The sacred night is also known as night of decree or majesty' and it commemorates the period when God the Almighty revealed the sacred scripture of holy Quran to honorable prophet of Islam.
God the merciful mentions virtues of this night and the Holy Scripture in some of the Quranic verses as following:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious Most Merciful. Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the night of Al-Qadr"
"And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr (Decree)"
The sacred night is described in the Quran as, "better than a thousand months"
"Peace it is until the appearance of dawn."
According to some Islamic traditions, the al-Qadr occurs in the last ten nights of the holy month of Ramadan during an odd night. The individual and collective destinies are decreed during this holy period.
It is recommended to stay awake to perform worship, reciting Quran and supplications narrated by the holy prophet of Islam and his infallible successors, and seeking forgiveness from God the Almighty.
It is worth mentioning that Imam Khomeini used to recite the divine scripture too much during the holy month of Ramadan and considered these sacred times as spring of the holy Quran.
The relatives and friends say that Imam used to cancel his official meetings to concentrate on spiritual activities of observing fast and reciting the holy Quran during the days and nights of this holy month.
Some sources say Imam used to recite ten chapters of holy Quran daily in Ramadan during his stay in holy city of Najaf. He also continued his association with the holy book and devoted most of his time to the holy book while acting as supreme leader of the Islamic revolution and the Muslim world.
The great Imam used to recite verses whenever he found a leisure time between meals or any other parts of the day.
It is evident and clear from holy verses of Quran that observing fast is of great significance because it is a prologue to piety and piousness. The observing fast has been an obligation for all divine religions including Islam.
The great Imam used to stay awake during nights of Qadr to say prayers, recite supplications and recommended the youth to undertake serious efforts for purification of their hearts and souls during these sacred days and nights.