Abdul Muqit Chowdhury :
The welfare of mankind — emancipation in this world and salvation in the hereafter is the aim of the revelation of the Holy Quran. Many verses throw light on the role, speciality and uniqueness of this final Divine revelation. Some of the verses are :
“This is the Book :/In it, is guidance sure, without doubt, /To those who fear God;.” (Sura Baqara 2 : 2)
“Here is a plain statement /To men, a guidance /And instruction to those /Who fear God.” (Sura Al-i- ‘Imraan 3:138)
” O mankind ! Verily /There hath come to you /A convincing proof /From your Lord : /For We have sent unto you /A light (that is) manifest.” (Sura Nisa 4:174)
Here the comment of A. Yusuf Ali helps the readers.
“The Proof and the Light are the Holy Quran and the Personality, Life and Teaching of Muhammad Mustafa.”
The Holy Quran reveals :
“To thee We sent the Scripture /In Truth, confirming /The scripture that came /Before it, and guarding it /In safety : so judge /Between them by what/ God hath revealed, /And follow not their vain /Desires, diverging /From the Truth that hath come /To thee. To each among you/ Have We prescribed a Law /And an open way.
If God had so willed/He would have made you/ A single People, but (His /Plan is) to test you in what /He hath given you : so strive /As in a race in all virtues. /The goal of you all is to God ;/It is He that will show you /The truth of the matters/ In which ye dispute ; ” (Sura Mayedah 5 : 48)
Majority Islamic scholars are of the opinion that the Holy Lailatul Qadr or Shab-e-Qadr is the 27th night of Holy Ramzan, the night after the 26th Ramzan. According to some others, the night may be anyone of the uneven nights after the 20th Ramzan as 21st, 23rd, 25th or 27th. However, Ramzan being the best month, the Lailatul Qadr is the best night as the Holy Quran, guide to mankind, was revealed on this night. The relevant verse of the Holy Quran : “We have indeed revealed/This (Message)/ In the Night of Power : /And what will explain/To thee what the Night/Of Power is?/The Night of Power/ Is better than/A thousand Months.” (Sura Qadr 97:1-3)
The merit of Lailatul Qadr (the Night of Power) thus stands supreme as the Quran was revealed in this night and it is ‘better than a thousand months.’
According to the Holy Quran, it is also ‘Lailatum Mubarakah’ or ‘the Night of Honour’:
“We sent it down/During a blessed night: /For We (ever) wish/To warn (against Evil). /In that (night) is made/Distinct every affair/Of wisdom.”(Sura Dukhan 44: 3-4) Allama Yusuf Ali comments :
“Usually taken to be a night in the month of Ramadhan, say the 23rd, 25th, or 27th night of that month. It is referred to as the Night of Power in xcvii.1-2. See also ii. 185. But perhaps we need not fix it literally by the calendar. The night that a Message descends from God is indeed a blessed night, like a day of rain for a parched land.”
“Such an occasion is one which Divine Wisdom places before us through Revelation the solution of spiritual problems of the highest import to mankind.”
Shab-e-Qadr embraces Divine Injunctions of the Holy Quran and its Messenger for mankind and the universe.
According to Inam Ahmad bin Hambal ®, a Hadith narrated by Ibne Umar (Ra) claimed that Rasulullah (Sm) said : “Whoever seeks the night, let him seek it on the 27th.”
The Messenger of Allah said. “He who spends the Lailatul Qadr through prayers in full faith, shall have all his previous sins and faults forgiven.”
Rasulullah (Sm) said, “Pray this in the night of Qadr : O Allah, You are Forgiving, You love forgiveness. So, forgive me.”
The Holy Lailatul Qadr or Shab-e-Qadr is in our midst before we go to celebrate the Holy Eid-ul-Fitr. In this festive and sublime occasion, we should engage ourselves to seek the bounties and mercy of Allah. This night should be passed in prayer, supplication, tilawat, zikr-azkar, durud, charity and praying for the departed souls.
We should take pledge to establish the Quranic principles in our lives to build the society in the light of Islam and thus ensure peace and prosperity.
The welfare of mankind — emancipation in this world and salvation in the hereafter is the aim of the revelation of the Holy Quran. Many verses throw light on the role, speciality and uniqueness of this final Divine revelation. Some of the verses are :
“This is the Book :/In it, is guidance sure, without doubt, /To those who fear God;.” (Sura Baqara 2 : 2)
“Here is a plain statement /To men, a guidance /And instruction to those /Who fear God.” (Sura Al-i- ‘Imraan 3:138)
” O mankind ! Verily /There hath come to you /A convincing proof /From your Lord : /For We have sent unto you /A light (that is) manifest.” (Sura Nisa 4:174)
Here the comment of A. Yusuf Ali helps the readers.
“The Proof and the Light are the Holy Quran and the Personality, Life and Teaching of Muhammad Mustafa.”
The Holy Quran reveals :
“To thee We sent the Scripture /In Truth, confirming /The scripture that came /Before it, and guarding it /In safety : so judge /Between them by what/ God hath revealed, /And follow not their vain /Desires, diverging /From the Truth that hath come /To thee. To each among you/ Have We prescribed a Law /And an open way.
If God had so willed/He would have made you/ A single People, but (His /Plan is) to test you in what /He hath given you : so strive /As in a race in all virtues. /The goal of you all is to God ;/It is He that will show you /The truth of the matters/ In which ye dispute ; ” (Sura Mayedah 5 : 48)
Majority Islamic scholars are of the opinion that the Holy Lailatul Qadr or Shab-e-Qadr is the 27th night of Holy Ramzan, the night after the 26th Ramzan. According to some others, the night may be anyone of the uneven nights after the 20th Ramzan as 21st, 23rd, 25th or 27th. However, Ramzan being the best month, the Lailatul Qadr is the best night as the Holy Quran, guide to mankind, was revealed on this night. The relevant verse of the Holy Quran : “We have indeed revealed/This (Message)/ In the Night of Power : /And what will explain/To thee what the Night/Of Power is?/The Night of Power/ Is better than/A thousand Months.” (Sura Qadr 97:1-3)
The merit of Lailatul Qadr (the Night of Power) thus stands supreme as the Quran was revealed in this night and it is ‘better than a thousand months.’
According to the Holy Quran, it is also ‘Lailatum Mubarakah’ or ‘the Night of Honour’:
“We sent it down/During a blessed night: /For We (ever) wish/To warn (against Evil). /In that (night) is made/Distinct every affair/Of wisdom.”(Sura Dukhan 44: 3-4) Allama Yusuf Ali comments :
“Usually taken to be a night in the month of Ramadhan, say the 23rd, 25th, or 27th night of that month. It is referred to as the Night of Power in xcvii.1-2. See also ii. 185. But perhaps we need not fix it literally by the calendar. The night that a Message descends from God is indeed a blessed night, like a day of rain for a parched land.”
“Such an occasion is one which Divine Wisdom places before us through Revelation the solution of spiritual problems of the highest import to mankind.”
Shab-e-Qadr embraces Divine Injunctions of the Holy Quran and its Messenger for mankind and the universe.
According to Inam Ahmad bin Hambal ®, a Hadith narrated by Ibne Umar (Ra) claimed that Rasulullah (Sm) said : “Whoever seeks the night, let him seek it on the 27th.”
The Messenger of Allah said. “He who spends the Lailatul Qadr through prayers in full faith, shall have all his previous sins and faults forgiven.”
Rasulullah (Sm) said, “Pray this in the night of Qadr : O Allah, You are Forgiving, You love forgiveness. So, forgive me.”
The Holy Lailatul Qadr or Shab-e-Qadr is in our midst before we go to celebrate the Holy Eid-ul-Fitr. In this festive and sublime occasion, we should engage ourselves to seek the bounties and mercy of Allah. This night should be passed in prayer, supplication, tilawat, zikr-azkar, durud, charity and praying for the departed souls.
We should take pledge to establish the Quranic principles in our lives to build the society in the light of Islam and thus ensure peace and prosperity.
