The Virtues of the Night of the Decree

19 رمضان 1436 6.7.15 فضل ليلة القدر The Virtues of the Night of the Decree Allah gave us the month of Ramadan as a gift, to draw closer to Him. Ramadan is a respected guest. Allah takes care of all the distractions in this month, so that we can focus on the worship. The gates of Hell are closed, and all the gates of Jannah are wide open. It is an open feast for us to partake from. We are at the threshold of the last ten nights of Ramadan, and this is the of the month, as well as the best nights of this month. It is the cream of the month. In any race, as the last metre approaches, everyone speeds up. We need to make more effort in these last ten nights. Maybe before you were taking it easy, pacing yourself. Now the last opportunity is approaching, the golden last chance, the last ten nights of this blessed month. The Prophet Mohammad صلى اهلل عليه و سلم made the most effort in worship in Ramadan, out of all the rest of the eleven months, and he made the most effort in Ramadan in the last ten nights. 1

These ten nights are the most blessed nights of the whole month, the cream of Ramadan. Our beloved Prophet صلى اهلل عليه و سلم did three things which are special for these last ten nights. He made the nights alive. He woke up his household, and they worshipped all night. He also 'tightened his belt', which means, he increased his efforts even more. 2 We can duplicate this action, turn all the lights on, wake everyone up, so that all the members of the family can avail with these blessed months. Take a short nap as needed, but try to witness these nights. Stop anything else, and focus on worshipping Allah in Ramadan, and specially in these last ten nights. The one who witnessed these nights and his sins were not forgiven is deprived. So empty your mind and heart of everything else but worshipping Allah. We have no guarantee that we will be alive to witness another Ramadan, so catch every opportunity that Allah sends your way to worship Him. The الصالح,سلف the Pious Predecessors, used to make an extra effort, work with high resolution, in these special nights. What can we do to greet these special ten nights? The heart matters the most to Allah, so welcome these last ten nights with a heart that is alive and awake. Don't think too much about the means. Analyze your heart, what is our concern? Is your concern the hereafter, do you want to go to Jannah? If your concern is Jannah, then take the means to get there. But whoever desires the Hereafter and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer - it is those whose effort is ever appreciated [by Allah ]. 17:19 Make your worship sincerely for the sake of Allah. You don't want your efforts wasted and unappreciated. Empty your mind of any concern for the dunya. If you make your concern only the akhirah, Allah will give you dunya and akhirah both. Don't think of Eid, of what you will wear, what you will cook. This

will change your concern and you will miss the reward. If you make your concern the akhirah, then Allah will make your dunya and akhirah the best. If you make your concern the dunya, then you will run after it, and you will never be satisfied. And the one who has brought the truth and [they who] believed in it - those are the righteous. 39:33 Be truthful with Allah and yourself. Do you really want to do your best in these last ten nights? This is your last chance for taqwa, by being truthful. Don't cheat or deceive yourself, nor give yourself excuses. Don't lie to yourself. When you say you are being truthful, that you want to do your best, Allah will test you by sending opportunities your way. Then it depends on you whether you take them or not. Allah will prepare the environment for you, because He wants the best for you. Allah will give you the time and health. So don't waste the time doing anything else, not even sleeping. Don't rely on yourself or the means. You must rely only upon Allah, the Creator of the means, the situations, motives, and worships. Allah is,الوكيل the Guardian, so rely only on Him. Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs. 39:62 You cannot do your best in the race of these last ten nights of Ramadan without على اهلل,التوكل reliance upon Allah. You want to overcome your nafs, so make istighfar, ask forgiveness from Allah. Sins can be an obstacle to worship, so hold on to istighfar. Say : O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful. 29:53 When you commit a major sin, this needs repentance. Istighfar, asking forgiveness for sins which we may commit in everyday life, should be made into a daily routine. Welcome the last ten nights with Istighfar.

Don't be proud or arrogant. When you do a lot of worship, you may have a good feeling about yourself. So cut yourself out of the picture. Don't look at your good deeds. And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height. 17:37 Don't look at your deeds as a lot, nor walk with arrogance. These are from the actions of the shaitan. He thought he was better than Adam السالم.عليه Also, don't look down at someone. This is common when you go to the masjid. At home, of you are the only one praying while everyone else is sleeping, it is easy to to judge them. Do not be proud of your deeds, or the deed will be gone. Also don't compare your deeds with someone else, as that can lead to jealousy. Be grateful. Rather, worship [only] Allah and be among the grateful. 39:66 Be sincere, do everything for the sake of Allah, not for people, nor even for yourself. Be grateful to Allah for any good deed you do. This will remove any pride and arrogance. When you are grateful, Allah will increase you in good deeds. Shukr brings increment. The last ten nights of Ramadan are the best of the month. We do all this worship to get one night, the Night of the Decree. We don't know when this night will be, so we must strive every night. Some scholars do say that we should صلى seek this night in the odd nights, but the Prophet did not differentiate the nights, he started اهلل عليه و سلم making the extra effort, as soon as the last ten nights began. Why is this night? ليلة القدر called Qadr means a high and noble status; it is a valuable and precious night. The scholars gave us three reasons.

The Qura'an was revealed on this night; this is what gives it value. Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree 97:1 The Qura'an is the connection between the heavens and the earth. This night is better than thousand months. Any worship done on this night is as if you worshipped for a thousand nights. This is a favour from Allah. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? 97:2 The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months 97:3 The angels and Jibreel descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. 97:4 Allah allows the angels to descend upon the earth. On that night, the earth is full of angels. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. 97:5 The descent of the angels makes the night peaceful and tranquil. You worship that night will be different, you will be able to taste its sweetness. Another meaning of القدر comes from الضيق, tightness. The earth will be so full of angels that night, that it will become crowded and cramped. Not a single spot will be left empty. Jibreel and all the other angels want to witness your worship. Allah boasts about your worship to the angels; this is an honour.

The word القدر also means the decree. Allah decreed everything in املحفوظ,اللوح the Preserved Tablets, before He created the heavens and the earth. On القدر,ليلة the decree for the current year is given to the angels to fulfill. The angels are the ones who carry out the commands of Allah, so they need to know the decree. For instance, the angel of the womb is given the list of the names of the babies who need their soul breathed into their bodies; the angel of death is given the list of the names of the people who are destined to die. These files, which were previously hidden, are now known by the concerned angels. We must make abundant dua' in this night, because dua' can change the decree with the will of Allah. If someone is decreed to be sick, dua' will result in this sickness to be averted. We don't know what is decreed for us, so we must continue to invoke Allah. Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to warn [mankind]. On that night is made distinct every precise matter 44:3-4 What can worship can we do in this night? We should establish the night, with prayer and other acts of worship. There is so much you can do as worship, not only prayer. Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding. 39:9 This is your Qiyam in these ten nights, establish them with your heart.

Allah has sent down the best statement: a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray - for him there is no guide. 39:23 Establish the nights with the Qura'an, reciting, pondering, memorizing. The best dua' for the last nights O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me. 3 Ask Allah to forgive your shortcomings, your imperfect worship. Who is Allah, the One you are worshipping? They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal, while the earth entirely will be [within] His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand. Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him. 39:67 The human being underestimates the greatness of Allah, the One who will grasp the heavens and the earth in His hand on the Day of Judgement.

The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [ Allah ] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving. 17:44 The whole universe resounds with the glorification and praises of Allah, though he human beings cannot comprehend this. Allah honoured the offspring of Aadam, by commanding the angels to prostrate to Aadam السالم.عليه When you worship Allah, He forgives your sins and pardons you. But if you don't, Allah is,الغني the Most Rich, He doesn't need your worship; the whole universe worships Him. If you disbelieve - indeed, Allah is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves it for you; and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you about what you used to do. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts. 39:7 Allah is not affected by your disobedience and disbelief. If you are grateful to Him, it pleases Him. Establish the Night of the Decree with your heart before your feet. Stand in this night, showing your needs and poverty to Allah. Do not be confident with yourself. Have confidence only in the mercy of Allah. Don't rely on yourself for the blink of an eye. Rely on the mercy of Allah. Show your humility to Allah. Bear in mind that your worship is nothing, so give Allah your worship with shyness for it's deficiency.

REFERENCE 1. وعنها قالت: كان رسول اهلل صلى اهلل عليه وسلم يجتهد في رمضان ما ال يجتهد في غيره وفي العشر األواخر منه ما ال يجتهد في غيره. رواه مسلم رياض الصالحني كتاب # 9 حديث # 1194 'Aishah رضي اهلل عنها reported: The Messenger of Allah صلى اهلل عليه و سلم used to strive more in worship during Ramadan than he strove in any other time of the year; and he would devote himself more (in the worship of Allah) in the last ten nights of Ramadan than he strove in earlier part of the month. ************ 2. وعنها رضي اهلل عنها قالت: كان رسول اهلل صلى اهلل عليه وسلم : إذا دخل العشر األواخر من رمضان أحيا الليلة وأيقظ أهله وجد وشد املئزر. متفق عليه رياض الصالحني كتاب # 9 حديث # 1193 'Aishah رضي اهلل عنها reported: When the last ten nights (of Ramadan) would begin, the Messenger of Allah صلى اهلل عليه و سلم would keep awake at night (for prayer and devotion), awaken his family and prepare himself to be more diligent in worship. 3. ************** وعنها قالت: قلت: يا رسول اهلل أرأيت إن علمت أي ليلة القدر ما أقول فيها قال : قولي: اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن صحيح رياض الصالحني كتاب # 9 حديث # 1195 'Aishah رضي اهلل عنها reported: I asked: O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it? He صلى اهلل عليه و سلم replied : You should supplicate: O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me. ***************