Lailatul Qadr 2001

Remember The Night of Power

Arshad Gamiet/Royal Holloway College/Univ. of London /UK. 7 Dec 2001

“As-salámu 'alaikum wa rahmatul láhi wa barakátuh!”            [Wait for adhán]

“A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem.  Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem.

Al hamdu lillahi nahmaduhu wanasta’eenahu, wanastagh-firuhu, wanatoobu ilayhi, wana’oothu Billaahi min shuroori an-fusinaa, wamin sayyi aati a’maalinaa.

May- Yahdillahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may- yudlill falan tajidaa, lahu waliyan murshida.

Wa ash-hadu an Laa ilaaha ill-Alláh, wahdahoo laa shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhoo warasooluh!”

 My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islám,  

I do not have to remind you, that as we sit here today, the Muslim world is going through its most difficult and traumatic period for many years. From Kabul to Cape Town, from California to Kashmir, from Glasgow to Jerusalem, Muslims are facing a level of danger and distress that we have not seen in living memory.

A hundred years ago, the great Ottoman Empire was in its last painful moments. Since its death in 1922, the Muslim world has seen its power and influence removed and placed in the hands of European nations. This was quite a catastrophic loss. Ever since the time of Muhammad, sws, from the 7^th Century to the early 20^th century, that is, for 1300 years, in one form or another, the Muslim nation had a leader, a Khaleef, whether Abbasid or Ummayyad, Seljuk, Mamluk, Fatimid or Ottoman. There was always an Amirul-Mu’mineen, a Commander-in-chief of the Faithful, who held power and authority over the Muslim Ummah. Now, for nearly a century, we have none. Our political power is not even, really, in the hands of our Muslim governments.  Most of them are serving someone else’s agenda. Ultimately, these days, it is Washington that controls the affairs of the world. And some would argue, it is in fact, Tel Aviv.

B-52 bombers, gunships and Cruise missiles, are wreaking havoc in our Muslim heartlands, and Palestinian homes are bulldozed for more Israeli settlements. We may well ask, why are we suffering so much pain and humiliation? What has become of this great Muslim ummah, that a few centuries ago was a superpower, the envy of the world?  There was a time when the cry of a single Muslim woman, “where are you, O Mu’tassim?” was enough for the Caliph to launch his entire army to rescue one woman from the enemies of Islám. Today, whole nations are crying, and bleeding, and dying, but there is no Mu’tassim to answer their calls for help.

Why are we now so powerless, that we cannot defend our own citizens? The answer, as always, is eloquently expressed in The Holy Qur'án.

Ch3: v27:  “Qulillaah humma, Maalikal mulki tu’til mulka man tashaa,

Wa tanzi’ul Mulka min man tashaa,

Wa tu-izzu man tashaa, Wa tuzillu man tashaa,

Biyadikal khair, Innaka alaa kulli shay-in qadeer! …

Say, `O ALLAH, owner of Sovereignty, You give Sovereignty to whom You will; and You take Sovereignty from who You will. You exalt whom you will and You bring low whom You will.  In Your hand is all good. Truly, have power over all things.

Then the next verse continues:

  3: 28.  You cause the night to pass into the day and you cause the day pass into the night. And You bring the living out of the dead and bring the dead out of the living. And You give sustenance to whom you will, without measure.'

 In these beautiful and eloquent verses, we are reminded that all Power belongs to Alláh, all Honour belongs to Him, and He dispenses His grace, and His punishment, and his honour, on whom he pleases.

 History goes round in cycles. Every civilization gets its turn to enjoy wealth and power. Nations rise and fall. But only those who remember Alláh, will truly endure and prosper.

 We Muslims need to think long and hard, we need to contemplate on the reasons for our rise and fall from grace. When we do this, we will find that our noble ancestors were at the height of their power, when their 'Imán and Taqwa' were at high-tide. As soon as Muslims neglected their moral and spiritual life, Alláh removed that power. If we are to regain control over our affairs, and to rebuild our self-esteem, we must begin by removing the pollution, the impurities from our hearts and renewing our faith and our fearful awareness of Alláh, our Taqwa'. My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, this is why we need to understand the significance of Lailatul Qadr, the Night of Power.

"Bismilláhir Rahmánir Rahím! Innaa an zal naa hu fee lailatil Qadr, Wamaa ad-raaka maa lailatul Qadr. Lailatul Qadri khairun minal fee shahr. Tanaz zalul malaa-ikatu -war-roohu fee haa bi-ithnee rabbi him min qul li-amr. Salaamun heeya hattaa mat-la-ill fajr."

Sura 97 of The Holy Qur'án reads:

"We have indeed revealed this [Message] in the Night of Power. And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand Months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Alláh’s permission on every errand. Peace… this until the rise of Morning!"

The first Laylatul Qadr, …was the night that changed history. It was the night that Jibreel alayhis salaam brought the first revelation, the first verses of The Holy Qur'án were pronounced in a cave on Jabal Nur, the Mountain of Light. Just imagine, if there were no Qur'an today, if Alláh had sent no new revelation after Nabi Isa. The world would have been in an unimaginable mess! There would have been no authentic record of the pure and unadulterated Word of Alláh, for all generations to be able to seek and find correct guidance. Mankind would have followed Torahs and Bibles, which were constantly under revision and review, depending on what was expedient at the time. The Holy Books we would have used today, would have drifted further and further away from the original teachings of those great prophets Moses and Jesus.

Let us consider the world scenario on the day before Jibreel alayhis salaam appeared in the Cave on Jabal Nur, to pronounce those majestic words,

"Bismilláhir Rahmánir Rahím! Iqra’ bismirab bikal lathee khalaq. Khalaqal insaana min ‘alaq! Iqra’ wa rabbukal akramul lathee ‘al lama bil qalam. ‘Al lamal insaana maalam ya’-lam!"

"Read, in the Name of your Lord and Cherisher, who created! Created man out of a mere clot of congealed blood. Read, and your Lord is most Bountiful. He who taught the use of the Pen. Taught man that which he knew not!"

Think about the state of the world just before these words were pronounced! Pompous, arrogant and unjust rulers governed Rome and Persia, who were superpowers at the time of Muhammad. They believed that might was right. They regarded the Arabs as a wild and uncivilised people, unworthy of conquest. The followers of 2 great religions, the Jews and the Christians, had lost and substituted the original teachings of Nabi Musa and Nabi ‘Isa alayhis salaam. Their Torah and Bible now reflected their own human desires. The Arabs were practising idol-worship. They had desecrated the Holy Ka’ba with 360 idols, almost one for each day of the year. Women were treated unjustly, and newborn daughters were often buried alive. Nowhere appeared any sign of hope and it seemed that mankind was doomed to a dismal fate. Then literally and metaphorically, out of the darkness of the Cave, and out of the darkness of human despair, there appeared the first words of The Holy Qur'án, the first rays of light for suffering humanity.

That same light that filled the Cave during Laylatul Qadr, that filled the heart of our dear Prophet Muhammad [sws], has shone brightly down the ages, to fill our lives also. Year after year, for over 1,500 years, a Millennium and a half, the light of Laylatul Qadr has brought hope and renewed faith, to a world that would otherwise be in total darkness and despair.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us plug our heart and soul in to Laylatul Qadr and recharge our ímán batteries. If Muslims hadn’t been so lax about their faith over the last few centuries, we would not today have to witness the humiliation and tragedy of Afghanistan, Palestine, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo, or Kashmir.

“Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen. Was-salaatu was-salaamu alaa Khairil mursaleen. Muhammadin-nabeey-yil Ummiy-yee, wa-‘alaa aalihee, wasah-bihee, aj-ma’een.

Ammaa ba’ad:

Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, wa alaa áli Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

 Second Khutbah:

Sub’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islám,    

The Night of Power energised history. The brilliant and irresistible light of Alláh’s revelation illuminated the darkness of human ignorance and depravation. In the 7^th Century, Islam lit up the world. And despite many setbacks, trials and tribulation, in communities large and small, Islam still lights up the darkness of human weakness, ignorance and evil.

What can we learn from the history of Islam, that will help us build a better future?

We learn that we Muslims are not Alláh’s chosen people, who can do as they please and still enjoy His pleasure. We cannot just wish away our problems, hoping that some miracle will come out of the sky.

In Sura 13:v11, we read:

"Truly, never will Alláh change the condition of a people, until they change what is within themselves…"

Alláh will not change our condition, until we make the effort to turn away from what displeases Him, and sincerely strive to seek His pleasure. Some of us might feel that this is too difficult, and not even worth trying. Remember that our Prophet Muhammad [sws] started out as a minority of one. Family and friends later joined him. But he had to work hard, with sincerity, patience and perseverance, for his following to grow. That growth was inevitable, and it developed in quantity and quality.

Within a few years, the effect of that first Laylatul Qadr was that it transformed the weak and troublesome Arab tribes into a nation of Supermen. As Thomas Carlyle says, it was as if the desert sand of Arabia had turned into gunpowder, and when the fuse of ímán was lit, the Muslims became an unstoppable, irresistible force. They exploded out of the Arabia, north, south, east and west. Even the Roman and Persian superpowers who used to look on them with contempt, were swept aside within a few short years.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam, that mystical and mysterious force that descends by the command of Alláh Most High, during Laylatul Qadr, the Night of Power, has proven itself in history. Its clear evidence is there for all of us to see. Remember that it was during Ramadhán that some of Islam’s noblest and greatest victories were achieved, for example, the Battle of Badr, the Conquest of Makka, the Conquest of Spain, and the Defeat of the Mongols at Ain Jalut.

That same irresistible force that helped our noble ancestors to attain victory in these epic battles, is there for us to discover and use, if we make a sincere and total commitment to serve Alláh. From this great Night onwards, let it be our goal, our lifetime commitment. Let us make a covenant with Alláh, that we will serve him alone, with all our energy, wealth, talent and possessions. Remember, Alláh wants us to be full-time Muslims, not merely Friday Muslims or Eid or Ramadhán Muslims. Alláh does not accept anything divided, especially our divided loyalty. So, my dear Brothers and Sisters, why not let me, and you all here, make a commitment today, to serve Alláh whole-heartedly, and to let our first love be our love for Alláh. And for His sake alone, let us strive every moment of every day to purify and improve ourselves, in body, heart and soul.

Anything less than this will be unworthy of us who choose to call ourselves Muslims and Believers. Only when we have purified our hearts from greed, vanity, cowardice, envy and malice, and we have filled that space with a love of truth, beauty and justice, can we expect Alláh to change our condition. Once we have won this Jihád al nafs, this battle against our innerself, we can deserve the help and Mercy of Alláh.

I pray that during this historic time, in this Holy Month, on this Great Night of Power, when His angels are sent by His Command, that Alláh Most Gracious will accept our commitment. May He also help us to purify our hearts, strengthen our faith, and enable us to meet every challenge, overcome every difficulty in our lives. May Alláh allow us to serve Him in our work, in our leisure, in our study, in our business and professions and in our family life and social relations. And when the time comes for us finally to return to Him, may Alláh admit us to the companionship of those whom He loves as His friends. 

Ameen!                     Aqeemus salaah!

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