>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 >---------------------------------- >___________________________________ >To be removed from this list send a message to >[log in to unmask] with the following text in the body of the >message: > >Unsubscribe mail-list <email address> >____________________________________ >For the latest updates and Islamic info, send a message to >[log in to unmask] with the following text in the body of the >message: > >subscribe mail-list <email address> >______________________________________________ >http://www.jamiat.org.za > >Council of Muslim Theologians >P.O. Box 62564 >Bishopsgate 4008 >(South Africa) > >Tel: 0027 31 3067786 >Fax: 0027 31 3064786 >______________________________________________ > > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------