The significance of Laylat al-Qadr is not hidden to anyone. (1) It is this specific night that carries the cosmic power (qudrah) to receive the weight of the Qurʾan; (2) The quantity (qadr) of one night’s worship equates to a thousand months; and, (3) It grants its recipient the ability to plan (taqdīr) for a thousand months. As such, the Prophet r instructed us to be active—not passive—seekers (taḥarraw) and to leave no stone unturned (iltamisū) in finding this night. The question remains: non-Muslims are also physically present during this time, so what does it really mean to “find” the night? Allah teaches us that the weight of revelation and that the Divine Decree (Amr) descend with the Angels, including on this night. So, we must “tune in” to the angelic frequency and become as angel-like as possible in the way the Prophet ﷺ taught us.
Angels worship Allah to the point that ʿibādah is like their oxygen. So, the Prophet ﷺ would “tie his belt” and “spend the night” in worship. He would even awaken his family to do the same. In fact, we find his ﷺ ʿĀʾishah ask what duʿāʾ she should read should she find that night? He ﷺ taught her the famous duʿāʾ of forgiveness, perhaps in relation to the hadith that Allah forgives anyone who stands on the night in faith and expectation of reward. To top it all off, the Prophet ﷺ would engage in iʿtikāf—despite the fact that the busiest of all people are the Prophets (upon them all salām)—in search of this night so that no moment is lost outside of worship. In this way, ʿibādah became the “bread and butter” for the Ṣaḥābah—they were so “in sync” with the Prophet ﷺ and the other world that, during one Ramaḍān, not only did many of them learn of the date of Laylat al-Qadr through their own dreams, the Prophet ﷺ himself accepted their dreams, perhaps in allusion to the fact that their congruence points to the dreams being from a rūḥānī source! And the Angels respond on that night to the worship of others like magnets, praying for anyone and everyone engaged in ṣalāt and dhikr.
At the same time, we must be cautious of any negativity that could spoil our efforts, as there are some people who spend nights in worship but earn attain nothing but fatigue and exhaustion. Allah describes the night as “salām.” Our hearts, minds, and bodies must be free from all evil. We must not harbor animosity toward anyone. We must let go of grudges and forgive. We must engage in tawbah. We must make duʿāʾ for ourselves and the ummah. When two ṣaḥābīs happened to quarrel, the knowledge regarding the exact date of the night was lifted. The Prophet ﷺ, nevertheless, highlighted the positive and explained that it may be better for us so that we continue to try our best, perhaps in line with how the final hour and final moments of life are hidden. Yet, the point remains: we cannot afford to lose out on the nūr and barakahthat descends on this night due to issues that are, in reality, trivial. We should limit partying, over-socializing, etc. at least for a few days! Even the corporate world has annual “peak times” in which a business cannot afford to take off due to the fiscal significance of the time. There is no doubt that ifṭār is a time of happiness for the one fasting, but we cannot make every day and night of Ramaḍān into ʿĪd!
How does one know that they have captured Laylat al-Qadr? Although there are physical signs that indicate to the night, the most poignant signs are in relation to one’s heart. Have I left the sins I would commit? Have I become a better person? Am I closer to Allah? Has my ʿibādah increased? Do I find salām in myself?
اَللهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّيْ
