Laylatul Qadr, khaym min alfi shahra Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu Bismillahirrahmanirrahim Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma'in My brothers and sisters, we are about to commence a season that is the most powerful season from the seasons of the year the most blessed night in existence, the most powerful night in existence is indeed the night known as Laylatul Qadr. Allah Almighty says very clearly, The night of Qadr translates as decree, Qadr and Taqdeer, also power, the power of the night, the power of Allah. So Allah Almighty says this night of Qadr or decree, is better than 1000 months, that is more than 83 years. Subhanallah. My brothers and sisters, we've just about commenced this beautiful season.
If you are going to waste your time in these last 10 nights, then indeed you would be the loser. So let's take it seriously. The Prophet, peace be upon him, the last 10 entered, he took it very seriously.
He got his family up, he woke them up, hey let's get up, let's pray or whatever it may have been and he took it seriously. Ahya al-layl means he livened the night. Many people liven the nights of Ramadan but they play cards, they play games, they sit and watch movies, they do so many other things.
We spoke about that already. They watch games and so on. There is a time for that which is permissible in terms of recreational stuff but not in the month of Ramadan in the last 10 nights. Minimize it, cut it down, the games that you play, it's okay, give it a break. He took it very seriously, the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him took it very seriously.
He tightened the belt. That has a deep meaning but what it definitely means is the things that you would normally engage in and you know recreation or anything else you become conscious of worshipping Allah, seeking his forgiveness, doing acts of worship, maybe give out a little charity, maybe do something. Yes we spoke already in one of the episodes about I'tikaf but now for every one of us this night of decree is more powerful than a thousand months. It's better than a thousand months.
I need to make sure that I'm using it. I need to make sure that I understand the favor of Allah. Through the year, there is not going to be another night more powerful than this. Why do they call it the night of decree? Because the Quran says, The decree, Allah Almighty decrees things on that particular night.
with his wisdom and whatever your destiny is for the following year, whatever is going to be predestined and written for the details for the following year according to the most correct opinion of the vast majority of scholars is on this particular night of decree. That's why they call it the night of decree, Laylatul Qadr, like we say. The Qadr is including the power and the decree of Allah Almighty. What decree is it? Well, Allah is going to decree your future.
That's what it is. Don't spend that night doing something crazy. Rather, spend it in acts of worship.
Spend it in charity. Spend it with your family in a beautiful way. Subhanallah. Spend it reflecting, pondering, changing something like Aisha radhiallahu anha asked the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and we've said this before, if I were to see or witness or be fortunate enough to Be in this night of decree.
What should I do? What should I say? He says, say, اللهم إنك عفو to حب العفو فعفو عني. Oh Allah, you are most forgiving.
You love to forgive. So forgive me. So if you achieve forgiveness, it's amazing. It's the biggest achievement you could ever have from the month of Ramadan is to be able to have the blessings of standing in worship during the night of decree, even for a portion of the night.
Not every one of us can stay awake all night, every night. Yes, not every one of us can stay awake throughout the night, on any night. There are some people need their sleep.
You may. But keep it minimum. It's sunnah to liven the entire night. But if you really are a person who's unwell or you need that sleep, alhamdulillah, it's not wrong.
You may do so, but at least spend a portion of the night doing something special. Is there not something special you're going to do? Going to read a page of the Quran that you don't normally do? Going to read a little bit more today?
Going to engage in extra acts of worship? Subhanallah. something to please Allah, give a charity maybe, make peace with someone, family members and many others that there may be. Promise Allah to change your bad ways and habits. Any one of these beautiful deeds, the reward will be multiplied so much that Allah says this night is better than a thousand months.
Subhanallah. Imagine Allah has given us favor. We have read like Nuh alayhi salam for example.
it is said he lived with his people for 950 years and lived beyond that even more. And we have lives that are between 60 and 70 years plus minus. The average lifespan is far less than what it was then.
So Allah is doing you a favor. If you have to witness 10 nights of decree throughout 10 years or 10 Ramadans, it would be... More than 830, between 830 to 840 years of ibadah and worship. Can you imagine? It brings a smile to the face.
MashaAllah. May Allah's blessings shower upon us always. Ameen.
So my brothers and sisters, take it seriously. We've just entered the season. It's a beautiful season.
It is powerful. It is amazing. It is the end of Ramadan.
and it depicts the end of the two-thirds, one-third remaining. It is indeed a time of the mercy of Allah, His forgiveness and freedom from hellfire. Those three things are the achievements that we are meant to be achieving through this month of Ramadan.
So my brothers and sisters, Allah Almighty had initially sent down the exact date and the exact night of decree. How exactly he told the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, we don't know. But there is a correct narration that states that as the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him came out to inform the people, there were two people quarreling.
In Ramadan, there were two people quarreling. Because of that quarrel between two members of the Ummah, Allah Almighty decided that I don't want the people to know the exact date or the exact date. day. I'll give them a hint as to when it is most likely but I'm not going to tell them the exact.
So that knowledge was taken away by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Amazing. That is something very interesting. It shows us that disputes amongst us may take the blessing of Allah away. But in a way we have a gift because if we knew it was this particular night people would worship only on that night and they would have left the rest.
But because it's not known, it gives you that opportunity to worship Allah throughout the last 10 nights and throughout the odd nights, which more likely, and it is even more likely for that night to be the second half of the last 10, which makes it the 27th, 29th, perhaps maybe the 25th, which also falls into the second half, because you may just have nine nights as well. If you see the moon early, if you see the moon for 29, then there's going to be nine nights. But my brothers and sisters, that night of Eid as well is a blessed night.
It's a night that's not supposed to be spent in the disobedience of Allah, just because it's declared the end of Ramadan, but rather in the obedience of Allah Almighty. So here we go, my brothers and sisters, are you going to take these nights seriously? Are you going to engage in some act of worship that is unique? Are you going to seek the forgiveness of Allah?
Are you going to strengthen yourself to quit the bad habits that you have been engaged in and you know what they are? Are you going to become strong to fulfill your duties unto Allah and you know what they are? May Allah help us to fulfill our prayers, to be truthful people, to stay away from consuming that which is displeasing to Allah, be it an intoxicant or something that's a a waste of time.
May Allah protect us from addictions and bad habits. May Allah grant us clarity of thought and mind. Always ask Allah for guidance.
Oh Allah, guide me to the straight path. It's the most powerful dua that we have been taught generally as Muslims. اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ It's repeated the most in the world. The dua, the supplication that has been repeated the most in history is اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ guide us to the straight path.
If you think about it, we all have to repeat that in every unit of prayer throughout the day. And there are billions of Muslims and trillions and quadrillions of them have passed through the centuries. May Allah Almighty bless us.
So in this beautiful season, we want the forgiveness of Allah. We will change our habits. Are you going to make an effort to dress in an appropriate way? change the way you've been? Are you going to be conscious of the fact that you have to return to Allah at some point very soon?
Are you going to be conscious of the fact that you're a Muslim, you're a believer, you should carry yourself with some respect? Are you going to be conscious of the fact that you need to adjust your life to suit what Allah wants? And Allah has guaranteed you contentment, to say the least.
So if you'd like that contentment that everyone is searching for, then one of the ways or the only way should I say is to discipline yourselves within the obedience of Allah. And wherever we falter as human beings, seek the forgiveness of Allah. Don't forget, tohibbul afwa is the word. Allahumma inna ka'afu'un tuhibbul afwa fa'afu'anni. O Allah, you are most forgiving.
You love to forgive. So forgive me. No matter what you've done, no matter how many times you've done, no matter how much you've repeated it, Allah says, I love to forgive.
So we're saying, you love to forgive? Forgive me. May Allah bless all of us and grant us true forgiveness.