Laylatul
Qadr-The Night of Power!
By
Abu Muhmmad Yusuf
Allah
Ta’ala in His infinite Mercy has favoured us in so many ways. Such blessings
that we cannot possibly enumerate nor show sufficient gratitude to the
Almighty. Amongst the many blessings include a very special GIFT..Laylatul Qadr- The Night of Power.
It
is an opportunity to gain closeness to our Creator, forgiveness of our sins and
an elevated position in Jannah (Paradise). The Night of Power is better that a
1000 months(83
years, 4 months)!
Allah,
Most Wise, says:
"The
Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” (Quran 97:3 )
The
Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
“Whosoever
stands in "Ibaadah" (worship) on this night, with sincere faith and
with genuine hopes of gaining reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." (Hadith-Bukhari and Muslim)
When
is it?
The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:
"Seek
it (laylatul qadr) in Ramadan in the last ten nights. For verily, it is during
the odd nights, 21st 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th or the last night of
Ramadhan." (Sahih
Hadith Ahmad 5:318)
From
traditions we learn that among the signs of this night is that it is a serene,
quiet, shining night, neither hot, nor cold but temperate as if a moon is
shining clear, and no meteors are shot at the "Shayateen" on that
night; it lasts until the break of the dawn. Another sign is that at morn, the
Sun rises without any radiant beams of light, appearing rather like the moon in
it's fullness. On that day, Allah prohibits the "Shayateen" from
rising up with the Sun.
What
to do on this night?
Worship
during this night can take on many forms. Here are a few suggestions to help
you through Laylatul Qadr:
· Take a vacation for Allah! If possible, take a vacation
for the last 10 days of Ramadan.Plan ahead if you are working.
· Discuss the importance of this night with your friends and family
and Islamic Scholars(Ulama). Create an atmosphere for ibadah(worship).
· Perform Itikaaf (seclusion in a Masjid for
worship) –Try to spend full ten days in I’tikaf. If you cannot spend all 10
days in Itikaaf, then do as man y days as you can - even if it is only one day. According to the Messenger of Allah
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) “whosoever performs
"I'tikaaf" for a day thereby seeking the pleasure of Allah, Allah
will spread three trenches between him and the fire of Hell, the width of each
trench being greater than the distance between Heaven and the Earth."
· Increase the recitation of the Qur'an- Try to recite as much Qur’an as
possible. There is great virtue in recitation. (reflect on the meaning of the
verses, especially the verses used in Salah. This will help you concentrate)
· Increase Salah (prayer).Read as many Nawaafil
(optional)Prayers as possible. Eg Tahajjud Salaah, Salatul Tasbih etc
· Make abundant Zikr (i.e remembering Allah, sending
salawaat on our beloved Rasulullah(salallaho alaihe wassallam) and making
Istigfaar(seeking forgiveness from Al lah)
· Dua (Asking from Allah)- Spend lots
of time begging from Allah to fulfil your needs and the needs of the Ummah both
in this world and the hereafter. Ramadaan is r eplete with moments when duas
are accepted. Aaisha
(Radhiallaho anha) reports: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam), should I find myself the "Laylatul Qadr", what
shall I pray. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) replied: say,
Allaahumma innaka afuwwun
tohibbul'afwa fa'fu anna
"O Allah, Thou art the One
who grants pardon for sins. Thou lovest to pardon, so pardon me." (Hadith-Recorded by Ahmad, Ibn
Majah, and at-Tirmithi)
For the dua in Arabic script please
see: http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2011/08/dua-laylatul-qadr_4495.html
· Make list of Things you need from Allah-Ask
yourself what you really want from Allah. Make a list of each and everything,
no matter how small or how big it is, whether it deals w ith this world or the
hereafter. Allah loves to hear from us and wants us to beg of Him. Once this
list is ready then use it in your prayers.
· Best time for dua- Make sincere and all-embracing
Duas. One of the best times to do this is during the last part of the night
especially at the time of suhoor (sehri). Abu Hurair a, may Allah be pleased
with him, related that Rasulullah (salallaho alaihe wassallam) said: When the last one-third of the
night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the
earth and proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his
supplication? Who is that who begs Me for anything and I grant it to him? And
who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgive him? (Hadith-Bukhari, Muslim).
· Take regular breaks during the night to avoid
getting over-exhausted. Try switching between different forms of worship.
May
Allah accept our prayers and allow us to take full benefit of this Mubarak
Night and let us not forget our brothers and sisters all over the world who are
being oppressed and facing extreme hardships.
For a detailed article on Laylatul Qadr (Night of
Power) in the light of Qur’an and Hadith please visit: http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2011/08/lailatul-qadr-night-of-power.html< /b>
******
No comments:
Post a Comment