[Music]
The
[Music]
lady
Kharim Muhammad
This uh this
reminder is going to focus on three
parties. Number one,
us, number two, the
angels. And number three, Allah subhana
ta, our
lord. And to help
us understand the relationship in this
special night, at this special time
between these three parties, we need to
use one of the greatest gifts that Allah
subhana ta he has given us in the Quran
and that is the surah
of and Allahh
says and this ayah is extraordinary. ary
because in just this one single ayah
Allah subhana tala establishes his
majesty the majesty of the Quran and the
majesty of the night of itself just in
this single ayah Allah subhana tala
refers to himself
immediately in the plural Allahh is one
but he refers to himself in the royal
majestic
we have sent and this book we have sent
it down from high above Allah subhana t
established to himself his exaltedness
and his highness from above the seven
heavens above his throne jalah in a
manner which befits his majesty and he
sent it and he doesn't even have to say
the Quran and this is as said a majesty
of the Quran that it can only be
something so amazing and just referred
to in as it we have just sent it
down because it is with us all the time
it is the single most important
important thing that we have that's what
we have sent down think about it doesn't
want to give us the clear name and this
is a way said in in rhetoric in in
eloquence in the Arabic eloquence to
establish and to emphasize the
importance of something and
ina gave this night a very interesting
name he called it and he mentions this
word three times in the surah
here. Second
time three times it's mentioned and it's
appropriate that there are three key
meanings to the meaning of itself. The
first
asb said is that it is from the literal
meaning of i.e. the decree i.e. what's
going to happen and this has all been
written in the the preserved tablet but
on this
night Allah subhana t reveals to the
angels that decree the those who control
the winds and control the weather and
control life and give death and take the
soul the entire year's actions and
decrees are given out to them in this
night and this is why it's
called and the second meaning
for is that it comes from the meaning to
restrict and means in the Arabic to
restrict to make some to make
something to constrict something and you
know
why that's because there are so many
angels present on this night that there
is no space for them that's why Allah
subhana t
says from the original Arabic of with
the T being taken out I.e. Not that the
angels just come down and we'll come to
that. Not that the angels just come down
to visit us but they have to come and
leave immediately because the next group
are waiting to come and visit us and
give salam and go back. But this will
come and then the final meaning which is
the the most supreme meaning is that it
is of glory and power and is and that's
what means when I say in Arabic or he
is then we mean that by that that he is
a great person a great man and why not
because in this we have in this night
Allahh has said we have sent down this
this
book it's an book and it came down upon
the tongue of
someone it came down on the on the
tongue of a mighty mighty
angel and it came down to a
um this nation Allah subhana tala has
blessed and made the greatest nation to
walk this earth. So this is why it is
called the glorious the majestic the
amazing night the night of power.
Allah subhana tala then says in the next
ayah after setting the scene and this is
always the way of Allah subhana ta in
the Quran the first ayat always just set
the scene get the people thinking wake
up y the souls to who is addressing them
that it is their lord that is addressing
them so amazing so transcendent so high
but yet so personal and so close wanting
to show to us his love at all times
times every time. And you think about
that, think about the great people in
our in our in our world, the people of
importance and power. They feel ashamed
to show us too much love because a sign
of weakness to show emotion is a sign of
weakness. But for Allah subhana wa
ta'ala, it's a sign of strength. When he
turns to us and he says, "I have
forgiven you." And he says to you, "I've
given you this." And he says to you that
I love you and turn to me and I will
keep on pardoning you. It's because
Allahh loves to forgive and and pardon.
Allah subhana ta is the one of power who
is not ashamed of this. So this initial
ayah despite his majesty despite his
greatness has got us in this in our mind
that we are now about to be told
something cuz we do not know about what
is yet. Which is why Allahh
says and how will you know what the
night of power is?
And in the Arabic language is it means
to make you know. And you can say in
this way and and you can say and both
are used in the Quran. And
imu he made a beautiful point. He said
and this is the of studying the Quran.
He said that Allahh many times in the
Quran
says what will make you know what
is what will make you know what the
calamity
is what will make you know what the
event is when he uses the word then it
means that the next ayah he's going to
tell you what it is because of its
importance and its impact upon your life
right
now but means exactly same
thing means exact same thing and Allahh
says in the
Quran and what do you know maybe the
hour is close maybe the hour is close
and Allahh
said in how do you know maybe he will be
someone who will purify
himself talking about the one that the
prophet sallall alaihi wasallam turned
away from he wasn't sure he didn't know
what was going to happen to this person.
He didn't think that this person had the
greater benefit to deal with and to
concentrate on and he turned to someone
else in Abasa. He frowned and turned
away from this person. Allah subhana t
says and what will make you know that
this person will become pure and in
these two ayats what's the common link?
We have not been told in the next ayah
when the s is going to be when the hour
is going to be and we are not told how
pure the hearts of the people are.
That's the
difference gives us that doubt and that
doubt puts Yiani some caution on our
actions and that's why the Muslim is
always unsure about is certainty of of
whether he's going to die or not
tomorrow and that's why he keeps him
busy thinking and reflecting and seeking
forgiveness from Allahh and that's why
he didn't tell us he doesn't want us to
know and likewise if we knew the states
of the hearts of the people then we
become arrogant and we'd pass judgment
and we'd become yani the people of Kiba
and the people of kufur and we'd start
making people of the paradise and start
making people of the nar. So Allah
subhana t took this knowledge away from
us as well and so we never knew the
states of the people and this is a
lesson for those people who try to make
it that they know the states of the
people judging that this person is a
very good person which is rare majority
of us think that he's the worst this and
he's bad that and he's this and he's
that and people just don't fear Allah
and there's a lesson just in this just
in this word
of just in this second verse
of but then Allahh answers it for us
There you
go. This night, this night of power is
better than a thousand months. And it's
good news in a statement because it's
not a thousand months of our worship.
Because if it was a thousand months of
our worship, we'd still be in trouble
because one one month of our worship,
one year of our worship is like nothing.
You look at our definition of worship
and you look at the system of the
prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam and
the companions of what they understood
as really I mean take a topical
issue with we the Muslims we love to sit
there and we argue should we pray should
we pray 20 raqa should we pray 36 raqa
should we pray 41 as they used to do in
medina they differ and they argue and
they split and they don't speak to each
other but they all agree on one thing
it's got to be done in one hour huh It
doesn't matter how many raq it is, but
it has to be done in 1 hour. They come
to amazing agreement like this. I don't
know how. As soon as you know, as long
as it's done quickly, I don't care,
right? But I hate your guts if you do
eight or 20, but as long as you do it
quick. Subhan Allah. This is our
mentality. And the prophetic mentality
is the exact opposite. We don't care
about theat 8 or 10 or 50 or 100, but we
want to pray the whole night.
They never used to pray except a third
of the night. The average is half the
night. The majority of the
Sahabah said about my father that when
he used to stand with us, he would make
his family stand with him. We would
start in the early part of the night and
we would think that would we have enough
time to
eat. You think about that. So you you
here straight away there's a this
thousand months cuz it's going to get
better. Good news this thousand months
is not thousand months of our worship.
Even better news, it's not even a
thousand months of their worship.
Because the reason this ayah was
revealed according to the imams is that
the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
was told about a man from Bani is who
for 83 years 1,000 months spent the
entire night for those 83 years in salah
the whole night 83 years. And during the
daytime he be jihad all day. And the
prophet sallall alaihi
wasallam he was shocked that's something
we can't
do and Allah subhana wa ta'ala when he
saw this he gave him this night of I'll
give you this person's worship in one
night for my
um this is the main reason of the
revelation of this ayah
and
narrates that the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam was shown the the ages
of
mankind and he looked He looked at them
and he realized that his nation the
average age had been
decreased. So he turned and Allahh saw
the fear in his eyes. What was the fear?
He said that my my nation will not be
given enough time to do enough good
deeds to get to Jenna because our
lifespan has been decreased and the
other nations had more time. they had
more length of of time span to get those
things done. So Allah subhana t gave him
a lifetime of worship in one night and
this is us and if we stick a f in the in
the box in J we think that we've got a
place next to Abu Bakr reserved this is
the mentality of the mass us and the
mentality of those who understand the
reality of this life who understand the
reality of the of Allah subhana tala and
who understand more importantly the
rahma of Allah subhana wa ta'ala. This
is all to be taken just from this single
ayah that it
is a thousand months of the highest
quality of
worship and
Allahha did not say days of worship.
He mentions the night and Allahh has
blessed the night and we should
recognize that Allahh says
subhanah subhan Allah glorified be he
who took his slave by night from Haram
to Mash
a which he blessed completely
completely the night
time and pray a little bit of this
night.
Rise and little at night would they
would they sleep. The rest of the night
is in
prayer. Stand the night in prayer except
a little bit. The night has been for the
people of of im the people who are close
to Allah subhana tala they know this is
the time this is the time when no one
can see me where I don't make my look
very nice so everyone else can think oh
he's very good where I can come to the
masjid and pray two after two after two
cuz I know there's loads of people there
watching and they thinking this guy
really is great no in in the night only
is everyone else not there not is no one
can can praise you and give you
encouragement. Not even your family.
You're by yourself. You're by yourself.
We'll see now if you've got what it
takes. We'll now see if you can step up
to the mark. That's why the night has
been praised so much. And this is the
night that Allah subhana ta chooses to
send down
his angels and his Quran.
But we were told what we were not told.
Allahh says what will what will you
know about what is but he did not then
tell
us but did you not tell us when why he
tells us what it is but does not tell us
when and this is for us how many people
can understand in Allahh's wisdom by
actually not giving us specific
information he is favoring us and he has
done it with many things for example the
dua of in on the day of jum
There is an hour. I call it the happy
hour cuz it's the real happy hour. The
hour in which the dua is accepted. But
none of the scholars have reached
consensus about when this hour is. They
don't know. Most of them say it's the
last hour before. But none can say with
certainty. Why? So that the slave does
not leave every single thing to that
last hour. And he spends the entire day
in dua
and
saiam. He keeps his mind open. We have
not been told about whether Allah
subhana t is happy with our actions
because if we knew that we did an action
Allah was happy with it we become
content and to become content with
yourself in ibada is from the most
greatest dangers that the nations before
fell into and we've not been told that
our repentance has been accepted or not.
We've been told how to do it but not
whether it's been accepted or not. So we
continue in repentance and we've not
been told when we're going to die so we
can prepare and so that we don't know
it's going to be in 3 weeks time so we
prepare for it in 2 weeks time. This is
the system of Allah subhana tala and
likewise he hides the exact night of the
21st 23rd 25th 27th we don't know but we
maki again we put all of our eggs in one
basket and say 27 and that's
it. We have this great confidence. It
can only be this night and that's it.
And you know what? If it's not this
night, well, I did 27th
anyway. And the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam look at see how he
approaches it. He says, well, you know
what? I'm going to go for all 10. I'm
going to isolate myself from my family
and from business and from and from the
people outside and and and and I'm going
to stay in this masid and I'm not going
to do anything else except every single
second of this day and night of 10 days
I'm going to
seek and this is what the is being told
to do and Allah subhana wa ta'ala as I
rais said a beautiful statement he said
it's almost as if Allah is saying to the
people I did not tell you when is
because I do not want you to fall into
sin because what's this mean? Because
the one who out of out of his desires
and out of his weakness of his of his
iman misses the night in which he knows
is intentionally then he has greatly
sinned. He has he has affronted
Allahawel in the most severe way.
Whereas the one who misses it out of
shah and desires but didn't know that it
is he has sinned but not as an affront
to Allah subhana tala and an example of
this is a beautiful narration. It is
weak but it is an interesting narration
where the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam walked into the masid of and
they saw a man sleeping for the time for
salah. So he said to he said wake this
man and make him
do said. So he woke up this man. He went
back to the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam. He said, "Yeah, you are the
most eager of us to to good deeds. Why
did he go and tell me to do
that?" So the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam said and you just think think
about this statement. The prophet
wasallam said if I had told him and he
had refused and just think about that
you're asleep and you're woken up and
you know I mean all of us have hit the
alarm clock you know when it's early fud
time in the summer when it goes off and
and you know you're thinking what's
going on and smack or something even
worse if it's her and she's and she's
trying to wake you up and you're not
there you don't know what's going on.
This is what happens in the groggginess
in the anger. There's no control. You
don't know what happened. They tell you
the next morning you said this, you did
that and me I didn't say that. I didn't
do that. So the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam recognizing this he says
that if I wake him up and he
refuses he has then
made and if he refuses you then it's a
sin but it's not a major one. This is
the rahma of the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam upon his nation. So
think then the rahma of Allah subhana wa
ta'ala upon his nation by not telling us
so that we don't turn away from him
intentionally. This is the same
principle. Look at the beauty of the
look at the difference between us when
we read the Quran and we get bored
within 5 minutes and
the and you know just to go back to the
issue of the the way you know we like to
hurry up with the prayer and hurry up
with and whatever in a way it's
understandable shameful but
understandable because we don't
understand what's going on we can't
understand the language we can't think
about it and you know how long can a
person when he's saying things he has no
idea what it means it's all just words
in a foreign language and he knows right
I have to be still for this I have to
give respect but I have no idea what's
being said in fairness how long do you
expect him to stand for to ask him to
stand for more than 1 hour in such a
scenario is asking a huge thing but then
is this our fault is this the fault of
the imam who's trying to make it long or
shorter or should the people start to
study start to get closer to Allah start
to learn about the one who loves us so
Because in every other field of life
when we recognize there's a benefit for
us then we run to that benefit. We want
to study the benefit. If we we hear a
business plan then we go and make the
research. We go and get the funding. We
go and find the partners. We start study
the laws and the conditions and what's
going to make it break it and so on. So
this is make and break for us as salah.
Our relationship with Allah subhana tala
is our make or break. So we must take
the onus upon ourselves to try and
understand what's going on. What is
Allah saying to us what is going on?
What is this message? We are the ones
who are responsible. We should take that
upon ourselves.
And then the next
ayah as I said
before has been called because night of
restriction because there's no
space they are
here because they are here now they are
here now and you know what they come and
they give salam.
and they leave immediately. Allah
subhana tala they visit
his 70,000 come and then they leave
never to come back again and then 70,000
more come and they give and then they
leave and they don't come back again
just think of that number every single
day and I was I was in the car park the
other day and I was walking I don't know
why I was looking at my feet and I saw
these stones and there must be hundreds
and thousands of stones just in this
little few square meters here and I read
Abu
said in the of this ayah that on the
night of the are more than all the
stones in the
world. Can you think about that?
It shakes the mind and
why with the permission of their lord
these angels are coming and they're
actually asking Allahh for permission
which means they want to come here they
want to come down here to us and they
turn to Allah and they ask for
permission Allahh gives them permission
go why because the angels
love because the angels love those who
love Allah. The angels love those who
turn to Allah. The angels love the
sinners. The sinners who stop and turn
to Allah. So they come, they come to
give us encouragement. They come to give
us hope. They come to help us. This is
their system. This is their way from the
beginning. It always has been. And
they've taken this upon themselves. Do
you know how they've taken it upon
themselves? Because they turned to Allah
subhana ta when Allah created Adam and
put Adam in the world and made mankind
for the
world. What did what did the what did
the the angels say? They were shocked.
They turned to Allah.
What's going on? They couldn't
understand. You're going to put in this
world a people someone who's going to
make facad evil and shed blood and we
come and praise you and we we sanctify
you. Allah
says, "I know what you don't." And in a
very interesting narration, it is called
the piss of
Z. And there's many narrations and a lot
of them are weak. But in the most
authentic one, it is authentic to as a
as a as as a story of the of the
Israelites
that the angels when they said this to
Allah, Allah subhana t turned to them
and said, "Choose two of the best of
you." So they
chose and they were sent down to the
earth and they were given the desires of
mankind and it was not long when Allah
subhana t sent them Zahar and Zuar was
the most beautiful woman of mankind at
that time and Zar is Venus and they used
to say that she was as beautiful in
comparison to the rest of creation like
Venus is to the rest of the
stars and she was sent to send fitna
upon
to do z to do to drink alcohol and
everything and the heavens were covered.
The angels were not given the
opportunity to see this and then Allah
subhana ta revealed the heavens and the
angels were shocked to see what the the
two had fallen
into and they turned to Allah and that's
when they said
subhah Allah there is no not we have
nothing we know nothing except what you
tell us. It was then they realized that
of the that we are and that we can be
and that's why the scholars in a very
furious debate about who is better the
mala or the human beings and the the
answer is the human beings because of
what they can be because of their m in
the end because Allahh has given them
that choice to accept or that they
refuse.
So the ages recognize that. So then they
in recognition of
that Allah tells us in the Quran that
they are the ones who come and they seek
forgiveness for us for the people who
believe. Look at this. Look at the dua.
Look at the angels how they they're on
our side. They're praying for us.
They're making dua for us. Oh Allah,
they the one you embrace everything.
Your mercy and your knowledge embraces
everything. Forgive those who repent and
follow your
way and protect them and save them from
the torments of the fire.
Oh Allah, oh our Lord, the angel said,
"Enter them into the gardens of paradise
that you have promised
them." Think about this. Not just making
for us, but asking Allah to enter us
into his paradise. What did we do to
deserve that? What did we do to deserve
that? But they're here now because this
is this is where Allah subhana ta's name
is mentioned. This is where they love to
be. This is where Allah subhana ta loves
the people to be. The angels go back to
Allah in the normal circles of
knowledge. In the normal study circles,
in the normal Quran circles, they go
back to Allah and they say so and so was
making and
saying and studying and so on and Allah
says what were they asking for? They and
he can say they were begging for for
your paradise. Have they seen my
paradise? Allah says no they haven't. So
what if they had seen my paradise? They
would be more keen for it. Ya
Allah. And what else are they asking
for? And Allahh knows not this. Of
course, he knows this. But it's a it's a
teaching for us so that we understand
who Allah is. And we understand who the
Malika
are. Have they seen the fire that they
asking protection for? No. And if they'd
seen the fire, they'd be more stronger
in that. What else, oh angels? Oh,
there's a person who's walking by, but
he sat down on the edge.
He's not really part of the show, but
you know, he's taking part. Maybe he's
driving past here and he thinks, "Oh,
there's a lot of cars there. Let me just
pop in here and see what's going on."
Maybe he's he's in there somewhere. He
had no intention of anything, but he
just popped in. Allah says he's forgiven
as
well. Pardons. This is the of Allah.
This is Yiani. This is what we're
talking about. That's a normal circle of
knowledge. Then what in this night where
millions upon millions of angels are
coming
down? Why is it salam? Why is it peace?
Because the angels won't let it be any
other way. The devils haven't got a
haven't got a hope in hell. Huh? How
relevant is that? They haven't got a
hope in hell this night. No chance.
That's why they said some of the said
that in the authentic hadith when the
signs of the next morning is that the
sun is bright but it's a white light
instead of it normal you know bright
yellow and the rays come down but the
night the morning of the sun is clear
but there's no rays and they said
because of the wings of the
mala there's so many that they block the
rays the mind can't understand that the
mind cannot understand that. And did you
hear did you did you realize
that again
for teaching us who the key players are
and Jirel is a key player my brothers
and
sisters the greatest of the great he
comes down on this night he comes down
on this night Allah subhana ta sent him
down for us so he makes dua for us to
and salam upon us. Salam upon us and
don't take the salam of the as some
small thing. Allah subhana t says in the
Quranith, did you hear about the story
of the guests, the honorable guests of
of Ibraim, the seven
angels? They entered upon him and said
to him,
"Salam." And as a result of this
salam the fire of Nimrod when Ibraim was
thrown into that fire because of the
salam of the
malai the fire became cold for him. This
is the salam of seven angels. Seven
angels. And in this night they come in
their millions and their millions
sending salam upon us.
fan. Oh Allah forgive fan. Oh Allah
forgive
fan. This is the night that we are in at
this moment. This is where we
are. We don't need to, you know, to make
up, you
know, rhetoric and catchy lines to tell
everyone to worship. All I want to do is
everyone just reflect upon the book of
Allah and what is happening tonight. I
don't need to tell you any hadith. I
don't need to you know what I'm going to
mention it to you only out of I'm not
going to say to you that the prophet
sallallahu alaihi wasallam
said that whoever stands in the night
of and in hope and in faith of the
reward from Allah all of his sins are
forgiven but I was not going to mention
this hadith today you know why because
for me this hadith is not needed
Because when the understands that the
are here and he gets that encouragement
that when he is trying to turn to Allah
the will come and help him and support
him. This should be enough for all the
people to turn to Allah subhana wa
ta'ala and in the end of this surah it
is all night and look at the beauty not
just a small portion but the entire
night so much so that just by being here
until now we've taken two portions of
because the im
of said the one who prays and in has
taken H
from we have already taken from
inshallah. This is the rahma of Allah
subhana tala that he has given to us.
And you know I think
wahi all we need to do is just reflect
just reflect simply upon in conclusion
just reflect upon Allah subhana wa
ta'ala you know if there was a person
who was an outsider from this whole kind
of religion and dean and just like an
observer huh and he was looking at this
these Muslims and he would look at Allah
and he'd say you know Allah is the lord
of these Muslims and he loves him so
He loves him so much and he gives and he
gives and he gives and these Muslims I'm
watching them they take and they take
and they
take and then what did Allah want from
them but
thanks nothing else just thanks what
what's been given and what did they do
in return a token gesture the best of
the majority once a
week or twice a year or once a year or
once in a lifetime the Hajj when he's 60
years old token gestures in return from
us. So I want to say step
up. Muslims get a hold of yourselves.
It's time we step up. We stand up and be
counted because you know wall this
person he would say you know what this
has got to be a joke. And wall is right.
It's a joke. Muslims can't be like this
that we live in in a system. Allahh has
given to us everything. He's given us
and in the pro promised us and in the
and we treat it like some game. choose
and pick and choose night here, night
there. We'll pray this, leave that, give
this, forget that. We need to stop and
just reflect and say, you know what,
this is not we're not doing anyone any
favors here. Have some and respect for
yourself. We must start to recognize our
we must recognize our our honor. Allahh
has given us this honor. Step up, turn
to Allah, make the change. And I don't
mean turn to Allah tonight and go home
and make some dua and spend a couple of
hours. No, make a change change. Just
like everyone's here in prayer, make
sure next week on Tuesday night, on
Wednesday night when it's dead quiet in
middle of the week that you're also in
the masid. Make sure that those prayers,
you also attach yourselves to them. Make
sure that the way that you've controlled
your heart and kept it clean from the
the the spiritual diseases that we pick
up which we're which we're forced to to
to bring into ourselves in daily life
but we're able to protect ourselves in
take that
across the sunnah that you're praying in
the massid all the time make it
continuous step up it's time to make a
change and this is not a joke and that's
what I will say Because you know all of
us wahi we're
sinners. There's not a person in this
room yi who's who's free from sin. And
there's not a single person who does not
need the dua of others and the dua of
himself in the best time and the dua of
these. We ask
these be be merciful to us. Give us a
good report cuz wall as I am sitting in
front of you here they are here in this
room.
And it is from your iman to believe that
and you can't see them but wahi they see
you. They're sitting here with
us. We have to just you know just stop
and think about that. They're coming and
going and they're amazed. They love
this. They think that we are being close
to Allah. So let's be close to Allah.
Let's give them something to go back and
be happy about.
This is time and I personally I have a
request and I ask you because you
know the amount that someone like myself
has
sent I am in need of dua than than any
more dua than any of you can imagine. So
I ask all of you wall sincerely please
make dua for me. I really really really
ask you and I'm not joking. I'm not
saying that as you know some kind of
humbleness wall I'm serious. This is no
joke. This is the time. Let's capture
the moment and we ask ya
Allah.
for Allah.
for Allah. forham.