Laylat al-Qadr

The holiest night of the year for Muslims. The Night of Power, or Laylat al-Qadr in Arabic, is when the Quran is believed to have first been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel. Sunni and Shia Muslim scholars agree that this event took place sometime during the last 10 days of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, although the precise date is not known. Laylat al-Qadr is considered special not only because it marked the beginning of revelation, but because prayers performed on that night are believed to be answered, and the reward for any good deed is compounded. A night of immense blessings and mercy, Laylat al-Qadr is described in the Quran as being better than a thousand months. Because its exact date is unknown, many Muslims increase their worship and devotion during the last 10 nights of Ramadan in the hopes that their most sincere prayers and divine entreaties will fall on this blessed night. Today, Laylat al-Qadr is commonly observed on the 23rd night of the lunar month Ramadan by Shia Muslims and on the 27th by Sunni Muslims.