As the final days of Ramadan 1447H draw to a close, the Islamic world turns its gaze toward one of the holiest nights in the Muslim calendar — Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Power. According to Islamic scholars and astronomical calculations, the 27th night of Ramadan this year falls on the night beginning after sunset on Monday, March 16, 2026 — and Saudi Arabia is preparing to receive hundreds of thousands of worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
The Most Blessed Night of the Year
Laylat al-Qadr holds a singular place in Islamic belief. It is described in the Quran as a night better than a thousand months — a night on which the first verses of the Holy Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and on which angels descend in great number. For Muslims around the world, it is a night of intense worship, prayer, and supplication. The 27th night of Ramadan is considered by the majority of Islamic scholars to be the most likely candidate for Laylat al-Qadr, making it the night that draws the largest gatherings of worshippers at the holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
This year, with Eid Al-Fitr confirmed for Thursday, March 20, 2026, the last ten nights of Ramadan have taken on an even more heightened significance. Worshippers across Saudi Arabia and the broader Muslim world have been observing the final stretch of the holy month with intensified devotion, seeking the blessings of these consecrated nights.
Saudi Arabia Ready for the Night’s Peak Crowds
Saudi Arabia’s General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has activated full operational protocols for the final ten nights of Ramadan, deploying thousands of staff across the Grand Mosque complex and its surrounding areas. The integrated plan covers crowd management, medical services, cleaning crews, security, and transportation — all designed to ensure that worshippers can perform their prayers and rituals safely and with ease.
The Grand Mosque in Makkah, which can accommodate over two million worshippers at peak capacity, is expected to reach its highest attendance figures of the entire Ramadan season during the night of the 27th. Worshippers begin gathering well before Maghrib prayer, with the mosque’s vast courtyards, surrounding plazas, and expansion areas all filling with devotees seeking a share of this extraordinary night.
A Night That Unites the World in Makkah
The Taraweeh and Tahajjud prayers at the Grand Mosque during Laylat al-Qadr are broadcast live to hundreds of millions of Muslims around the globe, amplifying the spiritual connection between the holy city and the global Muslim community. For the faithful in Saudi Arabia, this night is observed with private prayers at home, congregational worship at local mosques, and for those blessed enough to be in Makkah, the incomparable experience of supplicating directly within the sacred precinct of the Grand Mosque.
As the Kingdom prepares for this luminous night — and for the celebrations of Eid Al-Fitr that will follow just days later — the Grand Mosque stands as both the spiritual heart of the Muslim world and a testament to Saudi Arabia’s unwavering commitment to serving the two holy cities and the millions who journey to them each year.
