>From: "Jamiat" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: "Jamiat" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RAMADHAAN 1420: Laylatul Qadr & I'tikaaf
>Date: Wed, 29 Dec 1999 12:33:00 +0200
>
>----------------------------------
>http://www.jamiat.org.za/qadr.html
>----------------------------------
>
>LAYLATUL QADR (The Night of Power)
>
>Crowning Glory
>Laylatul Qadr is the crowning glory of the holy month of Ramadhaan. It is
>associated with the sending down of the Qur'an Majeed, the last Book of
>Allah on His last Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), for the
>guidance of mankind. The Qur'an Majeed describes this Night.
>
>"We have indeed revealed this (message) in the Night of Power: And what
>will
>explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better
>than
>a thousand months. Therein come down the Angels and the Spirit (Jibraeel)
>by
>Allah's permission, on every errand: Peace! This until the rise of Morn!"
>(597: V1-5).
>
>The Night of Power is the night of spiritual bliss. Our Nabi (Sallallaahu
>Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said concerning Ramadhaan:
>
>"Verily this month has come to you; and therein is a night which is better
>than a thousand Months. Whosoever is deprived of it, is deprived of all
>good; and none is deprived of its good except a totally unfortunate
>person".
>(Ibn Majah). "Whosoever stands up (in prayer) at the Night of Power out of
>faith and hopeful of reward, all his past sins will be forgiven." (Targhib)
>
>Better than a thousand months
>A thousand months are equivalent to 83 years and 4 months. Fortunate is the
>person who spends this night in prayer. The man or woman, who prays for the
>whole night during this Night, will deserve blessings and reward for the
>period as if he or she had been praying for eighty three years and four
>months consecutively. Since the Night of Power is better than one thousand
>months no one can actually measure the extent as to how much better it is.
>
>Exclusive
>The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said: "Laylatul
>Qadr
>has been bestowed by Allah to my Ummah (People). It was not given to any
>people before this." (Dur-Mansoor).
>
>How manifest and replete the special bounties and mercies of Allah Ta'ala
>are upon this Ummat is quite really beyond imagination. It will therefore
>be
>extremely foolish to allow ourselves to be deprived of these great
>blessings
>at the expense of sheer laziness and a few hours of extra sleep.
>
>Which Night is it?
>Although there are different reports in different traditions regarding the
>exact night, it is almost unanimous that the blessed night occurs in one of
>the last ten nights of Ramadhaan and more probably in one of the last ten
>odd nights i.e. 2lst, 23rd, 25th 27th or 29th night.
>
>The popular opinion is, however, in favour of the 27th Night of Ramadhaan
>but that is not absolutely certain. The traditions indicate that it is to
>be
>sought in one of the last ten nights and referrably in the last three odd
>nights. It was therefore the practice of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu
>Alayhi Wasallam) and his companions to make I'tikaaf in the Mosque for the
>whole time offering Divine service during the last ten days of Ramadhaan.
>
>Hazrath Aisha (Radhiallaahu Anha) reported that the Apostle of Allah said:
>"Search for the Blessed Night in the odd (nights) from the last ten
>(nights)
>of Ramadhaan" (Bukhari).
>
>Hazrath Aisha has narrated another saying:
>"I asked: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me if I were to find a Night of Power,
>what should I recite therein?" Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu Alayhi
>Wasallam) advised her to recite:
>
>Al-laa-hum-ma in-na-ka 'a foow-wan tu-hib-bul-'af wa fa-fu 'an-ni.
>O Allah! You are Forgiving, You love forgiveness, so forgive me. (Bukhari).
>
>Special attention should therefore be given to the excessive recitation of
>this dua on the blessed night. Furthermore one may engage in lengthy
>rakaats
>of Tahajjud salaat, Tilaawat of the Qur'an, Dua, Zikr, etc.
>
>The worship and the vigil of the Night of Power are a treat to the soul.
>The
>heart tends to melt into tears of heartfelt gratitude. The body is in a
>state of angelic ecstasy The soul strives to reach nearer to Almighty
>Allah.
>In this holy month of Ramadhaan let us strive to seek the Night of Power
>and
>its bliss. May Allah reward us with His bountiful blessings. Aameen.
>
>--------------------------
>I'TIKAAF
>
>BENEFITS
>This great Sunnah of our beloved Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) is so
>replete with spiritual benefits that a brief treatise like this can never
>do
>justice to enumerating them. Perhaps the greatest and the actual motivation
>behind it is the search for Laylatul Qadr. In I'tikaaf, even one's sleeping
>is regarded as Ibaadat, hence making it so much easier to gain the benefits
>of the blessed night. Furthermore one gains the opportunity of emulating
>Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) concerning whom Hazrath Aisha
>(Radhiallaahu Anha) reports: "When the last ten Nights of Ramadhaan would
>come, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) would spend the whole night in
>Ibaadat. He would exert himself tremendously and even wake up his family
>members." (Bukhari, Muslim). She even reports that he would never exert
>himself in worship at any other time like he did on this occasion (Muslim).
>
>BEAUTY OF I'TIKAAF
>The example of the one who resides in the Masjid in I'tikaaf is like a
>person, who having gone to certain place for something remains there until
>it is granted. Allamah Ibn Qaiyyim (R.A.) writes that the actual aim of
>I'tikaaf is to divert the heart from everything except Allah and to join it
>with Allah alone, thereby forming a complete spiritual connection with Him.
>In essence all love and desire becomes centred around Allah alone, one's
>only true Helper and Protector.
>
>VIRTUE OF I'TIKAAF
>One cannot possibly imagine the tremendous virtue and reward promised for
>I'tikaaf. Just to mention a few Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:
>"Whomsoever performs I'tikaaf for a day thereby seeking the pleasure of
>Allah, Allah will open three trenches between him and the fire of Hell, the
>width of each being the distance between heaven and earth." (Tabraani). It
>is also reported:
>
>"Whoever performs I'tikaaf for the final ten days of Ramadhaan, for him is
>the reward of two Hajj and two Umrahs." (Kashful Ghumma).
>
>When Allah Ta'ala is prepared to grant us so much in return for a little
>sacrifice on our part, then it will surely be a great loss if we fail to
>avail ourselves of the opportunity. May Allah Ta'ala give us the Taufeeq to
>practice. Aameen
>
>Al-Jamiat Publications
>----------------------------------
>http://www.jamiat.org.za/qadr.html
>----------------------------------
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