Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree, is the night the Quran was sent down, described in the Quran as "better than a thousand months". The Prophet said to seek it in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, and taught Aisha a dua for it: "O Allah, You are Pardoning and love pardon, so pardon me."
Key Takeaways
- Surah Al-Qadr describes the Night of Decree as "better than a thousand months" (97:3).
- The Prophet said to seek it "in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2017).
- Standing in prayer on that night out of faith and hope of reward brings forgiveness of previous sins (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901).
- In the last ten nights, the Prophet worked hardest, praying through the night and waking his family (Sahih al-Bukhari 2024).
- The dua he taught for the night asks Allah, who loves to pardon, for pardon (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3513, graded Sahih).
Surah Al-Qadr
| Arabic | Translation (Sahih International) |
|---|---|
| إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ | Indeed, We sent it [i.e., the Qur'an] down during the Night of Decree. |
| وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ | And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? |
| لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍۢ | The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. |
| تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍۢ | The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. |
| سَلَـٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ | Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. |
Surah Al-Qadr is the 97th surah (quran.com/97). Another verse describes the same night: "Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night" (Ad-Dukhan, 44:3, Sahih International).
When Is Laylat al-Qadr?
Its exact date isn't fixed. Aisha reported the Prophet saying: "Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2017). That means the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th nights, remembering that in the Islamic calendar each night comes before its day. Many people give special attention to the 27th, but since the exact night isn't certain, the safest approach is to make the most of all ten.
The Reward for Standing in Prayer
The Prophet said: "Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901). Aisha described his own effort: "With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2024).
The Dua for Laylat al-Qadr
| Part | Dua |
|---|---|
| Arabic | اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي |
| Transliteration | Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun [karimun] tuhibbul-'afwa fa'fu 'anni |
| Translation | "O Allah, indeed You are Pardoning, [Generous,] You love pardon, so pardon me." |
| Source | Aisha asked what to say if she knew which night it was, and the Prophet taught her this (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3513, graded Sahih by Darussalam) |
The word karim (Generous) appears in the Arabic of this narration as shown on sunnah.com, and is bracketed in its English translation because some versions of the dua don't include it. Either wording is widely used.
How to Spend the Last Ten Nights
- Pray at night, including Taraweeh and extra prayer later in the night, as in our guide to Sunnah prayers.
- Recite and reflect on the Quran, the book sent down on this night.
- Make the dua for pardon often, along with your own personal duas.
- Seek forgiveness sincerely, as explained in our guide to repentance and forgiveness in the Quran.
- Give charity and plan ahead with our Ramadan preparation checklist.
Understand the Book Sent Down on This Night
Our Tafseer course explores Surah Al-Qadr and its context one-to-one, and our Quran Translation course teaches its meaning word by word. You can book a free trial lesson with no card required, or call +44 7848 496686.
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