The crucial part of Ramadan

By sunset today, we would have observed about two-third of this year’s Ramadan fast; bringing our count of the Ramadan fast to nineteen. We give gratitude to Allah for His mercy. Some of those who saw the beginning of this Ramadan did not live to see this crucial part of it, which is the most rewarding part of the month. It is the last ten days of Ramadan. It is the period during which sinning Muslims, according to the Prophet (SAW), are liberated from Hell fire.

Every year, we keep talking about the virtues of this part of Ramadan to inspire readers to take full advantage of the spiritual benefits that come with it. Within this concluding part of Ramadan is a night that is better than a thousand months. This virtuous night is called ‘Laylat ul-Qadr’; meaning ‘The Night of Power’. It is on this night that the holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through Angel Jibril. The Prophet (SAW) exhorts Muslims to spend substantial part of this night in worship; seeking mercy and forgiveness of their sins from Allah (SWT).

In His wisdom, Allah (SWT) concealed the knowledge of the exact night of Laylat ul-Qadr. Aisha (RA) reports that the Prophet (SAW) said, ‘Search for Laylat ul-Qadr in the last ten days of Ramadan’. Imam Malik (RA) reports in his Muwatta that Ziyad related from Malik that he heard a man he trusted of the people of knowledge say, ‘The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was shown the lifespan of the people (who had gone) before him and it was as if the lifecycle of his ummah had comparatively become too short for them (to have enough time) to put forth as many good deeds as those before them did. So, Allah gave him Laylat ul-Qadr, which is better than a thousand months.” Besides Laylat ul-Qadr, Qur’an 31:34 tells us about other forms of knowledge that Allah has kept hidden from us.

In the same wisdom in which Allah (SWT) distinguished Muhammad (SAW) among His prophets and messengers with a unique message to mankind and Jinn; rated the holy mosque of Ka’abah, the Prophet’s mosque and the Al-Aqsa mosque above other mosques in the universe; and honoured Friday with special virtues that are missing in other days of the week; He has also ranked Laylat ul-Qadr higher than all other nights; making a believer’s worship during this night worth the devoution performed in a thousand other nights.

Prophetic traditions mention that Laylat ul-Qadr falls on any of the nights of 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th which are the odd days in the last ten days of Ramadan. In practical terms, Muslims are encouraged to search for Laylat ul-Qadr on the night preceding the odd days listed above. For example, tomorrow Sunday May 2, 2021 being 20th day of Ramadan and the night preceding 21st day (an odd day) of Ramadan is a night to seek for Laylat ul-Qadr; being the night. Many scholars opine that Laylat ul-Qadr occurs on the 27th day of Ramadan.

Muslims are generally exhorted by the Prophet (SAW) to intensify their devoutional acts during the last ten days of Ramadan. No restrictions are placed on a Muslim as to which particular form of worship to engage in during Laylat ul-Qadr. It is nonetheless profitable if a Muslim diversifies his ibadah as to include tilawah (recitation the holy Qur’an), observing nafilah (superogatory) prayers, seeking for forgiveness, glorifying Allah through Tasbih (saying ‘Suhana-llah’), or Takbir (saying Allahu Akbar), or Tahlil (saying ‘La ilaha ila-llah’), or Tahmid (saying Alhamdu lillah, or similar invocations of glory and gratitude to Allah (SWT). Aisha (RA) once asked the Prophet (SAW) of what to recite on this night. The Prophet (SAW) replied, ‘Allahumma Anta Afwun, Tuhibb ul-Afwa, Fa’fu anni’; meaning ‘Say: O Allah! You are Pardon; You like Pardon; Pardon me’.

Now, if Laylat ul-Qadr with its exclusive worth is singled out for our own religious benefit, we thus have no reason as believers whose ultimate goal is bliss in paradise, not to take advantage of the spiritual bonuses it offers. Let us not miss the singular opportunity presented by Laylat ul-Qadr. Aside of glorifying Allah and seeking for forgiveness, let us use the night to also ask Allah for all our needs including blessed money, useful knowledge, saintly heart, healthy body, righteous wife, respectful children, profitable employment, a comfortable house that will relieve us from the torments of exorbitant rents, a good car, success and prosperity in life.

Another virtuous act of devoution in this period of Ramadan is I’tikaf, which we missed last year because of the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic. I’tikaf refers to seclusion in a mosque usually observed during the last ten days of Ramadan. It aims at isolating the heart of a worshipper from everything except Allah (SWT). It is most preferable that a believer spends ten days in I’tikaf. The least number of days for a Mu’takif to remain in seclusion is a day and a night. In order to get closer to Allah (SWT), all worldly activities are deserted while in I’tikaf.

As mentioned by the Prophet (SAW) in the thirty-eighth hadith of Annawawi’s collection of forty traditions, a worshipper preoccupied with devoutions would continue to get closer to Allah (SWT) with voluntary acts of worship so much that ‘He (SWT) becomes the hearing with which His servant hears, the seeing with which he sees, the hand with which he takes (things), and the foot with which he walks’. May Allah guide us to seek Laylat ul-Qadr and put us among those to achieve the best of spiritual elevation during this Ramadan, amin.