Lailat al-Qadr 2026

What this countdown tracks

Lailat al-Qadr 2026 — the "Night of Power" or "Night of Decree" — traditionally observed on the 27th night of Ramadan, falling on the night of Sunday, March 15 into Monday, March 16, 2026. The most spiritually significant night of the Islamic year, marking the moment the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

About this festival

Lailat al-Qadr is described in Sura 97 of the Quran (Al-Qadr) as the night "better than a thousand months" — a single night of devotion on which is more meritorious than 83 years of regular worship. The Quran states that on this night the angels and the Spirit (the angel Gabriel) descend to Earth with God's decree for the coming year, and the night is one of peace until the rising of the sun.

The exact date of Lailat al-Qadr is not specified in the Quran; the Prophet Muhammad indicated it falls on one of the odd-numbered nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan (the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th). The most-followed tradition places it on the 27th night, although many Sunni and Shia traditions observe several or all of the odd nights with intensified worship to ensure the actual Lailat al-Qadr is not missed. Twelver Shia tradition pays particular attention to the 19th, 21st and 23rd nights in connection with the martyrdom of Imam Ali.

The 27th night of Ramadan 1447 AH falls on the night of March 15–16, 2026, in the most-followed reckoning. Local moon-sighting can shift this by a day; the Saudi Umm al-Qura calendar, the Pakistani Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the South African Crescent Observers' Society, and the British Muslim authorities each issue independently confirmed dates.

How it's observed

Lailat al-Qadr is observed with Itikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque, traditionally for the last 10 days of Ramadan), all-night Tahajjud and Tarawih prayers, recitation of the entire Quran, dhikr (remembrance of God), supplication, and contemplation of one's life and decisions for the year ahead. The Prophet's recommended supplication for the night — "O Allah, You are forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me" — is recited millions of times globally on this night.

The Two Holy Mosques — Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina — host the largest Lailat al-Qadr congregations on Earth. Mecca's Tarawih and Tahajjud prayers on the 27th night draw more than two million worshippers, with the Saudi Royal Court closing the entire central area of the Holy Mosque to vehicular traffic from sunset to sunrise. The full-recitation Quran khatm (completion) is conducted by the imams of the Haramayn during the late-night Tarawih and Qiyam, drawing global audiences via live broadcast on Saudi TV's Quran channel.

In Iran, the 21st (the night Imam Ali was martyred from a strike on the 19th) and 23rd nights are observed with particular intensity. Indonesian, Malaysian, Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi and Turkish mosques organise all-night programmes; the diaspora in Western Europe and North America does the same on a community scale. The 27th night is the most-attended Tarawih of the year in most diaspora mosques.

Past observances

• March 26, 2025 — 27 Ramadan 1446 AH
• April 6, 2024 — 27 Ramadan 1445 AH
• April 17, 2023 — 27 Ramadan 1444 AH
• April 28, 2022 — 27 Ramadan 1443 AH
• May 9, 2021 — 27 Ramadan 1442 AH
• May 19, 2020 — 27 Ramadan 1441 AH

How to observe

IslamicFinder, MoonSighting.com, the Saudi Umm al-Qura calendar, and national Islamic affairs ministries publish confirmed local dates for Ramadan and Lailat al-Qadr. The Saudi state broadcaster carries the Tarawih, Qiyam and Tahajjud from the Two Holy Mosques live. Mosques worldwide stream their Lailat al-Qadr programmes; a global online ecosystem of khatm-completion programmes runs on the 27th night.

Related countdowns

Lailat al-Qadr 2026 sits in the broader Ramadan 2026 cycle and the wider Islamic calendar alongside Mawlid al-Nabi 2026, Ashura 2026, and the Ramadan 2027 cycle.

FAQ

When is Lailat al-Qadr 2026? The night of Sunday, March 15 into Monday, March 16, 2026 (the 27th night of Ramadan 1447 AH in the most-followed reckoning). Why is the exact date uncertain? The Quran does not specify; the Prophet indicated it falls on an odd-numbered night in the last 10 days of Ramadan, with the 27th the most likely. What's the recommended observance? All-night prayer and Quranic recitation; Itikaf in the mosque if possible; supplication and contemplation; the "O Allah, You are forgiving" du'a. Why is it called the "Night of Power"? Because the Quran was first revealed on this night, and a single night of worship on it is greater than 83 years of regular worship.