethinking Revelation Through Naskh al-Qur'an"(PDF).Global Journal Al-Thaqafah.7(2): 62–3.doi:10.7187/GJAT122017-2.ISSN2232-0474.Archived(PDF)from the original on 14 February 2019.Retrieved26 February2019.
- ^https://sunnah /bukhari:1901
- ^Seyyed Hossein Nasr (2015), The Study Quran, HarperCollins, p.1539
- ^Islam and state in Sumatra: a study of seventeenth-century Aceh.p. 128.
- ^Marjo Buitelaar.Fasting and feasting in Morocco: women's participation in ramzan.p. 64.
- ^Sahih Bukhari."Chapter: 2, Belief. Hadith No. 47".Archivedfrom the original on 2 June 2020.Retrieved10 May2020.
- ^"The Night of Power - Laylatul Qadr 2023".Islamic Relief UK.Retrieved6 October2023.
- ^Mohammad Younes, Arefi."The importance of Qadr night and the secret behind it's being hidden".The Message of Woman(in Persian). Archived fromthe originalon 13 August 2016.Retrieved12 June2016.
- ^Parsa, Farvardin."Laylat al-Qadr from the viewpoint of Sunni Muslims".Andisheh Club.Archived fromthe originalon 21 August 2016.Retrieved12 June2016.
- ^"The Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia".Archivedfrom the original on 11 June 2011.Retrieved18 November2020.
- ^abcYsuf, Imtiyaz."Laylat al-Qadr".The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World.Archived fromthe originalon 18 April 2018.Retrieved2 June2017.
- ^Syed Muhammad Askari Jafari."A biographical profile of Imam Ali".Archivedfrom the original on 9 September 2018.Retrieved10 May2020.
- ^"Imam Mahdi (a) in Chapter al-Qadr".Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project.Archivedfrom the original on 6 April 2019.Retrieved21 March2020.
- ^Sahih Bukhari."Chapter: 32, Night prayer in Ramadan (Taraweeh). Hadith No: 239".Archivedfrom the original on 3 June 2020.Retrieved10 May2020.
Ibn Abbas added "Search for it on the twenty-fourth (of Ramadan)"
- ^Bombay Tract and Book Society (1856).Life of Mohammad.Bombay. p. 30.Archivedfrom the original on 4 November 2020.Retrieved12 September2020.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)In Islam night precedes day, so that, for example, "the night of the 23rd" is not the night between the 23rd and the 24th but the night between the 22nd and the 23rd. - ^Klini, Sufficient Principles, 1996, vol. 2, p. 772.
- ^Kashani, Manhaj Al-Sadiqin, 1344, vol. 4, p. 274, quoting Eftekhari, \ "Prayer and the Night of Power from the perspective of Musa Sadr\", p17.
- ^"Ramadan Calendar 2024".Islamicfinder.Archivedfrom the original on 23 April 2019.Retrieved23 April2019.
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- ^"Calendar center of Geophysics institute of Tehran University, 1399 Calendar" (in Persian) "(PDF).calendar.ut.ac.Archived(PDF)from the original on 25 May 2020.Retrieved5 April2020.
- ^"Calendar center of Geophysics institute of Tehran University, 1400 Calendar" (in Persian) "(PDF).calendar.ut.ac.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 January 2022.Retrieved3 April2022.
- ^"Calendar center of Geophysics institute of Tehran University, 1401 Calendar" (in Persian) "(PDF).calendar.ut.ac.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 24 April 2022.Retrieved3 April2022.
- ^"Calendar center of Geophysics institute of Tehran University, 1403 Calendar" (in Persian) "(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 31 March 2024.
- ^Halim, Fachrizal A. (20 November 2014).Legal Authority in Premodern Islam: Yahya B Sharaf Al-Nawawi in the Shafi'i School of Law.Routledge. p. 15.ISBN9781317749189.Archivedfrom the original on 24 February 2020.Retrieved31 May2017.
- ^Habib Rauf (2016), Itikaf: An Introduction. Glasgow Central Mosque.
- ^Majidi Khamenei, "Nights of Glory in Iran".
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