LAYLATUL
QADR
By AH Lachporia
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The Month of Ramadan is coming to an end; where are the eyes
that will weep and where are the hearts that will humble themselves
by the fear of Almighty Allah, the Bounteous King? You have
heard this so many times from the Most Holy and Noble Qur'an:
"All the creatures will certainly die." Now the
time of the departure of the month of Ramadan is very near
and with you it will stay just like a night-guest, or like
a departing beloved. Never forget that the separation of good
friends is a very bitter thing; so where are those who will
perform as many good deeds during this month? Undoubtedly
those who have fasted, have collected great benefits and the
transgressors are the losers.
Bid farewell to this month with sighs, with cries and constant
weeping when you say: "Salaam to you, O month of Revelation:
Salaam to you O Month of Forgiveness (of Allah) and release
from Jahannum! Salaam to you O Month of the Illumination of
Hearts! Salaam to you, O Month of compensation of past sins!
Salaam to you, O Sacred month, wherein lies a night which
is better than a thousand months! Fortunate indeed is the
one who took for his or her companion one who helped him or
her in the worship of Almighty Allah during this great night
of Tawbah and Forgiveness.
Allah
be Praised! Glad tidings are for him or her who endeavoured
in Ibadah during the Night of a thousand months - the Sacred
Night of Lailatul Qadr. I swear by Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen
that this is the grand night to be clean of wrongdoing; and
of forgiveness and generosity of Almighty Allah; and the Night
of Remembrance of Almighty Allah Jalllah Wa'ala Most Merciful
and Exalted. A Night of Ibadah and a night of discharging
our Zakat to the poor, the needy, the orphan, the wayfarer,
the destitute and the under privileged.
O
you who believe! Welcome this Great and auspicious Night of
Glory with a high and noble aim and with a strong will to
worship and please our Most Glorious Creator and Sustainer.
So many positions are raised on this great night; so many
calamities are removed and so many repentance accepted; and
so many good desires are fulfilled. Almighty Allah has sworn
in His own words: "Ha Meen! I swear by the manifest Book
[of Truth], that We sent it down during the Blessed night
[of Ramadan]".
Seek
the virtues of this most wonderful night; for when the Nabee
Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam entered the last ten days of Ramadan
he made his family stay awake and he too worshipped throughout
the night. How unfortunate is the one who remained asleep
on such a grand night and remained devoid of salvation. We
ask Almighty Allah to cover us with His Mercy and Muhabbat.
And all praise is due to our Most Exalted Creator - the Lord
of all the worlds. We seek refuge in Allah from Shaytaan -
the cursed and rejected one. Says Almighty Allah in Holy Qur'an:
" O Prophet! Say: "If you love Allah, just obey
me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins, for Allah
is All-Forgiving and most merciful.
The
sacredness of this great night is due to the coming down of
Almighty Allah's Mercy and Bounty, and the acceptance of our
Ibadah, our supplications, our Duah's and our good deeds for
the night is also named "The Night of release from the
fires of Jahannum and the night of Almighty Allah's Mercy.
Rewards and sustenance from our Glorious Maker is distributed
during this grand night and our lives are prolonged or shortened.
This is the Night wherein our Most Merciful and Exalted Lord
addresses all true believers: "Is there anyone who will
beg for My forgiveness? Is there anyone who will repent, for
I will accept his or her repentance? Is there anyone who will
ask his or her needs of Me, for I will give him or her whatever
is asked."
Salaam,
Salaam, O Month of Ramadan! Salaam to you, O Month of Ramadan!
Salaam to you, O Sacred month, whose nights are blessed by
Almighty Allah, and are a means of one's past sins! Salaam
to you, O Month of Virtue and Blessings of Almighty Allah:
Salaam to you, O Month of Charity and of fasting! Salaam to
you, O Month of Ibadah, Tarawee and remembrance of Allah!
Salaam to you, O Month of Takbir and glorification of Allah!
Salaam to you, O Honourable Visitor, whom we have welcomed
(enthusiastically). O Traveller, we bid you an honourable
farewell. Salaam, Salaam, O Month of Ramadan! Blessed are
you O Month of Ramadan. O Month of Ramadan!
We
do not know whether you will be a witness for us, or against
us (on the Day of Judgement). This is your last interview
with us; we do not know whether you will return to us (in
our lifetime) or whether death will overpower us. O Month
of Ramadan! How fortunate is the person, to whom you will
return with blessings of Almighty Allah, and how fortunate
is the one, against whose misdeeds you will be a witness (on
the Day of Judgement!).
May
Almighty Allah bless our Masaajids' with your presence for
a long time, and may He light our lamps with your divine light.
The performance of Tarawee is coming to an end, and our lamps
are going to be put off (by your departure). No one will wait
for Iftaar, and no one will see the stars for his or her Suhuur.
For a time our bellies were under your command, and our eyes
were kept awake in constant Ibadah. Undoubtedly, we are for
Almighty Allah, and to Him we will all return! Oh! How sad
will be your departure and separation from us. The day of
your departure will be sorrowful for all of us.
May
Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen take mercy on the person who
bid farewell to Ramadan with repentance and devotion. All
of you should say: "O Almighty Allah! Let us be among
those who have attained salvation during the Holy month of
Ramadan. Deliver us from the fires of Jahannum, by the honour
of Ramadan. Pardon us with Your Mercy, O Most Merciful of
those who show Mercy. And all praise is due to Almighty Allah,
the Lord of all the worlds. I seek refuge in Almighty Allah,
from Shaytaan the rejected one.
(Says
Almighty Allah in the Holy Qur'an)! "The pious will reside
in an abode of Peace, in Jannah (with) fountains; they will
be dressed in brocade and silk, as they sit before each other.
And all Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
We seek refuge in Allah from Shaytaan, the rejected one. Says
Allah in the Most Holy Qur'an: "Ramadan is the Sacred
Month wherein the the Most Holy Qur'an has been sent down,
which is a true guidance for mankind, and contains manifest
Signs of the Right Path, and, is a distinction between Good
and Evil."
Our
wealth, our resources, our Muhabbat and our sincere feelings
of caring and sharing should for always indicate our deep
and profound gratitude and appreciation to Almighty Allah
Azza Wajjal in the way of our good deeds, and by remembering
the poor, the needy and the under privileged amongst us as
well as the plight of our brothers and sisters in other parts
of the world who are torn apart by war, repression and oppression.
In these times of tension and heartache, we should not neglect
the power of Ibadah and supplication to Almighty Allah Subhanahu
Wata'ala. On this Blessed Night we pray Insha'Allah to our
Glorious Creator to cleanse the hearts of the Ummah of all
traces of conceit, ego, vain-glory and rancour.
May
Almighty Allah Tabaraka Wata'ala grant us all the strength
and Sabir to display forbearance, magnanimity, mercy and compassion
in our dealings with others. This is essential if we are to
realise the strength that comes from unity if we are to attain
to the Divine Favour which is the object of all our striving.
May we be granted the success where the Most Holy and Glorious
Qur'an will become the most treasured and cherished possession
in our lives then the reward and Baraka'h will Insha'Allah
not be limited only to Laylatul Qadr but we will be enjoying
the fruits of Laylatul Qadr every day of the year for the
rest of our lives.
Salaam,
Salaam O Holy month of Ramadan.
Salaam, Salaam O Holy Month of Ramadan.
Ameen
- Ya Rabbal 'Aala'meen! |