Prophet Musa (pbuh) once addressed Allah saying: "Lord! I desire to be near to You."
Allah said "Whoever desires nearness to Me is one who remains awake during Laylatul Qadr (doing ibada)."
Prophet Musa (pbuh) said: "Lord! I wish to earn Your mercy."
Allah replied "My mercy is granted to anyone who is merciful to the underprivileged during Laylatul Qadr."
Prophet Musa (pbuh) said: "Lord! I wish to pass on the right path."
Allah replied "This is granted to anyone who gives sadaqa during Laylatul Qadr."
Prophet Musa (pbuh) said: "Lord! I wish to enjoy the trees and fruits of Janna!"
Allah replied "This is granted to anyone who praises Me during Laylatul Qadr."
Prophet Musa (pbuh) said: "Lord! I wish to achieve salvation from the fire!"
Allah replied "This is granted to anyone who seeks forgiveness during Laylatul Qadr."
Prophet Musa (pbuh) said: "Lord! I wish to achieve Your pleasure!"
Allah replied "I shall be pleased with anyone who prays two (mustahab) rak'ats salaa during Laylatul Qadr."
The month of Ramadhan has been singled
out for special worship (`Ibadat) and exclusive favours. It is a month
unlike other months. One reason for this, as defined by the Qur'an, is
because the Holy Qur'an was revealed in this month. Says Allah in Sura
alBaqarah: The month of Ramadhan, that in which the Qur'an was sent
down; a guidance for mankind, and clear signs of guidance and
distinction (2:185). In fact, according to a hadith of the 6th Imam (a),
the other holy books were also revealed in this month.
Among the nights of Ramadhan is
one special night, which is better than a thousand months (HQ, 97:3).
Good deeds performed on that single night are equal to those performed
over a thousand months. It is the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr), when
the Qur'an was revealed. Some commentators believe it was the night when
the Qur'an was brought down from Baytul M`amur (Heavenly abode), for
Jibrael to reveal in parts to the Prophet (s). Others say it was the
night when the Prophet received the entire Qur'an, but was asked to
transmit it as and when the occasion demanded.
Laylatul Qadr is a celebration
to commemorate the arrival of the final guidance for humans. It is a
tribute to the commencement of the message revealed to mankind by their
Creator, a message which shows them the way to achieve happiness in both
the worlds. Just as the arrival of a child is celebrated, on its birth
and then every year, as a bringer of joy and fulfilment for the family,
Laylatul Qadr is celebrated as a bringer of light and guidance for
mankind. Unlike the birthday which is celebrated with a feast for the
senses, Laylatul Qadr includes a feast for the spirit, a feast of
worship and prayers.
Some Ahadith indicate that the
fate of every believer for the coming year is decreed on this night.
That is why the Du`as for this night ask for special favours in the
decree for the year. Believers are encouraged to stay awake the entire
night, and pray for blessings and forgiveness. It is the holiest night
of the year, and it would be unwise to be heedless of the tremendous
benefits of this night.
A Night Greater than One Thousand Months:
Laylatul
Qadr, the Night of Power, is the most blessed night of the entire year.
Its significance and glory has been described and discussed in the Holy
Qur'an itself, as well as in numerous traditions. Can we imagine its
full import and can we comprehend its full glory? The Holy Qur'an asks,
"And what will make you comprehend what the grand night is?" (97:2) The
night is loftier in importance and weightier in blessings than one
thousand months! It's the night of determination of our destinies, and
the night when the Holy Qur'an was revealed. It's a night of power, of
glory, and of blessings.
Some of the salient features of this great night are discussed as follows:
Revelation of Holy Qur'an
The verse from Sura
Qadr, "Surely We revealed it on the grand night," (97:1) and another
from Sura Baqara, "The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur'an was
revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the
distinction…" (2:185) together signify to us that the Qur'an was
revealed on the Laylatul Qadr. Was the Qur'an revealed all at once on
this night? Or it was revealed in gradual time periods extending over 23
years of the Holy Prophet's (peace be upon him and his progeny)
prophethood?
The scholars of
Qur'anic exegesis tell us that the holy Qur'an was revealed in two ways:
it was revealed on this great night upon the Holy Prophet's sacred
heart, and it was also gradually revealed over a period of 23 years
during his prophethood.
The month
of Ramadan makes the heart of believers pliant and conducive to accept
any guidance. Fasting opens our hearts for acceptance of divine
guidance, thus this month is like the spring season of the Qur'an. Just
as barren land which is not capable of growing any vegetation becomes
fertile in spring when life-giving rains fall on it, so is the effect of
Ramadan on our hearts. The Night of Power is the epitome of guidance
and blessings, as this night carries the significance of being bestowed
with Holy Qur'an.
Determination of Destinies
This is the night when
destinies are set, as stated in the Qur'an: "Surely We revealed it on a
blessed night – surely We are ever warning – Therein every wise affair
is made distinct"(44:3-4). There are many traditions which inform us
that on this night, our affairs are set for the whole year.
It
is worth noting here from the commentary of Aqa Mahdi Puya: "On the
Night of Power, the divine wisdom determines the solution of all
spiritual pursuits man decides to undertake; therefore the Holy Prophet
has advised the believers to pray and seek Allah's mercy throughout this
night…Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: 'People wrongly imagine that
destiny is abiding and fate is certain. If it were so, the idea of
reward and penalty becomes meaningless, promise and threat a hoax.
Allah, the most praised, has given man freedom of thought and action.'
The
freedom of action is conditioned by the laws made by Allah to govern
the universe. No one can break them. Imam Ali said: 'While standing, if
you want to lift one of your legs you can, and you are free to lift the
second leg also – but as soon as your second leg leaves the ground you
will fall down, because you have broken the law Allah has so precisely
put in operation."
Some Other Related Points About this Great Night
Which night is the Night of Power?
There are different views on
which night of the month of Ramadan is the Night of Power. There have
been supporters for the1st, 17th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 27th, or 29th night
of the month of Ramadan. There are traditions that Holy Prophet would
stay busy with prayers and worship especially during the last ten
nights, thus there is more emphasis on those nights. Most of the
traditions from the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) point out the 23rd
night as the Night of Power, while most of the traditions in Ahlus
Sunnah consider the 27th night as Laylatul Qadr.
Why is Laylatul Qadr hidden?
Scholars say that the philosophy
behind hiding the Night is so that we pay importance to all the nights
of Ramadan and thereby get the maximum spiritual benefit from them.
Is there only one Night of Power in all the regions of the world?
We are aware of the fact that
the lunar calendar dates are different in different parts of the world.
Taking that into consideration, will there be multiple Nights of Power
in regions where the dates are different? The answer to this is that the
night and day alternate with the revolution of the earth on its axis.
So the Night of Power will start from one point and will continue to
move over the regions where night is falling. In this way it would be a
whole rotation of one night covering each region of the earth.
In conclusion is the following supplication from Sahifa Sajjadiyya:
And praise belongs to God who
showed favour to us through His religion,
singled us out for His creed,
and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence,
in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them
to His good pleasure,
a praise which He will accept from us
and through which He will be pleased with us!
And praise belongs to God who appointed among those roads His month,
the month of Ramadan,
the month of fasting,
the month of submission,
the month of purity,
the month of putting to test,
the month of standing in prayer,
in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance to the people,
and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Separator!
Then He made one of its nights surpass the nights
of a thousand months
and named it the Night of Decree;
in it the angels and the Spirit descend
by the leave of their Lord upon every command,
a peace constant in blessings
until the rising of the dawn
upon whomsoever He will of His servants
according to the decision He has made firm.
O God,
bless Muhammad and his Household,
inspire us
with knowledge of its excellence,
veneration of its inviolability,
and caution against what Thou hast forbidden within it,
and help us to fast in it
by our restraining our limbs
from acts of disobedience toward Thee
and our employing them
in that which pleases Thee,
so that we lend not our ears to idle talk
and hurry not with our eyes to diversion,
we stretch not our hands toward the forbidden
and stride not with our feet toward the prohibited,
our bellies hold only what Thou hast made lawful
and our tongues speak only what Thou
hast exemplified,
we undertake nothing but what brings close to
Thy reward
and pursue nothing but what protects from
Thy punishment!
Then rid all of that from the false show of the false showers
and the fame seeking of the fame seekers,
lest we associate therein anything with Thee
or seek therein any object of desire but Thee!
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