World Muslims Celebrate Night of Power!
“Peace! …This until the rise of morn” (Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the Holy Quran 97:5, 1989).
Muslims the world over are wrapping up on the holy month of fasting. This special month is accompanied with recitation of the Quran, lectures, sharing arms, and making extra worship. This is so obvious and humbling that Muslims –young and old, men and women, rich and poor, the safe and oppressed, the healthy and sick, those with status and the ordinary, all live to stand in ranks gratified, equaling themselves through the late hours of the night, celebrating the “night of power” (estimated to be the 27th night of Ramadan).
One of my best friends jokingly says, “What is good about the meat is the bone; what is good about the bone is the marrow.” In reflection, it couldn’t be truer in application to Islam, and that is to say what is good about Islam is the worship. What is good about Ramadan is the fasting. What is good about the fasting is the night of power and all the peace, tranquility and spirituality that comes with it. This elevation one couldn’t miss.
The Gambian Islamic Center in Minnesota started their “night of power” celebration with a fundraiser headed by Sheikh Omar and Imam Kawsu Darboe, in an effort to gain long term commitment from worshippers. The two Imams encouraged the august-gathering of worshippers to give out charity as the Mosques all over are sustained with the help of worshippers. This was followed by the recital completion of the Quran. Worshippers will continue glorification the rest of the night, in an effort to win the much promised “night of power,” which according to Islamic teachings equals many years of worship.
By the arrival of dawn, Muslims would have satisfactorily celebrated their “night of power,” hoping that all their worship and prayers has been answered. Such a ceremony is unique. It goes on without saying that worshippers ascertain the reality of God and His message.
Hoping that the fasting month ends on Thursday July 16th 2015, the feast of fasting will then be on Friday July 17th 2015. If on the other hand, the fasting month ends on Friday July 17th2015, the feast of fasting would automatically default to Saturday July 18th2015. The former is more likely than the latter, but any of the two is a high possibility, as the fasting month swings mostly in-between 29 days and 30 days.
But more to the month is its blessings. Do we live to do it again and again? Do we live to be in health spirit to do it again? Do we live to do it while being free? These answers are not known to us. That is why it was your month, despite the weakness of your soul, the struggles of your life, and the shortness of your worship. More to worship is being kind and considerate to God’s merchandize which is creation, and this spirituality discourages selfishness, arrogance, and engaging in destruction. This is an important part of the worship.
So keep hope alive with your Lord and conquer the Satan lower! May Allah accept for us what is sincerely done with humility and guide us among the rightly guided. (Ameen).
Warmest regards with much love,
Yero