5a] Conveying Rewards to the Deceased (Isaale Sawaab)

5a]
The benefit of the above verse is obvious. The prayer of Prophet
Syedna Ibrahim (peace be upon him), includes all believers- right from
the beginningi.e. those before him, and till the end of this world
i.e. even those who are not yet born. Al Hamdo Lillah! And this prayer
is often made in the last part (Qaadah) of our Salaat.
Verse 3
And those who believe and whose families followthem in Faith, -- to
them We shall join their families : nor shall We deprive them of the
fruit of anything of their works: yet each individualis in pledge for
his deeds." (Toor 52:21)
This verse says that children will be admitted into Paradise because
of the righteousness of the parents.
Verse 4
And lower your wing humbly for them, with mercy, and pray, " My Lord!
Have mercy on them both , the way they nursed me when I was young."
(Bani Israel 17:24)
This verse is in fact a command from Allah for all believers to seek
mercyfor their parents. So what is your opinion Will not the command
of Allah hold any benefit for the deceased parent It certainly does.
Also note that there are several other verses from the Holy Qur'an
that teachus to pray, and the prayer includes all Muslim brothers &
sisters (living, passed away or yet to be borne).
Readers are requested to reflect on the fact that theabove verses are
part of the Holy Qur'an - they are read perhaps millions of times
every day all over the world, as part of regular recitation, and also
as Qirat within Salaat,and also as prayer in the last part (Qaadah) of
Salaat.
B. PROOFS FROM THE HADEETH
GENERAL PERMISSIONS (HADEETH # 1 - 4)
Hadeeth 1
Abu Huraira (Allah be wellpleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: When a man dies, his acts
come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which
people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays forhim (for the deceased) .
(Muslim)
Hadeeth 2
The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "What is
credited to a believer of his action and good deed after his death is
any useful knowledge he might have taught or spread, a Allah-fearing
child he might have left behind, a copy of the Qur'an he might have
left to an heir, a mosque he might have built, a house he might have
dedicated for use by travelers, a stream or river he might have caused
to run, a donation to charity (i.e. sadaqah) he might have set aside
when he was enjoying good health. All that catches up with him after
his death. " (Ibn Majah)
Hadeeth 3
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'Aas (Allah be well pleased with
him): Al-'As ibn Wa'il left his willthat a hundred slaves should be
emancipated on his behalf. His son Hisham emancipated fifty slaves and
his son Amr intended to emancipate the remaining fifty on his behalf,
but he said: I should ask first the Apostle of Allah. He, therefore,
came to the Holy Prophet and said: Apostle of Allah, my fatherleft in
his will that a hundred slaves should be emancipated on his behalfand
Hisham has emancipated fifty on his behalf and fifty remain. Shall I
emancipate them on his behalf The Apostle of Allah said: Had he been a
Muslim and you had emancipated slaves on hisbehalf, or given sadaqah
on his behalf, or performed the pilgrimage,that would have reached
him. (Abu Daud)
Hadeeth 4
Abu Huraira (Allah be wellpleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: He who alleviates the
suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would
alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of
Resurrection, and he who finds relief for onewho is hard pressed,
Allahwould make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who
conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults
inthe world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so
long as the servant is at the back of his brother, and he who treads
the path insearch of know- ledge, Allah would make that path easy,
leading to Paradise for him and those persons who assemble in the
house among the houses of Allah (mosques) and recitethe Book of Allah
and they learn and teach the Qur'an (among themselves) there would
descend upon them the tranquility and mercy would cover them and the
angels would surround them and Allah makes a mention of them in the
presence of those near Him , and he who is slow-paced in doing
gooddeeds, his (high) lineage does not make him go ahead. (Muslim)
FUNERALS (HADEETH # 5 - 9)
When a Muslim dies, it is aduty on the community ofMuslims to offer a
special prayer for him during which they pray Allah to forgive him and
admit him into heaven. :->

5] Conveying Rewards to the Deceased (Isaale Sawaab)

5]
At the outset please know, that in Islam, deathis not perceived as an
endof life. It is just the end of the worldly existence as we witness
it, and the beginning of a new existence, in which the soul
experiences a new world called "Barzakh." The soul may experience this
new life with or without its original body, according to its own rank
allotted to it by Allah the Almighty, the Supreme. There are too many
proofs from the Holy Qur'an and Hadeeth (Holy Prophet's Traditions)
regarding the above, and warrant an extensive article on the same. But
that is not the question here.
The question that some people ask is that if a person is dead, can we
increase its status or decrease its torment by conveying rewards of
OURdeeds
It is the consensus of the Sahaba, the earlier Ulema,and the latter
ones that the above is (a) Effective and that (b) it is certainly
permissible, in fact meritorious, to do so.
If one wants to convey the reward of one's recitalof Holy Qur'an,
charity, Nafil Salaat (Non Obligatory), fasts and good deeds, Hajj,
Umrah etc., then one should convey it to the virtuous soul of our
beloved Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), one's
relatives, and all theMuslim men and women. All of them will receive
the same reward without any deduction; the one who has carried this
out will also receive the same reward without any loss. It is also
valid to convey the reward to the living persons. (Fatawa Shami).
Before we back up the above statements with several proofs from the
Holy Qur'an and Hadeeth, we should, as a matter of justice, look into
the objections brought against the above belief.
Those who object to this act, cite the following verse from the Holy Qur'an:
"And that man will not obtain anything except what he strove for" (Najm53:39)
They allege that the above verse clarifies that none of our deeds can
benefit one who has passed away. Such a view is incorrect. Firstly,
this Ayah exhorts people to remember that good deeds will bring good
results and evil deeds, an evil result. So they must always persist is
seeking good. And that that they must not simply depend on other
people's prayers.Secondly, most scholars are of the opinion that the
message in this verse is abrogated by the verse: "And those who
believe and whose families followthem in Faith, -- to them We shall
join their families: nor shall We deprive them of the fruit of
anything of their works: yet each individualis in pledge for his
deeds" (Toor 52:21)." This verse enters the children into Paradise
because of the righteousness of the parents.
They also cite a famous Hadeeth from Muslim Shareef:
Abu Huraira (Allah be wellpleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger
(peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: When a man dies, his acts
come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which
people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays forhim (for the deceased).
Please closely examine the above Hadeeth. The words say " his acts"
(except three) come to an end. What comes to an end, then, is the
deceased person's own actions. Thisdoes not mean that a dead person
does not benefit from anything else. He cannot increase his own reward
by any new act (even if he prays or does Zikr in the grave, as proven
from various Hadeeth). But his reward can go on increasing because of
the prayers of his son.
The above Hadeeth therefore cannot be quoted in support of the
argument that our actionscannot benefit those who are dead. In fact,
it supports the case for conveying rewards to the dead!.
Also note that the actions and beliefs of none else than the beloved
Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are proof of their
wrong opinion. And also against their narrow minded opinion are the
actions and beliefs of none else than the great Sahaba (Allah be well
pleased with them).
Having negated the objections, we bring forth for your perusal several
proofs from the Holy Qur'an and Hadeeth supporting the act of
conveying rewards to those who passed away before us.
A. PROOFS FROM HOLY QUR'AN
Verse 1
And those who came afterthem say, "O our Lord! Forgive us, and our
brothers who accepted faith before us , and do not keep any malice in
our hearts towards the believers - O our Lord! Indeed You only are the
Most Compassionate, MostMerciful." (Hashr 59:10)
Note that the above verseis a very strong evidence of the practice of
the Sahaba, which was so loved by Allah that it is part of the Holy
Qur'an. Why would the Sahaba pray for the deceased people if their
prayer was of no benefit And to top itall, Allah the Almighty
hasapproved and praised their action!
Verse 2
"O our Lord! And forgive me, and my parents, and all the Muslims on
the daywhen the account will be established." (Ibrahim 14:41) :->

4a] Can women gather in the house of one of their number to offer Taraweeh prayer?

4a]
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 591; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in
Irwa'al-Ghaleel, 493.
And it was narrated from 'Aa'ishah that she would give the call to
prayer andlead other women in prayer, standing in the middle of the
row.
And 'Aa'ishah led women in obligatory prayers, standing in the midst of them.
And it was narrated that Hujayrah bint Haseen said: Umm Salamaah led
us in prayer standing in the midst of the women.
And it was narrated from Umm al-Hasan that she saw Umm Salamah, the
wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
leading women in prayer, standing with them in their row.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after narrating
these reports:
In conclusion, these reports are sound and may be acted upon,
especially since they confirm the general meaning of the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Women are the
twin halves of men…"
Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 153-155.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
She should recite out loudin prayers where it is required to recite
out loud, but if there are any men present, she should not recite out
loud, unlessthey are her mahrams, in which case she may do so.
Al-Mughni, 2/17
And Allaah knows best.

4] Can women gather in the house of one of their number to offer Taraweeh prayer?

4]
We live in a village in which there are no women who go to the mosque,
and there is no space for women in the mosque. Is it permissible for
women to gather in one house to pray Taraweeh in congregation? If that
is permissible, should the prayer be recited quietly or what? How can
they pray in congregation if the prayer is to be recited aloud like
Fajr or 'Isha' and one of them leads theothers – should she recite out
loud or not?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
It is permissible for women to gather to pray Taraweeh in the house of
one of them, subject to the condition that there isno wanton display
of adornments (tabarruj) involved in their going out, and that there
is no danger of fitnah.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is nothing wrong with women attending Taraweeh prayers so long
as there is no danger of fitnah, subject to the condition that they go
outin a decorous manner, notmaking a wanton display of their
adornments or wearing perfume. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 14, question no. 808.
But it is better for each of them to pray on her own in her house, and
in an inner part of the house. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said that it is better for women to offer
obligatory prayers in theirhouses than to pray in themosque, so it is
more apt that this should also applyto naafil prayers.
It was narrated from Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
best mosques for women are the innermostparts of their houses."
Narrated by Ahmad, 26002; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Targheeb, 341.
Indeed it is better for a woman to pray in her home than to pray in
congregation in al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah) or in the Prophet's
Mosque behind the Prophet himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him).
It was narrated from Umm Humayd, the wife ofAbu Humayd al-Saa'idi (may
Allaah be pleased with them both) that she came to the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allaah,
I love to pray with you." He said: "I know that you love to pray
withme, but your praying in your room is better for you than your
praying in your house, and your praying in your house is better for
you than your praying in your courtyard,and your praying in your
courtyard is better for youthan your praying in the mosque of your
people, and your praying in the mosque of your people is better for
you than your praying in my mosque." So she gave orders that a
'mosque' be built for her in the innermost and darkest part of her
house, and she used to pray there until she met Allaah (i.e., died).
Narrated by Ahmad, 26550; classed as saheeh by Ibn Khuzaymah, 1689;
classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 340.
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah included this hadeeth in a chapter entitled: It is
preferable for a woman topray in her house rather than in her
courtyard, andin the mosque of her people rather than in the Mosque of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), eventhough
one prayer offered in the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) is equivalent toone thousand prayers offered in
any other mosque. This is the evidence that the words of the Prophet
(peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him), "One prayer in this mosque
of mine is better than a thousand prayers in any other mosque" refer
only to men and not women.
Al-Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeem Abaadi (may Allaah have mercy on him)said:
It is better for women to pray in their houses because then there is
no danger of fitnah. This ruling is even more emphatic because of the
wanton display (tabarruj) and adornment of women.
'Awn al-Ma'bood, 2/193
Secondly:
If women gather togetherin one house in accordance with the conditions
mentioned above, it is permissible forthem to pray in congregation.
The one who is leading them in prayer should stand in themiddle of the
(first) row, not out in front, and she should not lead men in prayer
even if they are her mahrams. She should recite our loud just as men
do in the prayers where reciting out loud is required, so long as no
men except her mahrams can hear her voice.
It was narrated that UmmWaraqah bint 'Abd-Allaah ibn Nawfal
al-Ansaariyyahasked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) for permission to appoint a muezzin in her house who would call
her to prayer, and he told her to lead the people of her household in
prayer.
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 591; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in
Irwa'al-Ghaleel, 493. :->

3a] He is afraid that his good deeds will count for nothing on the Day of Resurrection

3a]
both hearts and minds (interpretation of the meaning):
"Why should Allah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have
believed in Him. And Allah is Ever All Appreciative (of good), All
Knowing."
[an-Nisa' 4:174].
Fear of a bad reckoning and having one's good deeds rendered invalid
is one of the strongest means of creating a peaceful society in which
people strive hard to do righteous deeds and acquire virtuous
characteristics, as is statedin the Holy Qur'aan in the verse quoted
above, in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
says(interpretation of the meaning):
"And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do
other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms
and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure
to return to their Lord (for reckoning).
It is these who race for the good deeds, and they are foremost in them
(e.g.offering the compulsory Salat (prayers) in their (early) stated,
fixed times and so on)."
[al-Mu'minoon 23:60-61].
It is mentioned again when fear of a bad reckoning on the Day of
Resurrection is mentionedalongside upholding ties of kinship and
helping thepoor and needy. That is inthe verse in which Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who join that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they
are good to theirrelatives and do not severthe bond of kinship), fear
their Lord, and dread the terrible reckoning (i.e. abstain from all
kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden and perform all
kinds of good deeds which Allah has ordained)"
[ar-Ra'd 13:21].
Hence it was narrated from al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyaad (may Allah have mercy
onhim) that he said: "Whoever fears Allah, thatfear will guide him to
all that is good." End quote.
To sum up, Islam enjoins you to strike a balance between fear and hope
and not let one of them outweigh the other. Rather you should travel
with them towards Allah like a bird with two wings, and do not let the
Shaytaan have control over you so that your hope weakens, or let him
make you forget the mutawaatir evidence in the Qur'aan and Sunnah that
points to the vastness of Allah's generosity. A small but sincere
righteous deed may be sufficient to grant you admittance to Paradise.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "Whilst a man was walking on the road, he found a thorny branch
on the road, so he removed it. Allaah appreciated that and forgave
him."
Narrated by Muslim, no. 1914.

And Allah knows best.

3] He is afraid that his good deeds will count for nothing on the Day of Resurrection

3]
I am fearful my good deeds will not matter in the hereafter. i heard a
story of a mother and sonand how the son took care of his old mom,
cleaned her, bathed her, and watched out for her. One day he said in
his heart if she died he wouldnt care.(dont know the exact words) on
the day of judgment Allah threw him in the fire for having said that.
I am worried that something i might of intended to happen or said or
had a bad thoughtof might go against me on the day of judgment.
Please help me correct myways and let me know the right understanding.
Your answer could changemy life completely so please help me to get
the right knowledge so i can stay on the path of my lord.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fear of one's good deeds being rendered invalid and having a tough
reckoning on the Day of Resurrection is one of the most serious
thoughts that give the righteous sleepless nights and prevented many
of the pious close friends of Allah from sleeping comfortably. Because
of it tears have flowed from the eyes of worshippers whose hearts
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, described as being full of
fear, and He praised them for hastening to do good deeds. This is seen
in the verse in which He, may Hebe glorified and exalted, says
(interpretation of themeaning):
"And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do
other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms
and charities, etc., have been accepted or not), because they are sure
to return to their Lord (for reckoning).
It is these who race for the good deeds, and they are foremost in them
(e.g.offering the compulsory Salat (prayers) in their (early) stated,
fixed times and so on)."
[al-Mu'minoon 23:60-61].
It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
I asked the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peaceof Allah be upon
him) about this verse (interpretation of the meaning): "And those who
give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good
deeds) with their hearts full of fear" [al-Mu'minoon23:60]. 'Aa'ishah
said: Are they those who drink alcohol and steal? He said:No, O
daughter of as-Siddeeq; rather they are the ones who fast andpray and
give charity, but they fear that it will not be accepted from them;
they are the ones who race for the good deeds."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, no. 3175; classed as saheeh by Ibn Katheer in
Tafseer al-Qur'aan al-'Azeem, 1/176.
Despite that, the feelings of fear – in these people –did not turn
into constant anxiety that prevents one from striving or makes one
despair, and it did notturn into insinuating thoughts (waswaas) that
are contrary to what one may understand from dozens of verses of hope
in the Holy Qur'aan.
Have you not heard the words of Allah, may He beglorified and exalted
(interpretation of the meaning): "Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the
weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done),
He doubles it, and gives fromHim a great reward" [an-Nisa' 4:40]?
And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says(interpretation of the meaning):
"Whosoever brings good (Islamic Monotheism along with righteous
deeds), he shall have the better thereof, and whosoever brings evil
(polytheism along with evil deeds) then, those who do evil deeds will
only be requited for what they used to do" [al-Qasas28:84]
"Verily! As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, certainly!
We shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who does his
(righteous) deedsin the most perfect manner.
These! For them will be Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens);
wherein rivers flow underneath them, therein they will be adorned
withbracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine and
thicksilk. They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good is
the reward, and what an excellent Murtafaqa (dwelling, resting place,
etc.)!"
[al-Kahf 18:30-31]
"Certainly it is that one who pays obedience and shows perseverance,
then surely Allah does not allow to go waste the reward of those who
do good in perfection"
[Yoosuf 12:90].
What the Muslim is required to believe in – with real faith that is
manifested in his actions and in his thoughts – is the justice and
generosity of Allah and that He, may He be glorified and exalted, does
not cause tobe lost the reward of one who does good deeds, and He does
not wrong anyone even the weight of an atom (or a small ant); rather
He rewards good deeds with good, and He responds to bad deeds with
pardon and forgiveness for whomeverHe will.
Listen – O slave of Allah – to what your Lord says to us and His true
words about Himself, may He be glorified, which He addresses to both
hearts and minds (interpretation of the meaning)::->

Is it permissible for one who is observing i‘tikaafto leave the mosque in order to wake his familyup for sahoor, then come back?

If the person who is observing i'tikaaf comes out of his place of
i'tikaaf to wake his family up for sahoor, and that is because there
is no one athome, is this regarded as contrary to the conditionsof
i'tikaaf?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The one who enters i'tikaaf should not leave his place of i'tikaaf
during his i'tikaaf, except for necessary, unavoidable reasons and to
tend to hisneeds, such as bringing food and drink if there is no one
who can bring them for him, and relieving himself if there are no
washrooms in the mosque. There is nothing wrong with him going out at
the time of sahoor to wake his family up so that they can eat sahoor
at the proper time, and towake them up to pray Fajr if they cannot
wake up by themselves and there is no one else who can wake them up,
because that comes underthe heading of encouraging one another to do
good and enjoining them to do what is right. If an obligatory duty
cannot be done without athing, then that thing becomes obligatory. But
he should not sit at home after waking his family up; he should go
back to his place of i'tikaaf in the mosque.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End
quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah/

2a] The prostration of everything in the universe to Allaah

2a]
This prostration includes the submission and humbling of these
createdentities to Allaah and their surrendering to His Lordship,
Might and Sovereignty. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said:
"It is the prostration of humility and submission, for everything
submits to His Lordship, humbles itself before His Might andis subject
to His Sovereignty."
Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/107
The prostration of these created entities is a prostration in a real
senseas befits each of these entities. So man prostrates in the manner
that suits him, in the manner that is well known, on seven parts of
the body. The sun prostrates in the manner that suits it, as
mentionedin the saheeh hadeeth of Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased
with him) who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said to Abu Dharr when the sun had set, 'Do you know where
it went?' I said, 'Allaah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'It
has gone to prostrate beneath the Throne, then it asks for permission
to rise, but soon it will prostrate and its prostration will not be
accepted, and it will ask for permission to rise and that will not be
granted to it, and it will be said to it, "Go back from whence you
came," and it will rise from the west. This is what Allaah says:
"And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is
the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing"
[Yaa-Seen 36:38].'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3199)
So it prostrates in a real sense, as is suited to the sun, but how
does it prostrate to Allaah beneath the Throne? Allaah knows best how
this prostration happens. The apparent meaning of the hadeeth proves
that what this prostration means is not simply submission to the
command of Allaah and obedience to Him. Indeed,it is submission,
humility and surrender by prostrating in a real sense,but we do not
understandhow it happens. Similarly it is said that the moon, the
trees, the animals andall other entities prostratein a manner that
suits them. What the believer should do is not to let the fact that he
does not know how some entities prostrate prevent him from believing
in this prostration, rather he must believe in what Allaah has told
him about other entities prostrating to Him.
And Allaah knows best.

2] The prostration of everything in the universe to Allaah

2]
It says in Soorat al-Hajj 22:18 that the dawaab (moving living
creatures, beasts, etc.) prostrate to Allaah. What is the nature of
this prostration?
Praise be to Allaah.
Note that this universe and all the created beings in it is in thrall
to Allaah, whether by choice or by force. The believer worships Allaah
by choice and is rewarded for his worship. Even though the kaafir may
be alienated from his Lord and failing to worship Him, the atoms of
his body and everything in him is worshipping Him and glorifying Him,
but because our understanding and perception are limited, weare
unaware of that tasbeeh (glorification of Allaah) and unable to
understand its nature. Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
"The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him
and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand
not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving"
[al-Isra' 17:44]
What this means is that every created being is in astate of submission
to Allaah and worships Him in a manner appropriate to its situation.
The sun, moon, stars, trees and animals are all in a state of
subjugation to Allaah and prostrate to Him, and all of them worship
Him in an appropriate manner.Allaah says (interpretationof the
meaning):
"See you not that whoever is in the heavensand whoever is on the
earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains,
and the trees, and Ad-Dawaabb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and
many of mankind prostrate themselves to Allaah. But there are many
(men) on whom thepunishment is justified. And whomsoever Allaah
disgraces, none can honour him. Verily, Allaah does what He wills"
[al-Hajj 22:18]
"Have they not observed things that Allaah has created: (how) their
shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto
Allaah, and they are lowly?
And to Allaah prostrate allthat is in the heavens and all that is in
the earth, of the moving (living) creatures and the angels, and they
are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allaah) with humility]"
[al-Nahl 16:48-49]
Imaam Ibn Katheer said: Allaah is telling us of His Might, Majesty and
Pride, for everything submits to Him and all things and creatures
humble themselves before Him, inanimate objects and animals, and those
which are accountable among mankind and the jinn, andthe angels.
Allaah tells us that everything that has ashadow that inclines towards
the right and towards the left – i.e., morning and evening –
prostrates to Allaah. Mujaahid said: When the sun passes its zenith
everything prostrates to Allaah.
Allaah has confirmed that all beings prostrate to Him, and He has
explainedhow some of them prostrate, which is by the inclining of its
shadow towards the right and the left. It does not mean thateverything
prostrates on seven parts of the body; that applies only to the
Muslims. The prostration of all other beings is in accordance with
their nature. The fact that this prostration is prostration in the
real sense is indicated by the apparent meaning of the text, because
there is no valid reason for not interpreting the text as it appears
to be, so we mustaccept it. That is also supported by the fact thatthe
prostration of the sun,moon, stars, trees and animals is mentioned in
conjunction with the prostration of the angels and humans, which
indicates that this is prostration in a real sensefor all the entities
mentioned. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
Prostration is a form of humility, so the prostration which includes
all creatures implies the utmost submission and humility. For every
created thing submits to His greatness and humbles itself before His
might and power. Thisdoes not mean that everything prostrates like
human beings do, on seven parts of the body, putting the forehead on
the ground. This kind of prostration is only for human beings. Some
other nations bow but do not prostrate, and that is their prostration.
Allaah says (interpretation of themeaning):
'and enter the gate in prostration (or bowing with humility) and say:
"Forgive us"'
[al-Baqarah 2:58]
It was said that this means enter it bowing, and some of them
prostrate on their sides like the Jews. Sujood (prostration) is a
generic term but because the wayin which Muslims prostrate is so well
known, many people think that this is how everything prostrates.
Jaami' al-Rasaa'il, 1/27
And he said:
It is known that everything prostrates according to its nature, and
the prostration of these created entities does not mean that they put
their foreheads on theground.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 21/284 :->

Should he focus on purifying his heart or ondoing naafil acts?

Which is more important – dealing with feelings and thoughts that
Allaah dislikes, such as destructive envy, hatred, arrogance, showing
off, thinking highly of one's deeds, hard-heartedness, etc., which
form the evil that resides in the heart, or focusing on doing outward
naafil deeds suchas prayer, fasting and other acts of worship and
fulfilling vows even though those other thingsare present in the
heart? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
Some of the acts mentioned are obligatory,and those which are
obligatory should be given precedence, as Allaah says according to the
hadeeth qudsi narrated from His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "My slave doesnot draw near to Me with anything
more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined on him."
Then He says: "And My slave continues to draw near to Me with
supererogatory works so that I shall love him." Outward physical acts
are not valid and acceptable unless they are accompanied by
appropriate actions of theheart, because the heart islike the king and
the physical faculties are like his troops. If the king is evil his
troops will also beevil. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "In the body there is a piece of flesh: if
it is soundthe whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt then the
whole body will be corrupt." Similarly the (hidden) actions of the
heart inevitably affect the (visible) physical actions. So precedence
must be given to that which is more obligatory, whether it is called
inward or outward. Perhaps things that are called inward may be more
obligatory, such as refraining from destructive envy and arrogance,
for that is more essential than observing naafil fasts. Or acts that
are described as outward or physical may be better, such as qiyaam
al-layl (praying at night), which is better than simply giving up some
thoughts that may cross one's mind such as (non-destructive) jealousy,
etc. Inward and outward deeds support one another, and prayer keeps
one from doing evilactions and generates fearof Allaah, and has other
important effects. It (prayer) is the best of good deeds and charity.
And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), Majmoo'
al-Fataawa, 6/381
So there is no separation between correcting what is inward and
correcting what is outward or physical.
The outward acts of worship which a person performs with his
physicalfaculties – if he does themfor the sake of Allaah – will
undoubtedly have an effect on his inward nature.
For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Shall I not tell you of something that will take away the evil
of the heart? Fasting three days of each month." (Narratedby
al-Nasaa'i, 2386; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Nasaa'i, 2249). The evil of the heart refers to rancour, hatred and
destructive envy.
One of the most important remedies for diseases of the heart is to
study and ponder the texts which include warnings to the one who
leaves these diseases to fester in his heart, such as the hadeeth in
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's-weight of arrogance in
his heart." (Narrated by Muslim, 91).
And the hadeeth according to which Hell will say, "My share is the
arrogant." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4850; Muslim,2846)
And the hadeeth: "On the Day of Resurrection the arrogant will be
gathered like ants in the form of men." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
2492; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2025).
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread among
you: destructive envy and hatred. These are the shavers. I do not mean
that they shave hair but they shave away religiouscommitment. By the
One in Whose hand is my soul,you will not enter Paradise until you
believe,and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I
not tell you of something which ifyou do it, you will love one
another. Spread (the greeting of) salaam amongst yourselves."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2510; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2038).
Whoever ponders with true insight such warnings about the diseases of
the heart will undoubtedly strive to cleanse his heart thereof, and
will seek help in doing so by doing outward physical acts, praying to
his Lord to cleanse his heart of hatred, destructive envy, rancour and
so on, as Allaah says, describing theprayer of the believers:
"and put not in our heartsany hatred against those who have believed"
[al-Hashr 59:10 – interpretation of the meaning]
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings upon our Prophet muhammad/

Communal du’aa’ after Taraaweeh prayer

My question is about the saheeh Sunnah with regard to Taraaweeh prayer
and what innovations have been introduced into it, and thecommunal
du'aa' after Taraaweeh prayer. May Allaah reward you with allgood on
my behalf and on behalf of the Muslims.
Praise be to Allaah.
With regard to the first part of your question, please see the section
on Taraaweeh prayer and Laylat al-Qadr under the heading of Fasting on
this website.
With regard to communaldu'aa' after Taraaweeh prayer, this action is
an innovation (bid'ah). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said, "Whoeverdoes an action that is not part of this matter
of ours(Islam), will have it rejected." Narrated by Muslim, 3243.
What was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) was that after Taraaweeh prayer he would say, "Subhaan
al-Malik al-Quddoos (Glorybe to the Sovereign, the Most Holy)", three
times, raising his voice on the third time.
Ahmad (14929), Abu Dawood (1430) and al-Nasaa'i (1699) narratedthat
Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite in
Witr "Sabbih isma Rabbika al-A'la (Glorify thename of your Lord, the
Most High)…" [i.e., Soorat al-A'laa 87] and Qul yaa ayyuha'l-kaafiroon
(Say (OMuhammad), 'O al-Kaafiroon (disbelievers))…'" [i.e., Soorat
al-Kaafiroon 109] and "Qul Huwa Allaahu ahad (Say (O Muhammad),'He is
Allaah, (the) One)…" [i.e., Soorat al-Ikhlaas 112]. And after he said
thetasleem he would say "Subhaan al-Malik al-Quddoos, Subhaan al-Malik
al-Quddoos, Subhaan al-Malik al-Quddoos (Glory be to the Sovereign,
the Most Holy; Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy; Glory be to
the Sovereign, the Most Holy)", raising his voice. Classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i, 1653.
Then in Witr prayer the imam will recite du'aa al-qunoot and the
worshippers will say Ameen behind him, as Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allaah
be pleased with him) used to do when he led the people in praying
Taraaweeh at the time of 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him). So
there is no need to introduce this bid'ah. Howtrue are the words of
the one who said, "All goodness is in following those who came before,
and all evil is in the innovation of those who came later."
And Allaah knows best.

Taraaweeh prayer is not obligatory, and the ruling on breaking fast with followers of bid’ah

What is the ruling on a person who does not prayTaraaweeh at all
during the month of Ramadaan with no valid excuse? Is there any sin on
him because of that?
I work for the Aramco company and sometimes my work requires me to
stay until after Maghrib, so I have to break my fastat work. I am just
about the only Sunni Muslim there, the rest are Shi'ah and Isma'ilis.
Is it permissible for me to break my fast with them?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a Muslim does not pray Taraaweeh, there is no sinon him for that,
whether he has an excuse or not, because it is not obligatory. Rather
it is a confirmed Sunnah which the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did regularly and encouraged the Muslims to do as
he said: "Whoever prays qiyaam in Ramadaan out of faith and in the
hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 37; Muslim, 760.
But the Muslim should notneglect Taraaweeh prayer. If he cannot pray
it with the imam in the mosque, then he should pray it at home. If he
cannot pray eleven rak'ahs then he should pray as much as he can, even
if it is only two rak'ahs, then he should pray Witr.
And Allaah knows best.
With regard to breaking your fast with the Shi'ah and Isma'ilis, if
you think that breaking your fast with them will serve the purpose of
softening theirhearts and calling them tofollow the Sunnah and give up
the innovations that they are following, then this is something that
is prescribed in Islam.
But if you think that your breaking your fast with them will not serve
any purpose, then it is better not to break your fast with them, and
to avoid them, so as to denounce the innovations that they are
following and lest they confuse you with their specious arguments when
you do not have enough knowledge to realize that what they aresaying
is false, thus exposing yourself to fitnah (temptation, tribulation).
And Allaah knows best.

1a] Those who do not have wudoo’ or women who are menstruating touching the cover of the Mushaf and books oftafseer

1a]
do not apply in this case.
The Shaafa'is stated clearly that this permissibility is subject tothe
condition that the tafseer be more than the Qur'aan, because there is
no disrespect towards theQur'aan in this case, and itis not like the
Mushaf (which contains the text of the Qur'an only). The Hanafis
differed concerning that and said that it is obligatory to do wudoo'
before touching books of tafseer. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said: With regard
to books of tafseer, it is permissible to touch them, because they are
regarded as tafseer and the verses in them are fewer than the
commentary.
They quoted as evidence for this the fact that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) sent letters to the disbelievers in
which there were verses of the Qur'aan. This indicates that the ruling
is connected to what constitutes the majority of a text.
But if the amounts of tafseer and Qur'aan are equal, in this case it
is a combination of something permitted and something not allowed, and
neither of them outweighs the other. In this case we should err onthe
side of caution and follow the rulings that apply to the Qur'aan.
But if the tafseer is larger, even by a small amount, then it comes
under the rulings on tafseer.
End quote from ash-Sharhal-Mumti', 1/267
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah (4/136): It is permissible to
translate the meanings of the Qur'aan into a language other than
Arabic, just as it is permissible to comment on its meaning in Arabic.
That is regarded as explaining the meaning that the translator
understands from the Qur'aan, but it cannot be called Qur'aan.
Based on that, it is permissible for a person to touch a translation
of the meanings of the Qur'aan in a language other than Arabic and a
tafseer that is written in Arabic when he does not have wudoo'. End
quote.
And Allah knows best.

1] Those who do not have wudoo’ or women who are menstruating touching the cover of the Mushaf and books oftafseer

1]
There are Mushafs that have a cover made of thick cloth – is it
permissible to touch themfor one who is not in a state of purity? What
is the ruling on touching theedges of the pages of the Mushaf to turn
the page, as there are those who regard it as permissible tohold it?
When can we say concerning books of tafseer that it is a tafseer that
it is permissible for menstruating women to read from, and when can we
say that it comes under the rulings on Mushafs and it is not
permissible for a menstruating woman to touch it?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
It is not permissible for one who is in a state of impurity to touch
the Mushaf without a barrier, according to the majority of fuqaha',
because of what it says in the letter of 'Amr ibn Hazm that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sent to the people
ofYemen, in which its says: "No one should touch the Qur'aan except
one who isin a state of purity." Narrated by Maalik, 468; Ibn Hibbaan,
793; al-Bayhaqi, 1/87. al-HaafizIbn Hajar said: The hadeeth in the
book mentioned was classed assaheeh by a number of imams in terms of
the isnaad and in terms of its been a widely-circulated hadeeth.
Ash-Shaafa'i saidin his Risaalah: They did not accept this hadeeth
until it was proven to them that it was the letter of the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peaceof Allah be upon him). Ibn'Abd al-Barr said:
This is a letter that is well known to the scholars of seerah (the
Prophet's biography),and its contents are well known to the scholars;
it is so well known that there is no need for an isnaad, because it is
like a mutawaatir report (one that is narrated by so many from so many
that it is inconceivable that they could have agreed upon a lie); this
is why people are aware of it andhave accepted it .
End quote from at-Talkhees al-Habeer, 4/17
The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inIrwa' al-Ghaleel, 1/158
Secondly:
The covers of the Mushaf that are attached to it [that is, they are
attached to it with adhesive or stitches, etc] come under the same
ruling as the Mushaf itself, so it is not permissible to touch
themwithout wudoo'. The same applies to the edgesof the pages.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (38/7): The majority of Hanafi,
Maalikiand Shaafa'i fuqaha' are ofthe view that it is not allowed for
the one who is not in a state of purity to touch the cover of the
Mushaf that is attached toit, or the margins in whichthere is no
writing on the pages of the Mushaf, or the spaces between the lines,
or the empty pages on which there is no writing at all. That is
because they are part of the page on which Qur'aan is written;
therefore they come under the same ruling as it. Some of the Hanafis
and Shaafa'is are of the view that that is permissible. End quote.
With regard to covers thatare separate from the Mushaf, that is, a bag
in which the Mushaf is placed and taken out of, there is nothing wrong
with touching it without being in a state of purity, even if the
Mushaf is inside it.
It is permissible to touch the Mushaf with a barrier that is separate
from it, such as the bag in which it is placed or gloves and the like.
It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' (1/135): The onewho is in a state of
impurity may carry the Mushaf in its bag or wrapper, without touching
it, because the prohibition has to do withtouching it. Carrying it is
not the same as touching it, and he may look at it and turn the pages
with the edge of his sleeve or astick and the like, such as a piece of
cloth or wood, because then he is not touching it. And he may touch
the Mushaf with a barrier because of what was stated above. End quote.
Thirdly:
It is permissible for the one who is in a state of impurity – minor or
major– to touch books of tafseer according to the majority of fuqaha'.
However there are some who restrict that to booksin which the tafseer
or commentary is greater than what they contain ofQur'aan, whilst
others do not stipulate this condition.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (13/97): It is permissible
according to the majority of fuqaha' forone who is in a state of
impurity to touch books of tafseer even if they contain verses of the
Qur'aan, and to carry them and read in them, even if he is junub. They
said: That is because whatis meant by tafseer is to learn the meanings
of the Qur'aan, not to recite it, sothe rulings on the Qur'aando not
apply in this case. :->

She got married a second time for the purpose of going back to her first husband

I was married before for 4 years I have one child withmy first
husband. we got divorced 2 years ago 3 times. I got married again to a
second husband in order to get back with my first husband because I
was still in love with my first husband and we have a child together.
My second husband did not know I wanted to marry him so I can get back
with my second husband. My second marriage was not pre planed by my
first husband nor my second husband. it was just my intention to get
married again to get divorced and get back with my first husband.
before I got married to mysecond husband my first husband said to me
if I ever get divorced again hewould marry me. so I got married to my
second husband and after being married to my second husband I starting
making problems in our marriage for my second husband to give me a
divorce. we did have intercourse. after I asked him to give me a
divorce. he refused to give me a divorce. so I left his house to go to
my parents house. we have got separated for 3 months he did not call
me but I realized I made a mistake and for the fear of allah I called
him and apologized to him and asked him not to give me a divorce even
thought I really wanted a divorce from him. so as time went by kept
prayingto allah and just for allah to do what was best for me.
after 5 months of being separated I heard he was saying negative stuff
about me so I called him and said bad things to himand asked him to
give me a divorce again. and then after a month later he called my
father and told my father he divorced me and had no intention of ever
getting back with me.
I have been divorced from my second husband for about one year now.
and I want to get back with my first husband whom I havea child with
at the age of 4. is it okay for me to get back with my first husband?
does our religion allow for me to get back with my first husband?
Praise be to Allah.
If a thrice-divorced womangets married to another husband, but has the
intention of getting divorced from him so that she can go back to the
firsthusband, there is a difference of opinion among the fuqaha'
concerning that. Some of them regard it as coming under the heading of
tahleel (a marriage aimed at making it permissible for the woman to go
back to her first husband), which is haraam, and some of them say that
her intention does not affect anything.
See the answer to question no. 131290 , when it says that the opinion
that this is haraamis more likely to be correct,and that if the woman
gets divorced she does notbecome permissible for the first husband.
You did right to repent and go back to your husband and ask him not to
divorced you, because itis not permissible for a woman to annoy her
husband or ask him for a divorce (talaaq or khula') unless there is a
reason that makes it permissible to do that, such as if he is
mistreating her.
But if this husband divorces you of his own accord or in response to
your request because of his mistreatment and his speaking harshly to
you, without the intention of making it permissible for you to go back
to your first husband, then it seems that once your 'iddah has ended
it will become permissible for you to go back to your first husband,
with a new marriage contract.
And Allah knows best.

Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari is chosen by Allah tohost Rasulullah

On Friday morning after Rasulullah (SAW) migrated to Medina, the
Prophet (Peace be upon him), sent for Bani An-Najjar, his maternal
uncles, to come and escorthim and Abu Bakr to Madinah . He rode
towards the new headquarters amidst the cordial greetings of his
Madinese followers who had lined his path. He halted at a place in the
vale of Banu Salim and there he performed his Friday prayer with a
hundred others. Meanwhile the tribes and families of Madinah , the new
name for Yathrib anda short form of 'The Messenger's Madinah (City)',
came streaming forth, and vied with one another in inviting the noble
visitor to their homes. The girls of the Madinese used to chant
beautiful verses of welcome rich in all meanings of obedience and
dutifulness to the new Messenger.
Though not wealthy, every Ansar (Helper) was wholeheartedly eager
andanxious to receive the Messenger in his house. It was indeed a
triumphal procession. Around the camel of Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
and his immediate followers, rode the chiefs of the city in their best
raiment and in glittering armour, everyone saying: "Alight here O
Messenger of Allah,abide by us." Muhammad (Peace be upon him) used to
answer everyone courteously and kindly:"This camel is commanded by
Allah, wherever it stops, that will be my abode."
The camel moved onwardwith slackened rein, reached the site of the
Prophetic Mosque and knelt down. He did not dismount until it rose up
again, went on forward, turned back and then returned to kneel down
inthe very former spot. Here, he alighted in a quarter inhabited by
BanuNajjar, a tribe related to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) from
the maternal side. In fact, it was his wish to honour his maternal
uncles and live among them. The fortunate host, Abu AyyubAl-Ansari,
stepped forward with unbounded joy for the Divine blessingappropriated
to him, welcomed the Noble Guest and solicited him toenter his house.

Dua for Laylatul Qadr

Bismillah. Asked Siddiqah bint Al-Siddiq [RA], "what if I knew which
night Laylatul Qadr was, then what should I say in it?"
He [SAWS] said, "Say:
[Reported by Tirmithi and Ibn Majah]
Transliteration

~
Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun
tuhibbul 'afwa
fa'fu 'annee
This is the famous dua to be made while seeking laylatul qadr .
~
Remember, this was given by the Prophet [SAWS] to the most beloved of
all peopleto him–Aisha [RA]. So that makes the dua extra special. Some
other things that make this dua special:
*. 'afoo (root: ain fa wow ) means to wipe away without a trace
*. Al-' Afuw is one of the majestic names of Allah.

Lailatul Qadr (Night of Power)

There is night in the month of Ramadhan which is better than a
thousand months (83 years, 4 months). This night is called Laitatul
Qadr.
According to Hadith, this night occurs during the last ten days of
Ramadhanon one of the odd numbered nights. Usually it is celebrated on
the 27thnight of this holy month. Itis a night of great importance and
enormousblessings for Muslims.
A night such as Lailatul Qadr was not granted to any religious
community (Ummah) before Muslims. Only the Ummah of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were favoured with
a night of huge reward. Once reason,it was granted, was to enable
Muslims to equal the worship of any people who lived before us. In
thedistant past it is said that people lived very long lives of
hundreds of years. We, today, live much shorter lives. And so Allah
gave us Laitatul Qadr to enable us to do as much worship as a man who
lived even hundreds of years longer. If in a lifetime, you only
worshipped on Lailatul Qadr ten times, you wouldhave equaled in those
ten nights 833 years of worship.
Signs of Laitul Qadr
*.
There are some signs that reveal which night is Laitatul Qadr.
*.
The night will be peaceful, neither hot nor cold, with a clear moon
shinning but with no rays.
*.
There will be no shooting stars in the night
*.
At sunrise the sun will rise as just a disc withoutand radiant beams of light.
*.
One companion of the Prophet reported that onLaitatul Qadr he tasted
sea water and it was sweet.
Nawafil (Optional Prayers) for Laitatul Qadr
1. Two Rakaat - In each Rakaat
Surah Al-Fatiha (Alhamdu) - Once
Surah Al-Qadr (Inna Anzalna) - Once
Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul Huwal Lahu) - Once
One who observes this Nafl prayer will be grantedthe enormous rewards
of Laitatul Qadr.
2. Two Rakaat - In each Rakaat
Surah Al-Fatiha (Alhamdu) - Once
Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul Huwal Lahu) - Seven times
After Completing this nafl prayer recite 70 times :
"Astaghfirullah hallazi la-ila-ha illa huwal Hayyul Qayyumo wa atu-bu ilaihe"
"I seek forgiveness from Allah, the almighty, there is no god but He.
He is the self-existent, the Eternal and I turn to Him"
Once who observes this prayer, Allah the Merciful will forgive sins of
that person and their parents' sins.
3. Four Rakaat - In each Rakaat
Surah Al-Fatiha (Alhamdu) - Once
Surah Takathur (Alhakumat Takasur) - Once
Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul Huwal Lahu) - Three times
A person observing this prayer will be protected from pain and
hardship at the time of death and will be saved from the punishment
of the grave.
4. Four Rakaat - In each Rakaat
Surah Al-Fatiha (Alhamdu) - Once
Surah Al-Qadr (Inna Anzalna) - Three times
Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul Huwal Lahu) - Fifty times
After completing this prayer recite once :
"All glory and All Praise arefor Allah, and there is no God but Allah
and Allah is the Greatest".
The dua of the person observing this prayer will be accepted by Allah Almighty.
5. Four Rakaat - In each Rakaat
Surah Al-Fatiha (Alhamdu) - Once
Surah Al-Qadr (Inna Anzalna) - Once
Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul Huwal Lahu) - Twenty Seven times
For one who observes this prayer all their sins are forgiven by Allah
Almightyand they will enter into Heaven.
Dua of Lailatul Qadr
The Prophet (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) taught this dua
to Hazrat Ayesha for Lailatul Qadr.
"O Allah, you are the One who grants pardon for sins. You love to
pardon sopardon me".

Al-’Afuww: Who Forgives In the Last 10 Nights?

Aisha asked the Prophet (saw) "What should I say on Laylat-al-qadr?"�
He replied,
Say, "O Allah, You are Al-'Afuww and You love to 'afw , so fa'fu me" (Tirmidhi).
What do all these italicizedwords mean? The common translation of
thesupplication above is,
O Allah indeed you are a Pardoner, and you love pardon, so pardon me.
That's it? The supplication for the last 10 nights, THE supplication
we are supposed to focus on, is just to be 'pardoned' by "The
Pardoner"? Isn't theremore to it?
Seems a bit strange, let's look at it in more detail.
The linguistic meaning of 'afuww is to leave, neglect (pardon), to
wipe away, and to increase. ' Aafiyah is Allah's defense of His
servant from things like disease and tribulation. 'Afu is the one who
possesses great 'afw.
The Name of Allah, Al-'Afuww, occurs in the Quran only five times
(4:43, 4:99, 4:149, 22:20, 58:2). Four of these times, it is linked
with Al-Ghafoor,and once with Al-Qadeer (4:149).
This Name implies that He ignores the sins of the servant. He knows
the sins (you must know them before you can make 'afw of them) but He
does not call the servant to account for it. The servant is deserving
of punishment, and Allah has full ability topunish His servants, but
Allah does 'afw for them. Itis more than just pardoning or covering it
up, it is wiping it away completely.
When the Name is paired with Al-Ghafoor, we see anextra level of
forgiveness. Al-Ghafoor is the One who forgives no matter how large
the sin.
When we look back at the original supplication, we see a more profound
meaning. Allah is Al-Qadeer, with full power to do with us as He
wants,
And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not
leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature, but He
postpones them foran appointed term and when their term comes, neither
can they delay nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment). (16:61)
In spite of that warning, He wipes our sins away forus, no matter how
major they are. Not only does He wipe them away, but He loves to wipe
them away. SubhanAllah.
This is why we should make this supplication fervently, seeking for it
to be answered in the night, in the most special of nights, seeking
the forgiveness and mercy of Allah, humbling ourselves knowing the
sins we have committed, and asking for Him to pardon us for our
transgressions./

8a] What to do in the Last Ten Days of Ramadan?

8a]
8. Have Iftar with the Family
If you've spent Iftar time on weekdays in your cubicle at workalone
with a couple of dates, nowis the last few days you'll have this
Ramadan to spend with yourfamily. Use it wisely.
9. Take the Family to Taraweeh
Have your spouse and kids missed Taraweeh most of Ramadan because you
weren't there to drive them to the mosque, which is too far away
towalk to? If so, do all of yourselvesa favor and bring everyone for
Taraweeh in these last ten nights.
10. Attend the Du'a After the Completion of the Qur'anic Recitation
Almost all the mosques where theImam aims to finish an entire reading
of the Qur'an in Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan will now be approaching
the end of the task in these last ten nights. They may try to end on
one of the odd nights and read the Du`a' at the end of reading the
Qur'an. Attend this particular night's Taraweeh prayer with your
family. See if you can attend different mosques' Taraweeh prayers the
night they finish reading the Qur'an.
11. Finish Reading a Book on the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam):
Read about the Prophet's life, which can increase your love for him
and Islam by seeing how much he struggled for Allah's sake. It may
inspire you to push yourself even harder during these last ten nights.
This community is built on sacrifice.
All these are just some hints on what is recommended for a Muslim to
do in during the last ten nights of Ramadan. May Allah Almighty accept
our worship and devotions.
Ameen.

8] What to do in the Last Ten Days of Ramadan?

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings beupon
His Messenger.
We can provide some useful advice on how one could spend the last ten
days of Ramadan, especially as these days are very special in the life
of every Muslim. In fact, every day is special for Muslim, as long as
he is always mindful of Allah in all what he does; every day Muslim
gets increased in piety and draws closer to Almighty Allah. But
thesedays of Ramadan are highly special in the sense of their falling
in one of the most blessed months of the year; the month of Ramadan,
the month of the Qur'anic revelation. May Allah Almighty help us get
closer to Himin this month and may strengthen our faith in Him in a
way that Satan will not be able to drive us away from His Path, Ameen.
Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power)is described in the Qur'an as,
{better than a thousand months}. [Surah Al-Qadr: 3] Any action done on
this night such as reciting the Qur'an, rememberingAllah, etc. is
better than acting forone thousand months which do not contain the
night of Qadr.
Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used to exert himself in
devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extentthan at any
other time.
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Whoever prays during the
night of Qadr with faith and hoping for its reward will have all of
his previous sins forgiven."
[Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah].
Here are some tips of things we can do on the Night of Power and the
time before and after it:
1. Take a Vacation for Allah
We take a break from our jobs for almost everything in life. Why not
this time to focus on worshipping and thanking our Creator.
If this is not possible at least take a few days off if you can. This
canmake it easier to stay awake at night to do extra acts of
worship,not having to worry about getting to work the following day.
This will also make I`tikaf easy.
2. I`tikaf
It was a practice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to
spend the last ten days and nights of Ramadan in the mosque for
I`tikaf.
In I`tikaf one makes a spiritual retreat in the mosque all the
time,performing various forms of dhikr (the remembrance of Allah),like
doing extra Salat, recitation and study of the Qur'an. One does not go
outside the mosque except in case of emergencies. I`tikaf of a shorter
period of time,like one night, a day or a couple of days is encouraged
as well.
3. Make This Special Du'a
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger of
Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if Iknow what night is the night of
Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said:
اَللَّهُمَّ اِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ ، تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
Allahumma innaka 'affuwwun tuhibbul 'afwa fa'fu 'anni' "
'Say: O Allah, You are Oft-Pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.'"
[Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi].
4. Recite the Qur'an
Perhaps one can choose Surahs or passages from the Quran which one has
heard in Taraweeh this past Ramadan to recite.
On attending a class for Qur'anic recitation, this is a great time to
put one's knowledge into practice.
5. Get Your Sins Wiped Out
Abu Hurairah quoted Allah's Messenger as saying: "Whoever stands (in
prayer) in Laylatul Qadrwhile nourishing his faith with
self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his
previous sins forgiven."
[Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim].
6. Evaluate Yourself
Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation
of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you
to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad
you have done. This latter feeling should make it easier to seek
Allah's sincere forgiveness when invoking Allah and supplicating toHim
in these blessed nights.
7. Make Long, Sincere and Deep Du'as
One of the best times to do this isduring the last part of the night.
Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) quoted the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi
wasalam) as saying: "Whenthe last one-third of the night remains, our
Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the lower heaven and
proclaims: Is there anyone supplicating to Me, so that I grant his
supplication? Is there anyone begging of Me for anything so that and I
grant him his wish? Is there anyone who seeks My forgiveness, so that
I forgive him?"
[Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim]. This means for instance, waking up one
hour before Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) time to invoke Allah for anything
and everything is something recommendable. This can be done using the
Du`as (supplications) recorded in the Sunnah, but one is also allowed
to say Du`a in one's own language, :->

Hadiths on Laylatul Qadr.

*. Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the
Prophet (S) said: "When the last one-third of the night remains, our
Lord, the Glorious One descends towards the heaven of the earth and
proclaims: Who is that who supplicates for Me, and I grant his
supplication? Who is that who begs Mefor anything and I grant it to
him? And who is that who seeks My forgiveness, and I forgivehim?"
(Bukhari, Muslim).
*. -This Hadith means on Laylatul Qadr, if someonehumbly asks Allah
for something, it will be granted. If someone begsfor something, it
will be granted. And if someone seeks forgiveness, they will be
forgiven.
*. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I asked the Messenger
of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know what night is the night of
Qadr, what should I say during it?' He said: 'Say: O Allah, You are
pardoning and You love to pardon, so pardon me.'
*. -This Hadith is of a duah we can say on Laylatul Qadr.
*. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, related that the Prophet
said: Look for Laylatul Qadr onan odd-numbered night during the last
ten nightsof Ramadan (Bukhari).
*. -This Hadith is just explaining when LaylatulQadr is.
*. The Prophet (S) said:"Whoever prays during the night of Qadr with
faith and hoping for its reward will have all of his previous sins
forgiven." (Bukhari and Muslim recorded from Abu Huraira).
*. -This Hadith means that on Laylatul Qadr, we pray with faith, Allah
(swt) will forigve our previous sins.

1b] How to Reap the Rewards of Lailatul Qadr

1b]
our mothers like Dr. 'Afiyyah would not have their modesty abused, our
young brothers and sisters in places like Palestine would not be
gunned down or abused in the manner that they are - this is the result
of our sins collectively. And itwas narrated regarding one of the
great scholars of the early generations that he used to say whenever
any strong storm would come, "O' people, when I die then you will be
removed of these trials."
7. Make this a night that you repent of your sins, a night that you
change your life forever. Remember that the sign that our fasting has
been accepted is that we are better afterwards. Ibnul Qayyim states in
his excellent book, Madaarij as-Salikeen: "among the signs of a
repentance thathas not been accepted are:
A lack of tears
2. No new good deeds in your life that were not being practiced before
And indeed Allah has commanded us to repent in many places, for example:
O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be
that your Lord will remit from you your sins, and admit you into
Gardens under which rivers flow. [66: 8]
إن الله يحب التوابين ويحب المتطهرين
Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves
those who purify themselves. [2: 222]
May Allah help us to reachthe night of Qadr and bless us to reap its
rewards in full, forgiving us our sins and releasing us from the
Hellfire - ameen.

1a] How to Reap the Rewards of Lailatul Qadr

1a]
5. To be sincere for the sake of Allah and to be onthe lookout for the
destroyers of sincerity to Allah - and they are showing off
(al-riyaa') andarrogance (kibr), amongst others. Allah has said in
regards to sincerity:
وَأَقِيمُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ
لَهُ الدِّينَ
� And that you should faceHim only, in every Masjid, and invoke Him
only making your religion sincere to Him �. [7: 29]
And in the Hadith Qudsi:
أَنَا أَغْنَى الشُّرَكَاءِ عَنْ الشِّرْكِ مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلًا أَشْرَكَ
فِيهِ مَعِي غَيْرِي تَرَكْتُهُ وَشِرْكَهُ
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet (saas) said: "Allah, may He be
blessed and exalted, says: 'I am so self-sufficient thatI am in no
need of having an associate. Thus he whodoes an action for someone
else's sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to
him whom he associated with Me.'" (Muslim)
Thus, we have to make sure that our efforts on this night, especially
if there are others around us, that they are solely forthe pleasure of
Allah. This can be greatly alleviated ifyou have a certain plan in
mind before you go to theMasjid regarding what you will do. We also
take lessons from the lives of the early generations whoused to be
very cautious in this regards particularlyin regards to weeping from
the fear of Allah. They controlled it so well that a man could stand
next to another and wet his beard with tears without his companion
being aware that he was crying. This was all so thatthey would not
draw attention to themselves.
And the great scholar Sufyaan ath-Thawri once said, "It has reached me
that a servant does a good deed secretly causing Shaytaan to comeat
him until he overcomeshim, upon which the servant makes his good deeds
public (but still maintaining a measure of sincerity). Shaytaan then
continues with him further until the servant wishes that his good
deeds be praised by others, upon which his name is removed from those
who deeds in publicand he is listed among those who show-off (commit
the grievous sin of riyaa')."
That is why the Prophet said we must spend this night in hope for His
reward - in other words, not in hopes of others praising us and so
forth.
Furthermore, some people commit another sin in arrogance by looking
down upon the deeds of others. Maybe Allah gave you the strength to
pray ten voluntary rak'aahs but another only had the strength to do
four. Although you may have bested the other in terms of quantity,
only Allah knows the quality and so his one rakah might be better and
more virtuous than all of what you have done. So let us be wary of
falling into this pit of destruction - may Allah protect us!
6. To push yourself in calling upon Allah and notbe lazy in this
matter. Allah states in the Quran:
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْإِنَّ الَّذِينَ
يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ
And your Lord has said:"Call upon Me, I will answer you. Verily, those
who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation."
[40:60]
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ
الدُّعَاءَ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ
And an-Nu'maan ibn Bashir (ra) relates from the Messenger of Allah
(saas) that he said,"Indeed the supplication is the worship; and then
he recited the ayah �." (Sahih - IM)
And it is recorded that Sufyaan ath-Thawri said,"Indeed to call upon
Allah in this night (al-Qadr) is more beloved to me than praying in
it." And our example always is RasulAllah and let us remember that
when he recited the Quran in the night prayer that he used to do so
slowly - whenever a verse called for seeking forgiveness hedid so,
whenever it called for seeking Allah's protection from His punishment
he did so, whenever it called for asking Allah for His bounty and for
Jannah, hedid so �. Thus the Prophet (saas) gathered four acts of
worship in one: prayer, recitation of Quran, supplication and
pondering over the wordsof Allah!
And 'A'ishah said: "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, if I know which
night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say on that night?' He said,
'Say: Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibb al-'afwa fa'affu 'anni (O
Allah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me)."
So what then is the difference between callingupon Allah by his name
ofal-'Afuww instead of al-Ghafur? They both indicate forgiveness, but
maghfirah means to be protected from the consequences of the sin
whereas al-'afw means that it is wiped away completely.
And how can we pour more sincerity into our supplication and asking
Allah for His forgiveness? As you stand there in these blessed nights
then remember the condition of our Ummah today and that if you were
better, if your sins were not so much then we would not be in this
condition: our mothers like Dr. 'Afiyyah would not have their :->

1] How to Reap the Rewards of Lailatul Qadr

1]
The Reward for Lailatul Qadr
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ . لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ
مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The
Night of the Decree is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping
Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months).
[97: 2-3]
This blessed night was given to our ummah as a special gift upon the
concern of the Prophet forthe short lives of his people in comparison
with those who lived before. Thus whatever is done on this blessed
nightwill be recorded for the sincere Muslim as if he had done the
same deeds without sinning for one thousand months, which is the
equivalent of 83 years and four months! This was among the reasons why
the Prophet (saas) said that whoever was deprived of the good of this
night was truly deprived:
Abu Hurairah (ra) who said: The Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "There
has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you
to fast ... In it there is a night which is better than a thousand
months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived."
(Sahih - Nasaa'i, Ahmad)
فعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال
من قام ليلة القدر إيماناً واحتساباً غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (saas)
said:"Whoever spends the night of Lailatul Qadr in prayer out of faith
and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins."
In this authentic hadith, special care must be paid to his statement
(saas)"out of faith and in hope of the reward". This shows us the
importance of purifying both the intention and our sincerity, praying
to Allah with full belief in Him andseeking His great reward.
What to Do on this Blessed Night
1. Remember to also workhard in the daylight hoursof these nights.
This helps to prepare the heart and the soul for the efforts of the
night, and this was the manner of Imam ash-Shaafi'ee.
2. Be cautious of over-eating in these days. Allah says in the Quran:
وكُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ وَلاَ تُسْرِفُواْ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
And eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah does not love
those who waste. [7:31]
ما ملأ آدمي وعاء شرا من بطنه
And the Prophet (saas) said on the authority of Miqdaam, "A person
will not fill a pot worse for himself than his stomach."(Sahih - Jami'
as-Sagheer)
And in one of the stories narrated from Bani Isra'eel, the Prophet
Yayha (as) once asked Iblees if he had ever succeeded in deceiving
him. Iblees stated that on only one occasion had he been able to
deceive this noble Prophet and that had been when he had encouraged
him to eat a lot of one of his favorite dishes to the extent that when
he slept that night he didn't awaken for the night prayer.
3. Putting on your best clothes for this night. Have you not
considered Allah's statement in the Quran:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ
O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel to every Masjid. [7:31]
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْبَسُوا مِنْ
ثِيَابِكُمْ الْبَيَاضَ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ خَيْرِ ثِيَابِكُم
Ibn 'Abbaas (ra) reports from the Messenger of Allah (saas) that he
said,"Wear your white garments for they are among the best of your
clothes." (Sahih - Abu Dawood)
And it has been narrated authentically that Anas ibn Maalik (ra) used
to have a garment that he would wear only once in the year and that
was the night that he expected lailatul Qadr.
And it has been reported from a number of the predecessors that they
used to take showers and perfume themselves especially for the last
ten nights.
What is the wisdom behind this? In order to best purify our souls and
hearts, it helps to start from the outside by wearing that which is
clean, pure and beautifies us, and Allah knows best.
Let us not forget though the words of Allah:
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي
سَوْءَاتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىَ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ
O' Children of Adam! We have bestowed libaas andreesh upon you to
cover your privates, as well as to be an adornment to you. But the
adornment of taqwa - that is the best.[7:26]
Regarding this noble ayah, 'Abdur-Rahman ibnu Zayd ibnu Aslam
commented, "When one fears Allah, Allah covers his errors".
4. To make i'tikaaf - even if it be for a limited number of hours. The
benefit of it is that one is recorded as being in prayer the whole
time so long as he makes this intention (of remaining until the next
obligatory prayer), and it was the confirmed Sunnah of our Prophet
(saas) and even that of his wives after his death (saas).
5. To be sincere for the sake of Allah and to be onthe lookout for the
destroyers of sincerity to Allah - and they are showing off
(al-riyaa') andarrogance (kibr), :->

7a] Lailat ul-Qadr (The Nightof Power)

7a]
Reading Tafseer of Qur'an.
h. Giving charity to others if you can afford it.
i. Trying to explain Islam, ifyou know something about it, to those
next to you so they will benefit from you.
To summarize, I would liketo mention the following:
The Night of Power is a very important occasion inIslam. Everyone is
asked tolive it and to enjoy it. This Night is a night of Mercy, a
night of Blessing, a night of Peace and a night of Guidance. It is a
night of Unification between the finite world of ours and the Infinite
Universe of theUnseen.
Anyone who is interested in attaining the Mercy of Allah will strive
very hard to look for the Night of Power. Anyone who is interested in
receiving the blessings of Allah on the Blessed Night will work very
hard to enjoy the Night of Power. Anyone who is interested in
attaining peace of mind, peace of body and peace in society, he has to
look for this Night and to live it.
May Allah give us the strength, the power, the courage and the effort
to do our best to obey Allah and to follow His teachings. May Allah
guide us and may Allah strengthen our Iman May Allah help us to live
another year with sincerityand devotion. May Allah make us realize
that one year of our life is over and that we are one year closer to
our graves.
Let us wake up and do ourbest to please Allah in our daily life. Let
us ask Almighty Allah forgiveness.Ameen/

7] Lailat ul-Qadr (The Nightof Power)

7]
'Lailat ul-Qadr' or 'Night of Power'… a very importantoccasion in the
history of Islam and in our personnellives.
Allah says in the Qur'an in Surah Al-Qadr:
"We have indeed revealed this (message) in the Nightof Power. And what
will explain to thee 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 God's permission, on everyerrand: Peace! This until the rise
of Morn." (97:1-5)
Allah also says about this powerful night in Surah Dukhan (smoke, mist):
Ha. Mim. By the book that makes things clear. We sent it down during a
blessed night. For We (ever) wish to warn (against evil). In that
(night) is made distinct every affair of wisdom, by command, from Our
Presence. For We (ever) send (revelations), as a mercy from Thy Lord:
for He hears and knows (all things). (44:1-6)
Allah said in the Qur'an in Surah A 1-Baqarah (the Cow):
"Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide
to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment (between
right and wrong)."(2:185)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said about Lailatul-Qadr:
It as narrated by Abu Hurayra that Prophet said,"Anyone who stays
awake for the Night Of Power with belief and for the pleasure of
Allah, all his previous sins will be forgiven."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
It has also been reported by Aisha, the wife of the Prophet (pbuh) who said:
"I asked the Messenger>Of A11ah if I knew which night was the Night of
Power and what Prayer I should say during that night? He said to me:
Say:"O Allah! You are forgiving and you love forgiveness, so you too
forgive me.
From the foregoing verses of the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) I would like to mention to you the following:
The Night Of Power is better for you to live, to experience and to
enjoy than one thousand months of your personal life. Even if you were
to live one thousand months (83.3 years) with sincerity, dedication,
and sacrifices and with good intentions and deeds, the Night Of Power
is still far better for you to live and to enjoy.
The Revelation of the Qur'an started in the month of Ramadan and
specifically on the Night OfPower. The Revelation of the Qur'an; a
sign of Mercy,a guide and a blessing of Allah to mankind.
Anyone who is interested in finding the best guide, he/she should look
into the teachings of the Qur'an.
The Night of Power is a night of blessings Allah hasblessed this
Night. Therefore whosoever is interested in receiving the blessings of
Allah may lookforward to the Night of Power.
Anyone who seeks the Night of Power and lives it,all his/her sin will
be erased. This is, as if, he/sheis, born again now free of all sin
and mistakes.
I am sure every one of us would like to live a life free of sins an
free of mistakes. Everyone would like to meet Allah on the Day of
Judgment without sins. Every one of us wouldlike to feel that he/she
is reborn today. All of us wish to rejuvenate ourselves, and to start
a new year with a fresh outlook and a fresh life. Every one of us
wants to live a pure life and everyone wants to purify himself/herself
without anguish or torment. The Night of Power is one of the best ways
in which a person is to achieve all these ideals. For this reason may
I suggest that you start looking for it, so you will be able to
observeit and enjoy it.
As far as determining the Night of Power (Lailatul Qadr) is concerned,
it has been reported to be during one of the odd numbered nights of
the last ten days of Ramadan, i.e. 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th or 29th. It
has been emphasized that it is most likely to be the 27th night.
As far as the signs of Lailatul-Qadr are concerned:
1. The sun rises early in themorning without rays.
2. Rain may fall either during the night or during the day of that night.
3. During night the sky willbe lightly foggy.
4. The sky will be slightly lighted without reflectionsand without rays.
5. The angels and Gabriel all descend down onto earth for many purposes.
If you are interested in living the Night of Power, let me remind you
of someof the things that you might have to do.
1. Try to observe it during the last ten days of Ramadan, at the time
of sunrise, during the days and the nights.
2. On the nights one may spend the time collectivelyand/or
individually observing the following activities:
a. Recitation of the Our'an.
b. Prayers-Nafl after Taraweeh.
c. Remembrance of Allah or zikr
d. Supplication or Du'a for you and for others.
e. Pondering and contemplating into the universe, the creation of the
Heavens and the Earth: "...and they contemplate the (wonders of)
creation in the heaven and the earth…."(3:191)
f. Reading books of Hadeeth so as to enjoy thesayings of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh).
g. Reading Tafseer of Qur'an. :->