Laylatu-l-Qadr

Laylatu-l-Qadr is a Blessed Night, Allah blessed it over one thousand months that do not contain it. It is called Laylatu-l-Qadr either because of its excellence and great status or because provisions and life-spans for the following year are decreed therein. The Angels and the Spirit descend in that night and greet those who pray by night with the salam; the scholars differ as to whether they extend the salam to them of their own accord or they convey the salam of their Lord.

A night in which the Lord of the Worlds sends salam to His servants is a night that is indeed worthy of being better than a thousand months, it is a night worthy of being sought after and searched for. This is why the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would search for it along with his Companions and the righteous who came after them.

This night occurs in the last ten days of Ramadan, and is most likely to occur in the odd nights rather than the even nights. It seems clear that it occurs on the twenty-first night; this is because the Messenger of Allah saw this night in a dream but was made to forget it, however he remembered that in the morning following it, he would prostrate in mud and water. It is authentically reported that it rained on the night of the twenty-first and the Masjid leaked water, [when the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) prayed therein, traces of mud and water were seen on his forehead and nose. [Reported by Bukhari]

Moreover he (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed us that on the night of Laylatu-l-Qadr the moon would look like half a plate and the moon never looks like this unless it be in its seventh night or twenty-first night.

 [Trans: this is the opinion of the author, may Allah have mercy upon him, other opinions have been mentioned such as the opinion that Laylatu-l-Qadr falls on different nights every year, an opinion that was preferred by a group of scholars amongst whom was ibn Hajr]

From the excellent qualities of this night is that whoever prays during it out of faith and seeking reward, will have his previous sins forgiven him. The evidence for what we have mentioned lies in his (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sayings,

 “I was shown Laylatu-l-Qadr, then one of my wives awoke me and I was made to forget it, so search for it in the last ten nights.” [Reported by Muslim]

“Seek Laylatu-l-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan” [Reported by Bukhari and Muslim]

Abu Hurayrah said, ‘we were discussing Laylatu-l-Qadr in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and he said, “which of you remembers the night when the moon arose and it was like half a plate?” [Reported by Muslim]

“Whoever prays the night of Laylatu-l-Qadr out of faith and seeking reward will have his previous sins forgiven.” [Reported by Bukhari]

It is recommended for whoever finds it to increasing in praising Allah and invoking Him, and he should frequently supplicate with this supplication, “O Allah! You are the One who pardons greatly, You Love to pardon so pardon me.” [Reported by at-Tirmidhi]

If a person was to suffice with praising Allah, this would be better due to the hadith in which it is reported that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whoever is diverted by making dhikr of Me from asking of Me, I would grant him the best of what I grant those asking.”

[Trans: at-Tirmidhi [#2926] on the authority of Abu Saہid al-Khudri with a da’if isnad; refer to al-Albani, ad-Da’ifah [#1335]. Ahadith with similar meaning have been reported on the authority of ‘Umar in al-Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman [#573] and as-Suyuti, al-Lali’ [2/288] said that al-Hafidh ibn Hajr declared it hasan; Jabir in al-Bayhaqi [#574]; Hudhayfah in Abu Nu’aym [7/313] and indicated as hasan by al-Albani; and Malik bin al-Carithah in al-Bayhaqi [#575].]

Umayyah said,

Should I mention my need or should your

Gifts suffice me; for sure giving gifts is part of your disposition

If a person was to praise you one day

The one who he is praising would suffice him

 [Trans: Diwan Umayyah [p. 333] in praise ibn Jud’an. Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah was asked about his (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saying, “The most superior supplication on the Day of ‘Arafah is, ‘none has the right to be worshipped save Allah, the One Who has no partner, to Him belongs the dominion, to Him belongs all praise and He is Omnipotent over all things” and [in explanation to the fact that a direct request is not mentioned therein] he mentioned the previous hadith and these verses and proceeded to say, ‘this is an object of creation saying of another that it is sufficient to praise him [to get what he desires] rather than directly ask him, what then of the Creator, Blessed and Exalted is He?’ Recorded by al-Hafidh ibn ‘Abdu-l-Barr, at-Tamhid [2/680] and al-Bayhaqi [#575]]