Laylat al-Qadr in Almaty: the Night Better Than 1000 Months

The Night of Destiny, or Laylat al-Qadr — the Night of Power — is an Islamic holy night observed on the 27th night of Ramadan. On this night, it is customary to stay awake, read the Quran, pray, ask forgiveness for sins, and make wishes. From the evening of August 26 to the morning of August 27, the doors of Almaty’s Central Mosque remained open, and by midnight the number of worshippers exceeded 10,000 people.

At 8:30 PM, the main prayer hall of the Central Mosque was still empty; believers would begin arriving after iftar.

Everyone is rushing to the night prayer, Isha. During the thirty days of fasting, Muslims abstain from food, water, and marital relations from sunrise to sunset, striving to keep their tongues pure from harsh words and their thoughts free from sinful intentions. Before entering the mosque, it is necessary to remove shoes.

The Quran describes Laylat al-Qadr as «better than a thousand months.» Any act performed on this night — Quran recitation, remembrance of Allah, etc. — surpasses what could be done over a thousand months. This is equivalent to more than 83 years of devoted worship.

The imam delivers a sermon (khutbah) from the minbar. The greatness and majesty of the Night of Destiny lie in the fact that the Quran was revealed on this night. It is believed that countless angels descend to earth during Laylat al-Qadr.

Muslims perform the Tarawih prayer. According to the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, it is recommended to perform Tarawih in Ramadan. This prayer is performed in congregation after Isha. The word «tarweeha» means «pause, rest, break.»

Naib Imam Bakhtiyar is one of the few in Kazakhstan who knows the entire Quran by heart: «The Messenger of Allah, through Angel Jibreel, said: ‘Whoever spends the Night of Destiny in prayer with faith and hope for Allah’s reward — all his past sins will be forgiven.»

Prayers continue throughout the night. Today, Muslims from all over the world — children and adults — have gathered here.

«A person must not only be physically strong, but pure at heart,» says fitness trainer Ramil Mirzayev.

On this night, missed prayers are completed, the holy Quran is recited, past mistakes are reflected upon, resentments are forgiven, and plans for the future are made.

A TV presenter rehearses his speech before going live.

The chief imam of the Central Mosque, Kulmukhammed Makhanbet, is being prepared and styled for a live interview.

Women are not allowed into the men’s prayer hall; despite female TV workers doing their jobs, men shake their heads disapprovingly when they appear inside. This is not just a rule — the presence of a woman may distract a man during prayer.

For this night, the TV channel «Kazakhstan» installed a large screen at the mosque entrance so that those who could not fit inside could still watch the broadcast and pray together. Here, men and women prayed side by side.

Carpets were laid outside for convenience.

28-year-old Aigerim, mother of two: «Today is a celebration, there was so much joy. After work, we came here to help set the table and make baursaks. We will try not to sleep all night and ask Allah for forgiveness for everything we did wrong and for those we have hurt.»

There are far fewer women in the hall compared to men, yet it is still very hot inside. During prayer and bowing, a woman’s movements must be more modest than a man’s. Women’s clothing must not be transparent or highlight body curves. It must cover the whole body except the face and hands.

«My name is Kulyan Mukanova, I am a writer. I am 85 years old, and since 1990 I have been coming to the mosque and reading the Quran. Thanks to our President and the Grand Mufti, the mosque is now well attended, and I am happy about it. I wish everyone success, happiness, and health. May our Kazakhstan flourish. Congratulations on the holy night!»

The original version of this material was published on Voxpopuli.kz (before its closure in 2023). The author restored the text and photos from a personal archive to preserve documentary and historical materials.