Laylat al Qadr (Night of Destiny) is a special night that falls within the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Besides Night of Destiny, it has many other names: Night of Power and Night of Decree, and it occurs during the last ten nights, but a strong majority of Muslims consider it the 27th night of Ramadan. Laylat al Qadr is considered to be a very special event in the Islamic calendar as it commemorates the night when the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, during which the majority of Moroccans and Muslims will stay up at the mosque all night to pray non-stop till dawn. (This couldn’t happen this year because the curfew from 8pm to 6am was imposed by the Moroccan authorities due to the pandemic).

“Whoever stands (in prayer) during the Night of Al-Qadr with faith and expecting a reward (from Allah), he will be forgiven for his previous sins.” [Fath Al-Bari 4:294, and Muslim 1:253]

Others will watch the sky in the hope that it "opens", reserved for the wisest and the most fervently religious, so a halo would have appeared for a fraction of a second, just long enough to make a wish, and those who had the chance and the time to do so, saw their wishes come true, so nobody knows when the sky will open again, so they start praying from the 20th of Ramadan until the end, in what they call the last sacred 10 days of Ramadan.

This "night of fate" for the faithful Muslims and less faithful who only go to the mosque during major events, (especially on Friday at noon, where all the mosques are full) is an opportunity that during this sacred night, the mosques are super full and people pray on rugs outside the mosque, all hoping that their prayers would match the opening of the sky.

That being said, we can’t forget about another part of Moroccan society who resort to the use of black magic because they are convinced that the Night of Destiny is spent in which all the special requests and purposes of women are fulfilled through works of witchcraft and sorcery also called "the night of the witches".

Those who believe in the balance of forces will say "Logically, if the sky opens, it is an open door to higher forces, it will therefore allow as many angels as demons". Those who practice this "witchcraft" believe that shour (spell) will be stronger and more powerful on that night.

The twenty-seventh night of Ramadan, then, is in the tradition of Moroccan witches and sorcerers, one of the most important annual dates. In their belief, the jinns (spirit) are imprisoned during the month of Ramadan and are only liberated at the end of it, and the jinns are one of the basic elements in all works of magic and sorcery. There’s a popular belief that on this night the handcuffed demons will be released, so they ask them to fulfill their needs in it.

The biggest victim during this great night is the husband, who is forced to unknowingly eat foods or drinks that contain many disgusting varieties of witchcraft and sorcery products, in which the wife seeks to try and conceal her taste with more herbs, flavorings and spices.

According to the Holy Qur'an: The powerful Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months, equivalent to the worship of 83 years. There are those who exploit it in praying to God and asking for the gift of Divine Forgiveness, and there are those who exploit it in by getting the help of demons and spirits to harm others out of hatred and envy.

Two parties, two different goals, one thing in common…the Moroccan Drama never stops!