The last 10 nights of Ramadan are considered to be some of the best of the year, while the Qur’an says Laylatul Qadr is “better than a thousand months”. During this night, Jibril revealed the Holy Qur’an’s first verses to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Performing a charitable deed on Laylat-al-Qadr promises many future rewards. “We have indeed revealed this in the ‘Night of Power’. And what will explain to you what the night of power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down The Angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, on every errand. “Peace!…This until the rise of Morn!” – Surah Al-Qadr. Another important part of Laylatul Qadr is Dua, which is making supplications. As the Prophet Muhammad said: “Oh Allah, you are forgiving and you love to forgive, so forgive me.” As we live today in an era of digital distractions and materialistic heedlessness, often acts of worship are squeezed into brief moments in our daily routine, which does not furnish one with a complete transformative spiritual experience. Serious worship requires not just taking a brief moment to pray, but allowing our prayers to define our direction in life. Thus, we can say Islam offers opportunities for intense spiritual experiences, experiences that involve setting aside the worldly life and its distractions.
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.” The Qur’an’s 97th chapter is dedicated entirely to this night: Indeed, We revealed [the Qur’an] during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. (97:1-5). Furthermore, since angels occupy the highest heavens, they are described in the Qur’an as ‘close to God’; yet on Laylatul-Qadr they are ‘seeking permission’ from God to descend to earth in recognition of the divine blessings that God places on earth during this night. Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “A person would attain the reward of the night, even if he has no knowledge of it. This is because the Prophet said ‘whoever stands (in prayer) during Laylatul-Qadr, with faith and hope, will be forgiven,’ and the Prophet did not make knowledge of the night a condition of their forgiveness. And had knowledge of the night become a necessary factor, the Prophet would have made this clear.” This passage reiterates the significance of Laylatul-Qadr as the night during which the fates, destinies, and decrees are sent down for the forthcoming year.
