Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree, is better than a thousand months. In 2027 it falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan, which are expected to begin at sunset on Saturday 27 February. Here are the nights to watch, what the Prophet ﷺ did in them, and a simple plan for each one.
The exact night is hidden, and that is part of the mercy: it turns ten nights into a search, and the search itself is worship. Our page on Ramadan 2027 dates explains why the month may begin on the 8th or the 9th of February.
The odd nights in 2027, if Ramadan begins on 8 February (each begins at sunset)
What the Night of Decree is
The Qur’an began to be revealed on this night, and God gave it a sūrah of its own:
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
“Indeed, We sent it down on the Night of Decree. And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.”
Qur’an 97:1–3
A thousand months is more than eighty-three years, longer than most lifetimes. The sūrah ends: “Peace it is, until the rising of dawn” (Qur’an 97:5). Elsewhere God calls it “a blessed night” (Qur’an 44:3).
Which nights, in 2027
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten of Ramadan” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2017). The Islamic night comes before its day, so the 21st night begins at sunset at the end of the 20th day of fasting.
- If Ramadan begins on Monday 8 February: the odd nights begin at sunset on Saturday 27 February, Monday 1 March, Wednesday 3 March, Friday 5 March and Sunday 7 March.
- If Ramadan begins on Tuesday 9 February: each is a day later: Sunday 28 February, Tuesday 2 March, Thursday 4 March, Saturday 6 March and Monday 8 March.
Follow the start announced where you live, then count from it.
What about the 27th?
Many Muslims give the 27th night special attention, and with reason: the Companion Ubayy ibn Kaʿb swore that it is the 27th (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 762). But the Prophet ﷺ himself pointed to all the odd nights of the last ten, and other Companions understood it to move. The safest way is the simplest one: give every odd night your best, and the 27th will be among them.
What the Prophet ﷺ did in the last ten
ʿĀʾishah described it: when the last ten began, he tightened his waist-wrap, prayed through the night and woke his family (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2024). She also said he exerted himself in those nights more than at any other time (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1175), and that he spent them in iʿtikāf, staying in the mosque for worship (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2020).
A simple plan for each night
- Pray, even a little. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in hope of reward has their past sins forgiven (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1901). Two rakʿahs with presence are worth more than a tired night of scrolling.
- Say the duʿāʾ he taught. “Allāhumma innaka ʿafuwwun tuḥibbul-ʿafwa faʿfu ʿannī”: O God, You are Pardoning and love to pardon, so pardon me (Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 3513; al-Albānī graded it ṣaḥīḥ).
- Read and listen to the Qur’an. This is the night it came down. Even a few pages with their meaning is a fitting way to spend it.
- Remember God between the prayers. Tasbīḥ, istighfār and blessings on the Prophet ﷺ fill the quiet minutes.
- Give every night. Many people spread a small gift of charity across all ten nights, so that some of it falls on the Night itself.
- Rest in the afternoon. A short sleep after ʿAṣr makes the night easier to stand.
- Put the phone away. Choose the apps that would take the night, and let them wait. In Awwab, the Shield can keep them resting until you have prayed.
During your period
The Night is not closed to anyone. Duʿāʾ, dhikr, listening to the Qur’an and quiet reflection are open to everyone. On reading the Qur’an from memory or a screen during menstruation scholars differ, so follow the view of a scholar you trust.
Signs of the night
Ubayy ibn Kaʿb mentioned that on the morning after it the sun rises without strong rays (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 762). A sign seen in the morning, though, cannot be used to plan the night before. The reward is promised to the one who seeks, so seek.
Frequently asked questions
When is Laylat al-Qadr 2027?
It is one of the odd nights of the last ten of Ramadan. If Ramadan 1448 begins on Monday 8 February 2027, those nights begin at sunset on 27 February and on 1, 3, 5 and 7 March; if it begins on 9 February, each is a day later. Nobody knows which one it is.
Is Laylat al-Qadr always the 27th night?
No one can say for certain. The Companion Ubayy ibn Kaʿb held that it is the 27th (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 762), but the Prophet ﷺ told us to seek it in all the odd nights of the last ten (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2017). Seeking every one of them is the surest way not to miss it.
What duʿāʾ should I say on Laylat al-Qadr?
ʿĀʾishah asked the Prophet ﷺ what to say if she knew the night, and he taught her: “Allāhumma innaka ʿafuwwun tuḥibbul-ʿafwa faʿfu ʿannī”, O God, You are Pardoning and love to pardon, so pardon me (Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 3513, graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī).
Can I seek Laylat al-Qadr during my period?
Yes. Duʿāʾ, dhikr, listening to the Qur’an and reflecting are open to everyone. On reading the Qur’an from memory or a screen during menstruation scholars differ, so follow the view of a scholar you trust.
Sources
Qur’an references open the verse on quran.com and hadith references open the narration on sunnah.com, where you can read the full text. Narrations in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim are accepted as authentic by the scholars of hadith; for other collections the grading is given beside the reference.
- Qur’an 97:1–5: the Night of Decree, better than a thousand months.
- Qur’an 44:3: a blessed night.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2017: seek it in the odd nights of the last ten.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2020: iʿtikāf in the last ten nights.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2024 and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1175: his effort in the last ten.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1901: standing in prayer on the Night out of faith and hope.
- Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 3513 (ṣaḥīḥ per al-Albānī): the duʿāʾ for pardon.
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 762: Ubayy ibn Kaʿb on the 27th night and the morning sun.