Night of Power

The Night of Power (لیلة القدر; also rendered as the Night of Destiny, Night of Decree, Night of Determination, or the Precious Night), is, in Islamic belief, the night when Muslims believe the Quran was first sent down from heaven to the world, and also the night when its first verses were revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad; it is described as better than a thousand months of worshipping. According to various hadiths, its exact date is uncertain but was one of the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Since that time, Muslims have regarded the last ten nights of Ramadan as being especially blessed. Muslims believe the Night comes again every year, with blessings and mercy of God in abundance.

Naming
Qadr (قدر), in Arabic, means measure and limit or value of something or destiny. Some reasons have been offered for its naming:


 * It is said that it was called al-Qadr because the annual destiny of every person will be determined by God.
 * Some say that if one stays awake at this night praying, reading Quran, or repenting, one will reach a high state.
 * Some have said that it was called al-Qadr because it is a grand and high-value night.

Other names such as "Laylat al-'Azama" (Arabic: ليلة العظمة; night of the greatness) and "Laylat al-Sharaf" (Arabic: ليلة الشرف; lit. 'night of the honor') have also been used.

Revelation to Muhammad
Some commentators believe that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad twice;
 * the 'immediate revelation' happening on the Laylat al-Qadr and
 * 'gradual revelation' over 23 years.

The Quran uses the word anzal (انزل) which justifies 'the immediate revelation', according to Allamah Tabatabai. Some others believe that the revelation of Quran occurred in two phases, with the first phase being the revelation in its entirety on Laylat al-Qadr to the angel Gabriel (Jibril in Arabic) in the lowest heaven, and then the subsequent verse-by-verse revelation to Muhammad by Gabriel. The revelation started in 610 CE at the Hira cave on Mount Jabal al-Nour in Mecca. The first Surah that was revealed was Sūrat al-ʿAlaq (in Arabic العلق). During Muhammad's first revelation, the first five verses of this Surah, or chapter, were revealed.

Muhammad would usually practice spiritual retreat (Iʿtikāf) during the last ten days of Ramadan, awaiting the Night of Power, fasting and praying throughout the night, and abstaining from sexual relations. He urged his followers to do the same. According to one hadith, Muhammad said: "Whoever stands [in prayer] during the Night of Power out of belief and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901)

Date
A specific date of Laylat al-Qadr is not mentioned in the Quran. Muhammad said God told him the exact date of Laylat al-Qadr in a dream, that he went to tell his companions about that date, and that he saw two people fighting and was caused to forget the date(by God).

According to the Islamic calendar, an Islamic day begins at Maghrib prayer (sunset). The Night of Power extends from Maghrib to Fajr prayer (dawn).

Sunni Islam
Sunni Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr most likely occurs among the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th). Some scholars opine that if a Friday night occurs on an odd numbered night, the night is likely to be Laylat al-Qadr.

Shia Islam
Shia Muslims similarly believe that Laylat al-Qadr is to be found in the last ten odd-numbered nights of Ramadan but mostly on the 19th, 21st or 23rd of Ramadan with 23rd being the most important night. The 19th, according to the Shia belief, coincides with the night Ali was attacked in the Mihrab while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa. He died on 21 Ramadan.

Shia Muslims say that Ali (the first Shia Imam, and the fourth caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate to Sunnis) had special insight and intimacy with God on this night. Imam Sadiq is quoted as saying (Tafsir "al-Burhan", vol. 4, p. 487):"Once Imam Ali was reciting Surat al-Qadr and his sons, Imam Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn (a) were near him. Imam Husayn (a) asked his father: 'Father, how come we feel a different sensation when you recite this surah?' Imam Ali(a) replied, 'O son of the Prophet and my son! I know things from this chapter that you are not aware of now. When this surah was sent down to the Prophet he asked me to go to him. When I went to him he recited this surah, then he put his hand on my right shoulder and said: O my brother and my successor! O the leader of my nation after me! O tireless fighter with my enemies! This surah is yours after me, and is for your two sons after you. Gabriel who is my brother among the angels informs me of the events of one year of my nation at the night of Qadr. And after me he will give this information to you. This surah will always have a shining light in your heart and in the heart of your successors until the rising of the dawn of the day of reappearance of Qa'im [the one who rises, a title for the Islamic Messiah, Mahdi].'"Ibn Abbas was aware of both the date and the day of the week. Hence the Shia's have generally concluded that it is the 23rd

According to other hadiths, destinies are written on the night of Ramadan 19, are finalized on the night of Ramadan 21, and are ultimately confirmed on the night of Ramadan 23.

Two other possibilities about the time of the Night of Qadr are the nights of Ramadan 27 and Sha'ban 15.

Religious importance
The night is not comparable to any others in view of Muslims and according to a tradition, the blessings due to the acts of worship during this night cannot be equaled even by worshipping throughout an entire lifetime. The reward of acts of worship done in this one single night is more than the reward of a thousand months of worship.

Surah Al-Qadr of the Quran is about Laylat al-Qadr:

"# We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Decree:
 * 1) And what will explain to thee what the Night of Decree is?
 * 2) The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
 * 3) Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:
 * 4) Peace!... This until the rise of dawn!"

Devout Muslims practice spiritual retreat (Iʿtikāf) during the last ten days of Ramadan, awaiting the Night of Power, fasting and praying throughout the night, and abstaining from sexual relations. Some Muslims practice Iʿtikāf by staying at a mosque throughout the ten days.

Special prayers (Shi'a)
Shi'as practice the special prayers (Amaal) of the Night of Qadr every year in mosques, tekyehs, shrines of Imams or children of Imams, Husayniyyas or their own houses. They stay vigilant the whole night until dawn and worship God. The most important practices of the Night of Qadr include congregational prayers, recitation of the Iftitah Supplication, Abu Hamza al-Thumali Supplication, and al-Jawshan al-Kabir, and collective supplications while they keep volumes of the Qur'an on top of their heads. Other rituals of the night include donations of dawn food, payment of their nadhr for the dead, feeding the poor, and emancipation of financial prisoners.

Since the assassination of Ali occurred in the last ten days of the Ramadan month, Shi'as mourn in these nights.