Ramadan at its peak

By Allah’s special grace, we are now in the most virtuous part of Ramadan; the last ten days of the month. This is when believers are at the peak of everything called ibadah in Islam. Within this concluding period 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. Prophet traditions encourage Muslims to spend substantial part of this night in worship; seeking mercy and forgiveness of their sins form Allah (SWT). 

In His wisdom, however, Allah (SWT) concealed the knowledge of the exact night of Laylat ul-Qadr (just as He hides other forms of knowledge mentioned in Qur’an 31:34) from us. 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 of knowledge say, “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was shown the lifespan of the people (who have gone) before him and it seemed the lifecycle of his ummah (community) 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”. 

According to scholars, Laylat ul-Qadr falls on the night of 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th, which are the odd days in the last ten days of Ramadan. In practical terms, Muslims are urged to search for Laylat ul-Qadr on the night ushering in the odd days listed above. For example, today Saturday April 23, 2022 which is the 22nd day of Ramadan is also a night to search for Laylat ul-Qadr; being the night preceding the 23rd day of Ramadan. Many scholars opine that Laylat ul-Qadr occurs on the 27th day of Ramadan. A School of Thought that shares this view goes further to explain that the Arabic letters which make up the Arabic phrase ‘Laylat ul-Qadr’ are nine in number, and that the phrase occurs three times in the holy Qur’an. This gives a total of 27 when nine is multiplied by 3; reinforcing 27th of Ramadan as Laylat ul-Qadr.

Muslims are generally exhorted by the Prophet (SAW) to intensify their acts of devoution during the last ten days of Ramadan. No restrictions are placed on a Muslim as to which particular form of worship to engage in on the night of Laylat ul-Qadr. It is nevertheless rewarding if a Muslim diversifies his devoutions as to include Tilawah (recitation the holy Qur’an); observing Nafilah (superogatory) prayers; seeking for forgiveness, asking for favours, glorifying Allah through Tasbih (saying of ‘Suhana-llah’); or Takbir (saying of ‘Allahu Akbar’), or Tahlil (saying of ‘La ilaha ila-llah’), or Tahmid (saying of ‘Alhamdu lillah’, or similar expressions of glorification and gratitude to Allah (SWT). Aisha (RA) once asked the Prophet (SAW) about what to recite on the Laylat ul-Qadr night. The Prophet (SAW) replied, “Say: O Allah! You are Pardon; You like Pardon; Pardon me”, which Arabic version reads as: “Allahumma Anta Afwun, Tuhibb ul-Afwa, Fa’fu anni”. Given the worth of Laylat ul-Qadr, we have no reason as believers in need of Allah’s mercy to ignore the spiritual opportunities offered by it. 

Another righteous act of devoution in this period of Ramadan is I’tikaf. It refers to seclusion in a mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan. A Muslim who observes I’tikaf is called Mu’takif in Arabic. I’tikaf aims at isolating the heart of a Mu’takif from everything except Allah (SWT). In order to get closer to Allah (SWT), all worldly activities are deserted while in I’tikaf. All the thoughts and devotions of a Mu’takif are focused on Allah (SWT). And like the Prophet (SAW) mentioned in the thirty-eighth hadith of Annawawi’s collection of forty traditions, a Mu’takif would continue to get closer to Allah (SWT) with voluntary acts of worship so much so 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”. 

The principles of I’tikaf require that it must be observed exclusively in a mosque where Friday (Jumu’ah) congregational prayer is conducted. This is to avoid a situation where the Mu’takif would have to leave his mosque of seclusion for another in order to observe the Jumu’ah congregational prayer. However, a Mu’takif may wish to observe I’tikaf in any mosque if he intends to spend few days in seclusion, which would not extend to Friday. 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. 

The time to enter in to I’tikaf is usually before sunset of the day the Mu’takif desires to begin the seclusion. While in seclusion, the Mu’takif is prohibited from visiting the sick, attending funeral prayers, having conjugal relationships, and from buying and selling. Engaging in any of these acts vitiates the I’tikaf. A Mu’takif is not required to engage in extensive studies or writing. A worshipper in I’tikaf is encouraged to engage much in voluntary prayers, recitation of the holy Qur’an and the glorification of Allah’s most beautiful names. 

A Mu’takif should avoid entering in to his family house or intermingling with his family members. His interaction with the outside world should be reduced to the barest minimum except for reasons of answering the call of nature or attending to a very important matter. He must however return to his I’tikaf spot immediately after attending to such exigencies. A Mu’takif is required to, on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal (i.e. Eid el-Fitr day), proceed directly from the mosque in which he observed I’tikaf to the Eid praying ground and would not return to his family until he had offered the Eid prayers along with other worshippers. May Allah guide us to seek, find and profit from Laylat ul-Qadr, amin. Ramadan Kareem!