Laylatu-l-Qadr
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Ramadan
Ramadan Explorer
Shaykh al-‘Izz al-Deen ibn ‘Abd al-Salam
Laylatu-l-Qadr is a Blessed Night, Allah blessed it over one thousand months
that do not contain it. It is called Laylatu-l-Qadr either because of its
excellence and great status or because provisions and life-spans for the
following year are decreed therein. The Angels and the Spirit descend in that
night and greet those who pray by night with the salam; the scholars differ as
to whether they extend the salam to them of their own accord or they convey
the salam of their Lord.
A night in which the Lord of the Worlds sends salam to His servants is a night
that is indeed worthy of being better than a thousand months, it is a night
worthy of being sought after and searched for. This is why the Messenger of
Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would search for it along with his
Companions and the righteous who came after them.
This night occurs in the last ten days of Ramadan, and is most likely to occur
in the odd nights rather than the even nights. It seems clear that it occurs
on the twenty-first night; this is because the Messenger of Allah saw this
night in a dream but was made to forget it, however he remembered that in the
morning following it, he would prostrate in mud and water. It is authentically
reported that it rained on the night of the twenty-first and the Masjid leaked
water, [when the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) prayed therein, traces
of mud and water were seen on his forehead and nose. [Reported by Bukhari]
Moreover he (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed us that on the night of
Laylatu-l-Qadr the moon would look like half a plate and the moon never looks
like this unless it be in its seventh night or twenty-first night.
[Trans: this is the opinion of the author, may Allah have mercy upon him,
other opinions have been mentioned such as the opinion that Laylatu-l-Qadr
falls on different nights every year, an opinion that was preferred by a group
of scholars amongst whom was ibn Hajr]
From the excellent qualities of this night is that whoever prays during it out
of faith and seeking reward, will have his previous sins forgiven him. The
evidence for what we have mentioned lies in his (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
sayings,
''I was shown Laylatu-l-Qadr, then one of my wives awoke me and I was made to
forget it, so search for it in the last ten nights.'' [Reported by Muslim]
''Seek Laylatu-l-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan''
[Reported by Bukhari and Muslim]
Abu Hurayrah said, ‘we were discussing Laylatu-l-Qadr in the presence of the
Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and he said, ''which of you
remembers the night when the moon arose and it was like half a plate?''
[Reported by Muslim]
''Whoever prays the night of Laylatu-l-Qadr out of faith and seeking reward
will have his previous sins forgiven.'' [Reported by Bukhari]
It is recommended for whoever finds it to increasing in praising Allah and
invoking Him, and he should frequently supplicate with this supplication, ''O
Allah! You are the One who pardons greatly, You Love to pardon so pardon me.''
[Reported by at-Tirmidhi]
If a person was to suffice with praising Allah, this would be better due to
the hadith in which it is reported that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) said, ''Whoever is diverted by making dhikr of Me from asking of Me, I
would grant him the best of what I grant those asking.''
[Trans: at-Tirmidhi [#2926] on the authority of Abu Sa?id al-Khudri with a
da'if isnad; refer to al-Albani, ad-Da'ifah [#1335]. Ahadith with similar
meaning have been reported on the authority of ‘Umar in al-Bayhaqi, Shu'ab al-Iman
[#573] and as-Suyuti, al-Lali' [2/288] said that al-Hafidh ibn Hajr declared
it hasan; Jabir in al-Bayhaqi [#574]; Hudhayfah in Abu Nu'aym [7/313] and
indicated as hasan by al-Albani; and Malik bin al-Carithah in al-Bayhaqi
[#575].]
Umayyah said,
Should I mention my need or should your
Gifts suffice me; for sure giving gifts is part of your disposition
If a person was to praise you one day
The one who he is praising would suffice him
[Trans: Diwan Umayyah [p. 333] in praise ibn Jud'an. Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah was
asked about his (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saying, ''The most superior
supplication on the Day of ‘Arafah is, ‘none has the right to be worshipped
save Allah, the One Who has no partner, to Him belongs the dominion, to Him
belongs all praise and He is Omnipotent over all things'' and [in explanation
to the fact that a direct request is not mentioned therein] he mentioned the
previous hadith and these verses and proceeded to say, ‘this is an object of
creation saying of another that it is sufficient to praise him [to get what he
desires] rather than directly ask him, what then of the Creator, Blessed and
Exalted is He?' Recorded by al-Hafidh ibn ‘Abdu-l-Barr, at-Tamhid [2/680] and
al-Bayhaqi [#575]]
Source: Maqasid al-Sawm
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