This Sunday may celebrate the ‘Night of Power’ (Laylat al-Qadr) for many Muslims when Mohammad was thought to have received the first revelation of the Qur’an from the angel Jibril (Gabriel). It is unsure which is actually the night, because it could have occurred on any one of the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan.
Muslims believe this night marks their fate for the coming year and many pray all through the night for mercy, forgiveness, and salvation. It is commonly held that those who pray through the night have their sins forgiven and prayers answered.
From the Qur’an (97, 1-5):
In the name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful. Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Predestination.
Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is!
The Night of Power has more blessings than a thousand months.
The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees.
(The night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.
“The verses above regard the Night of power as better than one thousand months. The whole month of Ramadan is a period of spiritual training wherein believers devote much of their time to fasting, praying, reciting the Qur’an, remembering God, and giving charity. However because of the revealed importance of this night, Muslims strive harder in the last ten days …” (Source)
Muslims believe special blessings and answers come to the faithful on this particular night. They take the verses literally to mean that their prayers are 1000x more effective! Many will devote the whole night to reading and praying.
Let’s join our Muslim brothers and sisters in prayer. Would you spend some time praying this weekend that God will answer their prayers for mercy and salvation, and visit them in special ways this day? Research tells us that over 25% of Muslims who make decisions to follow Jesus do so because of supernatural dreams and visions. I have met many Muslims who follow Jesus because he was visited them in dreams. Who knows what will happen Sunday night?
