A single night that is worth more than one thousand months

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the Islamic tradition, Laylat al-Qadr is a night of profound cosmic significance. Believed to be the moment the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, this period of spiritual retreat offers a window into a night where destiny is determined and sins are forgiven.

Laylat al-Qadr, or the 'Night of Power,' commemorates the first revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad via the angel Jibril (Gabriel). While the exact date remains uncertain, tradition suggests it occurred in 610 CE, possibly during one of the final ten nights of Ramadan. Some scholars believe the revelation happened in two stages: an immediate descent to the lowest heaven and a subsequent, verse-by'verse process spanning 23 years.

The night's value is mathematically staggering; the Qur’an describes it as being better than 1,000 months, which equates to approximately 83.3 years. The name 'al-Qadr' carries multiple layers of meaning, referring to the 'measure' or 'limit' of destiny, the 'power' of the occasion, or the high 'value' of the night itself. It is a time when angels descend to earth, bringing peace and divine guidance until dawn.

During Ramadan's final ten days, many Muslims engage in Iʿtikāf, a period of meditative seclusion, to seek this night. While the specific date is not detailed in the Qur’an, Sunni tradition often looks to the odd-numbered nights—the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th—with the 27th night being widely observed as the most likely candidate. Interestingly, tradition holds that while Muhammad was told the exact date in a dream, the memory was lost when he witnessed a dispute between two people.

The observance of this period is deeply tied to the lunar calendar. Because the Islamic year is shorter than the Gregorian year, Ramadan shifts 10–12 days earlier annually, cycling through all seasons every 33 years. This creates a dynamic religious calendar where the timing of the holy month is determined by the sighting of the waxing crescent moon, a process that can be delayed by cloud cover or vary by local astronomical calculations.

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