One meaning of the word ‘Qadr’ is ‘greatness, honour or dignity’. The night of Qadr has been given this name because it is a night of greatness, honour, majesty and dignity.
Abū Bakr Warrāq رحمه الله has stated that this night is so called because a person becomes a man of honour and dignity on account of repentance, seeking pardon and righteous acts during this night whilst prior to this he might have lacked honour and dignity on account of an unrighteous life he might have led.
The greatest virtue of the night is that the acts of worship performed on this single night is better than worship in 1000 months (83 years, 4 months).
The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “He who spends the Night of Qadr in the worship of Allāh, all his past sins will be forgiven.”
In another narration the Messenger ﷺ said, “All the angels resident at the ‘Lote Tree of the Uttermost Boundry’ descend in the leadership of Ḥaḍrat Jibrā’īl عليهم السلام and greet every believer, man or woman, except the one who takes wine or eats pork.”
In a different narration by Ḥaḍrat Anas رضي الله عنه the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “When the night of Qadr occurs, Ḥaḍrat Jibrā’īl عليه السلام descends on the earth with a huge gathering of angels and all of them pray for every servant of Allāh, man or woman, busy in ṣalāh or dhikr, to be blessed by Allāh ﷻ.
The Messenger ﷺ was asked what supplication should be made if one finds the night. The Messenger ﷺ replied,
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّك عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّيْ
O Allāh, Indeed You are the Oft-Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me.
The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ instructed to search for it (the night) in the odd nights of the last ten days.
[Maʿāriful Qur’ān, Volume 8]
Moulana Huzaifa Saleh