The close of Ramadan is fast
approaching, indeed the Muslim community is fasting its final ten days, and at
its conclusion Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr (the celebration of ending
the fast).
These last ten days are extremely
important in terms of Allah’s bestowing of blessings upon believers. These
blessings come in many forms and Muslims should take advantage of them, as much
as they can, while they are still able to earn them.
The first and foremost time in these
days is the Night of Power (lailatul Qadr). This particular night has been
glorified by Allah in the Quran in this verse: 'We revealed this Qur'an on the
Night of Power. And what would make you understand what the Night of Power is?
The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Angels and Gabriel descend
therein, with the permission of their Lord, with every matter. It is peace
until the break of dawn’. (Surah Al-Qadr)
The Quran was sent down in this
month, from the seventh heaven to the lower one, and from there it was revealed
to the prophet Muhammad, peace and Mercy of Allah be upon him. The Quran
contains the blessed speech of our Lord, the Creator, and blessed it is, as is
He. It was revealed as the final and complete guidance from the Lord of the
worlds to the last of His Messengers and Prophets.
The importance of this particular
night is highlighted as the night in which our dedication to Allah, through
prayer, worship, the recitation of his last book, charitable deeds, charity and
every good deed, seeking His Pleasure only, receives the same benefits as would
be gained by fulfilling all these actions every night for a thousand months
(more than the average lifespan of a human being). Muslims are, therefore,
encouraged to seek the Night of Power on
the all odd nights of these last ten days, starting from 21st night.
Muslims, traditionally, appear to
favour the 27th night of the month, which may appear more likely to
be the one, according to the texts of Prophet’s hadith. However, there are many
hadith which suggest otherwise and we are encouraged to look for it in all five
odd nights.
This night is so important that a
Muslim, who is keen to take advantage of this huge opportunity to receive the
vast blessings and generous rewards offered by
Allah, should rather seek it throughout
all ten of these nights, in order that he is not deprived of these
benefits.
A further benefit is described in
following hadith to encourage believers to seek out this blessed opportunity.
It says: ‘whoever spent the night of Power, out of belief and in pursuit of
reward, would be forgiven for his past sins’.
All human beings, by their very
nature, commit sins and errors, and Allah recognises man’s weakness. However,
Allah out of His Mercy, provides this opportunity for people to have their
wrongdoings forgiven by Him and sins removed while they are still in this
world, so that, when they return to their Lord, they are less burdened with
them and receive Allah’s blessing of forgiveness in the Afterlife.
Further, Ayesha, may Allah be
pleased with her, says that 'I asked the prophet saying: ‘O Messenger of Allah!
If I find the Night of Power, what would I supplicate for? He replied: 'say: O Allah! You are forgiving
and love to forgive so forgive me’.
Another hadith tells us that, when
the Prophet delivered a sermon on the eve of Ramadan, he divided the month into
three very distinct parts; the days of mercy, the days of forgiveness, and
latterly, the days of freedom from hell-fire. Building on the mercy and
forgiveness of Allah, these last ten days are the days when Allah frees his
believing servants from the hell-fire. It is important that believers actively
seek out the Night of Power, through their prayers and active intentions, and
not sit back idly and expect to receive these rewards automatically.
This month is deeply connected with
the revelation of the Quran, the final words of God to humanity. The Quran
says: ‘the month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur`an was sent down, guidance
for mankind and clear signs of guidance and the Criterion’. These last ten days, in which the ‘Night of
Power’ lays, are more about celebrating the Quranic guidance, understanding it,
and embracing it to enhance our self-development, personal morality and the
welfare of humanity. People should read and strive to understand more of this
sublime revelation and guidance from Allah, in these days, than ever
before.
Ramadan has been described as a
month of reflection, self-restraint and a time in which we can attain piety and
taqwa. This may, of course, entail introducing changes to our personal
lifestyles, but we must also recognise what we must do if we are to improve our
characters and our worldwide view. It is a month which brings people closer to
Allah and in which souls are cleansed and our direction is changed. As a result people are more likely to achieve a
properly balanced lifestyle, benefiting them not only in their own lives, but
also bringing them closer to their creator and receiving future rewards for
their good deeds.
Ramadan revives all aspects of the
human spirit, especially those of goodness, kindness and generosity. It never
brings harm to people. It also brings people together and, by so doing,
reinforces the universal bonds of humanity and submission to God. It subdues
negative urges and purges the evil tendencies ever present in humans.
This is the reason the Prophet,
peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, described the act of fasting as ‘shield’.
By fasting a believer shields himself, or herself, from everything that may
cause suffering and the eternal displeasure of God.
Fasting is a very exclusive personal
dedication and by refraining from indulging in the pleasures that surround us, even
for this short period of time, we can demonstrate a real commitment towards
Allah’s guidance and our faith in His teachings. It makes a fasting person very
special in the Sight of his Creator and Sustainer, and so everything he does
becomes very special too, as do the rewards that may be bestowed upon him.
Prayers and dua, in this time, receive special treatment when they are
accepted. This month re-energises our whole life with God’s guidance. Treating
it with great care, and making it more special for ourselves and for all those
around us, would be a rightful outcome from this blessed month.
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