In my first Ramadan, when the last ten days come, I’ve been tired and feel a little bit lost and unsure; I’ve already been striving so much, how can I increase this?
When you have an athlete in race, near the end of the race, you see the athlete push themselves even harder even that hurts, even though there’s pain involved, they know that there is a goal to achieve: winning.
In Ramadan you are the master of your own race, that’s why we feel that urgency when we’re reaching the last ten days of Ramadan.
The last ten days of Ramadan are important in the calendar. Why?
Because we’re seeking something amazing: one particular night in those last ten nights that’s called laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power). This night is a moving target, we don’t know exactly on which of the last ten nights laylatul Qadr will fall and there so much wisdom in this.
Some companions used to find a sense of peace, or they would dream about that night like ibn Umar. But it could be that you just have a certain feeling that evening that maybe this is the night, but actually we don’t know for certain.
A Unique Night
There is a full chapter (97) that is revealed exactly about the night of power. This shows how important this particular night is:
Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Decree. (Quran 97)
This emphasizes the uniqueness of this night, Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Destiny. Qadr opens up so many possibilities. It opens up three possible meanings:
- Calculation: the annual decision and decrees at this time are sent down by Allah to earth; the things that can affect our lives.
- Honor: this is the way that was given on a completely unique night
- Power: Allah is Al-Qadeer, and this is mentioned once in the Quran (2:284). Allah uses a link to His attribute to His own name, which links this night directly to Allah.
And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?
Why do you think that it’s better not to know exactly when that particular night is?
Allah is the Most Wise. As human beings we tend to be a little bit lazy, if we know that something is there and we can just pick it, we’re not going to search around and make effort finding it.
Allah has chosen not to show us exactly when the night of Power is, this means that during the whole of these last ten nights we are seeking that particular time, which means we’re striving to do good things, to pray more, to get closer to Allah on those last ten nights.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
Actions are according to intentions, everyone shall get what they intended.
In the context of us seeking throughout all the last ten nights of Ramadan, we’re seeking laylatul Qadr. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also mentions that if we intend to do something even if we don’t do it, then we get blessings for it.
So imagine the striving on all those last ten nights that we’re doing, we’re standing up, we’re tired, we’re reading Quran more, we’re praying more…
The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
This night is better than one thousand months. So imagine if your intention is to find laylatul Qadr in these ten nights, but you strive those whole nights and your intention is for getting the best out of this particular time.
If we seek each night, Allah chooses to withhold exactly which one it is, it could be that we get the reward of a thousand months for each one of the nights that we strive. Allah knows best.
What Happens on the Night of Power?
The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.
The angels and the spirit descend in and they are sorting out all affairs; they are bringing down Allah’s decree and putting Allah’s decree into action:
Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.
Allah extends this night so that we can get even more reward. If you find peace in this particular night, it might be the Laylatul Qadr. Your iman will feel so amazingly sweet.
How do you find it?
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned in a hadith that it could be a calm night, not too cold, not too hot, feeling this peaceful within that evening, a reddish sunrise.
What about the prayer you do?
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned:
Whoever stands on Laylatul Qadr out of sincere faith hoping for reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.
Just like when you take shahadah, this will happen again if you have sincerity.
What to Say?
Aisha asked Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about which prayer to say on this particular night. He (peace be upon him) said:
O Allah, you are forgiving and you love forgiveness, so You to forgive.
The condition is standing in prayer with iman and taqwa, with trying to trust that the results of the twenty first of Ramadan are going to be that you have strived so hard that you have get rid of so many of your sins and you are closer to Allah. So you’re in a much better position.
Look how Allah is so wise to put us in the position where Laylatul Qadr is within the last ten nights, not in the first or middle ten nights. Why?
Because we’ve had these twenty days without Satan’s whispers trying to train ourselves into good getting closer to Allah. This maximizes the opportunity to come out of the end of Ramadan with all those sins forgiven.
We should make dua. There are different types of dua, the things that people can do on the last ten nights of Ramadan, it depends on your capability. Allah will only judge you based on your own capability; He knows what’s inside your heart.
5 Tips to Do in Laylatul Qadr
- Read the Quran, in Arabic or the translation of Quran
- Set up some kind of sadaqah, giving something during these ten day. There are different apps and different systems online whereby you can pace out giving charity and zakat
- Try to stay up for the last third of the night, read Quran and something about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
- Try to learn something new on those nights. Imagine you have nights and you learn ten new things. It might be that you learn one word or one line of Quran during those nights.
- Try to make as much dhikr as you can, remember Allah all the time and be thinking about Allah and build your love for Allah. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that the nearest we are to our Lord is in sujood, so plead and ask at that time.
When you’re doing Qiyamu-Layl, the sunnah is to pray eight units, make dua in sujood, make dhikr, get closer to your Lord at this time of these amazing nights.
May Allah grant you the best,. May Allah forgive you because He loves to forgive.
May Allah accept your efforts and grant us all Laylatul Qadr.
(From Discovering Islam archive – Check the video here)