Ramadan Articles - Laylat al-Qadr: The Night of Power

Let's analyze the significance of Laylat al-Qadr with commentary,
(tafseer) on chapter 97 of Al-Qur'an,Al-Qadr(the Night of Power).
Al-Qadr
This chapter (surah) was revealed in Makkah, and its basic theme is
honoring the revelation of this blessed book, the Holy Qur`an. The
Night of Power or honor is a special gift only to the community
(Ummah) of Islam. The night is one which even the angels in the
heavens see as worthy of witnessing. The night is so rich with
holiness, as the night when good deeds are returned, and is equal to a
thousand months in thesight of Allah.
Occasion Of Revelation
In a report by Abi Hatim and Al-Wahidi, by way of Mujahid, the
Messenger (saas) mentioned that there was a man among the Israelites
who devoted his life to the cause of Allah for a thousand months. The
companions were amazed and impressed, but were saddened because they
knew there would be no way that they could reach this status of
devotion. So Allah (SWT) revealed this surah to inform them that He
had just blessed this Ummah with the Night of Honor, which is equal to
a thousand months.
"We have indeed revealed it, (Al-Qur`an) in the Night of Power."
(Al-Qur`an 97:1)
There are several points pertaining to the meaning of this verse:
The meaning and the useof the pronoun "We" is a style in Al-Qur`an
that when the Creator (SWT) ismentioned as a pronoun,He is referred to
by "We" or "I," as is evidenced in this surah. Elsewhere He said,
"Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: `I will create a
vicegerent..."(Al-Qur`an, 2:30). There isno problem when Allah uses
the pronoun "I" to refer to His Exalted Self, but when he uses "We"
the explanation becomes warranted because it cannot be perceived to
indicate plural. There is unanimity among the scholars that "We"
indicates respect and exaltation for the Creatorand Cherisher of all
the worlds, whose greatness is incomprehensibly vast and beyond our
imagination.
Or, it is referring to Allah (SWT) and the angels who carry out his
words to one all, in every level of His dominion. It cannot mean
plural, or more than One Allah, for that would necessitate dropping in
ranks, the absoluteness, and the powers of each competing deity. If
each is capable of being absolute, each would have been independent
from the other and the idea that each deity can be independent from
theother, is evidence that none is absolute. This is inconceivable of
Allah (SWT) therefore, "We" cannot mean anything but respect and
exaltation of the One andOnly.
"...Have Indeed Revealed It In the Night of Power" (Al-Qur`an 97:1)
There is again unanimity among the commentators that "it" refers
toAl-Qur'an, meaning "We revealed"Al-Qur'anin the Night of Power. He
(SWT) did not mentionAl-Qur'anexplicitly because to refertoAl-Qur'anby
the pronoun implies a certain divine uniqueness of this book, as well
as greatness and honor that may not be attained if the
wordAl-Qur'anwas used instead. First, it ascribed the revelation
ofAl-Qur'anto Himself, and not to anyone else. Second, referring
toAl-Qur'anby pronoun is an indication that the revelation of this
book was not a secret that no one knew about. Its revelation was an
event widely known to all during the time of Muhammad (saas) and
after, guarding against anyone who may like to challenge it or claim
any honor of teaching Muhammad (saas)Al-Qur'an. Third, the statement
also meant to honor and memorialize the time period in
whichAl-Qur'anwas revealed.
By revealingAl-Qur'anin the Night of Power, Allah (SWT) inaugurated or
started its revelation for the beginning of the prophethood
('Bi'ethah),and the Prophet's mission ofAl-Islambegan in the month of
Ramadanon that Night.Al-Qur'anwas not revealed in one night; it was
revealed over the course of 23 years. Ibn Abbas (raa) said: The whole
Qur'an was revealed to the lower heavens from the protective slate
(Lawhul Mahfuz) on the Night of Power, then from there to the earth in
the courseof 23 years.
The word power,Al-Qadr, has several implications and meaning, but we
cover only those implications which are relevant to the issues here.
Qadrimplies having power over something, as in the case of the Creator
over the creation.Allah's (SWT) excellence isAl-Qadr, capable,
omnipotent, almighty, all powerful. It also implies excellence and
high esteem, and as for this Night of Power, it is highly esteemed and
regarded. For this night is equal to over 80 years in the sight of
Allah (SWT).
It also implies to maintain, appoint, assignor decree an order. Thus,
in the Night of Power, Allah (SWT) proclaims to the angels His
commands and orders in regards to the affairs of the universe. From
this meaning is derived the concept ofAl-Qada Wa Qadar, the fifth
article of faith, that Allah has decreed or preordained or, in other
words, has full knowledge of all that the human being will do with his
free will. A man'sdecision to act freely in good conscience or bad
conscience is all known to Allah (SWT), past, present and future.
Qadralso implies measurement, that is all the events of the year will
occur in accordance to the exact measurement of what is in the
knowledge of Allah, Who states: "Verily, all things have We created in
proportion and measure."(Al-Qur`an,54:49)
Why the name, the Night of Power?
As mentioned above, it is the night of Taqdeer, meaning the one in
which Allah (SWT) announces to the angels His already decreed
commands, rules, events, etc., for the coming calendar year, from the
present Night of Power to the next Night of Power. Allah (SWT) states:
"We sent it down during a blessed night; We forever wish to warn
(against evil). In that (night) is made distinct every affair of
wisdom."(Al-Qur`an, 44:3-4)
It should be known that most scholars believe Allah's commands and
rules are not made on that night. It has already been decreed in the
eternity what is known to Allah, but that knowledge is not known to
anyone, including the angels, until He announces it to the angels on
that night so that they will record it onthe protective slate.
This is also the night of honor and prestige which may be awarded to
the servant who devotes himself to specialdeeds, or to the deeds
themselves for the highervalue they contain on that night.
The Night Is Concealed
Allah (SWT) in His mercy, has concealed the Night of Power from us for
the following reasons: The problems pertaining to an exact night on
which the honors are attained are not unique with this Night. It seems
that Allah conceals many things. He conceals his pleasure from us in
all our good deeds so that we will strive in all of them. He conceals
His wrath from us in all of the sins we commit so that we will avoid
them. He conceals His most beloved servants('awliya) so that we will
respect all the believers. He has concealed the time of His acceptance
of our supplications so that we will strive in all our supplications.
He concealed his greatest name, so that we mention all His names.
Hehas concealed the time ofdeath so that we will be conscious of Him
and our deeds all the time.
He has concealed the exact date of the Night ofPower so that we would
double our the efforts in the whole month of Ramadan, or at least the
last ten days. He has concealed it also to test the serious and the
non-serious. The seriously interested person will search for thenight
late and in the early hours until he or she attains it, regardless of
the hardship.
Where Is The Night?
The majority of the scholars who agreed thatthe night occurs in the
month of Ramadan, disagreed on the exact night. Some said it comeson
the first day of Ramadan. Others said it ison the seventh; while
others say its on the 19th night. All these opinions are not built on
sound proof. There is evidence that the night comes on the last ten
days of Ramadan, specifically on the odd numbered nights. In a report
by Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "Seek it on the odd
nights of the last ten days of Ramadan."
In a hadith by Ibn Umar (raa), some men among the companions saw the
night in a dream occurring in the last seven nights. Respondingto
this, the Messenger of Allah (saas) told them, "I see your dreams
coincideon the last seven, whoever wants to seek it should do so in
the last seven." (Agreed upon)
In Muslim's report, the Prophet (saas) said, "Seekthe night in the
last ten days, and if any of you is weak, or can't observe it, he
should not miss the remaining seven days." In Hadith by Ubayy bin
Ka'ab (raa), he said: "By Allah, I know which nightit is. It is the
night the Messenger commanded us to observe, the night of the 27th."
(Ahmed/Tirmidhi)
Analyzing all these citations indicates still noone knows for sure
which night is the Night of Power, at least in a given year. It seems
that the night shifts and rotates to different nights from one year to
another. It may occur on the 27th in one year, while the next year it
willbe on the 25th, while on the following year it will be occurring
on the 29th,etc. There is an indicationto this in hadith by Bukhari,
when the Messenger of Allah (saas) states: "Seek it on the
twenty-ninth; it may be on the twenty-seventh, or on the
twenty-fifth." Imam Ibn Hajr, in his book,"Fathul Bari", in the
commentary of the Book of Bukhari, said: ``I accept the ruling that
thenight occurs on the odd nights of the last ten daysof Ramadan,
namely the twenty-first, twenty-third, twenty-fifth, twenty-seventh
and or twenty-ninth.''
Seeking The Night
It is recommended to seek the night and spendit diligently in
devotion, including night Sunnah prayers (Tahajjud), recitation
ofAl-Qur'anand supplications. In a hadith related by Abu Hurairah
(raa), the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "He who spends the night in
prayer on the Night of Power, as a sign of His faith, and seeking
rewards from Allah, his previous sins will be forgiven."
(Bukhari/Muslim) This citation indicates that regardless of whether a
person knows the night or not, Allah will grant him forgiveness for
previous shortcomings.
" And what will explain to thee what the Night ofPower is?; The Night
of Power is better than a thousand months." (Al-Qur`an 97:2-3)
Allah (SWT) is emphasizing by putting the second verse in question
form. The answer being no one knows, or comprehends, the awesomeness
and the depth of honor of thenight. As if to say whatever merits Allah
informs you about the night is just nothing compared to the things you
have no idea about. Nonetheless, He mentionsthree honors in the
creditof the night: 1."The Nightis better than a thousand months. 2.
"Therein, come down the angels..."and 3. "Peace!"
The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.This indicates
that acts of worship such as prayer, charity, and recitation done on
this night are better in reward than the same actdone on other nights.
The rewards (thawaab) are being multiplied several-fold.
Imam Malik reported thatthe Messenger of Allah (saas) was shown the
long life span of people of previous nations, so the Prophet bemoaned
the shortness of the life span of the Ummah, fearing that they might
not be able to save many good deeds for the Hereafter. Therefore,
Allah gave him the Night of Power to compensate for their lack of
longevity. Hence, the devoted believer has as chance of adding 80
something years of worship to his life on the Night of Power. You see,
for instance, if you worship Allah on this night every year for 65
years, by multiplying 65 by 80, you would have lived for 5,200 years,
or achieved the reward of a person who lived that long.
You can see why the devotions were highly encouraged by the Prophet.
Indeed, you can achieve the honor of the Night of Power if you so wish
by spending the odd nights of the last ten days in acts of worship.
"Therein, come down theangels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on
every errand." (Al-Qur`an 97:4)
This is far from the earlier cry of the angels who, when Allah told
them, "...I will create a vicegerent on earth," they said, "Will you
place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed
blood?..."(Al-Qur`an, 2:30)
You see, when the angelsfirst looked at our spirit with its traits of
mischief,vanity and desires, and the rages of anger, they, the
embodiment of all that is good, did not like us at all. That explains
their response in the above verse. So is the case with parents, when
they first conceptualize the shape of the offspring, semen and
congealed blood; they donot like it. They will even wash their hands,
clothesand everything that this substance touches, a gruesome thing.
They may even think about aborting the baby in the beginning.
But after the baby is being fashioned in the most beautiful shape
andthey feel the movement of life, they change from dislike to caring
love.
That is seemingly what happened to the angels. When they saw in us
this beautiful spirit of knowing the Creator, andworshipping Allah
alone, they changed from dislike to complete love, and cannot wait for
another Night of Power to come down so they can pray for us. Allah
states: "...And they implore forgiveness for those who
believe..."(Al-Qur`an, 40:7)
He used the form (tanazzal) "They come", toindicate that the angels
descend on the Night of Power, group after group; some coming down to
earth while others ascend into the heaven. This heavenly, angelic
organized traffic of good will continues until the break of dawn.
As for the reasons why they come, there are several explanations
including: (1) they descend to witness how we worship and obey Allah,
and (2) to show their deep love for the believers. This is why they
seek permission from Allah to come and meet us. This is a once-a-year
opportunity they do not like to miss. (3) Allah promised the believers
that in the hereafter, angels will approach on them with
greetings:"...And the angels shall enter into them from every gate
(with the salutation): Peace be unto you for that you persevered in
patience..."(Al-Qur`an, 13:23-24)
Now, if you preoccupy yourself with worship of Allah, the angels will
descend on you with salutations. (4) Allah (SWT) singles out this
night with honors on the earth so the angels can come down and
increase their rewards, and as a means to encourage the human race to
worship. (5) Realization that the angels are around is encouragement
for the servants to devote more time to good deeds as a man will work
harder when a foreman is present.
"...And the Spirit..." (Al-Qur`an 97:4)
There are several explanations for the meaning of the Spirit: (1) The
Spirit is comprised ofgroups of special angels who are seen only on
theNight of Power; (2) it is referring toAl-Qur`an, as Allah (SWT)
stated: "And thus have We, by Our command sent inspiration (spirit) to
thee..."(Al-Qur`an 42:52), (3) This is a reference to Angel Jibreel,
as this is a special honor to Jibreel who has been mentionedtwice
Surah 42 first with another angel, and separately as the spirit of
Allah (SWT) as the Qur`an says: "Verily this is a revelation from the
Lord of the Worlds. With it came down the spirit of faith and
truth."(Al-Qur`an, 26:192-193)Thus the correct explanation of the
spirit,Ruuh, is Jibreel in this verse to indicate the angels on one
side and Jibreel on the other, while they were descending.
"...By Allah`s permission..."
This indicates the angels extend a request to cometo meet the
believers; and to underscore the fact that angels are infallible; that
they do not make a move without explicit permission from their Lord.
Allah (SWT) states:"They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in
all things) by His command."(Al-Qur`an, 21:27)"(The angels say) We
descend not but by command of thy Lord..."(Al-Qur`an 19:64)
"(Their) Lord." It indicates honor for the angels. It is as if Allah
(SWT) is saying ``They arefor Me and I am for them''. Similarly, Allah
(SWT) said regarding us:"Verily your Lord is Allah Who created the
heavensand the earth in six days..."(Al-Qur`an, 10:3)And regarding
Prophet Muhammad (saas) Allah said: "Behold, your Lord said to the
angels..."(Al-Qur'an, 2:30)
It has been reported that when Prophet David was terminally ill, he
asked Allah to be for his son Solomon, as He was for him. Allah (SWT)
replied, saying: "Tell Solomon to be for Me as you are for
Me.(Al-Qur`an 2:30)
"...On every errand..."
This indicates the angels and the Spirit descend for different
purposes: some come down for prostration, some for bowing, and others
for supplications for the believers and salutations.Or they come down
carrying with them the proclamations of the coming year.
"Peace!..." (Al-Qur`an 97:5)
There are several explanations to this verse: (1) The whole Night of
Power, from sunset to the break of dawn, will be spent by the angeles
in salutation. (2) The purpose is to describe the night with peace
because of the salutation from the angels. That is very important,
because whenseven angels visited Prophet Ibrahim (saas) and saluted
him, he was very happy, and when Nimrod threw him in the fire, it
turned ice-cold when the angels saluted him. (3) This is a wish of
safety and peace from all evil and harmful things, or the angels will
only bring on this night, good things!
"...Until the rise of morn."(Al-Qur`an 97:5)
All the honor, blessings and peace of the Night ofPower will continue
in every second of the nightuntil Fajr. Allah (SWT) is the Best
Knower.

Fathwa - Is my fast broken if I fear that water was swallowed during gargling?

Question:
This morning I had to make ghusl. I am used to gargling very
'aggressively' and did so this morning while fasting. I felt that
something MAY have entered my throat but I am not sure if water went
DOWN. Is my fast invalidated?
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and spirits.
We assume our actions to be valid until we are sure otherwise, because
of the legal maxim that,"Certainty is not lifted by doubts." [Ibn
Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa'l Nadha'ir]
However, it is best not to gargle 'aggressively' when fasting, because
anything that endangers the validity of one's actions becomes
disliked.
And Allah alone gives success.

Fathwa - Passionate kissing while fasting

Question:
I have a question about what seems to be a contradiction, though I
could very obviously be mistaken.This is in regards to passionate
kissing while fasting. In the answer to the following post ( My
husband does not like kissing or other displays of physical affection.
He is religious, though, and may listen to religious advice.
In one answer, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, it is stated that :
"Passionate kissing (orFrench kissing) is also the Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & givehim peace).
Sayyida A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him & givehim peace) would kiss her whilst he
was fasting (m, refer to the fiqh of kissing during fast) and he would
suck her tongue." (Sunan Abu Dawud, no.2378) "
But in the post entitledFrench Kissing While Fasting, answered by
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, it says:
"French-kissing would inevitably result in an exchange of saliva, and
then that saliva being swallowed. As such, given the legal maxim that,
"The inevitable is considered actual," [Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah] the
fast would be considered broken, and must be made up. [Shurunbulali,
Maraqi al-Falah]"
Can you please clarify this matter for me. Jazakallahu khayran for all
that you all do.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Indeed it is reported from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him &
give him peace) that he would kiss his wife and our mother Sayyida
A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) passionately (by sucking on her
tongue) whilst in the state of fasting. (Sunan Abu Dawud, no: 2378)
However, when I quoted this Hadith in the answertitled "Passionate
kissingis also the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him &
give him peace)" I stated that please refer to the Fiqh of kissing
during a fast. The reason being is that, according to the Fuqaha,the
exchange of saliva through kissing will invalidate one's fast.
The Hanafi jurists (fuqaha) state that non-sexual affectionate
kissing, from which there is no fear of leading to intercourse
orejaculation, is allowed and not disliked. But, if one fears that
kissing will lead to ejaculation or intercourse, then it will be
disliked to kiss. However, one's fast remains valid as long as kissing
does not lead to actual sexual intercourse or does not result in
ejaculation. If kissing resulted in ejaculation, one's fast would
become invalid and hence will have to be made up (qadha), without
having to expiate for it (kaffara). (See: al-Fatawaal-Hindiyya, 1/200
& 1/204)
With regards to passionate or French kissing when saliva is exchanged,
it is stated in Maraqi al-Falah:
"And from the acts than invalidate one's fast and also necessitate an
expiation (kaffara) is the swallowing of the saliva of one's spouse or
friend,for one feels passion in it." (Tahtawi ala Maraqi al-Falah, P:
667)
It is stated in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya:
"If one swallows the saliva of another, one's fast will be invalidated
without expiation (kaffara) being necessary, unless the saliva is of
one's friend (or spouse), for that will also necessitate expiation."
(1/203)
Thus, swallowing the saliva of another in a sexual manner with desire
and passion invalidates one's fast, with a make up (qadha) and
expiation (kaffara) both becoming necessary. Passionate kissing or
sucking on thetongue of one's spouse would inevitably result in an
exchange of saliva, and then that saliva being swallowed. As such, it
would result in the invalidation of one's fast. This is the position
of the Hanafi Fuqaha andalso the Fuqaha of some other Schools.
Now, the question arises as to how would the Hadith of the Messenger
of Allah (Allah bless him &give him peace), wherein he is reported to
have kissed passionately whilst fasting (quoted above), be explained?
Imam Hafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (Allah have mercy on him) states:
"There is a narration thathas been recorded by only Imam Abu Dawud
from Sayyida A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) that the "Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him &give him peace) would kiss her passionately
(during a fast)" but the chain of this Hadith is weak. If it is proven
to be authentic, then it refers to when there is no exchange of
saliva, hence not swallowing one's spouse's saliva." (Fath al-Bari,
4/195)
The great scholar of Hadith of the Indian Subcontinent, Shaykh Khalil
Ahmad Saharanpuri (Allah have mercy on him) states in his commentary
of SunanAbi Dawud, Bazl al-Majhud, that this Hadith where it is
reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him
peace) would kiss Sayyida A'isha passionately whilst fasting to the
point that he would suck on her tongue goes against what the Fuqaha
have stated that swallowing the saliva of another invalidates one's
fast.
One explanation is that the chain of transmissionfor this Hadith is
weak. The narrators Muhammad ibn Dinar and Sa'd ibn Aws are considered
to be weak, and neither is there another authentic Hadithwherein
"sucking on the tongue" is mentioned.
Secondly (if the Hadith is proven to be authentic), passionate kissing
and sucking on the tongue is not connected to fasting.Hence, the
meaning of the Hadith is that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him
& give him peace) would kiss Sayyida A'isha whilst he was fasting, and
normally when he kissed her, he would kiss her passionately (but not
necessarily whilst fasting).
Thirdly, Even if the passionate kissing took place in the state of
fast, the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) would
ensurenot to swallow her saliva. The sucking on the tongue was very
subtle and not to the point where saliva was exchanged and swallowed.
(See: Bazl al-Majhud fi Hal Abi Dawud)
In Conclusion, passionatekissing is the Sunnah of the Messenger of
Allah (Allah bless him & give him) as mentioned in theHadith of Sunan
Abi Dawud, although some have considered the chain of this Hadith to
beweak. However, it wouldnot be allowed to kiss passionately whilst in
thestate of fasting, for the exchange of saliva and the resulting
swallowing will invalidate one's fast.
And Allah knows best

Fathwa - What physical contact breaks the fast? When is expiation required?

Question:
What kind of emission of sexual fluids requires ghusl, and what doesn't?
Answer:
Bismillah Ir-Rahman Ir-Raheem
Assalamu aliekum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
As stated in Nur al-Iydah, there are three types of emissions: wady,
madhy, and mani.
Wady is a white, thick discharge that is commonly seen before orafter
urinating. Madhy is a white, thin discharge that is caused through the
excitement of foreplay or kissing. Mani is a fluid that is released
after ejaculation.
Wady and madhy necessitate wudhu and mani requires one to perform ghusl.
As for sexual relations while one is fasting, the following is a
breakdown from Nur al-Iydah of what does or does not invalidate
one'sfast and the expiation rulings accompanying them.
Physical Contact that Doesn't Break One's Fast:
-Non-passionate kissing (i.e. doesn't lead to sexual intercourse or ejaculation)
-Looking at one's spouse,even if one ejaculates
Physical Contact that Doesn't Break One's Fast But Is Disliked:
-Non-passionate kissing that one fears will lead to sexual intercourse
or ejaculation
-Anything sexual that one fears will lead to sexual intercourse or ejaculation
Physical Contact that Breaks One's Fast And Requires Makeup Only:
-Ejaculation from masturbation *
-Kissing and touching that caused ejaculation *
Physical Contact that Breaks One's Fast And Requires Makeup and Kaffara:
-Passionate kissing *
-Swallowing the saliva ofone's spouse or friend *
-Sexual intercourse without ejaculation *
-Ejaculation from sexual intercourse *
*The person who involved himself in the above-mentioned situations
should refrain from eating and drinkingfor the remainder of thatday,
and repent for the severity of his sin.
Outside the month of Ramadan, if one breaks his fast deliberately,
thenhe is not required to complete a Kaffara.