Bismillah

You and I, if we lived long enough to witness The Night of Decree this year, which occurs on one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, and did not utilize its blessings, then we are a bunch of losers and would be humiliated, as simple as it sounds.

• Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

• • “إِنَّ هَذَا الشَّهْرَ قَدْ حَضَرَكُمْ وَفِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ مَنْ حُرِمَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِمَ الْخَيْرَ كُلَّهُ وَلاَ يُحْرَمُ خَيْرَهَا إِلاَّ مَحْرُومٌ”

  • “This month, [Ramadan], has come to you, and in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived.” [Ibn Majah]

With that said, what key measures can we take to make sure we stand up in worship during The Night of Decree and utilize its blessings?

The detailed response will revolve around the following statement where Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

• “مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ”

• “Whoever established prayers on The Night of Decree out of sincere faith and hope for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven.” [Al-Bukhari]

• Inward actions

  1. You must have sincere faith and believe in the significance of The Night of Decree!
     1. Who better can tell you about its significance than Allah. He says:

        1. إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ﴿١﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ ﴿٢﴾ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ ﴿٣﴾ تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ ﴿٤﴾ سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ ﴿٥

        2. “Indeed, We sent it, [the Qur’an], down during The Night of Decree. (1) And what can make you know what is The Night of Decree? (2) The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. (3) The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. (4) Peace it is until the break of dawn. (5)” [Ch: 97 V: 1 – 5]

1. You must genuinely hope for the reward of standing up in worship during that night.
   1. Hope that all your sins will be erased!
   2. Hope that all your good deeds on that night will be counted as if you have been doing them for 1000 months and more!
      1. Glorifying Allah 1 time on that night is more valuable than doing it 30,000 times on a regular day!

• Outward actions

  1. Is your heart all set now? Is your heart valuing that night and hoping for its reward? If yes, then it is time to act upon that belief and stand up in worship during that blessed night.
  2. Start with the obligatory prayers, perform Isha prayer and fajr prayer in congregation and it will be written for you that you stood up in prayer for that entire night!
     1. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

        1. “مَنْ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَامَ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَمَنْ صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ فِي جَمَاعَةٍ فَكَأَنَّمَا صَلَّى اللَّيْلَ كُلَّهُ”

        2. “He who observed the ‘Isha’ prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed half the night, and he who prayed the morning prayer in congregation, it was as if he prayed the whole night.” [Muslim]

1. Pray voluntary prayers anytime between Isha and fajr especially if you can do it in a congregation behind an Imam until he completes the whole prayer and it will be written for you that you stood up in prayer for that night!
   1. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

      1. “مَنْ قَامَ مَعَ الإِمَامِ حَتَّى يَنْصَرِفَ كُتِبَ لَهُ قِيَامُ لَيْلَةٍ”

      2. “Whoever stands up in prayer with the Imam until he leaves then it will be written for that person, the reward of, standing up of the night.” [At-Tirmidhi]

Fulfill the inward and outward actions for the last 10 nights of Ramadan and you will, in shaa Allah, guarantee that you have stood up in prayer for that night and in return all of your sins would be erased and much, much more in blessings. Do your best, if possible, to not let your day job be an excuse for you not to spend a few hours during the night in prayers, Quran recitation and supplication. If your work was not flexible with you pushing your start time for a few hours to perhaps catch up on some sleep then request a vacation day. What vacation day is better than the one taken to further increase your worship to Allah?

I pray to Allah that He allows every one of you who is reading this to be among those who benefit from Laylatul-Qadr, The Night of Decree.

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