~~~~~~~~~~~~~LAYLAT UL-QADR
Peace Until Fajr~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In each of the daily prayer we offer, we solemnly declare to Allah, “Iyyakana’budu” (You alone do we worship). While the intelligent and committedbeliever realizes that his very lifestyle spells worship, he knows,remembering the words of our Prophet (pbuh) that “Du’aa’ (supplication) isworship” [Tirmidhi, Abu Daud] Allah, the Most Merciful, has encouraged thebelievers to take advantage of certain times during the year to make du’aa’.Such an occasion presents itself annually during Ramadan — especially on theLailatul Qadr, the Night of Power. On this night, the single most importantevent in human history unfolded as, after the Glorious Quran was preserved inthe Protected Tablet, Jibril descended with the blessed book to reveal it,upon Allah’s command, to His Messenger (pbuh). Accentuating its significance,Allah says “and how would you know (the value of the) Night of Qadr [97:2]
"Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) used to exert more (inworship) on the last ten than on other nights." [Muslim]
So valuable is this Night of Qadr that the Quran devotes a special surah toit “Lailatul Qadr is better than a thousand months” [97:3] This one nightsurpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The most authentic account of theoccurrence of the Night indicates that it can occur on any one of the lastten, oddnumbered nights of Ramadan. The fact that the exact night is unknownreflects Allah’s will in keeping it hidden. Indeed, the Prophet (pbuh) wasprevented from telling us its precise time. One day, he came out to tell thecompanions the exact night. On the way he saw two men arguing with eachother. By the will of Allah, he(pbuh)forgot and subsequently remembered it.Afterwards the Prophet (pbuh) was instructed not to divulge this information.“Had I been allowed,” he (pbuh) remarked once, “I would have told you (ofits exact time).” [Masnad-e-Ahmad]
The Almighty in His wisdom kept this hidden from usfor many reasons (wa Allahu 'Alam). Perhaps He wants us to strive hard in ourworship during the last ten days of Ramadan so that we don’t become lazy,worshipping hard on just that one night and denying ourselves the benefit ofdoing the same on the other nights. “Had people not left their salah exceptfor that (one) night, I would have informed you (of its exact date).”[Al-Tabarani]
The sincere believer who worries day and night about his sinsand phases of neglect in his life patiently awaits the onset of Ramadan.During it he hopes to be forgiven by Allah for past sins, knowing that theProphet (pbuh) promised that all who bear down during the last ten days shallhave all their sins forgiven. To achieve this, he remembers the Prophet’s(pbuh) advice in differentsayings wherein he used words like “seek”, “pursue”, “search”, and “lookhard” for Lailatul Qadr (see tomorrows Post). Moreover, Allah and HisProphet (pbuh) provided us some signs of its occurrence.
Allah (swt) describes the night as “..peace until the rise of the morn.”[97:5] In various sayings, the Prophet (pbuh) described the night as serene,tranquil, and peaceful. The sun at sunrise would appear reddish and withoutits normal blazing and sharp rays. Ubayy (R) said : "On the morning of thenight of Qadr the sun would rise without any beams; (it is like) a wash basinuntil it raises." [Sahi Muslim]
Abu Hurairah (Rz.a) said : "We mentioned the night of Qadr to the Messenger ofAllaah (S.a.w) and he said: "Which of you remembers when the moon rises and it islike half a bowl." [Muslim]
Ibn Abbaas (Rz.a) said that the Messenger of Allaah (S.a.w) said : "The night of Qadr is a night of generosity and happiness, it is not hot and neither is itcold. The sun comes up in its morning weak, reddish." [Tabaranee, IbnKhuzaimah and Bazzaar]
The Prophet (pbuh) added that “the angel of earth on that night of Qadr willbe more numerous than all the pebbles of the earth.”
What should one do during the last ten days in pursuit of Lailatul Qadr? Thedevoted servant of Allah makes these nights alive with prayer, reading andreflecting on Quran. The long qiyaam prayer has been particularly recommendedduring the nights on which Laylat ul-Qadr could fall. This is indicated inmany hadeeths, such as the following:
Abu Tharr (radhiallahu `anhu) relates: "We fasted with Allah's Messenger(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) in Ramadaan. He did not lead us (in qiyaam) atall until there were seven (nights of Ramadaan) left. Then he stood with us(that night - in prayer) until one third of the night had passed. He did notpray with us on the sixth. On the fifth night, he prayed with us until halfof the night had passed. So we said, 'Allah'sMessenger! Wouldn't you pray with us the whole night?' He replied:
'Whoever stands in prayer with the imaam until he (the imaam) concludes theprayer, it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night.'…" [Recordedby Ibn AbiShaybah, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmithi (who authenticated it), an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah,at-Tahawi (in Sharhu Ma`an il-Athar, Ibn Nasr, al-Faryabi, and al-Bayhaqi.Their isnad is authentic.]
Abu Dawud mentioned: "I heard Ahmad being asked, 'Do you like for a man topray with the people or by himself during Ramadan?' He replied, 'Pray withthe people' I also heard him say, 'I would prefer for one to pray (qiyaam)with the imaam and to pray witr with him as well, for the Prophet (sallallahu`alayhi wa sallam) said: "When a man prays with the imaam until heconcludes,it is recorded that he prayed the rest of that night." [Masaa'il]]
Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu `anhu) narrated that the Messenger (sallallahu`alayhi wa sallam) said: "Whoever stands (in qiyaam) in Laylat ul-Qadr [andit is facilitated for him] out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward),will have all of his previous sins forgiven." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim; theaddition "and it is facilitated for him" is recorded by Ahmad from the reportof `Ubaadah Bin as-Samit; it means that he is permitted to be among thesincere worshippers during that blessed night.
He makes du’aa’ to Allah, penitently beseeching Him for His forgiveness. Heis inspired by the Prophet’s (pbuh) words “Our Lord, most Exalted, Most highcomes down to the lowest heaven during the last third of each night andannounces (reassuringly): Whoever makes du’aa’, I shall answer it. Whoeverasks (for something halal) I shall grant it; and whoever seeks forgiveness, Ishall forgive him.” [Bukhari] The believer, conscious of Allah and theirsins, will continue to beseech Allah, in and out of prayer, during hisprostration.
`A'ishah (radhiallahu `anha) reported that she asked Allah's Messenger(sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), "O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which nightis Laylat ul-Qadr, what should I say during it?" And he instructed her to say:
"Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuh.ibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee - O Allah! You areforgiving, and youlove forgiveness. So forgive me." [Recorded by Ahmad, IbnMajah, and at-Tirmithi]
Aa'isha (R) said: "When the (last) ten started, the Prophet (sallallahu`alayhi wa sallam) would tighten his izaar (i.e. he stayed away from hiswives in order to have more time for worship), spend the whole night awake(in prayer), and wake up his family." [Bukhaaree and Muslim] For a time, theonly concern will be cleansing oneself of the forgetfulness that this lifepropagates in one’s heart, the sins that accumulate, darkening the heart,making it insensitive to disobeying Allah. He begs Allah to keep him awayfrom misfortunes in this world, the punishment of the grave, and the tormentof Hell. He asks Allah to make him patient and steadfast in struggling tomaintain his Islam in this world and asks Him to overlook his shortcomings,periods of laziness and neglect. Sincere devotion on that nightwill render the believer forgtful of the time, until he is surprised by theAdhan of Fajr. After Fajr, as the sun creeps above the horizon, reddish andweak in its appearance, without any rays, the effort at night will have beenworthwhile. The believer rejoices, knowing that this was quite possiblyLailatul Qadr and “whoever stays up (in prayer and remembrance of Allah) onthe Night of Qadr fully believing (in Allah’s promise of reward for thatnight) and hoping to seek reward (from Allah alone and not from people), heshall be forgiven for his past sins.” [Sahi Bukhari, Muslim]
It is narrated from Aa'isha (R) that she said: "I said: 'O Messenger ofAllaah, if I know what night is the Night of Qadr what should I say?." Hesaid: "Say: O Allaah you are pardoning and you love to pardon so pardon me. "[Ahmad,Ibn Majah,Tirmidhee]It is also the Night when all ordainments for the year are decreed. Allah (T)said, which means:
{By the manifest Book (the Quraan) that makes thing clear. We sent it (thisQuraan) down on a Blessed Night (i.e. the Night of Qadr) in the month ofRamadaan. Verily We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torments will reachthose who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness ofWordship]. Therein (that night) is decreed every matter (amran) ofordainment} [The Smoke 44:2-5]
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