
The Night of Power (Laylat Al-Qadr)
Laylat Al-Qadr (the Night of Power, Night of Destiny, or Night of Decree) is the holiest night of Ramadan. It is the night when Mohammed is thought to have begun receiving the Quran. The exact night is disputed, so Muslims hold special observances for the last ten days of Ramadan. Some will practice itikaf, a sort of spiritual retreat where one stays in a mosque for the whole ten days in order to worship and attach oneself closer to God.
The Night of Power is said to be worth 1000 months and, as the gates of Paradise are open for this one night, it carries blessings beyond those of other nights in Ramadan. It is believed that if on this night, one stays awake and applies themself to prayer, meditation, and the reading of the Quran, their previous sins will be forgiven and the rest of the year, which is determined on al-Qadr, will be blessed.
This night has been significant in recent history for the Church as well. There have been numerous accounts of Muslims who, earnestly and passionately seeking a revelation of God over Al-Qadr met Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah) in their dreams. Typically these dreams reveal, in whole or in part, the true way to righteousness with God, a relationship with Jesus Christ. These dreams have been instrumental in bringing the gospel into areas previously prohibitive for evangelism. Several of our partners have said Ramadan is one of the most fruitful times for evangelism due to Muslim’s heightened spiritual focus.
We ask, therefore, that you would petition our Lord with fervent prayers on behalf of Muslims over these last days of Ramadan. Pray that Muslims who are seeking to know God would discover the Way, God’s Son, Jesus.