by Asma bint Shameem
Alhamdulillaah the long awaited last ten nights of Ramadhaan are here!
Are you ready to spend these nights in worshipping Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala?
Are you ready to give it your VERY BEST and get your sins forgiven?
Yes!!
Alhamdulillaah!
🌷Aa’ishah Radhi Allaahu anhaa
said:
“When the last ten days of Ramadhaan began, the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam would tighten his waist-wrapper, spend his nights in prayer, and wake his family.
(al-Bukhaari 2024, Muslim 1174).
So how to spend these beautiful nights so that Allaah will be pleased with us?
🔺 Worship ALL TEN nights of this blessed month if possible, to be SURE to catch Laylatul-Qadr Bi idhnillaahi Ta’aala.
🔺Remember that Laylatul-Qadr starts at MAGHRIB time.
🔺Do NOT waste your time in unnecessary things.
Rather take advantage of EACH MINUTE and EACH SECOND
🔺Prepare yourself:
Get ready to worship Allaah in the best of forms by taking a bath, use miswaak, wear special clothes, and perfume yourself.
🍃 Ibn Rajab said:
”Ibn Jareer said:
They used to recommend to shower every night of the last ten nights and an-Nakhai used to shower in every night from them and he used to shower and use perfume in the nights which he hoped was laytul Qadr…[until he said]…Thabit said: Tamim ad-Daari used to have a hulla [type of clothing] which he bought for 1000 dinars and wore it on the night he hoped was laytul-Qadr.
So like this, it is recommended in the night which it is hoped to be laytul-Qadr to clean oneself, adorn, use perfume, shower, wear good clothing as it is legislated for Jumu’ah and the Eids.
Like this, it is legislated to wear adornment in all the prayers as Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala said:
خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ
“O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying”
[7:31]
🍃 Ibn Umar Radhi Allaahu anhu said:
Allaah has more right that you beautify yourself for him.
It was also reported as a Hadeeth raised to the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam [Saheeh Jami no. 652]”
(Lataaif al-Maarif pg. 189)
🔺Pray Qiyaam al-Layl.
🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever stands [in prayer] in Laylatul Qadr out of true faith and seeking reward, then his previous sins will be forgiven for him.”
(Al-Bukhaari 1901 and Muslim 759)
🍃Shaikh ibn Baaz said:
“Its standing is done by way of the prayer and by making dhikr and by supplicating and reciting the Qur’aan and other than that from the aspects of good.
(Majmoo’ Fataawaa vol 15 p.426)
Pray LONG rak’aat in your Qiyaam.
You can do that even if you’ve not memorized the Qur’aan, by reading directly from the Mus-haf.
Try to read much of the Qur’aan in
in each rak’ah.
This way you get BOTH, your Salaah as well as your Qur’aan recitation done.
Also do LONG Rukoo and Sujood.
Make your rukoo long by glorifying Allaah and making duaa.
Prolong your sujood by making LOTS of duaas in Arabic (and in your OWN language if you don’t know Arabic) and in your own words.
Go SLOW and ENJOY your solitude with your Rabb.
SAVOR every moment of it.
Don’t be in a rush.
🔺Read Qur’aan with MEANINGS.
PONDER and REFLECT.
And try to UNDERSTAND what your Rabb is commanding you.
🔺Make a LOT of duaa.
Beg.
Cry.
Implore.
ASK whatever you want.
He’s listening.
He knows what’s in your heart.
But He likes to hear it from you.
🔺Do lots of ISTIGHFAAR esp the duaa that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam taught Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa.
اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني
“Allaahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa’fu anni.”
And don’t just “SAY” the words.
“MEAN” it when you say...
“O Allaah! Forgive me!
REFLECT over your sins.
And make sincere Taubah.
🔺Keep your tongue BUSY with DHIKR of Allaah while you’re driving to the masjid, preparing suhoor or any time you can’t read Salaah or the Qur’aan.
You can even LISTEN to the Qur’aan to take full advantage of the night.
🔺If you’re on your period, you can do ALL of the above except offer Salaah.
And you can still read the Qur’aan in this state, as well.
There’s no proof that a woman cannot read Qur’aan while on her menses.
Just be careful not to touch it directly.
Or use an electronic device.
🔺What about OTHER good deeds such as giving sadaqah, visiting the sick, or your family to keep up ties of kinship or other general good deeds?
There’s nothing in the Sunnah that shows that the the Prophet ﷺ gave sadaqah or visited the sick or did other unspecified good deeds in the last ten day just because it’s Laylatul Qadr.
The only thing that is proven from the authentic Sunnah is spending the night in prayer, reading Qur’aan and making duaa.
That’s what the Prophet ﷺ did.
🍃Someone asked Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen:
“What is the ruling on specifying laylatul Qadr for giving a lot of charity?
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
This is likewise from the acts of innovations. It [i.e. Laylatul Qadr] should only be specified for the night prayer.”
🍃 Shaikh Abdul Azeez Aal Ash-Shaykh said:
“No doubt charity in Ramadhaan has virtue, but is Laylatul-Qadr specified for charity over the other nights? This is something we withhold from saying.”
🍃 Shaikh Salih al-Usaymee explains this and said:
“The fourth subject is the author’s statement, ‘The actions which occur in it [i.e. Laylatul-Qadr] are better than the actions of one thousand months in which this night is not found’
The article (ال) in the word ‘the actions’ (العمل) is for definiteness (عهدية) intending a specific action, which is mentioned in the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ)
مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِه
‘Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allaah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven’ [Agreed upon]
It is standing the night in prayer, reciting the Qur’aan, and supplication in it;
And NOT “unrestricted actions”.
What occurs [from people] in terms of preferring to increase in various righteous good deeds on Laytul-Qadr is a “mistake” in the understanding of the intent of legislation of this night.
Whoever observes these last ten nights in attempts to obtain the good mentioned in it by feeding the hungry, clothing a naked person, providing treatment for a sick person, giving charity to a poor person, being dutiful to a parent, being good to the neighbor, or tying the ties of kinship, then all of these actions are NOT the intent in regards to it.
Whoever remains in the masjid in these last ten nights hoping to catch Laylatul-Qadr by establishing in it the prayer and the recitation of the Qur’aan and supplication, then he is in agreement with what the legislation commanded;
Not the one who left off the prayer and recitation of the Qur’aan and turns towards increasing in good deeds like charity, Ihsaan, dutifulness to parents, tying the ties of kinship.
This meaning is innovated [and] not known to the Salaf (may Allah have mercy upon them)”.
🔺So strive to do your best and keep yourself busy in the worship of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala throughout the night.
🍃As Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
“Laylatul Qadr – in it the door is opened and the dearest are brought near and the discourse is heard and the reply is given and for those who apply themselves to endeavour; there is written within it an immense reward. Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months, so strive hard, may Allaah have mercy upon you in its pursuit. For this is the time for pursuit, and beware of negligence, for in negligence there is ruin.”
(Majaalis Shahr Ramaadhaan p.255)
May Allaah enable us to witness Laylatul-Qadr.
May He enable us to worship Him in a manner that’s pleasing to Him, and accept from us.
May He forgive us and our families and loved ones and save us all from the Fire of Hell.
Ameen.
And Allaah knows best.
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