What night is the Night of Power?
Regarding the “Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr), it occurs during the month of Ramadan, and there is no doubt about this since all the verses of the Quran suggest this. On the one hand, the Quran states that it was revealed during the month of Ramadan (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:185), and on the other hand, it mentions that it was revealed during the Night of Power (verses discussed below).
However, there is much disagreement about which night during the nights of Ramadan it specifically falls on, and numerous interpretations have been given in this regard, including: the first night, the seventeenth night, the nineteenth night, the twenty-first night, the twenty-third night, the twenty-seventh night, and the twenty-ninth night.
But the most well-known tradition is that it falls on the twenty-seventh or twenty-third night of the last ten nights of Ramadan. This is why a tradition narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would revive all the nights of the blessed month and would engage in worship during them.
One narration states that Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said that the Night of Power falls on the twenty-third or twenty-seventh night. When the narrator asked him to specify which of the two nights it was, he replied, “What is the difficulty in staying awake for two nights?” indicating that it is not important to determine the exact night.
However, according to multiple traditions that have been transmitted through the ways of the Ahl al-Bayt, the twenty-third night is more emphasized. Whereas the majority of the Ahl al-Sunnah scholars believe that it is more likely to fall on the twenty-seventh night.
