The Best Opportunity to Change Our Lives Forever!

[Hamza Asadullah]

The Best Opportunity to Change Our Lives Forever!



Have you ever felt like having fresh new start again in life? Have you ever wished that all of your past sins were wiped out like you were a new born baby?

Have you ever felt like you just have not done enough for the hereafter and that you have an empty good deed account that needs filling?

Have you also ever wanted to really get closer to Allah and to renew & strengthen your imaan (faith)?

Well the next few days are the perfect opportunity for us not only to have a fresh new start again in our lives but to have our entire lifetime sins wiped away like a new born baby and to have our good deed accounts filled!


This opportunity for us is on the Night of power:


Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim).


A night better than a 1000 months:



So valuable is this Night of Power that the Quran devotes a special surah to it “Lailatul Qadr is better than a thousand months” [97:3]

This one night surpasses the value of 30,000 nights. The most authentic account of the occurrence of the Night indicates that it can occur on any one of the last ten, odd numbered nights of Ramadan, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29.


Worship on all odd numbered nights:


Therefore we should strive to stay up at least on the odd numbered nights of the last ten days. If we can't manage that then we should at least search for this night on 27th.

Surely if we really want to find this most blessed night then we should pray on all of the last ten odd nights of Ramadan and gain forgiveness of an entire lifetime of sins and rewards of over 83 YEARS OF WORSHIP! Subhanallah! Most of us will not even live upto such an age!


This could be our last chance!


There is NO guarantee we will be alive next Ramadan. How many of us know of muslims who have passed away this year and did not make it to Ramadan? How can we guarantee that we will be alive next year to see another Ramadan?

So CANNOT miss this one opportunity to change our lives forever. If we ever wanted to have a fresh start and get ALL of our sins wiped out then this is our chance.

If we ever wanted to gain immense rewards to fill up our good deed accounts then this is our chance.

If we ever wanted the chance to renew & strengthen our imaan (faith) and get closer to Allah then this is our chance!

So we CANNOT afford to miss this opportunity for we may never get this chance again!


When are the odd numbered nights?


According to authentic narrations it can be found in any of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, most likely the odd numbered nights of the last 10 nights of Ramadan: Which are the 21st night, 23rd, 25th, 27th & 29th nights. Most scholars say that it is likely to be on the 27th night but there is no guarantee of this and so to catch this night we must worship all the odd numbered nights or as many as we can manage.


The dates for Laylatul Qadr in the UK are:


21st night - Wednesday 8th August from Maghrib until Fajr

23rd Night - Friday 10th August from Maghrib until Fajr.

25th Night - Sunday 12th August from Maghrib until Fajr.

27th Night - Tuesday 14th August from Maghrib until Fajr.

29th night - Thursday 16th August from Maghrib until Fajr.



Note: these dates are assuming one started Ramadan on Friday 20th of August. If one started Ramadan a day after on Saturday the 21st of August then add one day to the dates.


Remember: We can gain 83 years of worship reward and forgiveness for an entire lifetime of sins for worshipping on this one special night. So we CANNOT afford to miss out. If we are working on the days after those nights and we can take those days or go work later on that day then we should try to, even if it means we to work go tired on those days, so be it as it is only once a year whre this opportunity comes and we may NEVER get such an opportunity again as we may not be alive next year!


So make the commitment!

So we should all make a firm commitment to devote ourselves in worship on all of the last 10 nights, if not then on the odd numbered nights, if not then at least on as many nights as we can. If we still cannot do that then at least on the 27th night. We should worship Allah with full sincerity, hope for immense reward, forgiveness and mercy from Allah for an entire lifetime of sins.

We should also make a firm commitment to Allah that we will change ourselves for the better for the rest of the year as Ramadan is for life not just for one month.

We must remember that our time is very short and that this may well be our very last Ramadan as it was the last Ramadan for so many who thought they would make it!

So let us grab this opportunity with both hands! If we walk towards Allah then he will run towards us!



May Allah enable us to make the best of the last 10 days & nights of Ramadan and may he enable us to gain the maximum rewards from this auspicious night. Ameen

[Hamza Asadullah]

Some misconceptions on the Night of Power


Does Laylatul Qadr start after Midnight?

It is a big misunderstanding that Laylatul Qadr is in the middle of the night. Laylatul Qadr starts from Maghrib up until the beginning of fajr.

Tahajjud prayer at night

Regarding the Tahajjud prayer then it is a minumum of 2 rakat upto 12 rakat. It is recommended to do at least 8 rakah.

In in Tahajjud prayer we should try to recite as much Qur'an as we have memorized possible for there is more reward reciting Qur'an in Tahajjud than on its own. What i find is a good way of praying Tahajjud is to darken the room which will help one pray with full humility.

One should imagine Allah infront of them and watching them pray. One should try to overcome oneself with emotion and even cry. One can recite any surah constantly. Some pious predecessors used to recite Surah Ikhlas again and again or a certain verse that they found powerful.

So when is Laylatul Qadr?

Regarding when Laylatul Qadr is then most scholars agree it moves around within the last ten nights of Ramadan particularly the last odd numbered nights. Therefore if we want to catch it for sure then we should pray EVERYNIGHT in the last ten nights. If not then at least the last ten odd nights. If we can't do all the odd nights then as many as we can. If we still can't manage that then at least on the 27th night.

The reason why it is hidden in the last ten nights is because Allah wants us to search for it by worshipping him sincerely in ALL 10 nights. The more effort we make to try to search for this night by worshipping as much as we can in the last ten nights then the more reward we will gain.

So lets search for it and not just pray just on one night!

Those of us who search for it properly in the last ten nights and pray therein with full sincerety hoping for reward can expect an entire lifetime of sins wiped out and over 83 years of worship reward. Subhaanallah! How generous is Allah?

So let us not become complacent! Let us worship in EVERY night from now until the end of Ramadan or at least as many nights as we can. We should try not to sleep in the night in these last ten nights but if we have to then we should sleep and wake up at least 2 hours before Suhur ends. The best time for dua and prayer is the time just before Suhur ends.

May Allah enable us to make the best of these blessed remaining nights. Ameen

[Abu Zainab]

Jazakallaah Khair brother...May Allaah reward you and your loved ones immensely for your effort and your desire to spread the deen.

I really needed that motivation. And thanks for reminding that the night starts from maghrib and not isha as most people think.

[Crimson]

In in Tahajjud prayer we should try to recite as much Qur'an as we have memorized possible for there is more reward reciting Qur'an in Tahajjud than on its own. What i find is a good way of praying Tahajjud is to darken the room which will help one pray with full humility.

Salam,

This is going to be my first laytatul Qadr and I don't really know alot of Surahs in the Quran yet, would it be possible for me to read from the Quran while praying because I want to get the most out of it?

Also is the prayer any different from the original prayer?