Night of Qadr ‘Better than A Thousand Months’
The night, also known as the Night of Destiny, is described in the Quran as being “better than a thousand months” (97:3).
It is believed to be the night when the Quran was first sent down from Heaven to the world and also the night when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
The specific date of Laylat al-Qadr is not mentioned in the Quran. Shia Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr is to be found in the last ten odd 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 Imam Ali (AS), the first Imam of Prophet Muhammad’s Infallible Household was attacked in the Mihrab while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa. The 21st is when he succumbed to injuries and was martyred.
Muslims believe that the Night of Qadr comes with blessings and mercy of God in abundance. At this night they stay up until dawn praying and asking God to forgive their sins while holding the Quran on their heads.
The rituals of Laylat al-Qadr is mostly observed in groups, in religious sites such as mosque and holy shrines of Imams and the offspring of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
However, everything is different this year. Social gatherings are banned or restricted in Islamic countries as in other parts of the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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