Laylat al-Qadr
Encyclopedia
Lailatul Qadr' (also known as Shab-e-Qadr), the Night of Destiny, Night of Power, Night of Value, the Night of Decree or Night of Measures, is the anniversary of two very important dates in Islam
that occurred in the month of Ramadan
. It is the anniversary of the night Muslim
s believe the first verses of the Qur'an
were revealed to the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
.
Gabriel
(Jibril in Arabic). The revelation started in 610 CE at the Hira cave on Mount Nur in Mecca.The first Surah that was revealed was Surah
Al-Alaq. Iqra means read the prophet was told to read by the angel Gabriel. Muslims should do as much worship they can on this night.
. They awake, pray, and hope God will give them anything they may desire on this night. Mostly, they perform tilawat
(reading the Qur'an).
Those who can afford to devote their time in the remembrance of God stay in the mosque for the final ten days of Ramzan. This worship is called Iʿtikāf (retreat). They observe fast during the day and occupy themselves with the remembrance of God, performing voluntary prayers and studying the Qur'an, day and night, apart from the obligatory prayers which they perform with the congregation. Food and other necessities of life are provided for them during their stay in the mosque. Devoting time to remember God, Muslims also hope to receive divine favors and blessings connected with the blessed night (lailatul qadr')
communities of all the Islamic countries
, the Laylat al-Qadar is found to be on the last nights of ramzan. Mostly it is on one of the odd nights, i.e., 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th night. And most probably it falls on the 27th night of ramzan.
It is the night when Quraan was revealed (as a whole on the 4th sky) and then was revealed piecemeal to Muhammad in 23 years, 13 years in Makkah and 10 years in Madina
was attacked in the Mihrab
while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa, and died on the 21st of Ramadhan. Shia muslims worship and regard these three nights of great reward and worship but to be the night the Quran was revealed to angel Jibreel is 23rd of ramzan.
Qadr is most commonly translated into English as power, or wisdom, but there is no direct equivalent word in English.
Qadr can be translated into English as Probability. In Urdu it is called Andaza the night where the probabilities of the universe are adjusted. Similar to the expansion and contraction of universe.
, praying, reciting the Qur'an, remembering God
, and giving charity
. However because of the revealed importance of this night, Muslims strive [give more effort] harder in the last ten days of Ramazan since the Laylat al-Qadr could be one of the odd-numbered days in these last ten (the first, third, fifth, seventh or ninth). Normally, some Muslims from each community perform an Iʿtikāf in the mosque
: they remain in the mosque for the last ten days of the month for prayers and recitation.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
that occurred in the month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
. It is the anniversary of the night Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s believe the first verses of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
were revealed to the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
Revelation to Prophet Muhammad
Lailatul Qadr' is the night that the Qur'an was revealed. Muslims believe that revelation of the Qur'an occurred in two phases, with the first phase being the revelation in its entirety on Lailatul Qadr' to Gabriel in the lowest heaven, and then the subsequent verse-by-verse revelation to Prophet Muhammad by the angelIslamic view of angels
Angels are mentioned many times in the Qur'an and Hadith. Islam is clear on the nature of angels in that they are messengers of God. They have no free will, and can do only what God orders them to do...
Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
(Jibril in Arabic). The revelation started in 610 CE at the Hira cave on Mount Nur in Mecca.The first Surah that was revealed was Surah
Al-Alaq. Iqra means read the prophet was told to read by the angel Gabriel. Muslims should do as much worship they can on this night.
Sunnah
Muslims often pray extra prayers on this day, particularly the night prayerIsha'a
The Isha prayer is the night-time daily prayer recited by practising Muslims. It is the fifth of the five daily prayers– [islamic evening begins at maghrib]. The five daily prayers collectively are one pillar of the Five Pillars of Islam, in Sunni Islam, and one of the ten Practices of the...
. They awake, pray, and hope God will give them anything they may desire on this night. Mostly, they perform tilawat
Qur'an reading
Qur'an reading is the reading aloud, reciting, or chanting of portions of the Qur'an. The reciter is called a muqri' , tālī, murattil, mujawwid, or most commonly a qari...
(reading the Qur'an).
Those who can afford to devote their time in the remembrance of God stay in the mosque for the final ten days of Ramzan. This worship is called Iʿtikāf (retreat). They observe fast during the day and occupy themselves with the remembrance of God, performing voluntary prayers and studying the Qur'an, day and night, apart from the obligatory prayers which they perform with the congregation. Food and other necessities of life are provided for them during their stay in the mosque. Devoting time to remember God, Muslims also hope to receive divine favors and blessings connected with the blessed night (lailatul qadr')
Sunni Islam
Laylat al-Qadr is to be found in the last five odd nights of the 3rd decade of Ramadan. There is no history in the Qur'an as to when the specific date is.Therefore in the SunniSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
communities of all the Islamic countries
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
, the Laylat al-Qadar is found to be on the last nights of ramzan. Mostly it is on one of the odd nights, i.e., 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th night. And most probably it falls on the 27th night of ramzan.
It is the night when Quraan was revealed (as a whole on the 4th sky) and then was revealed piecemeal to Muhammad in 23 years, 13 years in Makkah and 10 years in Madina
Shia Islam
Similarly Lailatul Qadr' is to be found in the last ten odd nights of ramzan but mostly on the 19th or 21st or 23rd night of Ramadhan. The 19th, according to the Shia belief coincides with the night AliAli
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
was attacked in the Mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa, and died on the 21st of Ramadhan. Shia muslims worship and regard these three nights of great reward and worship but to be the night the Quran was revealed to angel Jibreel is 23rd of ramzan.
Qadr is most commonly translated into English as power, or wisdom, but there is no direct equivalent word in English.
Qadr can be translated into English as Probability. In Urdu it is called Andaza the night where the probabilities of the universe are adjusted. Similar to the expansion and contraction of universe.
Quran
The verses above regard the Night as better than one thousand months. The whole month of Ramazan is a period of spiritual training wherein believers devote much of their time to fastingSawm
Sawm is an Arabic word for fasting regulated by Islamic jurisprudence. In the terminology of Islamic law, Sawm means to abstain from eating, drinking , having sex and anything against Islamic law...
, praying, reciting the Qur'an, remembering God
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
, and giving charity
Sadaqah
or Saddka is an Islamic term that means "voluntary charity".This concept encompasses any act of giving out of compassion, love, friendship or generosity.-Hadith on Sadaqah/Saddka:...
. However because of the revealed importance of this night, Muslims strive [give more effort] harder in the last ten days of Ramazan since the Laylat al-Qadr could be one of the odd-numbered days in these last ten (the first, third, fifth, seventh or ninth). Normally, some Muslims from each community perform an Iʿtikāf in the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
: they remain in the mosque for the last ten days of the month for prayers and recitation.
See also
- Predestination in IslamPredestination in IslamQadar is divine destiny in Islam. More precisely, Qadar relates to the Knowledge and Omniscience of God about all events. Linguistically, Qadar means "measure", and when used in relation to God, means His exact knowledge of all events...
(Qadr) - Glossary of Islam
- Islamic calendarIslamic calendarThe Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
- Muslim holidaysMuslim holidaysThere are two main holidays in Islam, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. The way that holidays are recognized can vary across cultures, as well as across sects of Islam, Sunni and Shia. Muslim holidays generally follow the lunar calendar, and thus move each year relative to the solar calendar. The...
External links
- Laylat Al-Qadr, The Night of Power - Last 10 Days
- The Night of Power
- Lailatul Qadar
- Shab e Qadr 2011 (Laylat al-Qadr)
- How to Seek Laylatul-Qadr
- Al Qadr (The Night of Power And Fate)
- Al Qadr Learn Surah Al Qadr with Audio at MountHira.com
- Lailat al Qadr (BBC Religion) with dates
- Fasting in ramzan and its culmination during Laylat al Qadr
- The Powerful Night of ramzan
- Laylatul Qadr: Introduction and guidance on special prayers for the night. (Includes Salaatul Tasbeeh)