How to Seek Laylatul-Qadr (Night of Power)?

Admin Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:23 pm

Bismillah

Innal hamdulillah ir Rabbil alamin wa salaatu wa salaamu ala Muhammadan abduhu wa Rasooluhu wa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma'een, amma ba'd.....

As salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh,

We have indeed revealed this (Message)
in the Night of Power:
And what will explain to thee
what the Night of Power is?
The Night of Power is...
better than a thousand months.
Therein come down
the angels and the Spirit
by Allah's permission,
on every errand:
Peace!...
This until the rise of morn!
[Surah 97 The Holy Qur’an]
The Holy Qur'an contains a short surah dedicated to Laylatul Qadr. Surah Al-Qadr is the 97th surah and consists of five verses. However, these short verses carry great meaning and guidance. They tell us all we need to know about the essence and spirit of Laylatul Qadr.
Laylatul Qadr falls sometime within the last 10 days of Ramadhan.
'Seek it in Ramadan in the last ten nights. For verily, it is during the odd nights, the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth, or during the last night.'
[Sahih Hadith Ahmad 5:318]

How to Seek Laylatul-Qadr

by Shaykh Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani
Adapted from 'The Night Prayers: Qiyam & Tarawih
from works by Muhammad Nasir ud-Deen al-Albani
(and other scholars)'
Compiled by Muhammad al-Jibali, ? 1997 QSS

Laylat ul-Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. If a believing person is zealous to obey his Lord and increase the good deeds in his record, he should strive to encounter this night and to pass it in worship and obedience. If this is facilitated for him, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.

Praying Qiyaam
It is recommended to make a long Qiyaam prayer during the nights on which Laylat ul-Qadr could fall. This is indicated in many hadeeths, such as the following:

Abu Tharr (radhiallahu `anhu) relates:

'We fasted with Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) in Ramadaan. He did not lead us (in qiyaam) at all until there were seven (nights of Ramadaan) left. Then he stood with us (that night - in prayer) until one third of the night had passed. He did not pray with us on the sixth. On the fifth night, he prayed with us until half of the night had passed. So we said, 'Allah's Messenger! Wouldn't you pray with us the whole night?' He replied:

'Whoever stands in prayer with the imaam until he (the imaam) concludes the prayer, it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night.'?' [Recorded by Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmithi (who authenticated it), an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, at-Tahawi (in Sharhu Ma`an il-Athar, Ibn Nasr, al-Faryabi, and al-Bayhaqi. Their isnad is authentic.]

[Point of benefit: Abu Dawud mentioned: 'I heard Ahmad being asked, 'Do you like for a man to pray with the people or by himself during Ramadan?' He replied, 'Pray with the people' I also heard him say, 'I would prefer for one to pray (qiyaam) with the imaam and to pray witr with him as well, for the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said: 'When a man prays with the imaam until he concludes, it is recorded that he prayed the rest of that night.' [Masaa'il]

Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu `anhu) narrated that the Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:

'Whoever stands (in qiyaam) in Laylat ul-Qadr [and it is facilitated for him] out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward), will have all of his previous sins forgiven.'

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim; the addition 'and it is facilitated for him' is recorded by Ahmad from the report of `Ubaadah Bin as-Samit; it means that he is permitted to be among the sincere worshippers during that blessed night.]

Making Supplications

It is also recommended to make extensive supplication on this night. `A'ishah (radhiallahu `anha) reported that she asked Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), 'O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylat ul-Qadr, what should I say during it?' And he instructed her to say:

'Allahumma innaka
`afuwwun tuh.ibbul `afwa
fa`fu `annee -

O Allah! You are forgiving,
and you love forgiveness.
So forgive me.'

[Recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmithi. Verified to be authentic by Al-Albani]

Abandoning Worldly Pleasures
for the Sake of Worship

It is further recommended to spend more time in worship during the nights on which Laylat ul-Qadr is likely to be. This calls for abandoning many worldly pleasures in order to secure the time and thoughts solely for worshipping Allah. `A'ishah (radhiallahu `anha) reported:

'When the (last) ten started, the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) would tighten his izaar (i.e. he stayed away from his wives in order to have more time for worship), spend the whole night awake (in prayer), and wake up his family.'
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

And she said:

'Allah's Messenger (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) used to exert more (in worship) on the last ten than on other nights.'
[Muslim]

***
'La ilaaha illallaahu, nas-taghfirullaaha,
nas-alukal jannata, wa na'oozubika minannaar.'

'Allahumma Atqinee Minan'naari
Wa Ad-Khhilnee Fil Jannati,
Ya Rabbal Aalameen'

(Aameen)

Our Lord! accept (this little effort) from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing. (Aameen)

With Kind Regards
Mohammad Usman
Jeddah-SAUDI ARABIA

* 'O Prophet (pbuh) preach to them (the Truth), for preaching proves beneficial for the Believers' <Adh-Dhariyat: 55>
** 'O Messenger {Muhammad (pbuh)}! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord.' <Al-Maidah: 67>
*** Accept the True faith, do righteous deeds, recommend the Truth and patience to one another. <As recommended in Al-Asr: 03>