Editorial Ali Mohamed Elshorafa Elhamadi writes: Laylat Al-Qadr and Celebrating the Revelation of the Qur’an

Summary

Mr. Ali Mohamed Elshorafa Elhamadi states that Laylat Al-Qadr is the night on which the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the heart of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). That occurred fourteen centuries ago. This night has passed and ended, and it will not return again until the Day of Judgment. What happened on that night—the great event—was the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet. The Qur’an will remain until the Day of Judgment.

Muslims are supposed, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan, to celebrate its revelation by studying and understanding its verses, reflecting upon the wisdom of its legislations, and learning its methodology for human life in this world (Dunya), in order to live a decent life characterized by stability and peace. In the Hereafter, they will be rewarded with Paradise.

Details follow in the context below.

Details

The Goal Is Abandoning the Qur’an

The sheikhs’ repetition regarding Laylat Al-Qadr is based on heritage and narrations in which ignorance has appeared in all its forms. It aims at deserting the Qur’an and abandoning the divine Shari‘a. This results in man becoming imprisoned within human ideas and other fallacies, with an absence of reason, underestimating the intentions of the verses, and avoiding the light that emanates from the Qur’an.

Moreover, people follow what the followers of Satan say and repeat—narrations that contradict the Qur’an and underestimate the human mind. They drive Muslims like animals to believe what they say of fabrications and falsehoods.

Failure and Loss

Did not Allah command man to reflect? Is he not responsible for his decisions according to his understanding of the Qur’an? Will he not be held accountable by Allah on the Day of Judgment? Did he follow the Qur’an, or did he follow the sheikhs of misguidance and thus lose both the Dunya and the Hereafter?

Following Prophet Muhammad

Did not Allah command Muslims to understand His verses, to know His methodology and legislations, and to follow their ethics? Did He not order them to follow the Prophet in his dealings and behavior—with mercy, justice, benevolence, peace, and forgiveness?

Whoever is guided by the Qur’an and follows its commands will be among His righteous servants and will be rewarded. Whoever follows the narrations of Satan, his followers, and the preachers of misguidance will be held strictly accountable. At that moment, the sayings of the sheikhs will be of no benefit. He shall witness the horrors awaiting those who deviated from the pure faith on the Day of Judgment.

Turning Away from the Qur’an

Allah repeatedly warned His servants against turning away from His Qur’an, which was revealed so that they may live their lives in happiness, peace, and security. He affirms in His saying:

“And whoever turns away from My remembrance—indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.” (124)

“He will say, ‘My Lord, why have You raised me blind while I was [once] seeing?’” (125)

“[Allah] will say, ‘Thus did Our signs come to you, and you forgot them; and thus will you this Day be forgotten.’” (126)

eturn to Allah, and you will be rewarded, and Paradise will be your abode by doing good deeds. You will be guided to the straight path. You will also move from the darkness of heritage to the light of the Qur’an, which will remain a beacon until the Day of Judgment.

Allah Is Near to His Servants

Allah calls His servants to communicate with Him through supplication (du‘a). His door is open in every era and place. He affirms in His saying:

“And when My servants ask you [O Muhammad] concerning Me—indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” (Al-Baqarah: 186)

In order to inform people of His call, they do not need Laylat Al-Qadr or any specific day. Allah asks them to pray at every moment and in any place.

The Speech of Assignment

Laylat Al-Qadr was honored by the revelation of the Qur’an so that it would be received by Prophet Muhammad to convey it to the people according to Allah’s command in the speech of assignment. He says in the Qur’an:

“[This is] a Book revealed to you [O Muhammad]—so let there be no distress in your breast therefrom—that you may warn thereby and as a reminder to the believers.”

Therefore, the proper observance of that night is through studying the Qur’an and understanding its verses and purposes for the benefit of human life in this world and the Hereafter.

Celebrating the Anniversary of the Revelation of the Qur’an

Applying Allah’s Words

Man must seek Allah’s will in His legislation and how to adhere to and apply it in his life. He should reflect upon the divine methodology and follow it in his behavior, dealing with people with mercy, justice, forgiveness, tolerance, and cooperation. He should not oppress anyone, nor backbite anyone. He should fulfill trusts, deal with sincerity and good intention, show benevolence and kind treatment, and avoid prohibitions so as not to fall into sin. He learns from the verses that guide him to the straight path, and if he follows it, Allah promises him Paradise.

A Blessed Night

Allah revealed, on a blessed night of the nights of Ramadan, an enlightened Book. He illuminated this night and blessed it by the light that was revealed to His honest Prophet. We must observe how the conspirators against Islam’s message attempt to divert people away from the great event of Laylat Al-Qadr—which is the revelation of the Qur’an—and direct Muslims to focus on the night itself rather than the great event.

Diverting the Attention

This is the trick by which deceived people, diverting them from the Qur’an and convincing them to focus on a dark night. Had the Qur’an not been revealed on that night, it would have been an ordinary night like the rest of the holy month. How can minds accept such a trick, moving away from Allah’s Book and adhering to the form rather than the content (the Qur’an)?

The Revelation of the Qur’an

The narrations, jurists, and interpreters have misled the minds of Muslims. They exploited people’s emotions and made them wait for the last ten days of Ramadan every year for hundreds of years. That night has passed and gone, never to return until the Day of Resurrection. The great event is the Noble Book revealed by Allah to His Messenger; it shall remain a living scripture, engaging minds and hearts until the Last Hour. Let us behold the atrocity of the crime committed against Muslims and against the Clear Qur’an, the manifest Book of Allah.

The Liberation of Minds

When will minds be liberated? When will Muslims cast behind their backs all those transmitted narrations? It is time to end this labyrinth and loss, and return to Allah and what He revealed to His Messenger, as He commanded:

“Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord and follow no allies besides Him; little do you remember.” (Al-A‘raf: 3)

This is the only way to ensure that they are not misled or exploited by jurists and those who promote distorted and fabricated narrations. Such falsehoods have contributed to the absence of the Muslim mind, causing people to cling to illusions, forget the Book of Allah, and wander in darkness until the Day they are resurrected.