By Haroon Balogun

All praise is due to Allaah, for giving us the month of Ramadan, a blessed month over others. May the blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his Companions. The Holy Quran Chapter 97: 1-5 describes the significance of Laylat al-Qadr.  Allah says:

• Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Decree.
• And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?
• The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
• The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.
• Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

Night ofdecree

This Night of Decree, is one of the major blessings of Ramadan. During this night, Quran was sent to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). Ibn ‘Abbaas and others said: “Allah sent down the Quran at one time from al-Lawh al-Mahfooz to Bayt al-‘Izzah in the first heaven, then it was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) in stages according to events over twenty-three years.”

Again, about this night, the prophet has informed us that all our sins could be forgiven. Worshipping Allah on that night is better than worshipping Him for 1000 months. The significance of this night is obvious from the fact that worshipping during this ONE night is better than worshipping Allah for more than 1000months (not days).  The reward of worshipping Allah in that night equals the reward of worshipping Him for one thousand months which means eighty three years, three months and three days.

Angels descend to the earth with goodness, blessing, and mercy for the believers. Therefore, it is a reassuring night, in which many people are freed of torment, and prayers are answered. Allah, the Lord that hidden as well as apparent concealed that night from His Servants out of mercy so that they would increase their acts of worship and gain the great reward by seeking the nights in worships.  It is safer that one assume each night is the blessed night, and worship all through the night. These blessings remain throughout the night until the break of dawn and are not confined to any specific hour.

By this, we shall gain the reward of each night, if we perform Qiyam the entire ten days. Remember that the reward for every action in this period is multiplied. So, it is better to be awake in worship, prayers so as to gain the great reward and benefit of these blessed nights in drawing near to Allah because they are opportunities that comes only once in a year.

One of the things which cause worry and sadness is when you realised you missed one golden opportunity to achieve great success. This kind of people will procastinate on which day of the last ten days to do Qiyam lail and thus they keep postponing it until the month runs out. They will miss  doing Qiyam lail and intense prayers and therefore, they will miss this great opportunity. Which virtue is more considerable than this for the one who Allah grants pardon?  None! His pardon comes with loaded blessings in this ephemeral world and the Hereafter.  Repent to Allah and ask Him for forgiveness, for indeed the door of repentance has been opened for you, and He calls you to it and made for you a season for goodness.

So, be persistent, may Allaah have mercy upon you, in seeking this night, and strive by righteous actions so that you obtain its reward, for verily the deprived one is the one for whom the reward has been forbidden.