LAYLAT-UL QADAR ALTERNATES
Imaams Maalik, Shaafi' and Ahmad guided us to the truth when they agreed upon the fact that Laylatul Qadr (night of Qadr) alternates year to year. When we review their verdicts and take from where they took we soon realise that their verdicts were based on the collective texts. As true scholars of Islam they brought reconciliation between the texts when others were confused about them. Inshaa Allah in this article we review some of these texts.
Abu saeed Al khudri said, "The messenger of Allah performed I’tikaaf during the first ten nights of ramadaan and we performed itikaaf with him. Then jibreel came to him and said, 'That which you are seeking is ahead of you.' So the prophet performed itikaaf during the middle ten nights of ramadaan and we also performed itikaaf with him. Then jibreel came to him and said, 'That which you are seeking is ahead of you.' So the prophet stood up and gave a sermon on the morning of the twentieth of Ramadaan and he said, 'Whoever performed I’tikaaf with me let him come back for verily I saw the night of Qadar and I was caused to forget it, and indeed it is during the last ten nights. It is during an odd night and I saw myself as I were prostrating in mud and water.' The roof of the masjid was made of dried palm tree leaves and we did not see anything in the sky. But then a patch of wind driven clouds came and it rained. So the prophet lead us in prayer until we saw traces of mud and water on the forehead of the messenger of Allah, which confirmed the dream." (saheeh of bukhaari; saheeh of muslim)
Each year in Ramadan Allah (swt) would reveal the night of Qadr to our Prophet (saw) and then He would casue him to forget. However at times Allah (swt) would give our Prophet (saw) certain signs of the night through dreams. In the above hadeeth, we know for that particular year the night of Qadr was the 21th due to Sa'eed Al Khudri and other companions witnessing the sign revealed in the Prophet's dream.
Abdullah bin Unais reported that Allah’s Messenger said, 'I had sought the Night of Al Qadar; then I was made to forget it, and saw that I was prostrating in water and mud in the morning of that night. Abdullah bin Unais said: it rained on the 23rd night and the Messenger of Allah led us in salaat, and as he went back there was a trace of water and mud on his forehead and on his nose. Abdullah bin Unais used to say that it was the 23rd night.' (saheeh of muslim)
Another year our Prophet (saw) again saw the same dream from Allah in regards to the night of Qadr. However this particular year the sign of the dream and the night of Qadr fell on the 23th night.
Ibn Umar reported that some men of the companions of Allah’s Messenger had sought the Night of Qadar while sleeping in the last week. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said, ' I see that your dreams agree regarding the last week; so he who wants to seek it should seek it in the last week.' (saheeh of muslim; saheeh of bukhaari)
Another year our Prophet (saw) was given the sign of the night of Qadr through his companions. Although their dreams differed as to the exact night, their dreams agreed to the last seven nights and this was the sign that year. Hence our Prophet (saw) instructed his companions to seek the night during the last seven nights that year.
Ubayy said (the prophet informed us): On the morning after the night of Qadr the sun would rise without any rays; (saheeh of muslim)
Zirr asked Ubayy bin Ka’b, "O Abu Al Mundhir! Verily your brother Ibn Masood says whoever stands for prayer the entire year will catch the night of Qadar." Ubayy said, "may Allah have mercy upon him. Indeed he knows that it is during the month of Ramadaan and that it is the 27th night. Then he swore by Allah." Zirr then said, "How do you know that?" Ubayy replied, "By a sign or an indication that he (the prophet) informed us of. It rises the next day having no rays on it." (saheeh of muslim)
Another particular year the night of Qadr fell on the 27th night. Some companions would testify to the night of Qadr using the general sign our Prophet (saw) gave them, namely the sign of the sun rising without any rays the following morning. The companions did not use this sign to seek the night of Qadr for the sign followed the night but they used this sign for verification purposes. Ubayy bin Ka'b was amongst those who looked for this sign and he was the one who directly heard the Hadeeth from our Prophet (saw). However he mistakenly generalised the night of 27th for all time when he had only witnessed the sign one year. That particular year the night of Qadr fell on the 27th night.
Narrated Ubaada bin As Saamit that the prophet came out to inform us about the Night of Al Qadar but two muslims were quarrelling with each other. So the prophet said, 'I came out to inform you about the Night of Al Qadar but such and such persons were quarrelling, so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 9th, 7th and 5th.' (saheeh of bukhaari).
From other texts we know that one year, our Prophet (saw) was informed that the night would fall on either the 25th, 27th or 29th specifically. Again our Prophet (saw) was made to forget the exact night and the sign was that it would occur on one of the 3 dates mentioned.
Abu Hurayrah reported that Allahs’s Messenger said, 'I had sought The Night of Al Qadar; then some members of my family awoke me, then I forgot it.' (saheeh of muslim)
It is not the case, as some assume, that the sole reason why our Prophet (saw) forgot the date of the night was due to argumentation between the companions. Although this was one reason we should know that Allah (swt) made our Prophet (saw) forget the date of the night each year so that the knowledge would be kept secret except for signs revealed in dreams. From the above Hadeeth we know that our Prophet (saw) was again made to forget the night, not because of his companions arguing, but because he was awoken from sleep.
Ibn Umar reported that Allah’s Messenger had said, 'Seek it in the last ten.' (saheeh of muslim)
Urwah bin Zubair reported that the Messenger of Allah said, 'Seek the Night of Qadar in the last ten nights of Ramadan.' (muwatta of maalik)
Narrated Aaeysha, that Allah’s Messenger said, 'Search for the night of Qadar in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.' (saheeh of bukhaari)
For all of us interested in seeking the night of Qadr for ourselves then we should seek it during the last 10 nights of Ramadaan. We should not single out one particular night based on a single text for the collective texts prove that the night alternates from one night to another, year to year, so that it may be the 21st night one year, and the 27th night another year, and so on, alternating within the odd nights of the last 10 nights. Suffice it to say that we should remember the words of our Prophet (saw) when he said, 'Seek it in the last ten' and when he said, 'Seek the Night of Qadar in the last ten nights of Ramadan,' and yet again when he said, 'Search for the night of Qadar in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.' These texts summarise the etiquetes of seeking this blessed night.
Written by Kamillah Khan
