Shab-e qadar means the night of decree. This is that night of the year when ALLAH swt decides upon the matters of the universe till the next year’s shab-e qadar. This night comes in Ramadan and one has to find the night from the last 5 odd nights of Ramadan.
There is present a grave misconception about the qadar night among the muslims. Many of them think that it is the night of 15th shaban and they spend that night invoking ALLAH keeping in mind their qadar, which is wrong. Invoking ALLAH is good but invoking ALLAH for the qadar on the night which is not present or proved from shariah is innovation and act of bidah. Anyway, coming to the topic, the night of qadar is to be found by the believers themselves.
There are two places in Quran where ALLAH swt HIMSELF talks about the night of decree. Once in surah ad-dukhan and once in surah qadar.
In surah ad-dukhan ALLAH swt says;
Surah ad-dukhan 44: 2-6
“By the Book that makes things clear;- We sent it down during a Blessed Night: for We [ever] wish to warn [against Evil]. In the [Night] is made distinct every affair of wisdom, By command, from Our Presence. For We [ever] send [revelations], As Mercy from thy Lord: for He hears and knows [all things];”
Here, ALLAH swt talks about the night when HE decides on the matters of the world for the next year and this is the same night when Quran was started reveling on Muhammad s.a.w.w. this is the evidence of shab-e qadar from surah ad dukhan and this proves that the claimants of innovation of shab-e birat are wrong.
The second place where shab-e qadar has been discussed in detail is surah qadar from chapter 30th. In this surah, the night has been described in detail about its blessings and the reward associated with this night.
Surah qadar 97:1-5
1. We have indeed revealed this [Message] in the Night of Power:
2. And what will explain to thee what the night of power is?
3. The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
4. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:
5. Peace! ... This until the rise of morning!
So, from the above mentioned surah, we see that the night of adar comes in the blessed month of Ramadan and all the matters are decided in this blessed night. Thus we have to stand in the last five odd nights of Ramadan to invoke AlLAH especially for qadar.
There are many sayngs of Muhammad s.a.w.w concerning the night of aqadar. Few of them are given belo, from these traditions we can actually learn in more detail, the benefits and blessings of qadar.
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 3.125
Narrated byAbu Huraira
The Prophet said, "Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1964
Narrated byAnas ibn Malik
Anas told of Allah`s Messenger (peace be upon him) saying when Ramadan began, "This month has come to you, and it contains a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of it is deprived of all good, but only those who are denied prosperity are deprived of it."
Thus, by losing the worship in the night of qadar means the one who lost it is deprived of prosperity.
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 3.234
Narrated by Aisha
Allah`s Apostle said, "Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan."
Sahih Al-Bukhari , Hadith 3.235
Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri
The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to practice Itikaf (in the mosque) in the middle third of Ramadan and after passing the twenty nights he used to go back to his house on the 21st, and the people who were in Itikaf with him, also used to go back to their houses. Once in Ramadan, in which he practiced Itikaf, he established the night prayers at the night in which he used to return home, and then he addressed the people and ordered them whatever Allah wished him to order and said, "I used to practice Itikaf for these ten days (i.e. the middle third) but now I intend to stay in Itikaf for the last ten days (of the month); so whoever was in Itikaf with me should stay at his place of seclusion. I have verily been shown (the date of) this Night (of Qadr) but I have forgotten it. So search for it in the odd nights of the last ten days (of this month).”
Al-Tirmidhi , Hadith 98 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Malik narrated from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father, that the Messenger of Allah (saws), said, "Search for Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten days of Ramadan."
The exact date of this blessed night is not known to us, in a way it is hidden from us and in a way it is known to us, why is the exact date hidden from us is not known to anybody except ALLAH swt but what we can do is to avail the information communicated to us by Muhammad s.a.w.w and we should avail this chance to invoke ALLAH with sincere efforts.
There is present a grave misconception about the qadar night among the muslims. Many of them think that it is the night of 15th shaban and they spend that night invoking ALLAH keeping in mind their qadar, which is wrong. Invoking ALLAH is good but invoking ALLAH for the qadar on the night which is not present or proved from shariah is innovation and act of bidah. Anyway, coming to the topic, the night of qadar is to be found by the believers themselves.
There are two places in Quran where ALLAH swt HIMSELF talks about the night of decree. Once in surah ad-dukhan and once in surah qadar.
In surah ad-dukhan ALLAH swt says;
Surah ad-dukhan 44: 2-6
“By the Book that makes things clear;- We sent it down during a Blessed Night: for We [ever] wish to warn [against Evil]. In the [Night] is made distinct every affair of wisdom, By command, from Our Presence. For We [ever] send [revelations], As Mercy from thy Lord: for He hears and knows [all things];”
Here, ALLAH swt talks about the night when HE decides on the matters of the world for the next year and this is the same night when Quran was started reveling on Muhammad s.a.w.w. this is the evidence of shab-e qadar from surah ad dukhan and this proves that the claimants of innovation of shab-e birat are wrong.
The second place where shab-e qadar has been discussed in detail is surah qadar from chapter 30th. In this surah, the night has been described in detail about its blessings and the reward associated with this night.
Surah qadar 97:1-5
1. We have indeed revealed this [Message] in the Night of Power:
2. And what will explain to thee what the night of power is?
3. The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
4. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:
5. Peace! ... This until the rise of morning!
So, from the above mentioned surah, we see that the night of adar comes in the blessed month of Ramadan and all the matters are decided in this blessed night. Thus we have to stand in the last five odd nights of Ramadan to invoke AlLAH especially for qadar.
There are many sayngs of Muhammad s.a.w.w concerning the night of aqadar. Few of them are given belo, from these traditions we can actually learn in more detail, the benefits and blessings of qadar.
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 3.125
Narrated byAbu Huraira
The Prophet said, "Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1964
Narrated byAnas ibn Malik
Anas told of Allah`s Messenger (peace be upon him) saying when Ramadan began, "This month has come to you, and it contains a night which is better than a thousand months. He who is deprived of it is deprived of all good, but only those who are denied prosperity are deprived of it."
Thus, by losing the worship in the night of qadar means the one who lost it is deprived of prosperity.
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith 3.234
Narrated by Aisha
Allah`s Apostle said, "Search for the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan."
Sahih Al-Bukhari , Hadith 3.235
Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri
The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to practice Itikaf (in the mosque) in the middle third of Ramadan and after passing the twenty nights he used to go back to his house on the 21st, and the people who were in Itikaf with him, also used to go back to their houses. Once in Ramadan, in which he practiced Itikaf, he established the night prayers at the night in which he used to return home, and then he addressed the people and ordered them whatever Allah wished him to order and said, "I used to practice Itikaf for these ten days (i.e. the middle third) but now I intend to stay in Itikaf for the last ten days (of the month); so whoever was in Itikaf with me should stay at his place of seclusion. I have verily been shown (the date of) this Night (of Qadr) but I have forgotten it. So search for it in the odd nights of the last ten days (of this month).”
Al-Tirmidhi , Hadith 98 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Malik narrated from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father, that the Messenger of Allah (saws), said, "Search for Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten days of Ramadan."
The exact date of this blessed night is not known to us, in a way it is hidden from us and in a way it is known to us, why is the exact date hidden from us is not known to anybody except ALLAH swt but what we can do is to avail the information communicated to us by Muhammad s.a.w.w and we should avail this chance to invoke ALLAH with sincere efforts.