Ramalan Article - Excellence of the Night ofAl-Qadr )Decree(

Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
}Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to
warn ]mankind[. On that]night[, is made distinct every precise
matter.{]Quran 44:3-4[
}Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree.In
addition, what can make you know what the Night of Decree is? The
Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the
Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.
Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.{]Quran 97:1-5[
Abu Hurayrahnarrated that the Messenger of Allaah,, said:"Whoever
performs voluntary prayers on the night of Al-Qadr )Decree(, out of
sincere faith and in the hope of getting reward from Allaah The
Almighty,his earlier sins will be forgiven forhim."]Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim[
According to another version:"Hewho offered the night voluntary
prayers on the eve of Al-Qadr, with genuine faith and hopes of
attaining reward from Allaah The Almighty, his previous wrongdoings
would be pardonedfor him."
Healso reported that the Messenger of Allaah,, said, in reference to
the Night ofAl-Qadr:"It is the twenty-seventh or twenty-ninth night
]of Ramadan[;and on that night, the angels on earth are more numerous
than pebbles."]Ahmad[
Benefits and rulings ]derived from theseHadeeths[:
First: TheseHadeethsportray the excellence of the Night ofAl-Qadr,
which stems from the following:
1.This eve has a great rank in the Sight of Allaah The Almighty.
2.It is better than one thousand ordinary months that do not include
the Night ofAl-Qadr; and that would equal ]it being more superior to[
eighty-three years and four months.
3.On it, angels descend in great multitudes, such that they number
much more than the pebbles on earth.
4.The Quran was first revealed onthis night.
5.Also, in it, there is much safety from punishment due to the
righteous deeds of the slaves of Allaah The Almighty on one hand,and
the ]opportunity of attaining[ mercy, forgiveness andemancipation from
fire, which is conferred by Allaah The Almighty upon them, on the
other.
6.It is wholly a blessed night, in view of its countless merits and advantages.
7.Whoever stands to offer supererogatory prayers then, believing in it
and in the good promised by Allaah The Almighty on it, and hoping for
reward from Him, all his previous sins will be forgiven.
8.All matters decreed for the years to come are written on it.
9.]The following points should be kept in mind, regarding the Night ofAl-Qadr:[
First: Whoever spends this night in prayer and worship has a
greatstatus in the Sight of Allaah, and is worthy of gaining His Mercy
and Forgiveness.
Second: A Muslim should seek to seize the Night ofAl-Qadr, by offering
voluntary prayers in all ofthe last ten nights ofRamadanand striving
to perform prayer, supplications andThikr)remembrance of Allaah The
Almighty(. Indeed, anyone who neglects to grab ]the opportunityon[
that superior night, by doingSalaah)prayer( and other acts of worship,
is truly deprived of goodness. May Allaah The Almighty grant us from
His Bounty.
Third: The excellence of the NightofAl-Qadrlies in the good deeds that
are performed on it, since one virtuous act then outweighs its like
done for a thousand months, which is a great Divine gift.
Fourth: Allaah The Almighty has favored our MuslimUmmah)nation( by
bestowing this blessed night on us every year, may all perfect praise
be to Him.
Fifth: The Night ofAl-Qadris the best of all nights; the assertion
that the eve of Friday is better than it, is invalid. At the same time
however, if it happens to coincide with a Friday night, it gains much
additional superiority.
Sixth: It is true that the night ofAl-Israa'andAl-Mi'raaj)the journey
fromAl-Masjid Al-Haraam)the Sacred Mosque( to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and
ascension to the heaven( is better than the Night ofAl-Qadr; this is
because, on it, the Prophet,, was made to reach the heavens, where his
Lord The Exalted, The Almighty, communicated with him, which is
certainly the greatest honor and highest position ]conferred to
anyone[. But, as for all other Muslims, their benefit from the Night
ofAl-Qadris more perfect and complete than what they gain from the
Night ofAl-Mi'raaj.
Seventh: According to some scholars, this great Night )ofAl-Qadr( is
an exclusive bounty tothe MuslimUmmah, althoughHadeethsto this effect
are not authentic. It is said that this bounty was also given to the
nations before us or at least theirProphets, may Allaah exalt their
mention, butHadeethsstating this are also weak.
Eighth:"Whoever offers supererogatory prayers on the Night of Al-Qadr,
with sincere faith and hoping for reward fromAllaah, and it happens to
actually be that very night, his sins will beforgiven."]Muslim[ Those
who claim that the reward of observing acts of worship on the Night
ofAl-Qadris awarded only to those who offer this voluntarily, while
knowing it withcertainty to be it, support their claim with
thisHadeeth. However, its apparent meaning does not indicate that; it
shows that the reward goes to those who perform the supererogatory
night prayer then, in anticipation of it being the Night ofAl-Qadrand
it actually happens to be so, regardless of them being certain or
uncertain of it.
Hence, a Muslim should endeavor to observe the voluntary prayers on
every one of the last ten nights ofRamadan, as if it were the Night
ofAl-Qadr, for it might probably really be so. In this manner, his
worship will eventually coincide with it.