The 12 Raka’at on the First Thursday Night of Rajab

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is the Naqshbandi Haqqani adab for Laylat ar-Ragha’ib, the Night of Desires.  Laylat ar-Ragha’ib is the first Thursday night of Rajab.  It is very important to fast on this day, as the angels gather at the Ka’bah to seek Forgiveness for those fasting. 

After breaking fast on Thursday, one performs a 12 raka’at sunnah, done in six sets of two raka’at.  This is a sunnah muthlaq specific to this occasion.  In every rak’ah, after reciting Surah al-Fatihah, one recite Surah al-Qadr three times, and Surah al-Ikhlasw 12 times. 

After the salam of the final rak’ah, one recites the following 70 times: 

اللهم صل على محمد نبيّ الأميّ و على اله و سلّم 

Allahumma swalli ‘alaa Muhammadin Nabiyy al-Ummiiyi wa ‘alaa alihi wa sallim. 

O Allah, Send Blessings on Muhammad, the Unlettered Prophet, and on his family 

Then one goes into sujud and recites the following 70 times: 

سبّوح قدّوس ربّ الملائكة و الروح 

Subbuhun Qudduusun, Rabb al-Malaa’ikati wa ar-Ruh. 

All Glorious, All Holy is the Lord of the angels and souls. 

Then one sits straight and recites the following 70 times: 

ربّ اغفر وارحم و تجاوز عمّا تعلم, فإنّك أنت العزيز الأعظم 

Rabbighfir wa ar-ham wa tajaawaz ‘ammaa ta’lam, fa innaka Anta al ‘Aziz al A’azham. 

O Lord!  Forgive us, have Mercy and Pardon about that which You Know Well.  Verily You are Mighty, the Supreme. 

Then one goes down into sujud again and recites the following 70 times: 

سبّوح قدّوس ربّ الملائكة و الروح 

Subbuhun Qudduusun, Rabb al-Malaa’ikati wa ar-Ruh. 

All Glorious, All Holy is the Lord of the angels and souls. 

Finally, while still in sujud, the supplicant should ask Allah (s.w.t.) to grant his personal request, for that request will surely be fulfilled, insha’Allah. 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) also said, “By Him in whose Hand is my soul, I assure you that no servant, whether manservant or maidservant, will ever perform this particular swalah without Allah (s.w.t.) Forgiving all the sins of which that individual has ever been guilty, even if they are like the flecks of foam upon the ocean, as numerous as all the grains of sand, as heavy as the mountains, and as many as the drops of rain and the leaves on all the trees.  On the Day of Resurrection, he will be allowed to intercede on behalf of seven hundred members of his family. 

On the first night that the worshipful servant spends in his grave, the reward for this swalah will come to visit him, with a cheerful face and an eloquent tongue.  ‘O my dear friend,’ it will say to him, ‘rejoice in the good tidings, for I am here to tell you that you have been delivered from every severe affliction!’ 

This will prompt the servant to exclaim: ‘Who are you?  By Allah, I swear that I have never seen a man with a better-looking face than yours.  Never have I heard a form of speech more charming than your way of speaking, and never have I smelled a fragrance more delightful than that of your perfume.’ 

So then, it will tell him: ‘O my dear friend, I am the reward for that swalah, the one you performed on whichever night it was, in whichever month it was, in whichever year it was.  I have come here tonight in order to fulfill your request, to entertain you in your solitary state, and to banish your loneliness from you.  Later on, when the trumpet is sounded, I shall provide you with shade to protect your head from the scorching heat on the Fields of the Resurrection.  So rejoice in the good tidings, for you will never be deprived of the Blessing that Comes from your Master.’” 

This is a sunnah muthlaq.  The condition for one who intends to do this sunnah swalah is that he must be steadfast in his swalah, keep the sunnah swalah mu’akkadah and the sunnah swalah nawafil.  And he must be someone who is steadfast in his amal.  The ‘ibadah is an enrichment, the icing on the cake.  There can be no icing if there is no cake, the cake of the everyday ‘ibadah.



Comments

  1. Thanks for reminding us and making it so clear. Love for the sake of Allah, Allah is LOVE

    ReplyDelete

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