Worshippers turned up in large numbers at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night to mark Laylat Al Qadr.
Otherwise known as the Night of Destiny, it is observed on one of the odd-numbered nights during the final 10 days of Ramadan. It marks when first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
An entire chapter is devoted to the Night of Destiny in the final part of the Quran. The occasion is described as “better than 1,000 months”, with prayers and acts of kindness highly rewarded.
The exact day of Laylat Al Qadr is not known, but the Prophet said it falls in the last 10 nights of the holy month, on an odd-numbered night. The 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th nights of Ramadan could be the Night of Destiny, so the period takes on great significance for Muslims.
Many are keen to spend the final 10 nights of the holy month in worship, praying and carrying out acts of kindness.
What is special about Laylat Al Qadr?
The reward for any good deed or act of worship conducted on that night is worth more.
As the Prophet once said after Ramadan had begun: “This month has come to you, and in it there is a night that is better than 1,000 months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived.”
What are Qiyam Al Layl prayers?
The main prayer carried out each evening during Ramadan is the taraweeh. It is an extra prayer Muslims are advised to perform at a mosque among fellow worshippers.
Many also perform Qiyam Al Layl, or night prayers, during the final 10 nights of Ramadan. These prayers are often organised after midnight at mosques.
Night prayers are said to be ideal for asking God for blessings because it is said He is more likely to listen.
*A version of this story first appeared in The National in 2022
