Ramadan Articles - When the Night Equals a Thousand

It was narrated that in the days that Musa (alayhis-salaam) wandered
with Bani Israa'eel in the desert an intense drought befell them.
Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the
blessed rain to come. Then, to theastonishment of Musa
(alayhis-salaam) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that
were in the sky vanished,the heat poured down, and the drought
intensified.
It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of
BaniIsraa'eel who had disobeyed Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) for more
than forty years of his life. "Let him separate himself from
thecongregation," Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) told Musa
(alayhis-salaam). "Only then shall Ishower you all with rain." Musa
(alayhis-salaam) then called out to the throngs of humanity, "There is
a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for forty years. Let him
separate himself from thecongregation and only then shall we be
rescued from the drought." That man, waited, looking left and right,
hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat
poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one.
The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die
of thirst and that if hestepped forward he would be humiliated for all
eternity.
He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with a
humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks
he said: "O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah,
forgive me!" As Musa (alayhis-salaam) and the people of Bani Israa'eel
awaited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and
the rain poured. Musa (alayhis-salaam) asked Allah (Subhanahu wa
ta'ala), "O Allah, you blessed us with rain eventhough the sinner did
not come forward." And Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) replied, "O Musa,
itis for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani
Israa'eel with water." Musa (alayhis-salaam), wanting to know who this
blessed man was, asked, "Show him to me O Allah!" Allah (Subhanahu wa
ta'ala) replied, "O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think
that after his repentance I shall exposehim?"
Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) revealed the Qur'an in the most blessed
month; the month of Ramadan, the month in which the Qur'an was sent
down.
On the most blessed night, the Grand night: Laylatul Qadr;"Verily, we
revealed the Qur'an on the night of Qadr."
Ibn Jareer narrates, on the authority of Mujaahidthat there was a man
from Bani Israa'eel who used to spend the night in prayer. Then in the
morning he would fight the enemy in the Way of Allah during the day,
until the evening and he did this for a thousand months.
And so Allah revealed the Surah:"Verily, We sent it down in the night
of Al-Qadr"until the verse"The night of Al-Qadr is better than a
thousand months."That is, standingin prayer on that night is better
than the actions ofthat man.
Sufyaan ath-Thawree reports, on the authority of Mujaahid (also), that
the night of Al-Qadr being better than a thousand months means that
the good deeds performed on it, fasting on it, and standing in prayer
on it are better than a thousand months' good deeds, prayers and
fasting. (Narrated by Ibn Jareer)
It is reported from Abu Hurairah that he said:"When the month of
Ramadan came, the Messenger of Allah said:'The month of Ramadan has
come, a blessed month in which Allah has made it obligatory for you to
fast; in it the gatesof Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are
closed and the devils are chained. In it is a night better than a
thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something
irreplaceable.'"(Narratedby Imam Ahmad and An-Nasaa'i).
It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah, that Allah's
Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:"Whoever stood in prayer
on the night of Al-Qadr, in faith and hoping for a reward from Allah,
he will have all of his previous sins forgiven."(Narrated by
Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
This one night surpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The sincere
believer who worries dayand night about his sins and phases of neglect
in his life patiently awaits the onset of Ramadan. During it he hopes
to be forgiven by Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) for past sins, knowing
that the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) promised that all who
bear down during the last ten days shall have all their sins forgiven.
To achieve this, the believer remembers the Prophet's (Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam) advice in different sayings wherein he used words
like "seek", "pursue","search" and "look hard" for Laylatul Qadr.
Laylatul Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has
indeed missed a great amount ofgood. The Mu'min should search for it
in the last ten nights of Ramadan, passing the nights in worship and
obedience.
For those who catch the opportunity, their gift is that of past sins wiped away.
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) illustrated for
us some of the things we should be doing on this Grand Night. From his
blessed Sunnah we find the following:
Praying Qiyaam (night prayer):
It is recommended to make a long qiyaam prayer during the nights on
which Laylatul Qadr could fall. This is indicated in many ahadeeth,
such as"Whoever stands (in qiyaam) in Laylatul Qadr [and it is
facilitated for him] out of faith and expectation (of Allah's reward),
will have all of his previous sins forgiven."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim;
the addition"and it is facilitated for him" is recorded by Ahmad from
the report of'Ubaadah Bin as-Samit; it means that he is permitted to
be among the sincere worshippers during that blessed night.]
Making Supplications:
It is also recommended tomake extensive supplication on this night.
'A'ishah reported that she asked Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi
wa sallam) "O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylatul
Qadr, what should I say during it?" And he instructed her to say:
"Allahumma innaka `afuwwun tuhibbul `afwa fa`fu `annee - (O Allah! You
are forgiving, and you love forgiveness.So forgive me)."[An authentic
Hadith recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhi.]
Abandoning Worldly Pleasures for the Sake of Worship:
It is further recommended to spend more time in worship during the
nights on which Laylatul Qadr is likely to fall. This calls for
abandoning many worldly pleasures in order to secure the time and
thoughts solely for worshipping Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala).
'A'ishah reported: "When the (last) ten started, the Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would tightenhis izaar (i.e. he stayed
away from his wives in order to have more time for worship), spend the
whole night awake (in prayer) and wake up his family." [Al-Bukhari and
Muslim]
And she said: "Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) used to
exert more (in worship) on the last ten than on other nights."
[Muslim]
Have we estimated Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) correctly?
The opportunity of Laylatul Qadr is coming inthe next few days. Life
is about people that take advantage of their opportunities to win the
love of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala), and this is indeed one of those
chances.
Abu Dah Daah was one ofthose who found an opportunity and won that
which is greater than the heavens and theearth. An adult companion of
the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) cultivated his garden next
to the property of an orphan. The orphan claimed that a specific palm
tree was on his property and thus belonged to him. The companion
rejected the claim and off to the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam) went the orphan boy to complain. With hisjustness,
the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) measured the two
gardens and found that the palm tree did indeed belong to the
companion. The orphan erupted crying. Seeing this, the Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) offered the companion,"would you give
him the palm tree and to you is a palm tree in Jannah?"However,
thecompanion in his disbelief that an orphan would complain to the
Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) missed the opportunity and went
away angry.
But someone else saw the opportunity, Abu DahDaah - radi Allahu 'anhu.
He went to the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and asked, "Ya
Rasul Allah, if I buy the tree from him and give it to the orphan
shall I havethat tree in Jannah?" The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam) replied,"Yes."
Abu Dah Daah chased after the companion and asked, "Would you sell
that tree to me for my entire garden?" The companion answered,"Take it
for there is no good in a tree that I was complained to the Prophet
about."
Immediately, Abu Dah Daah went home and found his wife and children
playing in the garden. "Leave the garden!" shouted Abu Dah Daah,
"we've sold it to Allah! We've sold it to Allah!" Some of his children
had dates in their hand and he snached the dates from them and threw
them back into the garden."We've sold it to Allah!"
When Abu Dah Daah was later martyred in the battle of Uhud, Rasul
Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) stood over his slain body and
remarked,"How many shady palm trees does Abu Dah Daah now have in
paradise?"
What did Abu Dah Daah lose? Dates? Bushes? Dirt?What did he gain? He
gained a Jannah whose expanse is the heavens and the earth.
Abu Dah Daah did not miss his opportunity, andI pray to Allah
(Subhanahu wa ta'ala) that we do not miss our opportunity of standing
to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) on Laylatul Qadr.
Dear brothers and sisters,we do not obey, worship and revere Allah
(Subhanahu wa ta'ala) in a way befitting of His Majesty.
Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) revealed:
"No just estimate have they made of Allah, such as is due to Him. On
the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be but His
handful, and the heavens will be rolledup in His right hand: Glory to
Him! High is He above the partners they attribute to Him."(Surat
al-An'aam, Ayat 91).
Everything that we have belongs to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala). When
someone dies we say,Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji'oon, Indeed to
Allah we belong and indeed to Him we shall return. This is not a
supplication just for when a soul is lost. It is a supplication for
every calamity that befalls a believer, even if his sandal were to
tear. Why? Because everythingbelongs to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala)
and everything shall come back to him. Sit andtry to count the
blessings Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala) has bestowed upon you. Have you
ever tried to count stars?
"And He giveth you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favors
of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given
up to injustice and ingratitude."
(Surat Ibrahim, Ayat 34).
We have not understood the weight of this Qur'an that we rest on our
high shelves, this Noble book that was sent to give life to the dead.
For even if our hearts were as solid as rock they would have crumbled
to the ground in fear and hope of Allah's (Subhanahu wa ta'ala)
punishment and Mercy. Could it be that our hearts are harder than that
mountain?
"Had We sent down this Qur'an on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst
haveseen it humble itself and split asunder in fear of Allah."(Surat
al-Hashr, Ayat 21).
Dear brothers and sisters,as you fill the Masajid for Qiyamul Layl in
the last ten nights of Ramadan, remember what Allah (Subhanahu wa
ta'ala) wants you to know:
"Know ye that Allah is strict in punishment and that Allah is
Oft-forgiving,Most Merciful."
There shall be a night, some night in your life that you shall awaken
in Jannah or Hell fire. Anas ibn Malik, on his deathbed, prayed to
Allah, (Subhanahu wa ta'ala), "O Allah, protect from a night whose
morning brings a journeyto hell fire." Think about that morning.
Peace shall descend on Laylatul Qadr until the dawn. It may be that
you shall leave the Masjid after Fajr one day soon forgiven by Allah,
Glorious and Most High.

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