Laylat al-Qadr
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Lailatul Qadr' (Arabic: لیلة القدر) (also known as Shab-e-Qadr), the Night of Destiny, Night of Power, Night of Value, the Night of Decree or Night of Measures, is the anniversary of two very important dates in Islam that occurred in the month of Ramadan. It is the anniversary of the night Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
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[edit] Revelation to Muhammad
Lailatul Qadr' is the night that the Quran was revealed. All Muslims believe that revelation of the Quran occurred in two phases, with the first phase being the revelation in its entirety on Lailatul Qadr' to Gabriel in the lowest heaven, and then the subsequent verse-by-verse revelation to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel (Jibril in Arabic). The revelation started in 610 CE at the Hira cave on Mount Nur in Mecca.The first Surah that was revealed was Surah Al-Alaq. Muslims should worship as much as they can on this night. This night is also believed to be the night when God decides the destiny of everyone.
[edit] Sunnah
Muslims often pray extra prayers on this day, particularly the night prayer. They awake, pray, and hope God will give them anything they may desire on this night. Mostly, they perform tilawat (reading the Quran).
Those who can afford to devote their time in the remembrance of God stay in the mosque for the final ten days of Ramadan. This worship is called Iʿtikāf (retreat). They observe a fast during the day and occupy themselves with the remembrance of God, performing voluntary prayers and studying the Quran, day and night, apart from the obligatory prayers which they perform with the congregation. Food and other necessities of life are provided for them during their stay in the mosque. Devoting time to remember God, Muslims also hope to receive divine favors and blessings connected with the blessed night (lailatul qadr').
[edit] Date
[edit] Sunni Islam
Laylat al-Qadr is to be found in the last five odd nights of the 3rd decade of Ramadan. There is no history in the Quran as to when the specific date is.[1][2]Therefore in the Sunni communities of all the Islamic countries, the Laylat al-Qadar is found to be on the last nights of Ramadan. Mostly it is on one of the odd nights, i.e., 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th night. And most probably {{Night of 27 ramzan}} it falls on the 27th night of Ramadan.
It is the night when Quraan was revealed (as a whole on the 4th sky) and then was revealed piecemeal to Muhammad in 23 years, 13 years in Mecca and 10 years in Medina.
[edit] Shia Islam
Similarly Lailatul Qadr' is to be found in the last ten odd nights of Ramadan but mostly on the 19th or 21st or 23rd night of Ramadhan. The 19th, according to the Shia belief coincides with the night Ali was attacked in the Mihrab while worshipping in the Great Mosque of Kufa, and died on the 21st of Ramadhan. Shia muslims worship and regard these three nights of great reward and worship but to be the night the Quran was revealed to angel Jibreel is 23rd of Ramadan.
Qadr is most commonly translated into English as power, or wisdom, but there is no direct equivalent word in English.[citation needed]
Qadr can be translated into English as Probability. In Urdu it is called Andaza the night where the probabilities of the universe are adjusted. Similar to the expansion and contraction of universe.
Many Shia Muslims, who make up the minority of Islamic followers — including the Ismailis (especially Dawoodi Bohras) — observe Laylatul-Qadr on the 23rd night, in keeping with traditions received through Ali and his wife Fatimah, Muhammad's daughter and Fatimid Imams. They further believe that there is no doubt over the date and this is being kept secret by Allah to really testify the follower of Ahl al-Bayt.[3] The tradition is also said to have been articulated by Ja'far al-Sadiq and other Shia Imams.
[edit] Religious importance
[edit] Quran
The verses above regard the Night as better than one thousand months. The whole month of Ramazan is a period of spiritual training wherein believers devote much of their time to fasting, praying, reciting the Quran, remembering God, and giving charity. However because of the revealed importance of this night, Muslims strive [give more effort] harder in the last ten days of Ramazan since the Laylat al-Qadr could be one of the odd-numbered days in these last ten (the first, third, fifth, seventh or ninth). Normally, some Muslims from each community perform an Iʿtikāf in the mosque: they remain in the mosque for the last ten days of the month for prayers and recitation.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Islam and state in Sumatra: a study of seventeenth-century Aceh. p.128.
- ^ Marjo Buitelaar. Fasting and feasting in Morocco: women's participation in ramzan. p.64
- ^ "The Ismaili: Laylat al-Qadr". http://www.theismaili.org/cms/793/Laylat-alQadr. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ Quran 97:1–5
[edit] External links
- Laylat Al-Qadr, The Night of Power - Last 10 Days
- The Night of Power
- Lailatul Qadar
- Shab e Qadr 2011 (Laylat al-Qadr)
- How to Seek Laylatul-Qadr
- Al Qadr (The Night of Power And Fate)
- Al Qadr Learn Surah Al Qadr with Audio at MountHira.com
- Lailat al Qadr (BBC Religion) with dates
- Fasting in ramzan and its culmination during Laylat al Qadr
- The Powerful Night of ramzan
- Laylatul Qadr: Introduction and guidance on special prayers for the night. (Includes Salaatul Tasbeeh)
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