The religion of Islam is built on
five pillars which are Iman (belief in the oneness of Allah), Solaat (observing
the five daily prayers), Zakat (giving alms to the poor and the needy), Sawm
(fasting during the month of Ramadan) and lastly Hajj (pilgrimage to the holy
land Mekkah).
This article wants to talk about
the fourth pillar – Sawm (fasting). Allah commanded us in the holy Qur’an
Chapter 2 verse 183 that “O ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it
was prescribed for those before you”. So it is compulsory for every believer
who is in good health to fast during the month of Ramadan.
During the month of Ramadan, the
last ten days are special and among these ten days, there is a particular night
we must target and it is called Lailatul-Qadr (the night of majesty or the
night of decree) the night in which people’s destinies are changed. During
these last ten days, all Muslims are expected to wake up all nights and keep
supplicating to Allah seeking for His mercy and abundant blessings. Allah (SWT)
also said in the holy Qur’an that this particular night of majesty is better
than a thousand months. Allah reveals in Suratul Qadr (Q 97 v. 1 - 5) the
significance of the night of majesty for our observation in detail as follows:
In the name of
Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
1. Verily, We have sent it (the Quran) down in the night of
Al-Qadr (Majesty).
2. And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr is.
3. The night of Al-Qadr (Majesty) is better
than one thousand months (that is worshipping Allah in that night is better
than worshipping Him a thousand months that is 83 years and 4 months).
4. There in descend the angels and the Ruh
(Jibril) by their Lord’s permission with every matter.
5. (All that night), there is Peace (and
Goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.
Allah informs that He sent the
Qur’an down during the night of Al-Qadr, and it is a blessed night which occurs
during the month of Ramadan. Allah sent down the Qur’an all at one time then it
came down in parts to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) based upon the incidents
that occurred over a period of twenty-three years.
Some companions of the Prophet
recorded that when Ramadan is approaching, the Messenger of Allah would say,
“Verily, the month of Ramadan has come to you all. It is a blessed month, which
Allah has obligated you all to keep by fasting. During the Ramadan the gates of
Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are shackled.
In this particular period there is a night that is better than one thousand
months. Whoever is deprived of its good then has truly been deprived”.
Apart from the fact that worship
during the night of Al-Qadr is equivalent to worship performed in one thousand
months, it is also confirmed that, whoever stands in prayer during the Night of
Al-Qadr with faith and expecting reward from Allah, he will be forgiven for his
previous sins.
During this Night also, the
Angels usually descend numerously. The Angels descend with blessings and
mercies, and surround the circles of Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) and they
lower their wings with true respect for the students of knowledge. It is a
security for us in which the Shaytan cannot do any evil or any harm.
The Messenger of Allah also said,
“Verily, the sign of the night of Al-Qadr is that it is pure and glowing as if
there were a bright, tranquil, calm moon during the night. It is not cold,
neither is it hot and no shooting star is permitted until morning. It signs is
that the sun appears on the morning following it smooth having no rays on it,
just like the moon on a full moon night”. The Prophet also said, verily, it is
during the odd nights, the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the
twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth or during the last
night wonderful blessings are poured on the people.
It is recommended that, on the
twentieth of Ramadan, all Muslims are expected to be in the mosque for the next
ten days which is called ‘I’tikaf’ and supplicate often during and all times,
especially the last ten nights, and during the odd nights and even more.
Aminat Adesope is one of our Staff writers.
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