UAE Friday sermon: reap the benefits of Laylat Al Qadr

On this night acts of goodness and night prayers are better than those done over eighty-three years, the sermon will say

The final ten days of Ramadan are the best of nights and are most honoured by God, the sermon will tell mosque-goers on Friday.

During these days, the Prophet would perform even more acts of righteousness and charity than at any time of year with the aim of attaining the virtues of Laylat Al Qadr (the night of destiny).

On this night, Allah said: "the Night of Decree is better than a thousand months." (Al-Qadr: 3). On this night acts of goodness and night prayers are better than those done over eighty-three years. It is referred to in the Quran as a blessed night.

On Laylat Al Qadr, the angels descend bearing mercy, blessings and peace — as said in the Quran: "the angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn." (Al-Qadr: 4-5).

Laylat Al Qadr is also a night in which Allah forgives believers who stand for prayer and answers their supplications.

Muslims are therefore urged to seize the opportunity to perform more acts of worship and draw nearer to God. Whoever fails to attain the virtues of the holy night are deprived, as said by Prophet Mohammed: "Whoever is deprived of it (Laylat Al Qadr) is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived."

Read more: What is the night of destiny?

There are many ways to attain the blessings and virtues of this night, among them are by occupying the final 10 days of Ramadan invoking Allah earnestly and more often.

It was narrated that Ayesha, wife of the Prophet, said to her husband "Oh Messenger of Allah, what do you think I should say in my supplication, if I come to know which night is Laylat Al Qadr?" He said, 'Say: Oh Allah! You are forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me'." That is to say: Oh Allah, You are ever pardoning and overlooks the believers' wrongdoings and conceals them. You forgive their misdeeds and flaws and remove their sins. And Allah says, "indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving." (An-Nisaa: 43).

Laylat Al Qadr is a night for humbly supplicating God. It is also an opportunity for Muslims to repent and pray for forgiveness. Standing in prayer is an important part of earning forgiveness from God, the sermon will say.

The holy night is also a time for Muslims to cleanse their hearts and to come closer to one another.

It was narrated that Ubada Ibn As-Samit, a companion of the Prophet, said, "The Messenger of Allah came out to inform us about Laylat Al Qadr but two Muslims were quarrelling with each other. So, the Prophet said, 'I came out to inform you about the Night of Destiny 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 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan)."