Moment with Allah...

Allah Almighty says regarding the night of power, decree and virtue - Laylatul Qadr:

بسم الله الرحم الرحيم

إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ فِي لَيۡلَةِ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ

وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا لَيۡلَةُ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ

لَيۡلَةُ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ خَيۡرٞ مِّنۡ أَلۡفِ شَهۡرٖ

تَنَزَّلُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمۡرٖ

سَلَٰمٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطۡلَعِ ٱلۡفَجۡرِ

[القدر: 1-5]

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

1. ((Indeed, We sent it [the Qur’ān] down during the Night of Qadr.))

2. ((And what will make you know what the Night of Qadr is?))

3. ((The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.))

4. ((The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with every matter.))

5. ((Peace it is—until the emergence of dawn.))

Regarding these verses, the esteemed Sheikh, Dr. Umar Muqbil said: "How many souls of the righteous have soared with longing to stand in prayer on this night whose status Allāh has elevated! Is it not the night in which the most noble of speech was revealed? And which Allāh made better than a thousand months? And in which the angels of Allāh descend? By Allāh, the one who trades with Allāh on this night is truly the successful one... And is not the one deprived of its virtue truly deprived?"

Moment with the Messenger (ﷺ)

عن أبي هُرَيرةَ رضِيَ اللهُ عنهُ عنِ النبيِّ صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّمَ أنَّه قال: ((مَن يَقُمْ ليلةَ القَدْرِ إيمانًا واحتسابًا، غُفِرَ له ما تَقدَّمَ من ذَنبِه)). رواه البخاريُّ (35)، ومسلم (760)

On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him), the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever stands [in prayer] on the Night of Qadr with faith and seeking reward, all his past sins will be forgiven." Narrated by al-Bukhārī (35) and Muslim (760).

'Soul Bites'

Scholars of Islam (May Allah have mercy upon them all) have shared the following explanations regarding the wisdom behind 'Laylatul-Qadr' carrying its name:

1. Imām al-Baghawī said:

"It was named Laylat al-Qadr because it is the night in which matters and rulings are decreed. Allāh determines therein the affairs of the year for His servants and lands until the coming year... It was also said: because righteous deeds on this night carry great worth with Allāh due to their acceptance."

1. Imām Ibn al-Jawzī said:

"There are five explanations for its name:

1. First: al-Qadr means greatness.
2. Second: from al-ḍeyq (constriction), meaning the earth becomes tight due to the multitude of angels descending.
3. Third: al-Qadr means judgement or decree.
4. Fourth: because someone with no status can, by honouring this night, become one of status.
5. Fifth: because a Book of great worth was revealed during it."

1. Imām al-Qurṭubī said:

"It was named so because Allāh decrees in it whatever He wills concerning His command until the same night of the following year."

1. Shaykh al-Saʿdī said:

"It was called Laylat al-Qadr due to its immense status and virtue with Allāh."

'The Treasury'

Is laylatul-qadr on a fixed night every year, or does it move around the last ten night every year?

The most correct view, after reviewing a collection of narrations related to Laylatul-Qadr; is that it moves through all of the last ten nights, and it is most likely to be on one of the odd-numbered nights. That said, a person should strive every night to search for it, as was the practice of the Messenger (ﷺ), especially since what is odd-numbered can be based on what has already passed, which means a person should seek it on the night of the twenty-first, the night of the twenty-third, the night of the twenty-fifth, the night of the twenty-seventh, and the night of the twenty-ninth, or (what is odd-numbered) can be based on what remains, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “… When nine nights remain, when seven remain, when five remain, when three remain.”

Based on the concept of (what remains); if the month consists of thirty days, then counting backwards from the end, Laylat al-Qadr will be on one of the even-numbered nights. So for example, when nine nights are left; that will be the twenty-second night of Ramadan; when seven nights are left; that will be the twenty-fourth, etc.

This explanation is based on how the great companion Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) understood the collection of narrations regarding Laylatul-qadr.

In addition, and it should be noted, that if the month consists of twenty-nine days, then counting the days based on what remains will be the same as counting the days based on what has passed.

The bottom line; since determining whether the month will be 29 days or 30 days is not always a precise endevour, a person should aim to strive every night to search for it.

And Allah knows best.

Sheikh Dr. Sajid Umar

By the way, have you ever wondered about how Taraweeh came to be?! What is its history? And why are they now completing just 8 Rak'aats (units) of Taraweeh in Makkah!!!

I explain all that here...(click the word (here) :)

'Soul Model'

This is old, but still GOLD (Click the word GOLD to watch)

The End...For now🙂

May Allah accept from us our month thus far, and bless what remains, and reward you for reading. May you succeed in what Allah created you to achieve before you return to him! Ameen.

Your brother,

Sajid Umar,

Author of A Journey to Success and The Story of Yusuf (as)

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