LAYLAT-UL-QADR

LAYLAT-UL-QADR Seek, and You shall Find SHAB-E-QADR or Laylat-ul-Qadr means, ‘Night of Destiny’. This night is introduced in the Quran thus: We sent it [Quran] down on the Night of Destiny. And what will make you comprehend what the Night of Destiny is? The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months; on that night, the angels and the Spirit come down by the permission of their Lord with His decrees for all matters; it is all peace till the break of dawn. (97: 1-5) Based on some Hadith narrations, it is commonly believed that the Night of Destiny falls in any of the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan. On this night, God Almighty destines the future of people. Therefore, people generally try to worship more during these nights. In spite of Muslims generally praying throughout the night, no special form of worship is mentioned either in the Quran or Hadith. The Prophet’s wife Aisha asked Prophet Muhammad what she should do if she finds the Night. Prophet Muhammad said she should pray in these words: O God! Certainly You are the One who grants forgiveness for sins. You love to forgive, so forgive me. (Sahih al-Bukhari) The act of seeking forgiveness is significant because by doing so, a believer realizes the smallness of his being and the greatness of God. He realizes that God alone has the power to forgive and none else. Laylat-ul-Qadr is not something mysterious. It is an occasion of profound spiritual feelings that translate into heartfelt prayers of forgiveness from God. According to a Hadith, once the Prophet was in Eitekaf (voluntary seclusion practised in the final phase of Ramadan). One night, he came out of the mosque but went back again. He later told his Companions that an angel had come to pass on the knowledge about the Night of Destiny. When the Prophet came out to inform the believers, he saw two of his people quarrelling. Instantly, the knowledge of the Night was taken away from the Prophet’s mind. This incident has a great lesson for the believers! The fight was not an armed battle; the two believers were merely arguing, but even fighting with words is enough to have the divine knowledge taken away. Those who adopt the path of violence and suicide bombing can never become the recipients of divine blessings.