The Way to Akhirah

(The Night of Power)
Crowning Glory
Laylatul Qadr is the crowning glory of the holy month of Ramadhaan. It is
associated with the sending down of the Qur’an Majeed, the last Book of Allah
on His last Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), for the guidance
of mankind. The Qur’an Majeed describes this Night.

ﺇِﻧَّﺎ ﺃَﻧﺰَﻟْﻨَﺎﻩُ ﻓِﻲ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔِ ﭐﻟْﻘَﺪْﺭِ
ﻭَﻣَﺂ ﺃَﺩْﺭَﺍﻙَ ﻣَﺎ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔُ ﭐﻟْﻘَﺪْﺭِ
ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔُ ﭐﻟْﻘَﺪْﺭِ ﺧَﻴْﺮٌ ﻣِّﻦْ ﺃَﻟْﻒِ ﺷَﻬْﺮٍ
ﺗَﻨَﺰَّﻝُ ﭐﻟْﻤَﻼَﺋِﻜَﺔُ ﻭَﭐﻟﺮُّﻭﺡُ ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ ﺑِﺈِﺫْﻥِ ﺭَﺑِّﻬِﻢ ﻣِّﻦ ﻛُﻞِّ ﺃَﻣْﺮٍ
ﺳَﻼَﻡٌ ﻫِﻲَ ﺣَﺘَّﻰٰ ﻣَﻄْﻠَﻊِ ﭐﻟْﻔَﺠْﺮِ
“We have indeed revealed this (message) in the Night of Power: And what will
explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a
thousand months. Therein come down the Angels and the Spirit (Jibraeel) by
Allah’s permission, on every errand: Peace! This until the rise of Morn!” (Surah
97)
The Night of Power is the night of spiritual bliss. Our Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) is reported to have said concerning Ramadhaan:
“Verily this month has come to you; and therein is a night which is better than
a thousand Months. Whosoever is deprived of it, is deprived of all good; and
none is deprived of its good except a totally unfortunate person”. ( Ibn Majah )
“Whosoever stands up (in prayer) at the Night of Power out of faith and hopeful
of reward, all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Targhib)
Better than a thousand months
A thousand months are equivalent to 83 years and 4 months. Fortunate is the
person who spends this night in prayer. The man or woman, who prays for the
whole night during this Night, will deserve blessings and reward for the period
as if he or she had been praying for eighty three years and four months
consecutively. Since the Night of Power is better than one thousand months no
one can actually measure the extent as to how much better it is.
Exclusive
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: “Laylatul
Qadr has been bestowed by Allah to my Ummah (People). It was not given to
any people before this.” (Dur-Mansoor).
How manifest and replete the special bounties and mercies of Allah Ta’ala are
upon this Ummat is quite really beyond imagination. It will therefore be
extremely foolish to allow ourselves to be deprived of these great blessings at
the expense of sheer laziness and a few hours of extra sleep.
Which Night is it?
Although there are different reports in different traditions regarding the exact
night, it is almost unanimous that the blessed night occurs in one of the last
ten nights of Ramadhaan and more probably in one of the last ten odd nights
i.e. 2lst, 23rd, 25th 27th or 29th night.
The popular opinion is, however, in favour of the 27th Night of Ramadhaan but
that is not absolutely certain. The traditions indicate that it is to be sought in
one of the last ten nights and preferably in the last three odd nights. It was
therefore the practice of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his
companions to make I’tikaaf in the Mosque for the whole time offering Divine
service during the last ten days of Ramadhaan.
Hazrath Aisha (Radhiallaahu Anha) reported that the Apostle of Allah said:
“Search for the Blessed Night in the odd (nights) from the last ten (nights) of
Ramadhaan” (Bukhari).
Hazrath Aisha has narrated another saying:
“I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me if I were to find a Night of Power, what
should I recite therein?” Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
advised her to recite:
Al-laa-hum-ma in-na-ka ‘afoow-wan tu-hib-bul-’af wa fa-fu ‘an-ni.
O Allah! You are Forgiving, You love forgiveness, so forgive me. (Bukhari).
Special attention should therefore be given to the excessive recitation of this
dua on the blessed night. Furthermore one may engage in lengthy rakaats of
Tahajjud salaat, Tilaawat of the Qur’an, Dua, Zikr, etc.
The worship and the vigil of the Night of Power are a treat to the soul. The
heart tends to melt into tears of heartfelt gratitude. The body is in a state of
angelic ecstasy The soul strives to reach nearer to Almighty Allah. In this holy
month of Ramadhaan let us strive to seek the Night of Power and its bliss. May
Allah reward us with His bountiful blessings. Aameen.

Author: Ajnas Aboobacker

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