Shaykh ʿUbayd al-Jābirī رَحِمَهُ اللهُ posed the question:

If a Muslim sees the signs of Laylat ul-Qadr, is it permitted to spread what he saw? Also, what is said regarding those who are infatuated with and yearn to see the signs of Laylat ul-Qadr, and then take a picture to spread what they saw?

We say to these people:

Did any of our righteous predecessors do this before you? If you say yes, then we say: ascribe your statement to a recognised scholar. If you say no, then we say to them: why do you burden yourselves?

Al-Ḥāfidh Ibn Ḥajr رَحِمَهُ اللهُ said:

“Al-Subkī derived that it is recommended to keep it secret if you see [the signs of] Laylat ul-Qadr. This is because Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى decreed for his Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ to not inform us of it, and all good is in what was decreed for him. So, it is desirable to follow him in that. Also, he mentioned in Sharḥ al-Minhāj’ from al-Ḥāwī that the wisdom behind that is because seeing the signs of Laylat ul-Qadr is a karāmah (an honour from Allah), and the scholars agree that one should hide a karāmah [if he is honoured with it by Allah].”¹

Al-Māwardi رَحِمَهُ اللهُ from the Shāfiʿī madh’hab said:

“It is recommended for the one who sees [the signs of] Laylat ul-Qadr to keep it secret.”²

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1. Fatḥ al-Bārī (4/26) ↩︎
2. Al-Ḥāwī al-Kabīr (3/484) ↩︎

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(Source: Isʿāf Dhawil-Baṣīrah wal-Baṣar bit-Taḥdhīr min Amr Khaṭīr Yushāʿ Ḥawl Laylat ul-Qadr)

^{Originally published: 20 May 2020}