The signs of Laylat al-Qadr

Lailat-ul-Qadr or the Night of Decree is not known but it is definitely one of the last ten nights of Ramadhaan. There are signs which if they appear are indications that the night has arrived. Some signs appear during the night itself, and others may occur the following morning.

Signs that occur during that night are described in the following Hadeeth:

Ahmad reported from Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam (may Allaah exalt his mention), said: "Lailat-ul-Qadr is a clear and shining night as if there were a bright moon in it. It is calm and tranquil. It is neither cold nor hot and no shooting stars are thrown in it till the morning".

Imaam Muslim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, also reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: "We were talking about Lailat-ul-Qadr in the presence of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam (may Allaah exalt his mention), and he said: "He who amongst you remembers (the night) when the moon arose and it was like a piece of plate (at the fag end of the month in a state of waning)".

Some scholars, may Allaah have mercy upon them, say that this means that it is in the last part of the month of Ramadhaan.

Signs that come the next day are the sun appears the following morning, white and without rays (beamless) as well as:

It was reported in Saheeh Muslim from the hadeeth of Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) announced that one of its signs was that when the sun rose on the following morning, it had no (visible) rays. (Muslim, 762).

It was reported from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated by Ibn Khuzaimah, and by al-Tayaalisi in his Musnad, with a saheeh isnaad, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Laylat al-Qadr is a pleasant night, neither hot nor cold, and the following day the sun rises red and weak.” (Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, 2912; Musnad al-Tayaalisi).

It was reported by al-Tabaraani with a hasan isnaad from the hadeeth of Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Laylat al-Qadr is a bright night, neither hot nor cold, in which no meteors are seen.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer. See Majma’ al-Zawaa’id, 3/179; Musnad Ahmad).