Questions and Answers

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Anything serious is not connected to any kind of loud behaviour. Every aspect of such an activity will be sombre and solemn. Each one will be wishing for solitude, peace and quiet to supplicate to God. Seeking forgiveness from God cannot be a public or a loud affair. One can understand the kind of atmosphere one needs to be able to do such worship. What is Itikaf and what are its benefits? Itikaf means going into seclusion for the purpose of concentration. In the final days of fasting, when a Muslim is more spiritually prepared and more awakened, he goes into seclusion in the environment of a mosque, freeing his mind of the activities of this world. In spiritual terms, it is meditation; in intellectual terms, it is contemplation. The purpose of itikaf is to engage in muhasaba, which means introspection. During this practice, one finds time to reflect on one’s life, one’s past and present, and what course to follow in the future. The ten-day period of itikaf requires a person to undergo overhauling in the spiritual sense. If fasting is a spiritual experience, itikaf is spiritual retreat, designed to enable the rebuilding of self. Ramadan is meant to foster this spiritual transformation and itikaf enhances this process during the period of retreat. What is Lailatal-Qadr? One of the special features of Ramadan is the ‘Lailatal-Qadr’ in Arabic. Its English equivalent is the Night of Destiny. It is also referred to as the ‘Night of Decisions’ and God takes decisions for the coming year on this night. This night falls on one of the last ten nights of Ramadan. Great importance is attached to this night and the Quran calls it ‘better than a thousand months.’ (The Quran, 97:1-3)