Night of Power
Enable an AI agent to recognise Night of Power observances, record their tradition-specific meaning and timing, and support participation without claiming certainty about the sacred night's identification.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise Night of Power observances, record their tradition-specific meaning and timing, and support participation without claiming certainty about the sacred night's identification.
The Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr) is a sacred night in Ramadan that Islamic tradition associates with the revelation of the Qur'an and observes through worship, with its precise date understood differently across traditions.
It can be Resolve Night of Power names to the registered Laylat al-Qadr referent while preserving translation differences.; Compare attributed candidate-night positions and explain their consequences for an observance schedule.; Calculate provisional local calendar intervals from an explicitly selected calendar authority.; Prepare reminders and devotional programme options using the participant's stated tradition and preferences.; Record completed observances and reported experiences separately from claims about spiritual outcomes..
Distinguishing features
The referent is explicitly identified as Laylat al-Qadr; the English word 'power' alone does not establish identity.
Its scriptural identity is associated with the sending down of revelation and exceptional sacred value in Quran 97. [Surah Al-Qadr](https://quran.com/al-qadr/1-5)
A gathering qualifies as a Night of Power observance through its stated devotional purpose, rather than merely taking place during Ramadan.
An advertised date identifies a community's observance or preferred candidate; it does not independently establish when Laylat al-Qadr occurs.
The model distinguishes the sacred occasion from the prayers, recitations and gatherings undertaken in relation to it.
Scope
+ Identification of Night of Power with Laylat al-Qadr and its translated names
+ Attributed understandings of revelation, decree and the night's religious significance
+ Tradition-specific candidate nights and community calendar decisions
+ Devotional activities explicitly undertaken to seek or observe Laylat al-Qadr
+ Distinction between scheduled observances, reported experiences and claims that the sacred night has been identified
- Ramadan fasting rules and the month as a whole
- The Quran as a text, including its complete transmission history
- General Islamic prayer, supplication and retreat procedures
- Mosque administration and general event management
- Other sacred nights and festivals, including Eid and the Night Journey
Characteristics
- Referent level
- sacred occasion; annual candidate night; organised observance; personal devotional observance Prevents a local gathering or proposed date from being treated as the sacred occasion itself.
- Interpretive affiliation
- Named tradition, scholar, institution or participant account Keeps meanings and recommendations attached to the people or authorities who hold them.
- Candidate-night designation
- Ramadan night number or candidate set, with source and counting convention Supports multiple supported date positions without imposing a universal date.
- Calendar basis
- Hijri year, locality, Ramadan-start authority, calendar method and time zone Makes a civil-date conversion interpretable and revisable.
- Local observance interval
- Start and end timestamps with time zone; duration in minutes Enables scheduling while distinguishing programme hours from the religious night's boundaries.
- Identification status
- candidate; locally designated observance; retrospectively claimed; disputed; unspecified Prevents practical scheduling choices from becoming assertions of religious certainty.
- Devotional programme
- Attributed selection of prayer, Quran recitation, supplication or other specified practices Allows observances to differ without presenting one programme as compulsory for everyone.
- Observance progress
- proposed; scheduled; underway; completed; cancelled Records actionable event status without claiming to measure spiritual acceptance or reward.
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 16 findings · 27 questions.
Sacred identity and meaning Establishes which occasion is meant and how its significance is understood.
The missing registry definition requires explicit identification, while differences in interpretation must remain visible.
Names and referent
Connects the registered English name to the intended Islamic occasion.
Laylat al-Qadr identification
Record Laylat al-Qadr as the intended referent and retain the source of translated labels such as Power or Decree.
- Does this use of Night of Power explicitly refer to Laylat al-Qadr? definition
- Which translation or community supplies the label, and what meaning does it attach to qadr? provenance
Scriptural significance
Separates textual statements from explanations supplied by interpreters.
Revelation and sacred value
Quran 97 associates the night with revelation, exceptional value, angelic descent and peace until dawn; record these as scriptural claims and attribute further interpretation. [Surah Al-Qadr](https://quran.com/al-qadr/1-5)
- Which passage and interpretation support the stated connection to revelation or decree? provenance
- Does the account distinguish religious valuation from a measurable duration or guaranteed reward calculation? boundary
Candidate nights and calendar Represents uncertainty about identification alongside the concrete dates needed for action.
An agent must support scheduling without turning a preferred candidate into an uncontested date.
Tradition-specific candidates
Preserves distinct source-backed approaches to seeking the night.
Candidate set attribution
Store candidate sets with their authority. For example, the cited Shia devotional guide identifies the 19th, 21st and 23rd nights as candidates; this position must not become a universal calendar rule. [Supplications for the Month of Ramadhan](https://al-islam.org/supplications-month-ramadhan/laylatul-qadr-night-power)
- Which nights does the selected authority recommend observing, and does it rank any as more likely? provenance
- Is the recorded date a candidate, a customary communal observance or a claim of definitive identification? boundary
Local night resolution
Maps religious night designations to usable local intervals.
Calendar and boundary basis
Record the selected Ramadan calendar, night-number convention and local boundary method before deriving civil dates.
- Which Ramadan-start decision and night-number convention determine this candidate's civil evening? measurement
- Which local sunset and dawn times, or accepted alternative convention, bound the observance night? measurement
- Which reminders require revision if the community changes its Ramadan-start decision? action
Devotional intent and practice Connects actions to the explicit intention of seeking or observing Laylat al-Qadr.
The ACT model must recognise purposeful observance and represent actionable practices without prescribing a universal rite.
Observance intent
Distinguishes an intentional Laylat al-Qadr observance from coincident Ramadan activity.
Seeking the night
Record whether a person or programme explicitly intends to seek Laylat al-Qadr, including observance across several candidate nights.
- What stated intention connects this activity to Laylat al-Qadr? definition
- Does the plan cover one locally preferred night or a series of candidate nights? action
Attributed practice selection
Keeps devotional content tied to an identified source and participant context.
Programme and recommendation status
For each proposed prayer, recitation or supplication, distinguish its source's recommendation from organiser custom and participant preference.
- Which authority supports this practice specifically for Laylat al-Qadr, and how does that authority classify it? provenance
- Which parts of the programme may the participant select or adapt under their chosen guidance? action
Situated observance and coordination Represents a concrete occasion of participation within a candidate sacred night.
An annual sacred occasion can have many independent observances with different locations, hours and participation arrangements.
Observance instance
Identifies a personal or communal observance without equating it with the sacred night.
Annual and local linkage
Link each observance to its Hijri year, candidate-night designation, locality and organising or participating party.
- Which annual candidate night does this observance intend to honour? definition
- Are two records duplicate announcements of one gathering or separate observances of the same candidate night? boundary
Participation window
Supports attendance within actual programme hours and available arrangements.
Programme hours and access
Record whether participation is private, communal or remote, with verified programme hours; a gathering may occupy only part of the night.
- What are the confirmed programme hours, and how do they relate to the selected night's boundaries? measurement
- What attendance or access arrangements must be known before offering a participation plan? action
Evidence and identification limits Controls how textual authority, reported signs and personal experiences support claims.
The model needs explicit limits on what an agent can infer about identification, acceptance and spiritual effects.
Claim authority
Preserves the evidential path behind consequential religious assertions.
Source and interpretation chain
Distinguish scripture, transmitted reports, scholarly interpretation and local announcements rather than treating them as interchangeable authorities.
- What exact source supports this assertion, and whose interpretation connects that source to the assertion? provenance
- Does a disagreement concern the source's authority, its interpretation or its application to this year? boundary
Reported signs and outcomes
Separates observable or reported events from religious conclusions drawn from them.
Experience does not certify identification
Record dreams, feelings or environmental observations as attributed reports; neither those reports nor logged worship duration independently establish sacred identification or acceptance.
- What was directly observed or reported, and what additional conclusion did the claimant draw? boundary
- How should the agent preserve the account without presenting identification, forgiveness or acceptance as verified? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- The intended sense is inferred to be the Islamic Laylat al-Qadr; no registry sense was supplied.
- Accounts differ in how they explain the revelation associated with this night, including distinctions between an initial revelation and a descent of the Qur'an.
- Exact dates and devotional details should be checked against the particular Islamic tradition being described; this account is recalled knowledge, not source-verified research.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of Night of Power this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- The Qur'an, surah 97 (al-Qadr), describes the night as better than a thousand months.
- Prophetic traditions recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim encourage seeking the night during the last ten nights of Ramadan, especially the odd-numbered nights.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Night of Power this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Observed through voluntary night prayers, Qur'an recitation, supplication and seeking forgiveness.
- A focus of intensified worship during i'tikaf, a devotional retreat commonly undertaken in the final ten days of Ramadan.
- Marked by communal mosque gatherings and, in some communities, extended overnight services.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Night of Power this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Presenting the 27th night of Ramadan as a universally established date.
- Treating the Qur'anic comparison with a thousand months as a physical measurement of the night's duration.
- Conflating the night with the separate commemoration of Muhammad's night journey and ascension.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Night of Power this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Many Sunni communities give particular prominence to the 27th night while also observing other nights in the final ten.
- Twelver Shi'i observance particularly emphasizes the 19th, 21st and 23rd nights, with special prominence often given to the 23rd.
- Corresponding civil-calendar dates can differ between communities because of differences in determining the start of Ramadan.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Night of Power this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Ramadan - Ramadan is the entire lunar month; the Night of Power is a sacred night within it.
- I'tikaf - I'tikaf is a devotional retreat that may encompass the night; it is a practice rather than the sacred occasion itself.
- Isra and Mi'raj - These concern Muhammad's night journey and ascension, rather than the revelation associated with the Night of Power.
- Surah al-Qadr - This is chapter 97 of the Qur'an, which describes the night, rather than the night itself.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Night of Power this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Which source-backed candidate-night positions and counting conventions must be represented across the communities this registry will serve?
- How do relevant interpreters distinguish the night's association with revelation, decree and recurring annual observance?
- Which authorities and conventions should govern local night boundaries in places without ordinary sunset or dawn?
- Which Laylat al-Qadr-specific practices have disputed attribution or recommendation status within the intended user communities?
- How should conflicting retrospective identification claims be displayed when communities disagree about both calendar dates and reported signs?