Thoughts on Lailatul Qadr

Khairu Rejal

(taken from www.khairusown.blogspot.com)

Lailatul Qadar is within these ten days and many are ever so rigorous to ensure that they

encounter this night that is better than a thousand night - thus, staying vigilant throughout

the nights or waking early in the mornings to spend the precious hours in prayers and

devotional acts.

However, it is a considerable trend especially in masjid that there are far lesser crowd on

even nights as compared to odd nights - perhaps due to higher likability that based on

authentic narrations that lailatul qadar could be found on odd nights. Even so, this very

concept of making devotional efforts on odd nights or doing devotional act purely for

lailatul qadar's sake mainly - needs to be revised.

I am not saying that there is anything fundamentally wrong with hoping to meet the night

of qadar but let's remember that our nights in worship should not be only for the sake of

lailatul qadar but rather it should be raise to a higher order: that is for the sake of seeking

God's love.

There is a sufi story (disclaimer: me reading widely does not equate to having a tendency

for any orientation of read) that tells of a man whom had won the favor of a king. Thus, the

king invites him to his castle and offers him to have anything that he desires in this castle.

This in mind that the castle was full of vast wealth and richness beyond one's imagination.

As such, the man after viewing carefully at everything, ponders and ask: "Your highness, am

I to have anything that my heart desires?". The reply given was: "Whatever you hold on to,

that is yours".

Thus the man when up to the throne and held on to the king and said: "I wish for nothing

but thee".

Moral of the story?

Lailatul Qadar is just one of the many bounties from Allah's wealth which are

immeasurable. But why settle for one of the bounties when you could have the favor of the

one to whom belongs all of the bounties?

If one seek for Lailatul Qadar it is in one of the nights of Ramadhan, however if one seeks

for Allah - He is in every night. Hence, especially in Ramadhan: let's spend every night in

this quest and search.

Wallahua'lam.