Sittings In Ramadhan With Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (Day 22)

مجالس شهر رمضان
Day Twenty-Two
Striving in the Last Ten Days and Laylatul-Qadr
Sheikh Muhammad bin Saleh Uthaymeen

My brothers: In these blessed ten nights is Laylatul-Qadr which Allah has made great and noble for this Ummah. Allaah says, “Indeed We have revealed it in a blessed night, indeed we were always warning. Whereupon every wise command is made clear As a command from Our presence.–Lo! We are ever sending A mercy from thy Lord. Lo! He is the Hereafter, the Knower Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, if ye would be sure. There is no God save Him. He quickeneth and giveth death; your Lord and Lord of your forefathers.”

Allaah described it as blessed because of all the good and virtues it possesses. From its greatness is that the Qur’an was revealed in it, and Allaah describes this night as every wise command being made clear. Meaning that on this night Allah decrees for the following year every person’s wealth, good, and evil, and all else that will happen to them.

Allaah (swt) says, “Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Power. Ah, what will convey unto You what the Night of Power is! The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees. (That night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.”

Qadr can mean greatness, or it can mean decree because this is the night that Allah will decree for the upcoming year. Better than a thousand months means, in terms of its virtues and deeds, that is why whoever establishes this night with faith and seeking reward, is forgiven for all previous sins.

Sittings in Ramadhan with Shaikh ibn Utheimeen (Day 21)

مجالس شهر رمضان
Day Twenty-One:
The Preference of the Last Ten Nights
Sheikh Muhammad bin Saleh Al-Uthaymeen

My Brothers: The last ten nights of Ramadhan have come upon us, in them is great rewards and virtues.

One great attribute of these last 10 days is that the Prophet (saw) worked harder in worship in them more than any other time. It is narrated in Muslim on Aisha (ra) that the Prophet used to exert himself in these last 10 days more than any other time. Aisha (ra) said, “When the last 10 days came, he used to “tighten his izar” and stay up all night in worship, and wake his wives.” (Saheehayn)

The Prophet (saw) used to combine both prayer and sleep in the first 20 nights, but in the last 10 he would prepare to work hard an “tighten his izar” (stay away from his wives).

So in these ahadeeth are proofs of the virtue of these last 10 nights. Because the Prophet (saw) worked harder than normal in his worship. And he would combine between prayer, reciting Qur’an, making dhikr, giving charity, and other forms of worship. He also used to “tighten his izar” which means that he would stay away form his wives to free himself for prayer and shirk.

Another proof of it’s virtue is that he used to stay up at night, praying, reciting Qur’an, and making thikr with his heart, tongue, and limbs, due to the greatness of these nights, and seeking Laylatul-Qadr, the night that whoever worships in it, with eman, and seeking reward, will be forgiven all of his previous sins.

When Is Lailatul Qadr, By Ibn Taymiyyah

Shaikhul Islam was asked while he was in prison of Qal’ah, year 706 AH: When is lailatul Qadr?

He replied (abbreviated):

Lailatul Qadr falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan. In the odd nights.

However, the odd nights could be determined by looking at the previous days, so it should be sought on the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th …

Or it could be determined by looking at what is remaining. The Prophet (saw) said: “Seek it at the remaining 9, 7, 5, 3 night.” Based on this Lailatulqadr could fall on the even nights of the last ten nights. This is how Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (ra) understood the Hadeeth.

Therefore, a believer is to seek Lailatul Qadr in all of the last ten nights. More so in the last 7 nights. And even more so on the 27th as Ubai bin Ka’b (ra) used to swear on this.