Friday Talks
faheemfb@gmail.com
|
|
|
|
Ramadan - The last ten days and nights, and the night of Qadr
Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa.
In the name of Allah most Gracious most Merciful
Thanks be to Allah the Lord of the worlds. And peace and prayers be upon the most honorable of the messengers, and upon all his family and companions.
Dear Muslims, fear Allah, and do obey him. For the serious time is here, the time to push your self to do more of the good deeds, it is the last ten of Ramadan has approached. As you know of the grace of these ten, for it was specifically identified out of the entire month with fantastic features. Just as the month of Ramadan is favored and considered to be better than other months, for its last ten days and nights are favored over the rest of them. They are featured with numerous advantages; amongst them is that the messenger (PPBU) as his wife A-eshah told us that he used to get especially active with good deeds in those final ten days and nights than in any other.
That activeness included livening up the nights; which included all form of worships like prayers, reciting Koran, praising Allah, giving for charity and doing E-etikaf (إعتكاف) or adhearing to and staying at the Mosque. A-eshah said that when the last ten approach, the messenger (PPBU) tightened up his strap, meaning gave up his wives, and livened up his night, and woke up his family. He used to wake his family up in those nights to pray and praise Allah in order to take opportunity of such blessed night; with what it deserves of worship. Not as some people do staying up watching films, songs, videos, episodes, or frequenting coffees, smoking pipes, playing cards and denying themselves the goodness contained in these nights. Only those who are not blessed miss the goodness in those nights.
It is noticeable for some people that the closer the end of the months comes; the less they do. The exact opposite to what the messenger (PPBU) used to do. Little that they know that the best of the month is its end.
A sane and sensible believer should not miss such a valuable opportunity to one's self and one's family. It is a mere a few nights. And they can very well be the final nights in his or her life. For indeed, one might be blessed with one of Allah's blessings and attain happiness in this life and the next.
And it is such a great and disastrous loss to see many Muslims wasting those valuable times in what does not benefit them. They stay up the nights messing up and immersed into immoral actions. When the time to get up and say a prayer, they go a sleep. They miss so much goodness, and they may never get to see another Ramadan. This is due to Satan ability to manipulate them, and Satan's craftiness, conning and temptation to block them from the way of Allah.
Dear Muslims, be careful and pay attention to the following issue: The main purpose of livening up the last ten nights of Ramadan is to seek out the night of fate (night of Qadr). And living in the hope to live it while living in obedience to Allah Almighty. With the hope that our sins are forgiven. The messenger (PPBU) said: {Whoever stays up the night of Qadr in belief and expectation, all his/her past sins are forgiven.} And in another narration: {whoever stays up the night of Qadr seeking it, and if it happens for him/her; then all his/her past and future sins are forgiven}.
Only the miserable and the disadvantaged is the one who is denied the goodness that is contained in this night. And why not, when he/she know of all the blessings it has and still does not actively seek it and let it slip by. Allah said: {The night of Qadr is better than a thousand month. Therein descend down the angels and the holy spirit with the grace of their Lord with all decrees. All night there is peace until the appearance of dawn.} So, staying up that night in prayers is better than all the deeds, the fasting and praying of a thousand months which does not include nights of Qadr. A thousand months is the equivalent of eighty three years and three months. Allah also said: {we brought it down (meaning the Koran) in a holy night.} Indeed this is a blessed night so many angels descend as the blessings and mercy descend. Just as angels come down when Koran is being recited, and surround the circles of studies. Angel lay down their wings to this who seeks knowledge to glorify him/her. And the holy spirit is the angel Gabriel may peace be upon him; is specifically mention in the verse as a sort of honor.
It was called the night of peace as a form of being safe. Meaning during which one should do no harm, and also an indication that many will be made safe from punishment and torment due to all the good deed the slave does on such night.
In this night Allah says: {All matters of wisdom get split} meaning the dislodging of major matters like commands of those whose time of death has approached, and commands of substance and daily bread given to people. All those matters that are not allowed to change. Only Allah knows of such matters beforehand, and they were already written. It is revealed to angels and they are commanded to implement it depending on their specialty.
Even though, Allah forgives sins for whoever stays the night up in belief and expectation. Yet Allah has made the night hidden from people to see. This is more mercy from Allah so in seeking the night of Qadr, people will do more good deeds in all those blessed nights. Such as prayers, praising of Allah, asking Allah through supplications; that only gets them closer to Allah and wins them more reward. Allah also hid the night in order to sort out those who are serious in seeking it and those who are lazy and careless.
Dear brothers and sisters, during the night of Qadr the door is opened, the loved ones are drawn closer, the calls are listened to, and the reply is sent back, and those who work are rewarded greatly. So, be active and serious in seeking the night of Qadr, for this is the time to do so. And be warned not to forget and not be distracted.
What ought to be known about the night of Qadr is what the messenger (PPBU) said that it occurs in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan. That is the 21st night, 23rd etc. The messenger was also reported saying that it occurs on the odd nights remaining in the month (when there 3, 5, 7 or 9 nights left in the month). Some scholars interpreted this to mean that this will depend on if the month of Ramadan is going to be a 29 or 30 day long. If the month is a 29 day month, then the night of Qadr should occur on one of the odd nights, but if the month was 30 days, then the night of Qadr occurs on one of the even night. And if this is the case then a Muslim should seek it in all final ten nights of Ramadan.
It is more likely though, to occur in the last seven nights according to a group of companions who had a common dream that it occurred in the last seven nights and messenger (PPBU) confirmed that to them. And the messenger (PPBU) also said: (seek it in the last ten nights, but if one of you is weakened or becomes unable, let him/her not be beaten on the last seven- meaning endure harder to witness the last seven nights.)
And of the last seven nights with odd numbers, the most likely night is the 27th. For Obay ben-Kaab (أُبي بن كعب) said: I know the night for the messenger commanded us to stay up the night of the 27th. He said that the messenger (PPBU) told us that the sun comes up on its morning with no rays or with no beam, as if it is dimmed until it rises up. This is one of the most famous signs of the night of Qadr. The messenger (PPBU) also told that the night is a beautiful night, neither hot nor cold; and its morning the sun comes out red and weak.
A-esha bent Saddeek asked: "O' Messenger of Allah, if it happens that I witness the night of Qadr, then what shall I say?" and the messenger (PPBU) said: {say: Lord, you are Forgiving, and you love forgiveness, so forgive me.}.
Indeed, the most Forgiving is one of Allah's names. It means the one who transcends and erases all traces of sins belonging to his slaves. And He both loves forgiveness and loves forgiving his slaves. Some scholars say that Allah loves forgiveness so much so He afflicts people with sins just so He shall forgive them. The messenger told on behalf of Allah saying: {Son of Adam, no matter how much you call me and beg of me, I shall forgive you for what you do, and I don't mind.}
Dear Muslims, If sinners stand on their feet round Sahoor time (night meal), and do much praising and calling upon of Allah, begging, invoking and making supplications then the response from Allah would be: Be my witness that I have forgiven you.
Do ask Allah for forgiveness; make up for what you have missed in previous years. For one night of Qadr is worth an entire life
Notes:
- The inhabitants of the city of Almadina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he imigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
is a verse of the Koran. Aya (or Ayah):
mountain that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day. Arafa (or Arafa or Arafat): is a
talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help. Duaa: a prayer in the form of
Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise. reported that the messenger said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list. Hadeeth: is something
Hijra: the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.
Iman: belief
line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. Jihad: is striving in the
Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor". peninsula (known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Madinah: A city in the Arabian
Mekka: is the holiest Mosque for Muslims. Some say it was first built by Adam, and some say Ibraham. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed by a believer.Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
PPBU: Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. Qadr (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during in the ten nights of the month of Ramadan.. Sunna: is the way the Messenger PPBU lived, did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers.
Faheem Bukhatwa, my email
address is : faheemfb@gmail.com