Shab-e-Qadr, also known as Laylatul Qadr or the Night of Power, is the most important night of the Islamic month of Ramadan.
Believers await this night for its immense blessings, mercy, and forgiveness. It is described in the Holy Quran as “Laylatul Qadr Khairum Min Alfi Shahr,” meaning the Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.
The exact night is hidden among the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, though many scholars, including Imam Abu Hanifa and Hazrat Ubai Ka'b, have emphasized the 27th night. According to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Muslims should worship on all odd nights in the last ten days.
On Shab-e-Qadr, voluntary acts of worship such as prayers, reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, giving charity, and visiting graves bring immense reward—equivalent to worshipping for over a thousand months. The night is also when the life, death, sustenance, and fortune of people for the coming year are recorded by angels. Hazrat Jibraeel (AS) descends with other angels, as the Holy Quran was first revealed on this night.
Hadiths narrate the virtues of Shab-e-Qadr. Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and hopes for reward, all past sins will be forgiven. Whoever prays on the Night of Qadr with faith, all past sins will be forgiven” (Bukhari). However, those engaged in sins such as adultery, usury, bribery, and disobedience to parents should repent before the night to have their prayers accepted.
Muslims are encouraged to prepare for this night by staying awake, engaging in worship with sincerity, and praying for themselves, their families, neighbors, the nation, and the Muslim Ummah worldwide. The night is also a reminder to raise voices against oppression and injustice faced by Muslims globally, including the Palestinian people.
Shab-e-Qadr is a unique gift for the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and believers are urged to make the most of this blessed opportunity through devotion and sincere prayer.
Author: Mohammed Nurul Absar Taiyobi is a writer, researcher, and Islamic thinker. He is the Founder President of the Expatriate Journalists Association (PRASAS) based in Dubai, UAE. Additionally, he serves as the Chairman of the Islamic Research Center located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. For correspondence, he can be reached at: muntyping@gmail.com
