The Last Ten Days of Ramadan

The Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) said, "If any Muslim comes out of Ramadan without gaining forgiveness and goodness, he is a real loser." (Ibn Hibban and At-Tabarani)
The last ten days of Ramadan are very special days in the life of every Muslim. According to Muslims, they are the most blessed days in the blessed month of Ramadan, the month the Holy Quran was revealed. Muslims believe that although the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) was promised Paradise, he used to exert himself even more in worship during these last ten days, hoping to draw closer to Allah. The Prophet's wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers." (Bukhari)
For Muslims, the last ten days should be a time to perfect one's fast and avoid anything that may break it. It is a time to give more charity and to settle disputes and forgive one another. It is also a time for soul searching, evaluating one's life, supplicating, and asking forgiveness. This should be done sincerely because if Allah accepts the supplications, the reward is the remission of one's sins.
The best time to do it is in the last part of the night. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said, "When the last one third of the night remains, our Lord, the Glorious One, descends towards the lower heaven and proclaims: 'Is there anyone supplicating to Me so that I grant his supplication? Is there anyone begging of Me for anything so that I grant him his wish? Is there anyone who seeks My forgiveness so I forgive him?'" (Bukhari and Muslim)
During the last third of Ramadan, one should recite more Quran and remember Allah more often, even constantly.
The last ten days are also known for Itekaf (spiritual retreat). The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) used to perform Itekaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan, barely sleeping during that time. Itekaf requires a total devotion to Allah; it is a sort of vacation with Him. The time is spent worshiping, performing extra Salah (ritual prayers), reciting Quran, making Thikr (remembrance of Allah) and duaas (supplications). One should leave behind the cares of this world, and even eat and sleep in the mosque. Those who cannot perform Itekaf for ten days, should try to do it for a shorter time, if only for one night or a day or two.
Laylat Al-Qadr also occurs during the last ten days of Ramadan. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said, "Any Muslim who stands in Prayer during Laylat Al-Qadr out of faith and sincerity, his previous sins will be forgiven."

By: Magda Azzam
Source: www.islamonline.net

Laylatul Qadr - The Night of Power

Laylatul Qadr is the crowning glory of the holy month of Ramadan. It is associated with the sending down of the Our'an the last Book of Allah on His last Prophet Muhammad (S) for the guidance of mankind. The Our'an describes this Night. "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 (Gibraeel) by Allah's permission, on every errand: Peace! This until the rise of Morn!" (97:5).

The Night of Power is the night of spiritual bliss. Our Nabi (S) is reported to have said concerning Ramadan: "Verily this month has come to you; and therein is a night which is better than a thousand Months. Whosoever is deprived of it is deprived of all good; and none is deprived of its good except a totally unfortunate person". (Ibn Majah)."Whosoever stands up (in prayer) at the Night of Power out of faith and hopeful of reward, all his past sins will be forgiven." (Targhib)

Better than a thousand months: A thousand months are equivalent to 83 years and 4 months. 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 for the period as if he or she had been praying for eighty three years and four months consecutively. Since the Night of Power is better than one thousand months no one can actually measure the extent as to how much better it is. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) said: "Laylatul Qadr has been bestowed by Allah to my Ummah. It was not given to any people before this." (Dur-Mansoor). How manifest and replete the special bounties and mercies of Allah Ta'ala are upon this Ummah is quite really beyond imagination. It will therefore be extremely foolish to allow ourselves to be deprived of these great blessings at the expense of sheer laziness and a few hours of extra sleep.

Which Night is it? Although there are different reports in different traditions regarding the exact night, it is almost unanimous that the blessed night occurs in one of the last ten nights of Ramadan and more probably in one of the last ten odd nights i.e. 21st, 23rd, 25th 27th or 29th night. The popular opinion is, however, in favor of the 27th Night of Ramadan but that is not absolutely certain. The traditions indicate that it is to be sought in one of the last ten nights and preferably in the last three odd nights. It was therefore the practice of the Holy Prophet (S) and his companions to make I'tikaaf in the Mosque for the whole time offering Divine service during the last ten days of Ramadan. Hadhrat Aisha (R) reported that the Apostle of Allah said: "Search for the Blessed Night in the odd (nights) from the last ten (nights) of Ramadan" (Bukhari).

Special attention should therefore be given to the excessive recitation of this dua on the blessed night. Furthermore one may engage in lengthy rakaats of Tahajud salaat, Dua, and Dhikr. The worship and the vigil of the Night of Power are a treat to the soul. The heart tends to melt into tears of heartfelt gratitude. The body is in a state of angelic ecstasy the soul strives to reach nearer to Almighty Allah. In this holy month of Ramadan let us strive to seek the Night of Power and its bliss.

I'tikkaf Benifits This great Sunnah of our beloved Nabi (S) is so replete with spiritual benefits that a brief treatise like this can never do justice to enumerating them. Perhaps the greatest and the actual motivation behind it is the search for Laylatul Qadr. In I'tikaaf, even one's sleeping is regarded as Ibadat, hence making it so much easier to gain the benefits of the blessed night. Furthermore one gains the opportunity of emulating Nabi (S) concerning whom Hadhrat Aisha (R) reports: "When the last ten Nights of Ramadan would come, Nabi (S) would spend the whole night in Ibadat He would exert himself tremendously and even wake up his family members: (Bukhari, Muslim). She even reports that he would never exert himself in worship at any other time like he did on this occasion (Muslim).

Beauty of I'tikkaf Allamah Ibn Qaiyyim (R) writes that the actual aim of I'tikaaf is to divert the heart from everything except Allah and to join it with Allah alone, thereby forming a complete spiritual connection with Him. In essence all love and desire becomes centered on Allah alone, one's only true Helper and Protector.

Virtue of I'tikkaf One cannot possibly imagine the tremendous virtue and reward promised for I'tikaaf. Our Nabi (8) said: "Whosoever performs I'tikaaf for a day thereby seeking the pleasure of Allah, Allah will open three trenches between him and the fire of Hell, the width of each being the distance between heaven and earth." (Tabraani) When Allah Ta'ala is prepared to grant us so much in return for a little sacrifice on our part, then it will surely be a great loss if we fail to avail ourselves of the opportunity.

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Source:Weekly Mirror