Editorial
Spirit of Lailatul Qadr
Living by it is the real test
The night of 27th Ramadan stands out with luminous significance as the Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on this night. In the Holy Quran this night is described as the 'Night of Power' as well as a night that is 'better than a thousand months.' --Sura 97 (Al-Qadr).
Lailatul Qadr is also the night of Divine Destiny when Almighty Allah decides the fate of every individual.
Given the great value Islam attaches to this night, the believer in addition to observing fasting by day, also spends the whole night praying and reciting from the Quran for the Almighty's blessing.
The Muslims everywhere observe this night with due solemnity and fervour and pray to the Creator for His mercy and spiritual guidance. They also implore Him to protect them from all kinds of troubles and difficulties and reward them with good fortune. The belief in Divine Destiny is also one of the six articles of faith in Islam which includes belief in one Creator, the Angels, the Books revealed by Almighty, especially the al-Quran, Prophets of God, particularly his last Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the Day of Judgement and the Supremacy of the Almighty's Will, or Divine Destiny. That is why belief in Divine Destiny is the crucial element of faith in Islam.
Praying and reciting from the Holy Quran is undoubtedly a test of the true Muslim's faith in the Almighty. But does the believer's duty finish with only saying prayers and reading from the Holy Quran on this holy night? Many a faithful thinks that the Almighty will reward them only seeing how meticulously they could say their prayers, oblivious that practice in real life of what the Almighty has enjoined is the acid test of one's belief system. Virtues like truthfulness, honesty, kindness to one's fellow beings constitute these tests in real life.
So, to observe the Lailatul Qadr in its pristine spirit, a true Muslim needs to pray to the Almighty as well as practise the virtues of honesty and truthfulness in everyday life.
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