Excellence of Shab-e-Qadr
Excellence of Shab-e-Qadr
Allah has bestowed Muslims with some specially blessed hours throughout the year that are basically an opportunity to seek His blessings and deliverance from hell. One of these heavenly hours is Shab e Qadr. The night that comes only once a year and purifies your energies from all that is evil.
So, what does laylatul qadr mean exactly? Well, Qadr means Power or Fate in Arabic. It is the night of sacredness and divinity. It is called Laylatul Qadr because in this night the rules of the whole year are implemented and the angels are assigned to the works of the entire year.
The night has also been said to have a privilege over the other nights of the year given its blessed nature and so because of its nobleness and importance, the word Qadar is attached to it. Apart from that, it is also narrated that since good deeds are accepted in this night and they are appreciated in the court of Allah, the night is referred to as Laylat al Qadr.
Laylat al Qadr holds immense importance and significance in Islam as a night of divine decree, spiritual blessings, and forgiveness. Understanding its significance empowers Muslims to approach it with reverence, devotion, and a desire to draw closer to Allah.
By actively seeking Laylatul qadr benefits and engaging in acts of worship and reflection, believers strive to reap its spiritual rewards and blessings.
Furthermore, being a night of blessings, we must not spend the night in ignorance. Do you know exactly how big the night is? Well, in Surah al-Qadr, Allah Almighty describes shab e qadar as a night that has a reward of more than 1000 months. That means about 83 years and 4 months!
The special night "Laylatul Qadr," also known as the Night of Decree or Power is mentioned in the Quran, specifically in Surah Al-Qadr (Chapter 97), where its importance and significance are highlighted.
According to the translation of Kanzul Iman in Laylatul Qadr surah, Allah Almighty informs Muslims of the extraordinary significance of the night of Decree by stating that it’s the night when the Holy Quran was sent down upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Furthermore, Allah announces that the night is better than 1000 months in terms of its extreme spiritual rewards and blessing for all those that seek guidance and riddance from hellfire.
All of those verses and mentions in the Holy Book of Allah make this night so much more special and unbelievably powerful.
In addition to the Holy Quran, the last messenger of Allah Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ himself praised the night of power, Laylatul Qadr, in his hadith mubarak.
At one occasion, the beloved Prophet ﷺ stated:
“Whoever performs worship during Shab e Qadr out of sincerity and Iman, his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 626, Hadees 1901)
Looking at the mammoth impact and magnitude of the statement, it’s clear how big and blessed the night of shab e qadr is. That’s a reason why Muslims take it as an opportunity to collect the blessings of the Almighty and ask forgiveness from him.
Allah has kept the date and time of Layla tul Qadar hidden and unknown so that Muslims quest to find the night of Layla tul Qadar for themselves. However, the vast majority of scholars have a consensus that it’s on the 27th of Ramadan.
According to a hadith of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ it’s somewhere in the last ten days of Ramadan.
The beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated, ‘Search for Shab-e-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of blessed Ramadan’. (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 661, Hadees 2017)
So, from the above hadees we do see that the exact laylatul qadr date is difficult to tell. However, there are signs from Allah Almighty that we could look out for to make sure a night is that blessed one. Do you wonder what the signs of shab e qadar are? We are going to find that out next.
As said earlier, there is no divine confirmation for the night of laylatul qadr, and there are only signs with which one can confirm whether it’s the actual night or not.
So, here are the laylatul qadr signs that we should be looking for in the final ten days of Ramadan.
1) Laylatul Qadr is said to be a night of peace. Many believers report experiencing a heightened sense of peace and calmness during this night.
2) Scholars described the night as being brighter than others. Some narrations suggest that the sky appears illuminated on Laylatul Qadr, even though there may not be any discernible astronomical explanation.
3) Moderate Weather: It is believed that the weather on Laylatul Qadr is neither too hot nor too cold. The atmosphere is said to be pleasant and moderate.
4) Some narrations mention a pleasant fragrance filling the air on Laylatul Qadr.
5) You may feel a deep sense of connection with Allah and a heightened awareness of their spiritual state on Laylatul Qadr.
Therefore, the above-mentioned signs of laylatul qadr night are just some of the many pointers that could verify the existence of the divine and blessed night. With these in mind, you could further deepen your efforts to connect with Allah and become as close to Him as possible.
Given the significance of the night of laylatul qadr, the last ten nights of Ramadan ul Mubarak are extra important in terms of spirituality and religious potentiality.
So, the primary reason for the significance of the last ten nights is the potential occurrence of Laylat al-Qadr within this period. As mentioned earlier, Laylat al-Qadr is the night when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Furthermore, the Quran describes it as a night of great value, better than a thousand months. Therefore, Muslims strive to engage in acts of worship during this time, seeking the immense rewards associated.
Being a time of connectivity with Allah Almighty, the last ten nights of Ramadan provide an opportunity for introspection, reflection, and self-assessment. Muslims assess their spiritual progress throughout the month, identify areas for improvement, and strive to strengthen their faith and character.
Engaging in acts of worship such as prayer, recitation of the Quran, and charitable deeds during these nights facilitates personal growth and development.
As you know, Ramadan is a month of mercy, forgiveness, and spiritual growth. Being such a blessed month, the last ten special nights provide believers with a concentrated period to seek forgiveness for their sins, repent, and improve their relationship with Allah.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged increased devotion and seeking forgiveness during these nights, recognizing them as a time of great opportunity for redemption.
Besides that, laylatul qadr reward is huge for those that seek Allah attention in this night. It is also believed that prayers made during Laylat al Qadr are more likely to be answered by Allah.
Considering the massive impact of Allah blessings in the air, most Muslims indulge in excessive praying. They seize this opportunity to beseech Allah for their needs and forgiveness, confident that their prayers will be heard.
For remembrance of Allah Almighty on Layla tul Qadr, there are multiple acts of worship that one could choose. Muslims usually give zakat, sadqa, pray nafl namaz, make dua and there are surahs to read on laylatul qadr as well.
The Beloved Rasool Muhammad ﷺ has stated: Whoever performs [the acts of] worship during Shab e Qadr out of sincerity and Iman [faith], his previous sins will be forgiven. (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 626, Hadees 1901)
There is no one best surah for laylatul qadr but you can recite Surah-e-Ankabut, Surah-e-Roum, and Surah-e-Dukhan. Further, to evoke the forgiving and merciful nature of Allah you could read Surah Al-Qadr and Surah Ar-Rahman.
So, the laylatul qadr to do list can be long. However, all actions of bowing down to Allah will lead you to be more connected with Allah’s unlimited divine wisdom as well as receive His blessings.
The best approach is to offer prayers and supplications in the court of Almighty Allah as much as you want. Faqeeh Abul Lays رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated:
“At minimum, there are 2 Rak’aat of Shab-e-Qadr, at maximum, there are 1000 Rak’aat, and average quantity of Rak’aat is 100; whereas average recitation for each Rak’at is that, after Surah Al-Fatihah, recite Surah Al-Qadr one time and Surah Al-Ikhlas three times; After completion of each two Rak’aat with Salam, recite Salat upon the Prophet ﷺ.” (Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol. 10, pp. 483)
Apart from that, there’s one particular shab e qadr dua given by the Prophet ﷺ himself.
Mother of the believers, Hazrat Aishah Siddiqah ؓ narrated that she asked the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, “Ya Rasoolallah ﷺ! What should I recite if I find Layla tul Qadr?’ The Beloved and Blessed Rasool ﷺ replied, ‘Make supplication like this:
“Ya Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! You are indeed the Forgiver, You like forgiving, so forgive me.” (Jami’ Tirmizi, vol. 5, pp. 306, Hadees 3524)
In conclusion, the great night of Layla tul Qadr is a night permeated with divine wisdom, power and acceptance for all. It’s the night that believers around the world from Indonesia to South Asia to the Arab world and all the way to the Americas anticipate all year long.
As Muslims, we must be careful not to indulge in ignorant acts on this sacred night particularly and make sure that this night we get all our sins forgiven through ceaseless repentance and praying to Allah.
The night of Shab e Qadr is a rarest occasion and marks the height of spiritual divinity in time. So, preparing for it is a must. Not making the most of it will only cause us to regret our ignorance on the day of judgment – if not in this lifetime.
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