Alternative i‘tikāf* [[--5th Outing--]]

 *Alternative i‘tikāf*

[[--5th Outing--]]
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*Digest this if you can't perform i‘tikāf:*

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Muslims all over the world follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) by spending the last ten nights of Ramadan awake late into the night, worshipping Allah by praying and reading the Qur’an, whether at home or in their Mosque.
As Muslims, we believe that Lailatul-Qadr is the best time to ask for forgiveness, although staying up late and worshiping during the other nine final nights of Ramadan is understood to bring immense spiritual rewards and benefits (Getting Your Sins Wiped Out).

Evidence:

Abu Hurairah quoted Allah’s Messenger as saying: “Whoever stands (in prayer) in Laylatul Qadr while nourishing his faith with self-evaluation, expecting reward from Allah, will have all of his previous sins forgiven.” 📚[Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim).

*Points to note:*

(1) Do the standing in night to please ONLY ALLAH (swt).

(2) If you can not do the Tahajjud prayer in congregation inside masjid for acceptable reasons, then, do it at your home. The only thing is not to miss ANY OF THE LAST 10 NIGHT without waking up to worship Allah (swt).

(3) Evaluate Yourself. Yes. Ask yourself those questions that need to be asked. Do an evaluation of where you are and where you are going. Let this evaluation lead you to feel happiness for the good you have done and remorse for the bad you have done. This latter feeling should make it easier to seek Allah’s sincere forgiveness when invoking Allah and supplicating to Him in these blessed nights.

Muslim Faithful!

Allah (swt) sent down the Quran on this night which the Lord of the Worlds has described as blessed. It was reported from a group of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) including Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Sa’id Ibn Jubair, Ikrimah, Mujahid and others – that the night on which the Quran was sent down was Lailatul-Qadr. Yes.

The phrase Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments means, on that night the destiny of all creatures for the coming year is decreed😳. Yes. On that night it is written who will live, who will die, who will be saved, who will be doomed, who will be destined for Paradise, who will be destined for Hell, who will be granted honour, who will be humiliated, where drought and famine will occur, and everything else that Allah wills in that year.

What is meant by the idea that the destiny of all creatures is written on Lailatul Qadr is that, on Lailatul Qadr, they are transferred from al-Lawh al-Mahfuz. Ibn Abbas said: “You may see a man furnishing his home or plowing his field, and he is one of those who are going to die,” i.e., it has been decreed on Lailatul Qadr that he is one of those who are going to die (in the coming year).. And it was said that on this night, the destiny of people is shown to the angels😳. Yes.

The meaning of “Qadr” is veneration or honour, i.e. it is a night that is venerated because of its special characteristics, and because the one who stays up during this night becomes a man of honour.. And it was said that Qadr means constriction, in the sense that the knowledge of precisely when this night is, is hidden.

Now,

*The signs by which Lailatul Qadr is known:*

The first sign:

Ubay Ibn Ka’ab said that the...

To be continued...