Latest Updates - Corona Virus - 24 Nov 2024
What is the Night of Determination [Qadr]?
11 April 2020
The Night of determination is a special night that occurs every year in the last ten days of Ramadan and represents an opportunity for Muslims to gain blessings and forgiveness from God. Night of Determination, marks the night in which the Qur'an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad by God.
God sent down the first revelations of the Qur'an from the Preserve Tablet to the first heaven. The book was then taken from the first heaven by the arch-angel Gabriel and brought to Earth, where the first part of it was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad on the Night of Qadr, and the rest revealed to him gradually over a period of 23 years.
Night of Determination is a good time to ask for forgiveness. Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain God's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven. Everyone is asked to live it and to enjoy it. This Night is a night of Mercy, a night of Blessing, a night of Peace and a night of Guidance.
Anyone who is interested in attaining the Mercy of God will strive very hard to look for the Night of Determination. Anyone who is interested in receiving the blessings of God on the Blessed Night will work hard to enjoy the Night of Determination. Anyone who is interested in attaining peace of mind, peace of body and peace in society, he has to look for this Night and to live it. The Quran describes this Night in this surah, God the Almighty says: [Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree.
And what can make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.] [97: 1-5]
The Night of Qadr, as the Quran says, is better than a thousand months. One thousand months are equivalent to 83 years and 4 months, meaning more than a lifetime of average human being. Very fortunate is the person who spends this night in prayer. The man or woman, who prays for the whole night during this Night, will deserve blessings and reward from God as if he or she has prayed for eighty-three years and four months consecutively.
In another text, And in it every decreed matter for the year is conveyed. God says: "We sent it (this Quran) down on a blessed Night. Verily, We are ever warning (mankind of Our Torment). Therein (that Night) is decreed every matter of ordainment..." (44: 3-6) On this particular night, all the provisions, wealth, agricultural products, who is to live and die that year, and everything on the Earth concerning mankind, is to be decided. This night occurs in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan. God Messenger used to practice I'tikaf in the last ten nights and say: 'Seek out the Night of Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan." (Muslim)
Sh. Khalifa Ezzat
Chief Imam and Head of Religious Affairs
The Islamic Cultural Centre and London Central Mosque
