Author: Abdulrazzaq al-Maghribi
Date published: 2026-03-08
Updated: 2026-03-09
When is Laylatul Qadr?
The exact night on which Laylatul Qadr occurs is not explicitly stated by the Prophet, but he advised that it should be sought during the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.
This means that if Ramadan is 29 or 30 days long, the odd nights would be 21, 23, 25, 27, or 29, when counting from the start.
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
In both cases, whether Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days, the odd-numbered nights remain the same when counting from the start of Ramadan.
Some consider the even-numbered nights as possible for Laylatul Qadr because they count from the end rather than the beginning. It would look like this:
30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21
Some scholars use this method to reconcile the different narrations, suggesting that Laylatul Qadr could also fall on an even-numbered night, even though it is considered odd numbered when counting in a different way.
It seems to us that this method of counting wasn't used by the Sahaba, as many of them believed the 27th night to be Laylatul Qadr, which indicates that they used to count from the start.
Which night it's Laylatul Qadr according to scholars
Based on the narrations, it appears that Laylatul Qadr occurred on the 21st, 23rd, and 27th nights. Therefore, Laylatul Qadr could fall on any of the odd-numbered nights and is not limited exclusively to the 27th night.
قَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: قَدْ رُوِيَ أَنَّهَا لَيْلَةُ إحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ، وَلَيْلَةُ ثَلَاثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ، وَلَيْلَةُ خَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِينَ، وَلَيْلَةُ سَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ، وَلَيْلَةُ تِسْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ، وَآخِرُ لَيْلَةٍ. وَقَالَ أَبُو قِلَابَةَ: إنَّهَا تَنْتَقِلُ فِي لَيَالِي الْعَشْرِ. قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ: كَانَ هَذَا عِنْدِي - وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ - أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - كَانَ يُجِيبُ عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا يُسْأَلُ. فَعَلَى هَذَا كَانَتْ فِي السَّنَةِ الَّتِي رَأَى أَبُو سَعِيدٍ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - يَسْجُدُ فِي الْمَاءِ وَالطِّينِ لَيْلَةَ إحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ، وَفِي السَّنَةِ الَّتِي أَمَرَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أُنَيْسٍ لَيْلَةَ ثَلَاثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ، وَفِي السَّنَةِ الَّتِي رَأَى أُبَيّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ عَلَامَتَهَا لَيْلَةَ سَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ، وَقَدْ تُرَى عَلَامَتُهَا فِي غَيْرِ هَذِهِ اللَّيَالِي. قَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ: أَبْهَمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى الْأُمَّةِ لِيَجْتَهِدُوا فِي طَلَبِهَا، وَيَجِدُّوا فِي الْعِبَادَةِ فِي الشَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ طَمَعًا فِي إدْرَاكِهَا، كَمَا أَخْفَى سَاعَةَ الْإِجَابَةِ فِي يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ، لِيُكْثِرُوا مِنْ الدُّعَاءِ فِي الْيَوْمِ كُلِّهِ، وَأَخْفَى اسْمَهُ الْأَعْظَمَ فِي الْأَسْمَاءِ وَرِضَاهُ فِي الطَّاعَاتِ، لِيَجْتَهِدُوا فِي جَمْعِهَا، وَأَخْفَى الْأَجَلَ وَقِيَامَ السَّاعَةِ، لِيَجِدَّ النَّاسُ فِي الْعَمَلِ، حَذَرًا مِنْهُمَا (٢١٤٥)
[المغني – الجزء ٣ – الصفحة ١٨٤]
Ibn Qudamah said:
"Al-Tirmidhi said: It has been narrated that it [Laylatul Qadr] occurs on the 21st night, the 23rd night, the 25th night, the 27th night, the 29th night, and the last night.
Abu Qilabah said: It moves among the nights of the last ten. Al-Shafi‘i said: This is my understanding—and Allah knows best—that the Prophet ﷺ would respond in the way he was asked. In the year when Abu Sa‘id saw the Prophet ﷺ prostrating in water and mud, it was on the 21st night. In the year when he commanded ‘Abdullah ibn Unays, it was on the 23rd night. In the year when Ubayy ibn Ka‘b saw its sign, it was on the 27th night."
Its sign, however, can appear on nights other than these. Some scholars said: Allah, exalted be He, concealed this night from the Ummah so that they would strive in seeking it and exert themselves in worship throughout the month, hoping to attain it. Just as He concealed the Hour of Response on Friday so that people would increase their supplications all day, and concealed His Greatest Name among the names of Allah and His pleasure in obedience so that they would strive to gather it, and concealed the appointed time and the establishment of the Hour so that people would strive in deeds out of caution."
[Al-Mughni - Volume 3 - Page 184]
15110 - قال أبو عمر : في ليلة إحدى وعشرين حديث أبي سعيد الخدري من رواية مالك وغيره ، وفي ليلة ثلاث وعشرين حديث عبد الله بن أنيس الجهني ، وقد [ ص: 334 ] تقدم ذكره . وفي ليلة سبع وعشرين حديث أبي بن كعب ، وحديث معاوية ، وهي كلها صحاح تدل على انتقال ليلة القدر في الوتر من العشر الأواخر في الأغلب ، ولا يبعد أن تكون في غير العشر الأواخر ولا أن يكون في غير الوتر .
[الاستذكار – ابن عبد البر – الجزء ١٠ – الصفحتان ٣٣٣–٣٣٤]
Ibn Abdul-Barr said:
"On the 21st night, there is the hadith of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri as narrated by Malik and others.
On the 23rd night, there is the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Unays al-Juhani, which was mentioned earlier.
On the 27th night, there is the hadith of Abu ibn Ka‘b and the hadith of Mu‘awiyah.
All of these narrations are authentic (sahih) and indicate that Laylatul Qadr generally shifts among the odd nights of the last ten nights.
However, it is not impossible for it to occur outside the last ten nights, or on a night other than an odd-numbered night."
[Al-Istidhkar - Ibn Abdul-Barr - Volume 10 - Page 333-334]
[ ص: 335 ] 15113 - وأما قوله : " إنها تكون في غير الوتر " فلحديث عبد الله بن أنيس ، وقد ذكرناه بإسناده في " التمهيد " أنه أتى رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فقال : أرسلني إليك رهط من بني سلمة يسألونك عن ليلة القدر ؟ فقال : " كم الليلة " ؟ قلت : اثنان وعشرون . قال : " هي الليلة " ثم رجع فقال : " أو القابلة " يريد ثلاثا وعشرين .
[الاستذكار – ابن عبد البر – الجزء ١٠ – الصفحة ٣٣٥]
Ibn Abdul-Barr said:
"It could occur on a night other than an odd-numbered night. This refers to the hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Unays, which we mentioned with its chain of narration in Al-Tamheed.
He came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “A group from Banu Salamah has been sent to ask you about Laylatul Qadr.” The Prophet ﷺ was asked: “Which night is it?” He replied: “The 22nd night.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “It is tonight.” Then he returned and said: “Or the next one,” meaning the 23rd night."
[Al-Istidhkar - Ibn Abdul-Barr - Volume 10 - Page 335]
It appears that Laylatul Qadr is most likely to occur during the last ten nights of Ramadan, specifically on the odd-numbered nights. However, it could also fall on one of the even-numbered nights within the last ten.
For those who want to be certain, the best way to observe Ramadan is to worship Allah to the fullest throughout the entire month, ensuring that they take full advantage of Laylatul Qadr.
We consider Laylatul Qadr to be possible on either an odd- or even-numbered night within the last ten nights of Ramadan.
