عربي
Home


Articles

Articles

The Concept of Qiyam Laylat Al-Qadr
Author : Mufti. Zakaria Ali Salman
Date Added : 29-12-2024

Reflecting on the immense reward given to those who observe the Night of Decree (Laylat Al-Qadr), one should strive to seize it. When we know that the reward for observing Laylat al-Qadr is equivalent to a thousand months, as stated in the verse (Which means): "The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months." [Al-Qadr/3], we realize the significance of observing it. We also understand the wisdom behind its concealment from us, encouraging us to strive in seeking and searching for it and to take precaution to ensure we catch it.

Our role model in this is the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who, when the last ten nights began, would stay awake, awaken his family, and devote himself to worship, tightening his belt." [Agreed upon].

The Prophet (PBUH) used to seclude himself in the mosque (I'tikaf) for ten days every Ramadan. In the year of his passing, he observed I'tikaf for twenty days." [Al-Bukhari].

I'tikaf involves withdrawal, but the Prophet’s withdrawal is unlike any other. He was the commander of the army, head of state, teacher of the nation, its mufti, judge, and imam, as well as a family man with relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Above all, he was divinely guided and free from sin, yet despite all this, he observed I'tikaf.

If the moment of divine acceptance were a fixed hour that one could attain simply by sitting during that time, sinners, oppressors, and transgressors would be the keenest to attend that hour. This is why it is wisely concealed from the lazy, so they must exert effort, and from the diligent, so they do not neglect it.

One should not let any signs distract them from persistent observance and effort, especially since some signs appear after the night has passed. A person in I'tikaf may mistakenly think they have seen its signs and abandon I'tikaf, thus missing the guaranteed reward for something uncertain. This would be a significant loss and ignorance. How could it be otherwise when the Prophet (PBUH) did not end his I'tikaf even when he knew he had observed Laylat Al-Qadr? He continued until the end of the month.

I share this with my beloved brothers and sisters in faith to prevent Satan from deceiving them into abandoning the observance of this great night, which may not recur. Life’s end is unknown, and free time may not be available in another year, not to mention health and other circumstances.

Laylat Al-Qadr has two aspects:

1. The moment of acceptance: This is the supreme happiness when prayers are answered, and a person receives their heart’s desires. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked: "O Messenger of Allah, if I know which night is the Night of Decree, what should I say?" He replied: "Say: O Allah, You are Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me" [At-Tirmidhi]. Material wealth, spouses, and children are important, as are position and status. However, more important than all these is safety on the Day of Judgment, as mentioned in the following verse, stating (What means):  "And indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of what you count." [Al-Hajj/47].

2. Attaining the reward: Whoever performs a single unit of prayer on this night receives the reward of praying for a thousand months. Whoever utters a word of glorification (Tasbih) is rewarded as though they had uttered it thirty thousand times, multiplied by the reward of the fighters in the cause of Allah. Such immense reward and abundant blessings!

Here, Satan may employ his traps, either by leading you to sin—God forbid—or by distracting you with permissible amusement. If he fails in both, he may settle for making you perform a lesser good deed to prevent you from attaining the greater reward.

Congratulations to you, those who observe Laylat Al-Qadr! If you perform I'tikaf, your prayer counts as part of its observance, listening to a sermon is part of its observance, reading the Quran is part of its observance, speaking a kind word is part of its observance, and even resting to renew your energy for worship is part of its observance.

For this reason, the noble companions would pray for months to reach Ramadan, hoping to enjoy these great rewards. They wished to encounter this blessed night, to pray to Allah to alleviate distress, illuminate paths, grant victory to the nation of the Messenger of Allah, and make them a mercy to the world by spreading the religion of guidance and avoiding ways of misguidance.                                       

O Allah, endear faith to us and adorn it in our hearts. Make us detest disbelief, defiance, and disobedience, and make us among the rightly guided.

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

Article Number [ Previous | Next ]

Read for Author




Comments


Captcha


Warning: this window is not dedicated to receive religious questions, but to comment on topics published for the benefit of the site administrators—and not for publication. We are pleased to receive religious questions in the section "Send Your Question". So we apologize to readers for not answering any questions through this window of "Comments" for the sake of work organization. Thank you.




Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible to agree with a butcher to purchase the meat of an animal after it has been slaughtered — for instance, by buying the meat of a sheep at a price determined by the weight of its meat following slaughter, at a fixed rate per kilogram? And what is the ruling if the animal is being purchased with the intention of it being an uḍḥiyyah (sacrificial offering)?

 
 
 
 
 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
It is not permissible to sell livestock in the manner of pricing each kilogram of meat after slaughter at a fixed rate, because the meat within the animal prior to slaughter is unseen and unknown. This leads to jahālah (ignorance of the subject matter) and gharar (contractual uncertainty), both of which are among the invalidating factors in sales transactions.
However, it is permissible for the buyer to issue a promise to purchase the meat of the animal after slaughter at a specified price per kilogram, with the actual sale being concluded at the time of weighing the meat — at which point both the quantity of the goods and the total price become known. There is no Sharī'ah objection to this arrangement.
The jurists have stipulated that for a sale to be valid, both countervalues must be present and observable. Al-Khaṭīb al-Shirbīnī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states:
"It is valid to sell a heap of grain whose total measure is unknown to both contracting parties at a rate of one sā' per dirham. This sale is valid because the subject of sale is present and observable, and ignorance of the total price is not harmful since it is known in detail — and uncertainty is thereby lifted."— [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.355]
As for the uḍḥiyyah, the 'aqīqah, and vowed blood sacrifices (al-dam al-mandhūr) — full ownership of the animal must be established prior to slaughter. It is not valid for such animals to be slaughtered while still in the ownership of the butcher. Rather, the animal must be purchased alive and then slaughtered with the intention of uḍḥiyyah or the like. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on praying in congregation at the mosque?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
Congregational prayer (Salat al-Jama‘ah) is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah) for resident men regarding the performance of the prescribed (obligatory) prayers. For men, praying in congregation at the mosque is better than praying elsewhere, such as at home. On the authority of Abdullah bin Umar, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Prayer in congregation is twenty-seven degrees more excellent than the prayer of a person alone' (Reported by Bukhari & Muslim). Furthermore, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Shall I not tell you that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks?' They said, 'Of course, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Performing wudu thoroughly despite difficulties, taking many steps toward the mosques, and waiting for the next prayer after the prayer; that is your Ribat (steadfastness)' (Narrated by Muslim).
 
As for a woman, her praying in congregation at home is better for her than in the mosque, according to the saying of our Master the Prophet ﷺ: 'Do not prevent your women from attending the mosques, but their homes are better for them' (Narrated by Abu Dawood). Young boys should be encouraged to attend the mosques and congregational prayers so they may become accustomed to them. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law regarding one who purchases a sacrificial animal (uḍḥiyah) and it then develops a defect before slaughter?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
If a defect that invalidates the sacrifice (uḍḥiyah) arises after its purchase — for example, if one purchased a sound, defect-free animal, and it then developed a limp, blindness in one eye, or a similar defect before slaughter — it does not fulfill the requirement of a valid uḍḥiyah, according to the Shāfi'ī school.
It is stated in Asnā al-Maṭālib fī Sharḥ Rawḍ al-Ṭālib (Vol.1/P.535): "Even if the limp develops [in the animal] while the knife is upon it, it still does not fulfill the requirement, because it is lame at the moment of slaughter — this is analogous to a case where a sheep's leg breaks and one hastens to slaughter it [in that condition]."
The Ḥanbalī school, however, held that if the one offering the sacrifice purchased the animal while it was sound and defect-free, and a defect then befell it afterward, the sacrifice remains valid and there is no obligation to replace it.
It is stated in Masā'il al-Imām Aḥmad, one of the Ḥanbalī reference works (Vol.8/P.4021): "I said: If a person purchases the sacrificial animal while it is sound, and it is then afflicted with illness, blindness in one eye, or a broken limb [before slaughter]? He [Imam Aḥmad] said: It is said that it still fulfills the requirement. Isḥāq said likewise, because he purchased it while sound, and the defect befell it only afterward, so it remains sufficient on his behalf." [End of quote]
Accordingly, a sheep afflicted with a defect that invalidates the sacrifice does not fulfill the requirement of a valid uḍḥiyah — whether the defect arose after purchase or during the slaughter itself — according to the Shāfi'ī school. However, there is no objection to following the Ḥanbalī position on this matter [as a valid alternative]. And Allah, the Most High, knows best.

Is fidyah required for someone who breaks their fast due to a valid excuse?

● If the excuse is permanent, such as a chronic illness with no hope of recovery or old age, then fidyah is required. This means feeding one needy person for each missed fasting day.
● However, if the excuse is temporary, such as menstruation, postnatal bleeding, or a temporary illness, then only making up the missed fasts (qada) is required, and fidyah does not apply.

See More