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29-531: Quran 97 describes Laylat al-Qadr , the "Night of the abundant portion of blessings" in Ramadan on which Muslims believe the Qur'an was first revealed. The night is not comparable to any others in view of Muslims and according to a tradition, the blessings due to the acts of worship during this night cannot be equaled even by worshipping throughout an entire lifetime. The reward of acts of worship done in this one single night

58-450: A few thorns. Hira is higher than Thabīr ( ثَبِيْر ), and is crowned by a steep and slippery peak, which Muhammad with some companions once climbed. The mountain is composed of intrusive igneous rocks , predominantly Precambrian aged coarse grained hornblende tonalite , with subordinate granodiorite . The Cave of Hira was of minor significance before Islam, its name comes from hira (jewels). Taking 1750 walking steps to reach, it

87-586: Is about 3.7 m (12 ft) in length and 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) in width. It is at a height of 270 m (890 ft). During the Hajj (pilgrimage), an estimated five thousand visitors climb to it daily to see the place where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have received the first revelation of the Quran on the Laylat al-Qadr (night of power) by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) . Most Muslims do not consider visiting

116-454: Is more than the reward of around 83 years (1000 months) of worship. Laylat al-Qadr is referenced in the Quran: The "Spirit" mentioned in verse 4 is commonly interpreted as referring to the angel Jibreel (Gabriel). The "peace" referred to is called by Mujahid "security in which Shaytan ( Iblis ) cannot do any evil or any harm", while Ibn Kathir quotes Ash-Sha'bi as saying that it refers to

145-467: Is my brother among the angels informs me of the events of one year of my nation at the night of Qadr. And after me he will give this information to you. This surah will always have a shining light in your heart and in the heart of your successors until the rising of the dawn of the day of reappearance of Qa'im [the one who rises, a title for the Islamic Messiah, Mahdi ]." Ibn Abbas was aware of both

174-454: Is not comparable to any others in view of Muslims and according to a tradition, the blessings due to the acts of worship during this night cannot be equaled even by worshipping throughout an entire lifetime. The reward of acts of worship done in this one single night is more than the reward of a thousand months of worship. Surah Al-Qadr of the Quran is about Laylat al-Qadr: Devout Muslims practice spiritual retreat ( Iʿtikāf ) during

203-470: Is one of the loneliest of places. However, the cave within, which faces the direction of the Kaaba , is even more isolated. While standing in the courtyard back then, people could only look over the surrounding rocks. Nowadays, people can see the surrounding rocks as well as buildings that are hundreds of meters below and hundreds of meters to many kilometers away. Hira is both without water or vegetation other than

232-455: Is to describe the greatness of the night. Qadr (قدر), in Arabic, means measure and limit or value of something or destiny. Some reasons have been offered for its naming: Other names such as "Laylat al-'Azama" (Arabic: ليلة العظمة; night of the greatness) and "Laylat al-Sharaf" (Arabic: ليلة الشرف; lit.   ' night of the honor ' ) have also been used. Some commentators believe that

261-502: Is uncertain but was one of the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of Ramadan , the ninth month of the Islamic calendar . Since that time, Muslims have regarded the last ten nights of Ramadan as being especially blessed. Muslims believe the Night comes again every year, with blessings and mercy of God in abundance. The surah al-Qadr is named after this night, and the purpose of the surah

290-497: The Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia . The mountain houses the grotto or cave of Hira ( Arabic : غَار حِرَاء , romanized :  Ghar-i-Hira , lit.   'Cave of Hira'), which holds tremendous significance for Muslims throughout the world, as it is here where the Islamic prophet Muhammad is said to have received his first revelation of the Quran , which consisted of

319-563: The Hira cave on Mount Jabal al-Nour in Mecca. The first Surah that was revealed was Sūrat al-ʿAlaq (in Arabic العلق ). During Muhammad's first revelation, the first five verses of this Surah, or chapter, were revealed. Muhammad would usually practice spiritual retreat ( Iʿtikāf ) during the last ten days of Ramadan, awaiting the Night of Power, fasting and praying throughout the night, and abstaining from sexual relations. He urged his followers to do

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348-520: The Night of Destiny , Night of Decree , Night of Determination , or the Precious Night ), is, in Islamic belief, the night when Muslims believe the Quran was first sent down from heaven to the world, and also the night when its first verses were revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad ; it is described as better than a thousand months of worshipping. According to various hadiths , its exact date

377-482: The Prophet and my son! I know things from this chapter that you are not aware of now. When this surah was sent down to the Prophet he asked me to go to him. When I went to him he recited this surah, then he put his hand on my right shoulder and said: O my brother and my successor! O the leader of my nation after me! O tireless fighter with my enemies! This surah is yours after me, and is for your two sons after you. Gabriel who

406-963: The Quran to Earth. The official Islamic teaching is that Muhammad received the revelations that formed the Quran piecemeal for the next twenty-three years of his life up until the time of his death. Shia Muslims believe that Ali (the first Shia Imam , and the fourth caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate to Sunnis) had special insight and intimacy with God on this night. ِبِسْمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيْم ‎ 1. إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ ‎ 2. وَمَآ أَدْرَٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ ‎ 3. لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ ‎ 4. تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ ‎ 5. سَلَٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ ‎ Laylat al-Qadr The Night of Power ( Arabic : لیلة القدر , romanized :  Laylat al-Qadr ; also rendered as

435-543: The Quran was revealed to Muhammad twice; The Quran uses the word anzal ( انزل ) which justifies 'the immediate revelation', according to Allamah Tabatabai . Some others believe that the revelation of Quran occurred in two phases, with the first phase being the revelation in its entirety on Laylat al-Qadr to the angel Gabriel ( Jibril in Arabic) in the lowest heaven, and then the subsequent verse-by-verse revelation to Muhammad by Gabriel. The revelation started in 610 CE at

464-403: The angels greeting the people in the mosques throughout the night. Laylat al-Qadr occurs during an odd-numbered night within the last ten days of Ramadan, but its exact date is uncertain; due to the promises made in the chapter and in various hadith. Muslims consider it a particularly good time for prayer, supplication, and repentance to God. This event marks the descent of the first revelation of

493-610: The cave an integral part of the Hajj. Nonetheless many visit it for reasons of personal pleasure and spirituality, and though some consider it a place of worship, this view conflicts with Salafist interpretations of Islamic ritual. While the cave plays an important role in As-Sīrah an-Nabawiyyah (prophetic biography), it is not considered as holy as other sites in Mecca, such as the Al-Haram Mosque , and so under most interpretations of Islam ,

522-449: The date and the day of the week. Hence the Shia's have generally concluded that it is the 23rd According to other hadiths , destinies are written on the night of Ramadan 19, are finalized on the night of Ramadan 21, and are ultimately confirmed on the night of Ramadan 23. Two other possibilities about the time of the Night of Qadr are the nights of Ramadan 27 and Sha'ban 15. The night

551-560: The dead, feeding the poor, and emancipation of financial prisoners. Since the assassination of Ali occurred in the last ten days of the Ramadan month, Shi'as mourn in these nights. Hira cave Jabal al-Nour ( Arabic : جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر , romanized :  Jabal an-Nūr , lit.   'Mountain of the Light'; or 'Hill of the Illumination') is a mountain near Mecca in

580-450: The first five ayat of Surah Al-Alaq from the angel Jibra'il (as is pronounced in certain Quran recitation schools and some Arab tribes; also known as Gabriel ). It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Makkah. The mountain itself is barely 640 m (2,100 ft) tall; nonetheless one to two hours are needed to make the strenuous hike to the cave. There are 1750 steps to

609-443: The fourth caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate to Sunnis) had special insight and intimacy with God on this night. Imam Sadiq is quoted as saying (Tafsir "al-Burhan", vol. 4, p. 487): Once Imam Ali was reciting Surat al-Qadr and his sons, Imam Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn (a) were near him. Imam Husayn (a) asked his father: "Father, how come we feel a different sensation when you recite this surah?" Imam Ali(a) replied, "O son of

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638-414: The last ten days of Ramadan, awaiting the Night of Power, fasting and praying throughout the night, and abstaining from sexual relations. Some Muslims practice Iʿtikāf by staying at a mosque throughout the ten days. Shi'as practice the special prayers (Amaal) of the Night of Qadr every year in mosques, [tekyeh]s, shrines of Imams or children of Imams, Husayniyyas or their own houses. They stay vigilant

667-638: The night is likely to be Laylat al-Qadr. Shia Muslims similarly believe that Laylat al-Qadr is to be found in the last ten odd-numbered nights of Ramadan but mostly on the 19th , 21st or 23rd of Ramadan with 23rd being the most important night. The 19th, according to the Shia belief, coincides with the night Ali was attacked in the Mihrab while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa . He died on 21 Ramadan. Shia Muslims say that Ali (the first Shia Imam , and

696-417: The present name. The date of the first revelation is said to have occurred on Laylat al-Qadr , one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan , suggested to have been around August of 610 A.D. One physical feature that differentiates Jabal al-Nour from other mountains and hills is its unusual summit, which makes it look as if two mountains are on top of each other. The top of this mountain in the mountainous desert

725-411: The same reward is received for praying here as any other place in Mecca. Before Prophet Muhammad's first revelation, he had transcendental dreams, in which were signs that his prophethood had begun and that the stones in Mecca would greet him with the salaam . These dreams lasted for six months. An increasing need for solitude led Prophet Muhammad to seek seclusion and meditation ( Muraqabah ) in

754-435: The same. According to one hadith , Muhammad said: "Whoever stands [in prayer] during the Night of Power out of belief and seeking reward, his previous sins are forgiven." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1901) A specific date of Laylat al-Qadr is not mentioned in the Quran. Muhammad said God told him the exact date of Laylat al-Qadr in a dream, that he went to tell his companions about that date, and that he saw two people fighting and

783-510: The top which, even for a fit individual, can take anywhere between half an hour and one-and-a-half hours. This is where Muhammad is said to have had his first revelation and received five verses of the Quran , the mountain was given the title Jabal an-Nūr ("Mountain of the Light" or "Mountain of the Enlightenment"). This experience is sometimes identified with the beginning of revelation; hence

812-465: The whole night until dawn and worship God. The most important practices of the Night of Qadr include congregational prayers, recitation of the Iftitah Supplication, [Abu Hamza al-Thumali] Supplication, and al-Jawshan al-Kabir, and collective supplications while they keep volumes of the Quran on top of their heads. Other rituals of the night include donations of dawn food, payment of their nadhr for

841-488: Was caused to forget the date (by God). According to the Islamic calendar, an Islamic day begins at Maghrib prayer (sunset). The Night of Power extends from Maghrib to Fajr prayer (dawn). Sunni Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr most likely occurs among the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th). Some scholars opine that if a Friday night occurs on an odd numbered night,

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