In Search of Lailatul Qadar Amid the Restlessness of the Age

In a world that is increasingly fast, noisy, and full of uncertainty, modern humans often lose the one thing they most need: peace of mind. Ramadan comes with an answer through a single night described in the Qur’an as better than a thousand months; its name is Lailatul Qadar.

The last ten nights of Ramadan always present a different inner atmosphere. While much of the world rests from the bustle of activity, mosques come back to life. The verses of the Qur’an are read more devoutly, prayers are offered more earnestly, and the hearts of people slowly return to their Lord. In the stillness of that night, a servant seems to rediscover their true self.

Allah says:

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ

“Indeed, We have sent it down on the Night of Majesty. Do you know what the Night of Majesty is? The Night of Majesty is better than a thousand months. On that night the angels and the Spirit descend by the permission of their Lord to regulate every matter. Peaceful is that night until the break of dawn.” (QS. al-Qadr: 1–5)

This verse confirms that Lailatul Qadar is the night when the Qur’an was revealed, a night of mercy, a night when angels descend, and a night filled with peace until dawn.

In Maqayis al-Lughah, Ibn Faris explains that the word qadr carries meanings of measure, decree, nobility, and power. Therefore, Lailatul Qadar is not merely a night of nobility, but also a night linked to the setting of various life matters for human beings. This aligns with God’s word:

فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ

“On that night every matter of wisdom is clarified.” (QS. ad-Dukhān: 4)

In Jami‘ al-Bayan, Imam al-Thabari explains that this verse shows divine governance over the affairs of creation with His wisdom. Meanwhile Ibn Kathir in Tafsir al-Qur’an al-’Aẓhim explains that this night is called Lailatul Qadar due to its immense nobility and because, on that night, God revealed the holy book that serves as a guide for humanity.

A Night Whose Value Surpasses Human Lifespan

The Qur’an states that Lailatul Qadar is better than a thousand months, i.e. more than eighty-three years. This is not merely a number, but a sign of God’s abundant mercy to the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Fakhruddin al-Razi in Mafatiḥ al-Ghayb explains that this virtue is a form of God’s mercy to the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), whose lifespans are shorter than those of earlier peoples. For this reason, God presents a night whose value exceeds decades of worship.

This meaning is reinforced by the Prophet’s saying:

أَعْمَارُ أُمَّتِي مَا بَيْنَ السِّتِّينَ إِلَى السَّبْعِينَ، وَأَقَلُّهُمْ مَنْ يَجُوزُ ذَلِكَ

“The lifespans of my nation range from sixty to seventy years, and only a few among them exceed that.” (HR. al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Mājah)

This hadith shows that the lifespan of the Prophet’s Ummah is relatively limited. In Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhi, al-Mubarakfuri explains that God grants this people various blessings of worship as a mercy. One of the greatest is Lailatul Qadar. A similar view is offered by Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalani in Fatḥ al-Bari.

Some commentators also relate that the Prophet ﷺ once spoke of a man from Bani Isra’il who fought in the path of Allah for a thousand months. The companions were astonished. Then Allah revealed:

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

“Lailatul Qadar is better than a thousand months.” (QS. al-Qadr: 3)

This narration is cited by Ibn Kathir, al-Qurthubi, and al-Suyuthi as illustrating how Allah honours the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) even though their lifespans are not as long as those of earlier peoples.