Four Points about Night of Qadr
Here are four points about the significance of the Night of Qadr:
First: Greatness
“The Night of Qadr is better than one thousand months.” (Verse 3 of Surah Al-Qadr) The special value of the Nght of Qadr is because the Holy Quran was revealed on this night. If people appreciate the true importance of the Night of Qadr, they will benefit from it so much that can be calculated by no one. To appreciate the greatness of this night, it is enough to know that it is the time when the entire Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) heart for guiding people, and that it is the time when the angels will descend and bring blessings for God’s servants. The greatness of the Night of Qadr is such that the Thawabs (rewards) for good deeds are multiplied on this night.
Second: Numbers
The fact that the Night of Qadr is in the holy month of Ramadan is what all Muslims believe and there is no doubt about it, because God says in the Quran: “The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed,” (Verse 185 of Surah Al-Baqarah) and that “We revealed the Quran on the Night of Qadr,” (Verse 1 of Surah Al-Qadr)
God has concealed Ijabah (answering the prayers) in all prayers so that people would recite all of them just as He has concealed the time of death so that everyone always remains ready for it. That is why the exact date of the Night of Qadr is not known. Imam Ali (AS) says it is in order for believers to appreciate more nights and do more good deeds and avoid more sins and make more efforts in obeying God. Hence, there are four nights in Ramadan that Muslims believe the Night of Qadr falls on one of them, namely the nights of the 19th, 21st, 23rd and 27th days of Ramadan. Muslims stay awake on these nights to pray and perform special rituals.
Third: Remaining Awake
One of the recommendations about the Night of Qadr is remaining awake to pray and worship God. According to Hadiths, Muslims are recommended to remain awake until dawn, because the Night of Qadr begins with sunset and ends with dawn.
Fourth: Recitation of Quran and Supplications
Among the deeds recommended on the Night of Qadr is to recite the Quran and supplications and seek God’s forgiveness for one’s parents and other believers.
Imam Baqir (AS) said: For everything there is a spring and the spring of the Quran is the month of Ramadan.” The importance of the Quran is even more in this month and so is the importance of reciting and contemplating the Holy Book in this month, especially on the Night of Qadr.
As for prayer and supplication, it should be noted that on this precious night, believers pray for others and seek divine forgiveness for them. It has been narrated from great religious figures that when one prays for others, angels pray for him and their prayers are certain to be answered whereas our prayers may not be answered due to our sins.
Another point here is that there are various supplications narrated from religious leaders for the Night of Qadr that have great content and inspiring meanings. Among them are the supplications of Makarim al-Akhlaq, Jowshan, Tawbah and supplications mentioned in the Sahifeh Sajjadiyeh.
