and twenty. Nevertheless, he said, “Seek it during the last ten nights.” (1) Another narration states, “During the odd-numbered nights of the last ten.” (2)

In one particular year, the Companions saw it during the last seven nights. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I see that your dreams agree upon the last seven nights. Whoever seeks it should therefore seek it during the last seven nights.” (3) He meant during that particular year. In other years, however, it may occur on any of the last ten nights. It is not fixed, although the twenty-seventh night is the most likely. For example, it may fall on the twenty-seventh night this year, the twenty-first the following year, the twenty-fifth the year after that, and so on. Allah, Glorious and Exalted, left its date unspecified for two tremendous benefits:

The first benefit is to distinguish those who sincerely seek it from those who are indolent. Anyone who sincerely seeks it will not mind exerting himself for ten nights in order to attain it, whereas an indolent person is reluctant to stand in prayer for ten nights for the sake of a single night.

The second benefit is that Muslims earn greater reward through performing more deeds, for the more deeds one performs, the greater the reward.

In this connection, I would like to draw attention to an error many people make nowadays: they make a point of performing Umrah on the twenty-seventh night. On that night, one finds the Sacred Mosque packed with immense crowds. Singling out