LESSONS FOR RAMADAN
Clarifying the Virtue of Laylatul-Qadr & Hastening to Strive in It
All praise is due to Allah, who preferred the month of Ramadan over the other months and distinguished it with Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Decree), which is better than a thousand months. And may salutations and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
As for what follows:
Allah the Most High said:
اِنَّآ اَنْزَلْنٰهُ فِيْ لَيْلَةٍ مُّبٰرَكَةٍ اِنَّا كُنَّا مُنْذِرِيْنَ، فِيْهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ اَمْرٍ حَكِيْمٍ
“We sent it (this Qur’an) down on a blessed night. Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.” [Surah ad-Dukhān 44:3-4]
And Allah the Most High said:
اِنَّآ اَنْزَلْنٰهُ فِيْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ، وَمَآ اَدْرٰىكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ، لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ اَلْفِ شَهْرٍ، تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلٰۤىِٕكَةُ وَالرُّوْحُ فِيْهَا بِاِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ اَمْرٍۛ، سَلٰمٌ ۛهِيَ حَتّٰى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ
“Verily! We have sent it (this Qur’an) down in the Night of Qadr (decree). And what will make you know what the Night of Qadr is? The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace! (All that night, there is peace and goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.” [Surah al-Qadr 97:1-5]
And it is in the blessed month of Ramadan, from the statement of the Most High:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِيْٓ اُنْزِلَ فِيْهِ الْقُرْاٰنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنٰتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدٰى وَالْفُرْقَانِۚ
“The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people, and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.” [Surah al-Baqarah 2:185]
And it is expected in the last 10 nights of it, from the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ):
“Seek Laylatul-Qadr in the last 10 nights of Ramadan.” [1]
So it is befitting to strive in each of the 10 nights, seeking this night.
And the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever stands in prayer during the Night of Qadr, having faith and seeking the reward, will be forgiven for his previous sins.” [2]
The Most High has reported that it is better than a thousand months, and it is called the Night of Decree because all that is in the next year is decreed in it. As the Most High said:
فِيْهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ اَمْرٍ حَكِيْمٍۙ
“Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.” [Surah ad-Dukhān 44:4]
It is the yearly decree, the specific decree; as for the general decree, then it came before the creation of the heavens and the earth by fifty-thousand years, as has been authenticated from those ahadith. It is said that it is called “the Night of Decree” to glorify its high standing and rank, and the meaning of the statement of the Most High:
لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ اَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
“The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.” [Surah al-Qadr 97:3]
This means that standing for prayer during this night and doing good deeds during it is better than doing deeds in a thousand months excluding this night. And seeking it in the odd nights of the last 10 is more certain, from the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ):
“Seek it in the last 10, when there are three left, or seven left, or nine left.” [3]
And it was most expected to occur on the 27th night, due to sayings from many of the Companions that it is the 27th night, from them Ibn ‘Abbās, Abi bin Ka’b, and others. But the wisdom of keeping it hidden is so that the Muslims will strive in worship in all of the last 10 nights, like how the hour of al-Jumu’ah is hidden during the day of al-Jumu’ah so the Muslim will strive all day.
And it is preferred that the Muslim strives in increasing his du’a’ in it because du’a’ in it is preferred, and that he prays with what was reported from ‘A’ishah, who said:
“O Messenger of Allah, if I reach it then what should I supplicate with?” He (ﷺ) said, “With my statement: Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni.” (O Allah, verily You are Ever-Pardoning, and You love to pardon, so pardon me.) [4]
So, O Muslims: Strive during this blessed night with salah, du’a’, seeking forgiveness, and righteous deeds, for verily it is the opportunity of a lifetime, and opportunities don’t last forever. And verily, Allah the Exalted has reported that it is better than a thousand months. A thousand months is more than 80 years, which is a long life, so what if a person spent all of it in the worship of Allah? Yet this one night, Laylatul-Qadr, is better than it, and this is a tremendous virtue. This night is always in Ramadan, and it is certainly in the last 10 nights. So if a Muslim strove in all of the nights of Ramadan, then he would certainly happen upon Laylatul-Qadr, and it is expected that he would receive its goodness.
Which virtue is greater than this virtue for the one to whom Allah has given success? So desire, may Allah have mercy on you, to seek this night, and strive with righteous actions in order to win its rewards, for verily the one who is deprived is he who is deprived of the reward. And the one whom the times of forgiveness pass by, and he is still laden with his sins due to being heedless, turning away, and not caring about them, then verily this one is deprived.
O you who have sinned, repent to your Lord and ask Him for forgiveness, for verily Allah has opened the door of repentance. And He called you and made for you fixed times of goodness in which the rewards are multiplied and the evil deeds are wiped away, so take yourself to the means of salvation.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all creation, and may salutations and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Footnotes:
[1] Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim 1169
[2] Sahih al-Bukhāri 2024
[3] Sahih al-Bukhari 2021, and 2022 with a similar wording.
[4] Reported by at-Tirmidhi (3513) and Ibn Majah (3850).
Excerpt from the book ‘A Gift To The People Of Iman In Lessons For Ramadan’ by Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan.
Precious Gems from the Quran and Sunnah 