This page answers the Laylat al-Qadr (لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْر, “the Night of Decree”) questions readers send most often, each in a few lines. Where a question needs more room, the answer points to the guide page that treats it in full. Every hadith cited carries its collection and number in the notes, and where the sources leave a point open, the answer says so.
| Question | Short answer | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| When does the night begin and end? | From sunset until dawn | When is Laylat al-Qadr? |
| Which nights should I keep? | All of the last ten, the odd nights foremost | The last ten nights |
| Must I know it was the night? | No such condition appears in the hadith | What is Laylat al-Qadr? |
| Is there a special prayer? | No fixed form appears in the authentic reports | Prayer and worship |
| What should I say? | The supplication for pardon taught to ʿĀʾishah | Laylat al-Qadr duʿāʾ |
| Will I see a sign? | Perhaps; the reward does not depend on it | Signs of Laylat al-Qadr |
| Is it the 15th of Shaʿbān? | No; it lies in Ramadan | The answer below |
When does Laylat al-Qadr begin and end?
In the Islamic calendar a day begins at sunset, so each night comes before the day that shares its number. The 27th night begins at sunset at the close of the 26th day of fasting. The Qurʾān marks the end of the night:
سَلَٰمٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطۡلَعِ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ ٥
The night therefore closes at dawn, the time at which the Fajr (dawn) prayer begins. The page on when Laylat al-Qadr falls sets out the counting of the nights in a table.
How long does the night last?
It lasts the whole span from sunset to dawn, and the length of that span depends on where you are and on the season in which Ramadan falls. Near the equator a night is close to twelve hours in every season; far from it, the night can be much shorter or much longer. The night planner includes a timetable that shows sunset, the start of the last third and the start of Fajr for each of the last ten nights in many cities. Follow your local mosque where its times differ.
Is it the same night in every country and time zone?
The sources do not speak of time zones. They do fix two points. The month begins with the sighting of the new crescent: the Prophet ﷺ said, “Fast when you see it, and end the fast when you see it.”2 And the night lasts until dawn. Each believer therefore counts the nights from the first day of Ramadan as announced by the religious authority of their own country, and keeps each night from local sunset to local dawn.
Whether the Night of Decree is one moment shared by the whole world, or a night that each place meets in its own hours, is a question the authentic reports cited in this guide do not answer, and this page does not speculate on it. The practical course is the same everywhere: keep every one of the last ten nights of your own community.
Can Laylat al-Qadr fall on an even night?
The strongest indication points to the odd nights. ʿĀʾishah reported the instruction to seek the night “in the odd nights of the last ten of Ramadan.”3 Ibn ʿAbbās reported a wording that counts from the end of the month: seek it “when nine remain, when seven remain, when five remain.”4 A count from the end gives different dates in a month of twenty-nine days and a month of thirty.
In the next entry of the same collection, Ibn ʿAbbās is reported as saying, in his own words, “Seek it on the twenty-fourth.”5 Taken together, these reports keep the odd nights foremost and give a reason to keep the even nights as well. The Prophet ﷺ himself spent all ten nights in worship.6
Is Laylat al-Qadr only in Ramadan?
Yes. The Qurʾān states that the Qurʾān was sent down in the month of Ramadan (2:185) and that it was sent down on the Night of Decree (97:1). Read together, the two verses place the night within Ramadan. The hadith then narrow it to the last ten nights of the month.7 The page on Sūrat al-Qadr explains the chapter that names the night.
Is it the same as the 15th of Shaʿbān?
No. The night of the middle of Shaʿbān, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar and the one before Ramadan, is a different night, about two weeks before Ramadan begins. The confusion often comes from a verse in Sūrat al-Dukhān:
إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ فِي لَيۡلَةٖ مُّبَٰرَكَةٍۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ ٣
The early exegete Ibn Jarīr records the reading of this “blessed night” as the Night of Decree, notes that others said it was the night of the middle of Shaʿbān, and judges the first reading to be correct.8 Ibn Kathīr identifies the blessed night with the Night of Decree and states that whoever said it was the night of the middle of Shaʿbān, as reported from ʿIkrimah, went far from the mark, because the text of the Qurʾān places it in Ramadan.9 What practices, if any, belong to the middle of Shaʿbān is a separate question outside the scope of this guide; ask a qualified scholar.
Must I know it was the night to receive its reward?
The promise of forgiveness names the act and the intention:
مَنْ يَقُمْ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
One wording recorded by Muslim adds “and it coincides with it,” that is, the night on which he stands is the Night of Decree.11 Neither wording makes recognising the night, or seeing a sign, a condition of the promise. The Prophet ﷺ was about to tell his Companions the date, and the knowledge was withdrawn; he said that this might be better for them.12 A believer who stands in prayer on all ten nights stands on the Night of Decree, whichever it is.
Do the signs appear to everyone?
The hadith describe signs that particular Companions saw. Ubayy ibn Kaʿb gave the sun rising without rays on the following morning as a mark of the night,13 and rain fell on the night in the year the Prophet ﷺ was shown it.14 No report cited in this guide states that every person will see a sign, and weather and sky differ from place to place. The page on the signs of Laylat al-Qadr sets out each sign with its source and separates them from signs this guide has not verified.
Is there a special prayer for Laylat al-Qadr?
The authentic reports cited in this guide tie the night to qiyām (قِيَام, “standing in prayer at night”), voluntary prayer offered after the ʿIshāʾ (night) prayer and before dawn. They name no special prayer with a fixed number of units, set chapters or a special name for this night. Lists that prescribe such prayers for individual nights have no support in those reports. The page on prayer and worship on the night explains how to structure voluntary night prayer.
What should I say on the night?
ʿĀʾishah asked the Prophet ﷺ what she should say if she came upon the night. He taught her a short supplication for pardon: Allāhumma innaka ʿafuwwun tuḥibbu l-ʿafwa fa-ʿfu ʿannī, “O Allah, You are Pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”15 The page on the Laylat al-Qadr duʿāʾ gives the Arabic text, its two wordings and their sources.
Can a woman during menstruation seek Laylat al-Qadr, and what may she do?
Yes, she can seek the night. During menstruation a woman does not perform the ritual prayer (ṣalāh, صَلَاة) or fast; the Prophet ﷺ referred to this as a known matter.16 The night holds far more than the ritual prayer. When ʿĀʾishah’s period began on the way to the pilgrimage and she wept, the Prophet ﷺ told her:
فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ شَىْءٌ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى بَنَاتِ آدَمَ، فَافْعَلِي مَا يَفْعَلُ الْحَاجُّ، غَيْرَ أَنْ لاَ تَطُوفِي بِالْبَيْتِ حَتَّى تَطْهُرِي
The excepted rite is ṭawāf (طَوَاف, “circling the Sacred House in worship”); the rest of the pilgrimage, with its supplication and remembrance of Allah, remained open to her. Umm ʿAṭiyyah reported that the Prophet ﷺ told women in menstruation to come out for the Eid gathering and “witness the good and the supplication of the believers,” while keeping away from the place of prayer itself.18
On the evidence of these reports, the supplication taught for the night, asking forgiveness, glorifying and praising Allah, and giving in charity all remain open to her through every night of the last ten. Reciting the Qurʾān from memory, touching a copy of it, and staying in the mosque for iʿtikāf are questions on which the schools of law give detailed rulings, and she should ask a qualified scholar she trusts. A sister site explains why ritual purity in Islamic law concerns the conditions of certain acts and carries no judgement of a woman’s worth.
Is iʿtikāf required?
Iʿtikāf (اعْتِكَاف, “seclusion in the mosque for worship”) was the regular practice of the Prophet ﷺ in the last ten nights until his death, and his wives kept it after him.19 The reports describe his practice; they contain no command that every believer must observe it. The promise of forgiveness for the night is tied to standing in prayer, which a believer can do at home. Rulings on the shortest valid period and on its conditions vary between the schools, so ask your mosque or local religious authority. The page on the last ten nights describes how the Prophet ﷺ spent them.
What should a traveller or worker do?
إِذَا مَرِضَ الْعَبْدُ أَوْ سَافَرَ، كُتِبَ لَهُ مِثْلُ مَا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ مُقِيمًا صَحِيحًا
This hadith reassures a traveller, or a sick person, who kept up worship at home and cannot keep it in the same way now. It speaks of travel and illness only. A worker should therefore guard what part of each night they can: a few units of prayer after ʿIshāʾ, the supplication for pardon on the way to bed, and a short time in the last third before the pre-dawn meal. Arranging leave or lighter shifts for the last ten nights, where that is possible, gives the nights more room. The night planner turns this into a checklist.
Can I pray and supplicate in my own language?
Personal supplication (duʿāʾ, دُعَاء, “calling upon Allah”) may be made in any language, and nothing in the reports cited on this page limits the night to set formulas. The fixed words of the ritual prayer itself are said in Arabic, in the form the Prophet ﷺ taught; a sister site explains why the ritual prayer is said in Arabic. Whether personal supplication in another language may be said inside the ritual prayer is a detailed question of law; ask a qualified scholar. Outside the prayer, ask in your own words for everything you need.
Does “better than a thousand months” mean exactly eighty-three years?
The Qurʾān states that the Night of Decree is better than a thousand months (97:3). A thousand lunar months come to a little over eighty-three years, longer than many lifetimes. The verse says “better than,” so the figure is a comparison with no upper limit stated. The page What Is Laylat al-Qadr? discusses the meaning of the verse and the virtues of the night.
Why is the name spelled in different ways?
The Arabic name is written in Latin letters in several ways. This guide uses Laylat al-Qadr in English. Many English speakers search for Laylatul Qadr or Laylat ul-Qadr, which reflect the way the two words are joined in speech. Malay uses Lailatulqadar, the spelling of the Malay pages of this guide. English translations call it the Night of Decree or the Night of Power. All of these name the same night.
Where can I check the sources?
Each hadith on this page carries its collection and number in the notes, with a link to the collection online. The page on hadith and sources gathers every narration used across this guide in one place.
- Qurʾānic text in the KFGQPC Hafs orthography from the Quran.com API (text_qpc_hafs), verses 97:5 and 44:3, checked 26 October 2026; verses cited by number (2:185, 97:1, 97:3) were checked against the same source. Translations on this page are the editor’s own. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 1909. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:1909. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2017. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2017. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2021. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2021. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2022, where the words “seek it on the twenty-fourth” are given from Ibn ʿAbbās after the Prophet’s saying. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2022. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2020. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2020. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2020. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2020. ↩︎
- Al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān ʿan taʾwīl āy al-Qurʾān, on 44:3, Arabic text from the Quran.com API (tafsir 15, verse 44:3), checked 26 October 2026. ↩︎
- Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm, on 44:3, Arabic text from the Quran.com API (tafsir 14, verse 44:3), checked 26 October 2026. The abridged English edition on the same service omits this passage. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 35. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:35. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 760b, the second chain under no. 760 in the ʿAbd al-Bāqī edition (no. 176 of its book there). VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/muslim:760b. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2023. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2023. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 762a, the first chain under no. 762 in the ʿAbd al-Bāqī edition. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/muslim:762a. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2016. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2016. ↩︎
- Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 3850, graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/ibnmajah:3850. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 304, the clause on prayer and fasting during menstruation. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:304. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 305. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:305. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 324. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:324. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2026. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2026. ↩︎
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 2996. VERIFIED on shamela.ws, 26 October 2026; also at sunnah.com/bukhari:2996. ↩︎