Laylat al-Qadr – August 14th
guest | August 14th, 2012 in : cross-cultural differences, cultural diversity, days of significance, social practices, The Middle East/Arab World
Laylat al-Qadr is also known as the Night of Power or the Night of Destiny.
Night of a Thousand Months
It is a very important night in the Muslim calendar as it is said to be the night Allah revealed the first verses of the Quran to prophet Muhammad. Muhammad received the first revelations through the Archangel Gabriel. The revelations continued for two decades throughout Muhammad’s life and together they came to form the Quran. Fittingly, the word Quran, in English, means ‘recitation.’
There is some controversy over the exact date for Laylat al-Qadr but the night is usually celebrated on the 27th of Ramadan. The last ten days of Ramadan are most important and it is likely that the true night for Lailat al-Qadr falls on any of the odd nights. During the last ten days charity work is likely to increase among Muslims. People want to make sure they have given enough during the holy month.
This night marks the beginning of Muhammad’s mission, and Muslims, therefore, regard it as the most important night in history. The Quran says that this night is better than a thousand months (that’s 83.3 years in modern terms)… Some believe that this is the night when God decides everybody’s destiny. Because of this, Lailat al-Qadr is a good night to pray and ask for forgiveness. Many Muslims spend hours, and some spend the whole night, in prayer or in reciting the Quran. Some isolate themselves for the night to worship uninterrupted. Most devout Muslims isolate for the entire final period of ten days.
Warm wishes to everyone on this Laylat al-Qadr!
See Also:
What’s it like to fast for a month?
Ramadan Explained: Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.
Also in August:
International Day for World’s Indigenous People – 9th
Tags: charity, Islam, Laylat al-Qadr, prayer, Ramadan
Hello, I'm Deborah Swallow and, for the last fifteen years, I've worked in over thirty countries addressing the complexities of people working internationally across multiple cultures, so individuals and organisations alike can gain an authentic competitive edge and win in international markets. 