Salaam,

its not as long as it looks. A good read.

Subhaan Allaah! The beautiful month of Ramadaan is flying by! Its blessed days and fragrant nights are soon about to leave. And it breaks our hearts to let it go.

Yet, O Muslim, Rejoice! For there is good news for you!
A great opportunity is about to dawn upon you......A once-in -a -lifetime chance!
It's an offer that you cannot pass by!
Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala, in his Infinite Mercy, has bestowed upon you a Great and Noble night.....
Its the Night of Power.... the Night of Divine Decree.
A Night in which angels descend and send salutations to the believers...
A Night of innumerable blessings.....full of PEACE and tranquility....
A Night...... in which, Ibadah is better than a thousand months.

'The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months.' (Surah al-Qadr:3)
A thousand months! Subhaan Allaah!
That is equal to 30,000 nights or 83 years and 4 months!
Could there be a better chance for you than this??!!
Could there be a more Merciful Lord than this??!!
Subhaan Allaah wal Hamdulillaah!

Here is your chance to repent....to come back to the Most Merciful....to change your life for the better.
This is your chance to have ALL your previous sins forgiven!

'Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven' (Bukhaari)

This is a perfect opportunity to earn Allaah's pleasure.....being saved from Hellfire and entering Jannah. A time when your dua will surely be accepted.

What to do on Laylatul Qadr?

1) Search for this night in the LAST TEN nights of Ramadaan (not just the 27th)
Don't just single out one night for Ibadaat. Make sure to do it ALL TEN NIGHTS, because the EXACT date for Lailatul Qadr is hidden from us.
What if Lailatul Qadr is some other night and not on the 27th?? Have you ever thought about that? Then you would have no one to blame but yourself if you miss this great Night....this perfect opportunity of goodness and blessings.
'Seek Laylat al-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan.' (Bukhaari, Muslim)

2) Strive HARD in your search, worshiping Allaah sincerely and diligently
This your chance to earn Jannah. So give it ALL you got.... everything you have.

'The Prophet (pbuh)used to used to strive hard in worship during the last ten days of Ramadaan as he never did at any other time.' (Muslim, Ahmad)

3) Prepare for it mentally and physically
Take off work, if you can and go for Umrah or make I'tikaaf in the Masjid.
Don't overtire yourself during the day, such that you don't have any energy left to worship the Almighty.
Plan out your worship schedule for the night
Take a nap during the day, if possible and remember...do not overeat!

4) Shun worldly pleasures
Don't waste A SINGLE MOMENT of your time, such as spending this precious time in the mall, shopping for Eid or in extravagant 'Iftaar-cum-fashion show' parties.
Stay away from anything and everything that might distract you from remembering Allaah (TV, movies, music, unnecessary phone calls, gossip, etc.)

'When the last ten days of Ramadaan began, the Prophet (pbuh) would tighten his waist-wrapper (meaning he would stay away from marital relations), spend his nights in prayer, and wake his family.' (Muslim)

5) Spend these nights in prayer, reciting Qur'aan, making dua, doing istighfaar.
Stand LONG in Qiyaam....hands folded obediently...your head low, in shame...humbly
Eyes downcast....hearts trembling...tears rolling.....
Tears of regret and sorrow.....tears of repentance and shame
Spread out your hands....like a beggar, begging for his life....
Ask Allaah to forgive you and He will forgive you.
Beg for his Mercy and He will give it to you.
Beseech Him to guide you and save you from the torments of Hell.
Be determined that you will rectify your mistakes and improve your shortcomings
Resolve to be steadfast in your Commitment and be firm in your Deen
Read Quraan, do much Tasbeeh, glorify Allaah, praise Him and thank Him.
Make lots of dua for yourself, your family, your friends and the Muslim Ummah.

6) DON'T BE THE ONE WHO SLEEPS and misses out on immeasurable goodness
One who misses this blessed night has indeed missed much goodness, for no one misses it except for the one from whom it is withheld.

' In it (i e. Ramadaan) is a night better than a thousand months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable.' (Ahmad, an-Nasaa'i)

There are many chances to sleep, but a chance like this is rare to come by ....only once a year. And that also if you are lucky to be alive next year.
Are you going to miss a golden chance like this one.....sleeping??
Or are you going to be like the one who maybe just prays a few rakaat and thinks he's done enough and is eager to go back to sleep??
Think about it......Isn't there plenty of time to sleep??
Haven't we been sleeping all this while, anyway?? Haven't we 'SLEPT' enough, O Muslim??!!
Actually.......ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME WE WOKE UP???!!

Life is about opportunities. They say the wise man is the one who makes the most of his opportunities. Here is an opportunity to buy a piece of Jannah.
A piece of Jannah is up for sale! Are there any buyers??

The dua to make on Lailatul Qadr
Note: There is nothing that is narrated in the Quraan or Sunnah regarding Ibaadat such as prayer , duas, etc. that is to be specifically read on Lailatul Qadr EXCEPT just one hadeeth from Aisha (RA) when she asked the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam):
'I said, 'O Messenger of Allaah, if I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say on that night?' He said, 'Say:
Allaahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibb al-'afwa fa'affu 'anni (O Allaah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me).' (Tirmidhi)

All the other duas and formulas for prayers that you see in some books and papers that are to be read a certain number of times or to be read in a specific order, or to be read in Salaah in a specific way, are ALL bidah. There is NO PROOF in the Qur'aan or Sunnah for their validity. Stay away from that.

Remember, Allaah will accept your Ibaadah only and onlyif it is:
a) done sincerely for Him alone
b) if it is done according to what the Prophet (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) himself did or said or approved of.
Otherwise it will be thrown back on the person who did it, without being accepted, no matter what it is.

He (sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) said: 'Every action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours [i.e. Islam] will be rejected.' (Muslim)

May Allaah save us from that. Ameen.

by Asma bint Shameem

I was reading somewhere that Laylatul Qadr is every other day in the last 10 days ie the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th but the above article states that it could be any of the last 10 days :?

Any thoughts?

wsalaam