The Night of Power is the year’s most virtuous night. The Qur’an first began to be revealed to the Prophet on this night. The Qur’an is an eternal blessing given to the Prophet by God. The chapter of Qadr in the Qur’an is concerned about this night:

Behold, We have sent it (the Qur’an) down in the Night of Power. What is it that enables you to perceive what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend throughout it by the permission of their Lord with His decrees for every affair; (it is) pure mercy and security from all misfortunes (for the servants who spend it in devotion in appreciation of its worth). It lasts until the rise of the dawn.^[1]

For a long time, the Night of Qadr, which Prophet Muhammad told the Companions to search for after the twentieth day of Ramadan, has long been accepted as falling on the 27^th night of the month.

Let’s take a look at some of the things that the Prophet said concerning this night:

"Some of you have seen in your dreams that the Night of Power falls in the first seven (days). Others have seen that it is in the last seven (days). Look for it in the last ten (days)."^[2]

"…Look for it in the last ten odd-numbered nights."^[3]

The report that most fully discusses this matter is that of the Companion Abu Said al-Hudri. He reported that the Prophet said the following:

"I secluded myself away to search for the Night of Power in the first ten days. I continued my seclusion on the next ten days. Then an angel came and told me the Night of Power was in the last ten days,"

The Prophet then went on to say,

"Those who wish to go into seclusion with me should do so in the last ten days."

Those people secluded themselves with the Prophet. The Prophet then said,

"The Night of Power was shown to me as being one night."^[4]

As we can see, the Prophet himself said that the Night of Power is to be found in the last ten days of Ramadan, and there is strong evidence that it consists of only one night. The fact that the Prophet would increase his worship more in the last ten days, that he would direct his family members to do the same, and that he would seclude himself during the last ten days, are all indicators of this as well.

According to information in Islamic sources, not only is the Night of Power hidden, the exact time of the following are hidden as well:

1. The time on Friday when prayers are accepted

2. The middle prayer or the perfect prayer (salat al-wusta—see Baqara 2:238) among the five daily prayers

3. The Greatest Name of God (Ism al-Azam)

4. The approval of God within all the prayers and worship

5. The Day of Judgment in time

6. Death in life

The aim behind these things being hidden is to keep Muslims perpetually in a state of full awareness of their obligations in front of God.

The word "Qadr" has been defined in three different ways by Islamic scholars:

1. Night of Judgment: The night when divine judgments are sorted.

2. Honor and grandeur

3. Night of Pressure: The Night of Power has been seen to be a night in which the Earth is pressed down upon by descending angels. "Pressure" has been interpreted to indicate the many future great blessings that will occur in its aftermath; the first revelation came after Gabriel squeezed the Prophet, leaving him breathless.^[5]

More Blessed Than a Thousand Months

The Night of Power is better than a thousand months . . . This good news from sura Qadr of the Qur’an is strong and distinct enough to require no further comment. Therefore, it is the brightest and strongest evidence of the lofty blessings of the Night of Power.

It is important to look and understand this night from the point of view of the following report about the Prophet.

First the Prophet was shown how long human life had lasted before his time. When he saw this, he found the lifetime of his nation to be very brief. He thought that as his community’s life was so short in comparison to others, they would not have time to carry out the same good deeds as those who had had a longer life. This is why God granted him the Night of Power, which is more blessed than a thousand months.^[6]

Making Use of This Night

The Prophet told us:

"The person who sincerely believes in the blessings of the Night of Power and prays during the night will be forgiven their past sins."^[7]

There are a few things that Muslims should do on this holy night, if they wish to pass it in an appropriate manner:

1. They should pray, worship and develop their feeling of servanthood in order to please God on this night.

2. They should read the Qur’an, listen to those who read it, think about the meaning, and refresh feelings of love and commitment to it.

3. They should invoke peace and blessings on Prophet Muhammad, have hope in his intercession, be conscious of themselves as a member of his community, and refresh their devotion to him.

4. They should listen to sermons and discussions in order to disperse the fog induced in their heart by the troubles and strife of daily life.

5. They should participate in discussions that have been prepared by those who have expertise in religious matters concerning the importance of this night. Such talks allow them to listen to themselves, to take account of their own personal inner world, to underline their errors, to eliminate deficiencies, and moreover act as a means for strengthening solidarity, friendship, conversation, unity, and togetherness.

6. They should repent and offer penitence, and undergo a serious examination of their carnal self. They should resolve not to repeat the same errors, and endeavor to steer themselves in a more beneficial direction.

7. They should engage in remembering God and contemplate on creation. Hearts that remember God find security. Those who contemplate the infinite power of Almighty God in the universe are able to strengthen belief in their hearts.

8. They should pray frequently. Prayer is the loftiest means of bringing a servant closer to God. It is reported that the Prophet prayed the following prayer much on this night: "God! You are the forgiver, you love to forgive; forgive me as well!"

9. It is very blessed to treat the day of the Night of Power in the same manner as the night itself. If this is done, then the spiritual light will be felt very deeply in the hearts of Muslims.

10. As a means of paying respect to this night, a Muslim should wish for God to forgive all Muslims. The Night of Power should act as a means to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and love, it should bring together the world of Islam, and Muslims should desire that all people be kept safe from harm and trouble.

[1] Qadr 97:1-5
[2] Muslim, Siyam, 208
[3] Muslim, Siyam, 212
[4] Muslim, Siyam, 215
[5] Yazır, Elmalılı Hamdi, Hak Dini Kur'an Dili, IX, 5969
[6] at-Taj, II, 135
[7] Riyadh al-Salihin, II, 464