“Surely, We revealed it on the Night of Majesty — And what will make thee comprehend what the Night of Majesty is? The Night of Majesty is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord — for every affair — Peace it is till the rising of the morning.” Holy Qur’an 97:1-5
The Qur’anic revelation began in the Month of Ramadan on one of the odd nights after the 21st around 610 A.D., while the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) was in seclusion on a mountain at the Cave of Hira near Mecca, Arabia. The recitations were then revealed over a 23-year period—some in Mecca and some in Medina under various historical circumstances. The guiding Light of the Holy Qur’an brings us out of the darkness of ignorance and destruction into righteousness that protects and sustains us by the favor of Allah (God).
By Prophet Muhammad’s example, you too can escape The Wrath of God—but the Holy Qur’an is your means to escape it! It is in this Book, following the example, the Sunnah, of Prophet Muhammad, that everyone who has been afflicted by ‘Satan’ a Black ‘devil’, Brown, Red, Yellow, White ‘devil’—all devils—can be healed in The Womb of this Book, with The Medicine of this Book, and with The Sunnah of The Prophet through whom this Book came.”The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks to the importance of the Guidance of the Revelation of the Qur’an, in “The Time and What Must Be Done,” Pt. 28, “Prophet Muhammad, and this great Book, The Holy Qur’an, which brings clarity to the Torah and the Injil (Gospel). This Book, Qur’an, is a ‘womb’. So when you’re born out of ‘the water’ of this revelation, The Holy Qur’an, I submit to you: You will be made anew. I submit to you that the deeper Wisdom of this Qur’an has not yet been revealed; but this Book is called Al-Shifa, ‘The Healing’. Who will be ‘the doctor’ to prescribe the medicine, and apply it?
As we approach the last 10 days of the Holy Month of Ramadan, in which the most Holy of Nights in Islam is hidden among its odd numbered nights, it is the practice throughout the Muslim world to retreat to our mosques to engage in nightly communal prayers, supplication and reading of the Holy Qur’an with more intensity. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “seek it (the night of Majesty) during the last 10 days of the month, and seek it and every night of it.”
We seek to be present, with our families and the Believing community, in prayer and contemplation, particularly in the odd numbered nights of the month to gain the reward of a night’s prayers, in which it is better than that of a thousand months of prayer! According to the lunar system, mathematically, these 12 hours are equivalent to a period of approximately 84 years.
“Beneficent God! By the Book that makes manifest! We revealed it on a blessed night—truly We are ever warning. Therein is made clear every affair full of wisdom—A command from Us—truly We are ever sending messengers.” Holy Qur’an 44:1-5
This night is known as, the Night of Power or the Night of Majesty (laila-tul-qadr). Laila is an Arabic word meaning “night,” which refers to the hours of darkness or the absence of light from the sun, approximately 12 hours during the period between sunset and sunrise.
The Arabic word “qadr” means power, decree, majesty, ability, control and determination showing us in the name given by Allah (God) to this night, the Night of Power (laila-tul-qadr), that Allah (God) writes the history of what will happen, past, present and future, according to His Will.
The word “qadr” also indicates a special social status, or prestige when referring to a person with “qadr.” Prophet Muhammad, on him be peace, has said, “Allah has favored Friday over all other days, Ramadan over all other months, and the Night of Power over all other nights.” This points to the choice of this night by Allah (God) being one of deep significance.
The oft-emphasized night, observed earlier in the night after the Night prayer during Ramadan in congregation is called Taraweeh, The Rest Prayer or Retreat Prayer. It is observed throughout the year as a voluntary devotion and is called the Wake-up prayer (tahajjud), or the Resurrection prayer (salaat-ul-qiyaam). It was an obligation on the Prophet (PBUH) and is considered an observance of the foremost in devotion among the Muslims.
Allah (God) says He will raise us from where we are to a praiseworthy position through observance of this special prayer, “And during a part of the night, keep awake by it, beyond what is incumbent on thee; maybe thy Lord will raise thee to a position of great glory.” Holy Qur’an, 17:79
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad writes in Message to the Blackman, pg. 77 “Prayer is at sunrise, noon, mid-afternoon, sundown and before retiring. On awakening during the night, another prayer is made. In fact, two prayers should be said during the night, making a total of seven prayers a day. There is no worship of a Sunday or Sabbath in Islam. All the days are worship days.”
Muhammad, the Prophet (PBUH), said, “O people a very great month has come upon you, a month containing a night better than a thousand months. Allah (God) has made it an obligation to fast in it, and standing in prayer in its night is an optional action. Whoever seeks nearness to Him with a good deed in it will be like one performing an obligatory action in other months ... It is a month the beginning of which is a mercy, the middle Forgiveness, and its end is a granting of freedom from the Fire ...”
May Allah (God) grant us with the benefit of the fast to have purified ourselves and seek his forgiveness and cure us of the disease of the heart and body in this month through our prayers and fasting!
Imam Sultan R. Muhammad is the National Imam of the Nation of Islam and resident Imam of Mosque Maryam National Center, tweet him @ImamSultanM or email him at sultanmuhammad@me.com.
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