“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful.
Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Decree. And
what can make you know what the Night of Decree is?
The Night of Decree is
better than a thousand months.
The angels and the Spirit descend therein by
permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of
dawn.” (Al-Qadr 97: 1-6).
Like you all know, we have already entered the
third part of the month of Ramadan, whereby in one of these nights there is a
extremely special night which is worth more than a thousand months of blessings
which we usually receive through our Ibaadat (all acts of worship) in
normal times.
Like mentioned in a
Hadith, our Noble Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said: “This is a month, the first part of which brings Allah’s
Mercy, the middle of which brings Allah’s forgiveness, and the last part of
which brings emancipation from the hellfire.” (Bukhari). In another Hadith, Hazrat Anas bin Malik (ra)
narrated that the Messenger of Allah stated about the month of Ramadan: “This
month (of Ramadan) has begun and therein is a night better than one
thousand months. So, any one deprived of its blessings is actually deprived of
all goodness. Indeed, He is truly deprived who is kept away from its good.” (Ibn
Majah, Mishkat).
Behind the Divine Scheme on Laila-tul-Qadr
In the light of these verses of the Quranic Chapter
Al-Qadr (the Destiny/Decree) and the Hadiths which I have put
before you today, it shall be good if I explain to you once again how these
verses were revealed. Years come and go but the words and teachings of Allah
and those of His Messenger (Rasul) shall ever remain flawless and whole,
and it is my duty to repeat these teachings to you for all this forms part of
our history as Muslims, such a history which needs to remain alive till the Day
of Judgement, such a history which shall encourage all Muslims to give their
time, means and lend their helping hands to enable Islam to shine in the world.
So, one day, the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) was relating the life of a pious man by the name of Shamsun (ra)
who used to live among the Children of Israel. From what we understand, he was
someone who used to pray a lot and struggle hard for the cause of Allah for the
duration of a thousand months. When the companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)
heard that, they became sad upon thinking that they would never be able to
surpass Hazrat Shamsun (ra). As an encouragement, Allah said that if the
Community of the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) indulge in acts of worship during the
Night of Decree (Laila-tul-Qadr), therefore their prayers would
earn rewards better than a thousand months of worship.
In a Hadith reported by Hazrat Aisha (ra), the
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to double his efforts in worship/prayer during
the last ten nights (of Ramadan) compared to other nights. (Muslim, Mishkat).
According to different other Hadiths, the Night of Decree is found in the odd
nights of Ramadan (21, 23, 25, 27 & 29). In the light of these Hadiths, the
Night of Decree is the night wherein the first revelations of the Quran came
down on the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Even Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has not given a precise
date for this special night, but he indicated that it was found among the odd
nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.
On the 27th night of Ramadan
There have been great scholars of Islam who commented on the Night of Decree, whereby they are of opinion that this special night was the 27th night of Ramadan. Scholars, like Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra), Hazrat Ubayy ibn Ka’b (ra), Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa and even Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Sheik Abdul Qadir Jilani (ra) have commented on the greatness of number 7, such greatness which is not commonly found in the odd numbers like 3, 5 or 9. They corroborate their analysis through the following reasons:
There have been great scholars of Islam who commented on the Night of Decree, whereby they are of opinion that this special night was the 27th night of Ramadan. Scholars, like Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra), Hazrat Ubayy ibn Ka’b (ra), Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifa and even Hazrat Muhyi-ud-Din Sheik Abdul Qadir Jilani (ra) have commented on the greatness of number 7, such greatness which is not commonly found in the odd numbers like 3, 5 or 9. They corroborate their analysis through the following reasons:
1. There are 7 heavens and 7 earths.
2. In a week, there are 7 days and 7 nights.
3. We need to perform 7 circumambulations (tawaf) around
the Holy Ka’aba.
4. We run 7 times between Mounts Safa and
Marwa.
5. There were 7 companions in the
Cave (Kahf), i.e. those people mentioned in the Quranic Chapter Al-Kahf.
Despite the fact that the exact number of the companions were not mentioned in
the Quran, but according to analysis and researches in history which has been
preserved through the centuries, these scholars reached the conclusion that
there were indeed 7 companions in the Cave (the 7 Sleepers).
6. And still through their profound analysis, Hazrat
Yusuf (as) remained in prison for 7 years.
7. The dream which Hazrat Yusuf (as)
interpreted for the King (found in Surah Yusuf) mentioned 7 fat cows and 7 thin
cows.
8. We perform 17 cycles (Rakat) of
Obligatory prayers in 24 hours.
9. For each Salat (prayer),
there are 7 obligatory conditions so that our prayer may be considered
complete.
For these reasons, according to them the number
7 is greater in worth than the other odd numbers. The word “Laila-tul-Qadr” (Night
of Decree) is made of 9 (Arabic) letters, and it appears 3 times in the Surah
Al-Qadr. Therefore 3 multiply by 9 gives 27.
Du'ah for Divine Reward
Du'ah for Divine Reward
In another Hadith, Hazrat Aisha (ra) reported
that she asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh):
“O Messenger of Allah! What if I knew which night Lailatul-Qadr was, then what should I say in it?”
He said: “Recite (this prayer a lot): ʻAllaahumma innaka ‘affuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee’.”
(O Allah, You are forgiving and You love to forgive, so forgive me).” (Mishkat, Ibn Majah & Tirmidhi).
“O Messenger of Allah! What if I knew which night Lailatul-Qadr was, then what should I say in it?”
He said: “Recite (this prayer a lot): ʻAllaahumma innaka ‘affuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘annee’.”
(O Allah, You are forgiving and You love to forgive, so forgive me).” (Mishkat, Ibn Majah & Tirmidhi).
I'tikaaf: Spiritual Retreat in Ramadan
Hazrat Aisha (ra) narrated that the Holy
Prophet (pbuh) used to observe the I’tikaaf during the last ten days
of Ramadan till the year he died, and afterwards his wives observed it
(the I’tikaaf) after him. (Bukhari & Muslim)
Abu Huraira (ra) narrated that the Messenger of
Allah used to observe the I’tikaaf each year and the year in which
he died, he remained in I’tikaaf for 20 days. (Bukhari).
And during the last Ramadan of the life of our
beloved and noble prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), Hazrat Jibreel (as) - i.e.
the Archangel Gabriel - came to visit him and made him recite the entire Quran
twice. (Bukhari).
Bear in mind also that
the era in which you are living is in itself a Laila-tul-Qadr, and
fortunate is the one who has gotten the golden opportunity to remain in the
company of the one upon whom the Ruh-ul-Quddous has descended upon to
give you all the divine message, to bring peace in the world and to
re-establish the unicity of Allah in the hearts of the people.
So, I wish you all, all
Muslims, and all my disciples, Laila-tul-Qadr
Mubarak! May Allah give you the double blessings of Laila-tul-Qadr,
one by being a living witness and disciple of a Messenger of Allah and the other,
by being a recipient of the blessings of the Laila-tul-Qadr of the month
of Ramadan. Insha-Allah, Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 16 June
2017 (21 Ramadan 1438 AH) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.