Sisi says sacred Laylat Al-Qadr inspires us with meanings of mercy, goodness

CAIRO – 8 May 2021: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said the Muslim’s holy night of Laylat Al-Qadr “inspires us with all the meanings of goodness, blessing and mercy and the upholding of human ideals and values.”

“We pray to God on this sacred occasion to preserve our dear country, Egypt, and to bless us and all the Islamic nation with goodness, peace and safety,” Sisi wrote in a tweet.

According to the Islamic belief, Laylat Al-Qadr, or the Night of Decree, is the night when the Quran was first sent down from Heaven.

Almost all Islamic scholars understand from Prophet Muhammad’s sayings (hadith) that Laylat Al-Qadr takes place in the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan.

Its definite date was not certainly revealed but hadith recommends that it is one of the odd nights. Some Muslim scholars also believe it is on the 27th of Ramadan, this night.

The specific date of the night also was not mentioned directly in the Quran.

According to the hadith, Allah (God) revealed to Prophet Muhammad the information about the exact date of the night. On his way to tell people about the date, he saw two people fighting. Consequently, he forgot what the date as Allah took the knowledge of the date from him.

Muslims pray to God, perform Salah and spend money to the poor people throughout Ramadan and especially on the last 10 days so that they do not miss Laylat Al-Qadr.

The reward of worship acts performed on this one single night is best than the reward of 1000 months of worship, according to the Quran.

There is a whole chapter (Surah) in the Quran known as “Al-Qadr”. It is translated by Saheeh International as follows:

“Indeed, We sent it [i.e., the Qur’ān] down during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.”