Laylat al-Qadr Across Different Countries – How Its Timing Varies
Source: Fatāwā Rāshidiyyah, p. 380
❖ Question
Please explain how Laylat al-Qadr occurs in different regions of the world?
❖ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d!
Allah ﷻ has created the world in such a way that times differ from place to place. While it is day in one region, it is night in another. Where the night is ending, it is only beginning elsewhere. Because of these variations, the timings of Islamic acts of worship also differ from one country to another.
✦ Examples
✔ When we complete ‘Ishā’ in our country, it may still be ‘Asr in England because of a five-to-six-hour difference in sunrise and sunset. Hence, it is not correct to fix one universal time for worship worldwide; each region acts according to its own timings.
✔ Eid al-Aḍḥā occurs only once a year, but in Saudi Arabia it may fall a day or two earlier than in our country. Does this mean we are deprived of its reward? Certainly not.
✔ Likewise, Ramadan may begin one or two days earlier in Hijaz than here. Does that mean our earlier fasts are missed? No — each country observes according to its own sighting.
Islam is a universal religion; hence, acts of worship in Ramadan are performed according to the local timings of each region.
Evidence from Hadith
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Fast upon sighting the crescent and end the fast upon sighting it.”
Thus:
◈ In our country, Ramadan begins when the crescent is sighted locally.
◈ Other countries begin according to their sighting, whether earlier or later.
◈ Accordingly, Laylat al-Qadr will also occur on different nights in different countries.
✔ Where the crescent is seen earlier, Laylat al-Qadr will fall earlier.
✔ Where it is seen later, it will fall later accordingly.
✦ One Night, But Different Local Times
Laylat al-Qadr is only one night in the year. This reality never changes. However:
◈ Its timing differs in each country because of varying sunrise and sunset.
◈ Just as there is only one Laylat al-Qadr for Saudi Arabia, there is only one for us too.
◈ It comes once a year for the whole world, and always remains one night.
✦ Comparable Examples
✔ Eid al-Fiṭr
✔ 9th Dhul-Ḥijjah (Day of ‘Arafah)
✔ Eid al-Aḍḥā
✔ Ramadan fasting
None of these occur at the same time worldwide; each region observes them according to its own moon sighting and timings.
For example:
– When Muharram begins in Saudi Arabia, Dhul-Ḥijjah may still be ongoing in our region.
– Clearly, Islamic months do not begin everywhere at the same time.
✦ Allah’s Mercy and Justice
Allah ﷻ, being the Lord of the worlds, has not deprived any region of His mercy and blessings.
◈ Every nation performs acts of worship according to its own timings.
◈ Whoever misses out on these blessings does so only due to personal negligence or failure, not because Allah deprived them.
Conclusion
① Laylat al-Qadr occurs once every year.
② Each country experiences it according to its own moon sighting and timings.
③ No Muslim nation is deprived of its blessings; everyone attains it according to their place and time.
ھذا ما عندی واللہ أعلم بالصواب
