Shab e Qadr 2026 Date in India and Complete Guide

Shab e Qadr 2026, also called Laylat al-Qadr, Laylatul Qadr, or the Night of Power, is expected to fall on the night of Sunday, 15 March 2026 (beginning at sunset and continuing through to dawn on Monday, 16 March 2026) for most communities in India, based on the 27th night of Ramadan. However, because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle and the start of Ramadan depends on moon sighting, the exact date can shift by a day depending on the region.

Looking for Shab e Qadr 2025 dates? Shab e Qadr 2025 fell on the night of 26 March 2025. This page covers the expected Shab e Qadr 2026 date and holiday details.

What Is Shab e Qadr?

Shab e Qadr, derived from Persian and Arabic meaning "Night of Power" or "Night of Decree," is considered the holiest night in the Islamic faith. It marks the night on which the first verses of the Quran were revealed by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibreel, inside the Cave of Hira near Makkah, in 610 CE. Surah Al-Qadr in the Quran describes this night as being better than a thousand months, meaning worship performed on this single night carries a spiritual reward exceeding over 83 years of continuous prayer and devotion.

Shab e Qadr does not have a definitively fixed date; Islamic tradition holds that it can fall on any of the odd-numbered nights during the last ten days of Ramadan, specifically the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, or 29th night. Most scholars and communities, particularly in India, hold the 27th night of Ramadan to be the most likely date for Laylat al-Qadr, which is why the night is widely observed on that date.

Shab e Qadr 2026 Date in India

Expected Date | Night | Islamic Date | Day (India)
Evening of 15 March 2026 | 27th Night of Ramadan | 27 Ramadan 1447 AH | Sunday evening to Monday dawn

Note: Ramadan 2026 is expected to begin around 19 February 2026 in India, making the 27th night expected on 15-16 March 2026. The exact date depends on moon sighting and may be confirmed only closer to the date by religious authorities or local mosques.

Is Shab e Qadr a Bank Holiday in 2026?

Shab e Qadr is not a gazetted public or bank holiday across India. It is a night of religious observance, not a declared government holiday, so banks, offices, and businesses operate normally on 16 March 2026 (the following morning). The observance is entirely nocturnal, from sunset until Fajr (dawn), so working and banking hours on the associated calendar date are generally unaffected.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Shab e Qadr has been observed with some degree of special significance, and local communities may engage in large mosque gatherings and a general sense of quiet observance, but it remains a non-holiday day for official institutions.

What Do Muslims Do on Shab e Qadr?

Shab e Qadr is marked by intense personal and communal worship from sunset to dawn. Mosques see significantly higher attendance than regular Ramadan nights. Common practices include extended recitation of the Quran, Tarawih and Tahajjud prayers, Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), heartfelt duas (supplications) seeking forgiveness and mercy, and acts of charity and feeding the hungry. Many devotees choose to spend the entire night in the mosque or in quiet home prayer, since the night's exact timing is uncertain and believers seek to maximise their worship across all the final odd nights of Ramadan.

The Dua most commonly recited on this night is: "Allahumma innaka Affuwwun, tuhibbul Afwa, fa'fu anni" (O Allah, You are the Pardoner and You love to pardon, so pardon me).

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