Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Lailatul Qader

Pls advise the correct date Allah has set for this prestigious raat and whether is it compulsory to be awake the whole night saying prayers and wasila etc till Fajar prayers until we see the sun-rise then one can go to sleep. Pls explain and clarify.

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Answer:

The exact date of Laylatul-Qadr

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 185: Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 97 Surah Qadr verse 1: We have sent down this (Quran) in the Night of Qadr.

Thus from the above two aayahs it is confirmed from the Holy Quran that the Laylatul-Qadr is in Ramadan.

It has been reported in an authentic narration that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said, "Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan."

Thus the Laylatul-Qadr could be on any one of the five nights 21^st, 23^rd, 25^th, 27^th or 29^th of Ramadan. There is no authentic narration which we can state with certainty that the Messenger of Allah (saws) gave the exact date. So why did the Prophet (saws) hide the exact date from the muslims? It could be so that the muslims would pray earnestly for all the last 10 nights, and especially the odd nights in search for the Laylatul-Qadr, instead of just one night. The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself used to confine himself to the mosque in the last 10 days of Ramadan, and worship Allah like no other days and nights of the year.

Is it compulsory to be awake the whole night of Laylatul-Qadr? The simple answer is no, it is not compulsory, as it is not a ‘fard’ ibaadah. But Allah says in the same Surah Qadr, that the Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months (more than 83.33 years)! So if one misses this night, we might say that he missed a great opportunity of gaining the pleasure and forgiveness of Allah on such a magnificient night.

The Night of Qadr starts at the setting of the sun and ends at the rise of the dawn. Thus whoever prays all of it or part of it, will get his reward from Allah accordingly.

It has been reported in an authentic narration that one of the wives of the Prophet (saws) asked him what should she pray to Allah on the Night of Qadr. He (saws) replied, pray: “Allah humma innaka afu-un, tuhibbul affwa, fa’fo anna.” (O Allah, Thou art Forgiving and Thou lovest Forgiveness, so (please) Forgive me (my sins.))

Allah's Apostle (saws) said, "Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's Pleasure, then all his past sins will be forgiven."

And Allah Alone Knows Best, and He is the Only Source of Strength.

May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al-Mustaqeem

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan