Mukhtar Oyetunji
No doubt Seeking the night of Majesty (Laylatul Qadr) is the crux of all activities in the last 10 days of Ramadan. Its more or less the last and best chance to get better or totally turn things around for the better as Ramadan heads towards crescendo.
Much is known of the importance of the glorious 10 days as well as the grandeur of the night of Majesty and its virtues can hardly be over-emphasized. Striving in these days must be done in ways unprecedented to the earlier days in Ramadan. Our Prophet (SAW) also strove particularly to witness the night of Majesty so much that he sought it in the first 10 days, then the second before Allah;
Narrated Abu Salama:
Once I went to Abu – Sa`id Al-Khudri and asked him, “Won’t you come with us to the date-palm trees to have a talk?” So Abu Sa`id went out and I asked him, “Tell me what you heard from the Prophet (ﷺ) about the Night of Qadr.” Abu Sa`id replied, “Once Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) performed I`tikaf (seclusion) on the first ten days of the month of Ramadan and we did the same with him.
Gabriel came to him and said, ‘The night you are looking for is ahead of you.’ So the Prophet (ﷺ) performed the I`tikaf in the middle (second) ten days of the month of Ramadan and we too performed I`tikaf with him.
Gabriel came to him and said, ‘The night which you are looking for is ahead of you.’ In the morning of the 20th of Ramadan the Prophet (ﷺ) delivered a sermon saying, ‘Whoever has performed I`tikaf with me should continue it. I have been shown the Night of “Qadr”, but have forgotten its date, but it is in the odd nights of the last ten nights.
I saw in my dream that I was prostrating in mud and water.’ In those days the roof of the mosque was made of branches of date-palm trees. At that time the sky was clear and no cloud was visible, but suddenly a cloud came and it rained. The Prophet (ﷺ) led us in the prayer and I saw the traces of mud on the forehead and on the nose of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). So it was the confirmation of that dream.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 813
In-book : Book 10, Hadith 208
A key point all must note is that the Night of Majesty is a Night that exists once a year without doubt. It is only of Allah’s mercy that it is embedded in the month of Ramadan, more specifically in the last 10 days and most precisely in the odd nights. It could well have been pristinely precise had the prophet (SAW) not forgotten due to the quarrel. Ubaadah bn Saamit in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2022 narrated that the prophet(SAW) ‘Came out to inform us about the Night of Qadr but 2 Muslims were quarelling with each so the prophet (SAW) said;
‘I came out to inform you about the night of Qadr but such and such person were quarrelling so the news about it had been taken away, yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th(of Ramadan).
The above Hadith makes reference to three(3) odd nights while there are a lot more that specifically emphasize 27th. Above all though it is only out of Allah’s mercy that more specifics are given because chances are for one who worships Allah every night round the year with or without Ramadan will encounter the night of Majesty.
Zirr (b. Hubaish) reported:
I heard from Ubayy b. Ka’b a statement made by ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud in which he said: He who gets up for prayer (every night) during the year will hit upon Lailat-ul-Qadr. Ubayy said: By Allah who there is no god but He, that (Lailat-ul-Qadr) is in Ramadhan (He swore without reservation: ) By Allah, I know the night; it is the night on which the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to pray. It is that which precedes the morning of twenty-seventy and its indication is that the sun rises bright on that day without rays.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 762
In-book : Book 6, Hadith 213
The essence then of the last 10 days is ‘seeking’ for even if there was ever a surety there is still a need for sincere effort. Unwavering willingness to strive is the most important ingredient needed to make for a successful ending to this glorious month.
Allah(SWT) wants us, Muslims to work righteousness at all times while been hopeful of his mercy and wary of his wrath. Its the essence of every action a Muslim does ass it aims to eradicate over-confidence in oneself while reaffirming that all goods deeds are only made possible by Allah. Also to provide succour that Allah’s mercy and willingness to accept deeds supercedes all other variables contributing to the acceptance of deeds in the sight of Allah.
Verily all good words and deeds ascend to Allah (Q35vs10) and he holds sovereignty over all things. Therefore it is only he that can grant the wherewithal to carry out good deeds on the constions that the intention is sincere and altruistic.
We must know that Allah(SWT) being at his most receptive to repentance AMD supplication awaits the best from us this period. So just like a student writing his terminal exam, we must give it our best shot and not allow laxity to cost us great bounties.
