Rewarding night for every devoted Muslim

Muslims always devote themselves to Allah by spending these days reading Quran, praying for the whole night, doing zikr (remembrance of Allah) and supplicating to Allah to forgive all their past sins and accept their acts.

The Night of Power or Destiny is an extremely important night for Muslims. It is the night in which our code of guidance, the Holy Quran, was revealed from Allah Almighty to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The Quran was revealed in Ramadan (2:185), and traditionally Muslims celebrate the Night of Power on the 27th night of Ramadan.
God describes this night as better than a thousand months. During that night, the angels and the spirit descend therein, by God's leave, to carry out every command (97:1-5). Because the Night of Power is such a special night, those Muslims (submitters) who want to gain extra credit of righteousness spend the night by commemorating God the Almighty either in their privacy or in a mosque with other Muslims. There are also some Muslims who retreat to a mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan to take advantage of God's blessings further and increase their faith of submission.
It falls in the last ten days of Ramadan. Muslims always devote themselves to Allah by spending these days reading Quran, praying for the whole night, doing zikr (remembrance of Allah) and supplicating to Allah to forgive all their past sins and accept their acts.
Syedana Abû Hurayra evokes what the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:" Whosoever worshipped on Laylat al-Qadr, with faith and with a sincere intention, all of his previous sins are forgiven." (from al-Bukhârî and Muslim).
Any person who abstained from this night has rejected the good receivable during it and any person who rejected the good receivable during it is undoubtedly a rejected person." (Sunan Ibn Mâja).
What can be said about a person, who during this night avoids grasping the gifts available and chooses the path of sinning?
We are prepared to stay awake for meaningless talk and socialising, but will not stay awake during a night, which contains more rewards than worship made for eighty years.
Syedana Anas reports that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) stated the following about the virtues of Laylat al-Qadr:
"During Laylat al-Qadr, Jibrâ'îl descends to the earth with some Angels and invokes Allah for the forgiveness of those who spend their time remembering Allah in any way". This has been mentioned in Surat al-Qadr, in the following words: "Therein come down the angles and the spirit by God's permission, on every errand: Peace!... This until the rise of the morn!" The spirit: usually understood to be the Angel Gabriel, the Spirit of Inspiration.
When the night of spiritual darkness is dissipated by the Glory of God, a wonderful peace and a sense of security arise in the soul. And this last on until this life closes, and the glorious day of the spiritual world dawns, when everything will be on different plane, and the chequered night and days of this world will be even less than a dream.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "Whosoever offers voluntary prayers during the Night of Power out of belief and charging Allah with its recompense will have his past sins forgiven." - Hadith, compiled by Bukhari and Muslim.
A noted scholar explains the significance of this night saying: " You illuminate the mosques on the Night of Qadr and make it as bright as the day, while your hearts are as dark as the darkest night. Know that illuminations are not enough. When you light the lamps, remind yourselves that your dark hearts, without inner purifications, will not become enlightened by the lamps."
The glory and majesty of this night cannot be explained in any human terms. This night is an opportunity to open out our hearts unto Him who revealed the Holy Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who kept Allah's message everliving.
What one does while seeking out Laylat al-Qadr will vary from person to person. Praying the Isha prayer, the night prayer, and the Fajr prayer, the prayer at dawn, in congregation is important as is every minute in between. Some will then stand for hours in ritual prayer. Others will read or listen to the Quran being recited. Some will sit with their hands raised to the skies with tears falling from their eyes as their hearts tremble out of devotion.
(The writer is former staffer of Khaleej Times)

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