The Night of Decree (Laylatul-Qadr) was mentioned in the Quran in chapter 97:1-5:

Indeed, We sent the Quran down 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.

So we know that this night is better than a thousand months. What does that really mean?

That means that any act of worship that you’re doing that night, it is as though you had been doing that act of worship a thousand months. For example if you make du’a during that night it’s as though you made that supplication for a thousand months!

This is why a lot of Muslims stay up very late at night during the last 10 nights of Ramadan and try to seek this night so that they can have that kind of reward.

Some of the things Muslims do during that night is they:

– Recite the Quran because the Quran was sent down in the Night of the Decree.

– Also they’re making istighfar, asking for forgiveness from Allah. So imagine if you’re asking for forgiveness for 83 years straight continuously!

– Offering extra rakahs of prayers.

– Making plenty of du’a and there is actually a specific du’a that was taught by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to his wife Aisha:

Aisha said:

“O messenger of Allah. What do you think I should say in my supplication if I come upon Laylatul Qadr?”

He said:

Say: Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbu al afwa fa’fu anni. (O Allah You are forgiving and love forgiveness so forgive me.) (Ibn Majah)

The Signs of Laylatu-l-Qadr

1- Peaceful Night

It’s a pleasant night and we know it’s going to be a pleasant night from that same Quran verse:

Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

So we’re looking for a night that is very calm, very peaceful.

Ibn Khuzaymah said that “it is a night that is neither hot nor cold.”

2- The Moon Looks Like a Piece of a Plate

Some say it looks like half a plate. (Muslim)

3- In the Last Odd Nights

The night is in the last ten nights on the odd nights: 21st ,23rd ,25th ,27th ,29th of Ramadan.

There are lot of people who try to seek the night of decree on the 27th of Ramadan simply because it did occur on the 27th before. There are narrations for it but there are also narrations for other nights.

The scholars said that this is something with wisdom otherwise if you know that is doing to be in the 27th why would you do the acts of worship on any other night.

So basically, Laylatul-Qadr changes from year to year but still in the last ten nights on the odd nights so that the Muslims actually keep working hard for the rewards.

4- There is Possibility of Rain

So there are narrations where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) where he did mention that he dreamed about Laylatul-Qadr and in that dream he had prostrated and when he came up, his face was wet with rain water and mud. (Al-Bukhari, 813)

5- The Sunrise for the Next Morning

Narrations say that it is going to be sun with no rays. So that means it’s a very weak sun, you can look straight at it. But the explanation for why, imam An-Nawawi gave us two explanations:

Allah just wants it that way. He wanted the sun to come up in a very special way after a special night.

Because the amount of angels filling the sky, they’re actually blocking the sunbeams.

Watch the full series of Ramadan Coach here.