Amongst the infinite blessings Allah SWT has endowed the Muslim Ummah with, the month of Ramadan truly stands out with its remarkable virtues. While the entirety of the month is marked by increased rewards and promise of forgiveness for those who sincerely ask for it, the last ten days of the month have a distinct place in Islam.
Though believers are encouraged to engage in any form of Zikr or worship regardless of when and where, it is Allah’s SWT wisdom and his forbearance when it comes to the Ummah of the Prophet ﷺ that he has marked certain times and places as having special blessings than others. It is incredible how a believer is drawn towards gaining ‘more’ when he has the yearning to seek out these opportunities to be closer to his Lord. This does not only close the distance between him and the spiritual benefits but also brings forth a series of positive emotions like reverence, longing, awe, wonder, anticipation, eagerness and hope. And thus, we come to the subject of Layla-tul-Qadr (the Night of Decree), one such instance of a time whose elevated status is evident from its mention in the Quran where the 97th chapter is dedicated to this night. Allah SWT says in Surah Qadr:
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. (97:1-5)
Referred to as both, the Night of Decree or the Night of Power, Laylatul-Qadr falls in the last ten days of Ramadan. This night is marked as one where the destinies are decreed, Allah SWT showers his Creation with forgiveness and the most notable one of all, it is the night in which the Quran was revealed. However, the exact and precise night has not been mentioned in the Quran and Hadith. In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, ‘Search for Laylatul-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.’ Sahih Bukhari, 2017. From this narration, Laylatul-Qadr is thought to occur in the odd dates of the last ten days of Ramadan i.e. the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or the 29th night.
Spiritual Significance of Layla tul Qadr
Layla-tul-Qadr is not just a night of immense virtues, but it is also one that has a significant place in Islam on account of its Spiritual Significance. The very fact that its precise time has been left ambiguous indicates the wisdom of Allah SWT because it brings about the yearning to seek for it, a yearning that is spiritually uplifting and filled with the love for the Creator and the desire to gain His Pleasure and His Nearness. Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: ‘A person would attain the reward of the night, even if he has no knowledge of it. This is because the Prophet ﷺ said ‘whoever stands (in prayer) during Laylatul-Qadr, with faith and hope, will be forgiven,’ and the Prophet ﷺ did not make knowledge of the night a condition of their forgiveness. And had knowledge of the night become a necessary factor, the Prophet ﷺ would have made this clear.
Night of Decree
Regarding the matter of Qadr (Decree), there are multiple views of different eminent scholars of Deen. The general consensus is on Qadr being destiny or decree. This is the night in which a person’s sustenance, lifespan, and other critical matters would be sealed for the coming year. Al-Hasan Al-Basri and two other renowned early Muslim scholars shared this view and were reported to have said that “all the affairs of lifespan, deeds, creation, and provision are decreed on Layla-tul-Qadr in the month of Ramadan and will come to pass in the coming year.”
Revelation of Quran
The connection between this sacred night and the Holy Quran is indeed irrefutable, for both Surah Qadr (97:1) and Surah Dukhan (44: 3) refer to the Quran being revealed on this night. Scholars elaborate on this by saying that the Qur’an was revealed in its entirety from the highest Heaven to the lowest Heaven, and was placed in a special chamber called Bayt al-`Izzah (the House of Honor). It was from there that it was revealed gradually to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. (Mustadrak al-Hakim 3781, Sunan al-Nasa’i 11625, Sunan al-Bayhaqi 8521)
Layla-tul-Qadr as a Gift
A hadith In the Muwatta (a notable Hadith work) of Imam Malik RA describes the Layla-tul-Qadr as a gift to the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. “The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ was shown the lifespans of the people (who had gone) before him, or what Allah willed of that, and it was as if the lives of the people of his community had become too short for them to be able to do as many good actions as others before them had been able to do with their long lives, so Allah gave him Laylat al- Qadr, which is better than a thousand months.” Muwatta Malik, 19:706
Indeed, the significance of this is apparent in the noble actions of the Prophet ﷺ during the last Ashara of Ramadan (10 days). His wife Ayesha RA narrates, ‘When the last ten nights began Allah's Messenger ﷺ kept awake at night (for prayer and devotion), wakened his family, and prepared himself to observe salah (with more vigor).’ Sahih Muslim 1174.
Itekaaf
A specific form of worship practiced by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the i`tikaf for the entirety of the last ten days of Ramadan. It is a form of seclusion where the sole focus is on worshipping Allah while abstaining from participating in worldly affairs. It involves reflecting, meditating, increased worship and remembrance of Allah SWT to seek His Pleasure and His Nearness. The sunnah is to remain in i’tikaf for ten days but three days or a minimum of one day and one night can also be done as nafl.
Virtues and Rewards of Layla-tul-Qadr
Layla-tul-Qadr is indeed singular in its virtues and promises a great reward. To benefit from them, believers are strongly encouraged to increase their worship, prayers and zikr both. It is the sheer generosity of Allah SWT that he is granting us this opportunity to seek more from Him.
The companion Anas ibn Malik reported: “Ramadan approached, so the Messenger of God ﷺ said: ‘This month has come to you, and in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived.’” Sunan Ibn Majah, 1644.
While justice cannot be done in stating the virtues of this blessed Night, certain salient points have been highlighted that are more than compelling for Muslims to seek out and avail themselves of the blessings of this Night.
- Magnitude of Rewards: The reward for this night is unparalleled. According to Islamic tradition, an act of worship on this night equals 83 years of performing that deed. The reward is unimaginable for worship that only takes a couple of hours at the most.
- Multiplication of Deeds: On Layla-tul-Qadr, the value of good deeds is multiplied manifold. It is not just the reward that increases as mentioned above but the value of that deed is as if the person has been performing it for 83 years (thousand months). Each prayer, dua and act of devotion performed during this blessed night carries immense weight in the eyes of Allah. This is an opportunity all Muslims should endeavor to seize to maximize their worship and earn abundant blessings and rewards.
- Divine Blessings and Mercy: Allah the Most Merciful has truly opened the doors of divine mercy on this sacred night. Allah’s mercy, forgiveness and blessings descend in abundance upon all those praying and supplicating with sincerity and humility to seek His favor. This is a chance for the believers to turn to Allah and seek His guidance and blessings.
- Spiritual Elevation: Apart from the increase in reward, this night carries special blessings and those engaged in worship feel themselves experiencing spiritual growth and elevation. This is a connection devoutly to be desired with the Divine that purifies and nourishes the soul and strengthens the faith. True believers who are sincere find themselves closer to attaining spiritual fulfillment and rejuvenated in their faith.
- Opportunity for Redemption: Allah SWT has granted a golden opportunity for Muslims to seek redemption and renewal. This is the night to seek Allah’s forgiveness through repentance, supplication, and worship. In a hadith, the companion Abu Huraira RA reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever stands in prayer during the Night of Decree, with faith and hoping for its reward, will have all of their previous sins forgiven.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Recommended Actions in the Last 10 Days
With the amazing virtues of Layla-tul-Qadr underscored above, the human rationale can only have one option to pursue: avail as much of the rewards and blessings as possible. These are the nights to put away our devices and take much needed breaks from social media while striving to worship and supplicate as much as we can especially in the odd nights so that when this night passes, it passes us in a state of remembrance of Allah SWT.
One should focus on performing these actions:
- Doing Taubah (Repentance) and sincerely praying for forgiveness
- Reciting the Holy Quran
- Sending Durood on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
- Offering Nafl (Voluntary Prayers)
- Giving Sadaqa
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Dua for Layla-tul-Qadr
Once, Ayesha RA (may Allah be well pleased with her) asked the Prophet ﷺ “O Messenger of Allah, if it is Laylatul Qadr, then what should I supplicate with?” he 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.”
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Allahumma innaka Afuwwun [Karimun ] tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee
O Allah, indeed You are Pardoning, [Generous,] You love pardon, so pardon me.
An Imam of the Holy Kaabah has recommended the following actions to gain maximum benefit from the last Ashara including the Layla-tul-Qadr.
- Every night in the last ten days of Ramadan, do charity, even If it is 1 dollar. If any of these nights is Layla-tul-Qadr, you will get the reward of charity worth 83 years.
- Every night in the last ten days of Ramadan, Pray 2 Nafl Salah. If any of these nights is Layla-tul-Qadr, you will be awarded Nafls worth 83 years.
- Every night in the last ten days of Ramadan, Must Recite Surah Ikhlas. If any of these nights is Layla-tul-Qadr, you will get the reward of reciting the Quran for 83 years.
May Allah grant us the Ibadah of this blessed night and make us among those whose repentance, worship and supplications are accepted Ameen.
Bibliography
Azhar, Z. (2023, April 10). What is the importance of Laylatul Qadr in Islam?. Transparent Hands. https://www.transparenthands.org/what-is-the-importance-of-laylatul-qadr-in-islam/
Dr. Nazir Khan, Sh. Ibrahim Hindy, and Dr. Omar Suleiman. (2018, June 4). Why Laylatul Qadr? the significance & virtues of the most important night of the year. Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/why-laylatul-qadr-the-significance-virtues-of-the-most-important-night-of-the-year
Khan, A. (2023, August 21). Sleep secrets to boost your energy for the last 10 nights of ramadan. ProductiveMuslim.com. https://productivemuslim.com/sleep-secrets-for-ramadan/
The night of power – laylat-ul-qadr. Muslim Aid. (n.d.). https://www.muslimaid.org/what-we-do/religious-dues/the-night-of-power-laylat-ul-qadr/
The spiritual significance of the last ten nights of ramadan. Islamic Relief Worldwide. (2023, July 8). https://islamic-relief.org/news/the-spiritual-significance-of-the-last-ten-nights-of-ramadan/
Tarek, S. (2024, March 24). Laylatul Qadr : The night of power revealed. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/laylatul-qadr-night-power-revealed-sarah-tarek-rkcyf#:~:text=During%20Laylatul%20Qadr%2C%20the%20blessings,sins%20forgiven%2C%20and%20destinies%20altered.
there are important sleep strategies you should take before, during and after the last 10 nights in Ramadan to ensure optimal energy. (If you’re not willing to put in the work to prepare for the last 10 nights… are you really serious about your desire to maximize your reward?)
The last 10 nights are a time to push yourself physically and mentally in the pursuit of spiritual rewards. Recognise that your sleep debt will widen significantly during the last 10 nights with increased worship, so take steps in the daytime to mitigate this as much as possible. Napping in the last 10 days is proven strategy to help power you through long nights of Qiyam prayers and keep your sleep-debt from spiraling out of control. If you’re taking a break from Qiyam, squeeze in sleep during the night instead of excessive socializing or time-wasting. Remember, your body recharges during your sleep to allow you to take it to the next level in your prayers!