Ramadan and the Night of al-Qadr
Regional, Religion, 1/15/1999

Muslims all over the world yesterday celebrated the 27th of Ramadan, the Night of al-Qadr (Power), when the Koran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad. God, the sovereign Lord, the holy one, the Majestic, the superb, saying of that blessed night: "We revealed it on the Night of Power. Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is! The Night of Power, is better than a thousand months. The Angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their lord, with all decrees. (That Night is) peace until the rising dawn."

Encouraging believers to investigate the Night of Power, Prophet Muhammad says: "Those who stay awake throughout the Night of Power, believing and considering, will have all their past guilt forgiven."

According to Ayshah (one of the prophet's wives and his most favorite),"The prophet used to converse (remain in the mosque hoping to see the Night of Power) in the last ten days of Ramadan."

Prophet Muhammad urges Muslims to search for the Night of Power in the last ten days of Ramadan. Usually, fasting believers try to stay awake during the Night of Power performing prayers and reciting verses of the Glorious Koran. However, the fasting Muslim should refrain from following their desires, seize this golden opportunity to renew his repentance and submission to God, intensify reading the Glorious Koran and prophet's sayings, refrain from lying, gossip and insult; control his outrage and temper, increase charities, donations and good deeds as much as he can, facilitate fasting by taking Suhour, hasten to take his breaking at sunset, and reject all habits and deeds that might please physical senses.

Sharing al-Iftar with other people and relatives and frequently Mosques are also recommended. Moreover, all forms of mating, smoking, unnecessary injections, or purposely introducing solid or liquid substances into the body corrupts fasting. However, the one who breaks his fast because he forgot is not considered to have violated the sanctity of Ramadan.

Fasting is required of every Muslim who is mature, capable, not traveling or sick to the extent that his sickness forbids him from fasting, nor a menstruating woman, nor a woman who is still in child bed. It is desirable that those who have some settlements for the days they did not fast during the month of Ramadan, to settlement on days where fasting is not prohibited. It is permissible to fast the days intermittently or continuously.

The conclusion of the Holy month of Ramadan is officially declared by the Mufti office along with a three-day holiday celebrating the Eid (feast) al-Fitr. Furthermore, al-Fitr almsgiving is prescribed at the end of Ramadan in order to purify the faster from any foolish talk he may have done on one hand and feed the poor on the other hand.

Almsgiving is an obligation on every able Muslim, on his wife and on every person he supports, such as the father or the mother, a male or female, or young, and even if he were a suckling infant. It should be given to the poor before Eid prayers.

Previous Stories:
  Syria celebrates night of power   (1/14/1999)
  Kuwaiti Emir urges his citizens toward austerity   (1/13/1999)
  Crown Prince chairs distribution of fast-breaking meals   (12/23/1998)
  Vigilance diminishes in Ramadan, Moroccan study reveals   (12/22/1998)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search