A GUIDE TO MY LAST TEN NIGHTS
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The guidance of the Messenger Muhammad shows
us that the last ten nights of Ramadan have a
special place in our faith, Islam. The month of
Ramadan in general is a virtuous month with great
potential for many rewards. The last ten nights
increase these opportunities manifold. The last ten
nights are primarily virtuous due to one of them
being the Night of Special Status and Virtue. God
says in the Quran, "We sent it down on the Night of
Special Virtue. What will explain to you what that
Night of Special Virtue is? The Night of Special
Virtue is better than a thousand months; on that
night the angels and the Spirit (the Angel Gabriel)
descend again and again with their Lord's
permission on every task; protection throughout
that night until the break of dawn."
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What further shows how much emphasis the
Messenger Muhammad and his disciples placed on
these ten nights is the narration that describes the
Messenger Muhammad’s routine during these
nights. He is described as “tightening his belt” (an
expression meaning being very keen for devotion),
spending the night in vigil and worship and
encouraging his family to do the same. “Tightening
the belt” symbolizes the extra effort and
seriousness with which the Messenger Muhammad
approached these ten nights. He would also awake
his family for these nights, something which he
would not ordinarily do.
The Messenger Muhammad would seclude himself
in the mosque as a retreat for these ten nights to
ensure that he spent all his time in devotion and
worship. His disciples did likewise, and after his
death, his wives would continue this practice. Until
this day, you will find Muslims throughout the world
spending these ten nights of Ramadan in seclusion
in mosques.
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A night better than a thousand months is more than
83 years of worship and reward in a single night.
God revealed a whole chapter in the Quran to show
the significance of this Special Night. The best acts
of worship to be performed on these nights are
those that directly revolve around the Quran and
remembrance of God. Salah is one of the best
deeds to perform during these nights. The
Messenger Muhammad informed us that whoever
stands the nights in extra Salah during Ramadan
with conviction and seeking the reward from Allah,
will be forgiven for their sins.
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The Messenger Muhammad would spend much of
his nights in Salah. You can pray as many units of
two as you wish. There is no limit to the units one
can perform. Salah is an act of worship that
includes within it many other virtuous deeds. It is
recommended because it also consists of Quran
reading, remembrances, and supplications. You
can prolong your bowing and praise and thank God
therein. You can invoke God and supplicate to Him
in these positions, asking for all your needs, both
worldly and for the Hereafter.
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Reading the Quran is also extremely rewarding.
The Quran was revealed on the Night of Special
Status and Virtue and so reading as much as you
can is highly recommended. The early Muslims
would focus on the Quran in Ramadan and try to
complete its reading as many times as possible.
Each word is worth ten good deeds. You can mix up
your Quran reading with other forms of Quran
study. For example, you can listen to the recitation,
you can read the translation, listen to lectures on
the Quran and its study, and read the explanation
of certain passages and chapters.
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It is important to try to understand the Quran as
well as reading it in Arabic. In particular, the
passages and chapters that you read most often,
such as the opening chapter and the smaller
chapters towards the end of the Quran, are good to
study. To read the translation, study the
explanation of these chapters, listen to lectures on
them and read books on them will be greatly
helpful to you, both during Salah and outside of
them. You can also listen to Quran recitation on
YouTube or by streaming the audio. You can follow
along with your own copy of the Quran, or simply
listen to it while resting.
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In between night Salah and Quran reading,
remember God with general expressions of
glorification. For example, praise God by saying,
‘Alhamdulillah’ [All praise, glory and thanks are for
God], ‘Subhan Allah’ [God is perfect and free from
flaws and deficiencies], ‘Allahu Akbar’ [God is
greater than everything and everyone], ‘La ilaha illa
Allah’ [God alone is worthy of worship and all other
gods are false] and ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa
billah’ [There is no might or power except that
given by God ]. These and other statements of
glorification of God are easy to read while sitting
and resting in between Salah and Quran reading.
You can also use some of your time in making
supplications and praying. This can be done in any
language at any time.
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You can rest as you need, and break up your
worship with eating and drinking. You can read
other Islamic books if you wish. The point is to
engage in worship throughout the night as much as
you can and to the best of your ability. Remember
that the Messenger Muhammad said that whoever
spends the Night of Special Status and Virtue in
prayer, having true faith and hoping for God’s
reward, will have all of their sins forgiven.
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