The Hidden Night

الْبَاطِنُ

Al-Bāṭin — The Hidden

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ

Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is

Surah Al-Qadr (97:2)

Intention

Today, I will search for the hidden night with my worship — praying as if tonight is the one Al-Bāṭin has concealed.

Reflection

Al-Bāṭin in the last ten — and Laylat al-Qadr itself is hidden. You do not know which night it is. The greatest night in the Islamic calendar is concealed, and the concealment is deliberate. Al-Bāṭin hides the treasure so that you search every night. The seeking is the worship. If you knew which night it was, you would worship once and neglect the rest. The hiddenness makes you worship ten.

On this verse

What can make you know — mā adrāka. A rhetorical question that admits you cannot fully comprehend what you are searching for. And yet you search.

Du'a

The du'a of every one of the last ten nights. Say it in every prostration. Say it with every breath. It might be the night.

Hadith

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.'

— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2017