Laylatul Qadr is the night on which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to our Prophet (saw). Known in English as ‘The Night of Decree’ or ‘The Night of Power’, it has a surah dedicated to it in the Holy Quran.

According to Ibn Katheer, on this night, the decrees of the coming year are transferred from the Lawh al-Mahfoodh –the Preserved Tablet on which everything since the beginning of creation is written. On this night the pre-determined fate of every being, from their yearly provisions to their deaths and what is to happen to them, is ordained.

A hadith, related by Bukhari, states that the value of sincere worship in prayer on this night is so great that Allah (swt) wipes all of the worshiper’s past sins. While other hadiths provide further incentive to make the most of this night, by warning those that miss out on the blessings of Laylatul Qadr:

“Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived."[Bukhari]

The Messenger of Allah (saw) was shown the long lifespans of the people who had gone before his, and in comparison, the lives of his ummah seemed too short for them to be able to perform as much worship and good actions.‘So Allah gave him Laylatul Qadr, which is better than a thousand months.’ [Malik]

To better understand the blessing of such a gracious gift, let’s do the math. 1000 months is 83 years. Giving sadaqah on this night is like giving sadaqah for 30,295 nights. Giving £10 is like giving £300,000!

But remember, the incentive here isn’t just monetary, and no numerical calculation can encompass the breadth of gaining Allah’s favour. It is a given that deeds performed in this honoured month are more blessed than they are at any other time. But another reason why the scholars of Islam encouraged generosity during Ramadhan, and specifically during the last ten nights, was because it was a way of emulating the example of the Prophet (saw). What better way to strive for the love of Allah than by following in the footsteps of the one He loves most?

“The Prophet (saw) was the most generous of all the people in good deeds, and he was even more generous during the month of Ramadhan.” [Bukhari]

Automated giving doesn’t just take the weight off your mind for that one extra thing you’d otherwise be worrying about, when you have so much to do. It also offers a discreet way of giving sadaqah without the awkward pressure of public fundraising appeals. As described in the hadith Bukhari about the seven who Allah will shade on the Day of Judgment, our hope is to give like that man “…who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity.” [Bukhari] Automated giving is a means to this end, and we hope you feel its benefits.

Based on the hadiths, there is indeed a strong case for the 27th night of Ramadhan being Laylatul Qadr. Yet there are also many hadiths that suggest that the 21st or 23rd night is Laylatul Qadr; and still more that even suggest the 25th and 29th nights.

“The Night of Al-Qadr is on the 27th or the 29th [of Ramadhan]. On that night, the angels on earth are more numerous than its pebbles.” [Ahmad]

For the believer truly willing to embrace the blessings of the last 10 days, the best practice is to honour all of these nights. By doing so, we gain the favour of Allah twofold: by paying heed to the words of our beloved Prophet (saw), despite variations in the hadiths due to a wisdom we don’t know; by emulating his example and dedicating ourselves to worship on every one of those nights.

Below are a number of hadiths, which equally highlight the importance of each of these nights:

“Allah's Apostle used to practice I’tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadhan and once he stayed in I’tikaf till the night of the 21st, and it was the night in the morning of which he used to come out of his I’tikaf. The Prophet said, ‘Whoever was in I’tikaf with me should stay in I’tikaf for the last ten days, for I was informed (of the date) of the Night (of Qadr) but I have been caused to forget it. (In the dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water, in the morning of that night. So, look for it in the last ten nights and in the odd ones of them.’ It rained that night and the roof of the mosque dribbled as it was made of leaf stalks of date-palms. I saw with my own eyes the mark of mud and water on the forehead of the Prophet (in the morning of the twenty-first night). [Bukhari]

"Search for the Night of Qadr in 23rd night." [at-Tabarani]

Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas said: "Someone came to me in a dream during Ramadhan, and it was said to me: Tonight is Laylatul Qadr. So, I got up, although I was drowsy, and I came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and found him praying. I looked to see which night that was, and it was the night of 23rd." [Ahmad]

"It comes either in the 27th or 23rd of Ramadhan." [Ahmad]

Ibn Mas’ud said: “I swear by Allah that I know which night it is. It is the night Allah’s Messenger (saw) ordered us to observe standing in prayer.... It is the night on the eve of the 27th of Ramadan. Its sign is that the Sun will rise in the morning of that day white without exuding any rays.” [Muslim]

Ibn ‘Abbas also said: “I think I know when it is: it is the night of the 27th. Allah made the heavens seven, and the earths seven, and the days seven, and He created man from seven, and He made Tawaf seven, and al-Sa’ee, and the stoning of the Jimaar seven.” [Bayhaqi]

No, we shouldn’t, as what we assume to be an odd night could actually be an even one. According to Ibn Taymiyyah, the odd nights of Ramadhan can also be sought from a point of view of what remains of the month. If this Ramadhan is a 30 day month, then the 22nd night could be the 9th of what remains and the 24th could be the 7th and so on. ‘If this is the case,’ says Ibn Taymiyyah, ‘it is befitting that the believer seeks it out in all of the last ten.’

There are opinions that when a Friday night combines with an odd night in Ramadhan, it is very likely to be Laylatul Qadr. Other signs of the Night of Decree include:

• The possibility of rainfall during the night or in the day of the night.
• A light fog on the night
• A night sky that is luminous but without reflections or rays, and a moon that is clear like a half plate
• A soothing night of ease with no discomfort from temperatures, which are too high or too low.
• A sun that rises early the following morning, as a red orb without rays.

We know from the hadith reported by Aisha (ra), that when the last ten days commenced, the Prophet (saw) would stay up at night and strive harder in worship than he (saw) did at any other time, waking his family and urging them to do the same.

She also narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saw) advised her to recite the following supplication on Laylatul Qadr:

Allahumma innaka `Afuwwun TuHibbul `Afwa Fa`fu `Annii.

“O Allah, you are pardoning and generous. You love to forgive, so forgive me.” [Tirmidhī]

Also highly recommended is performing Qiyam/Tahajjud –the night prayer, based on the following hadith:

"Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven." [Bukhari]

Other recommended acts of worship that believers are advised to do on Laylatul Qadr include:

• Reading Qur’an
• Performing I’tikaf –taking part in a spiritual retreat (in a mosque) for a certain period of time, in order to devote oneself to worship.
• Istighfar –seeking forgiveness
• Giving sadaqah
• Dhikr –remembrance of Allah
• Reciting salawat –sending prayers and salutations upon the Prophet (saw)