A Muslim Convert Once Before

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) wrote:   “Each moment I behold You, is my Night of Power, While that which, for mankind, in the month of Ramadhan, Is better than a thousand months. Verily I, I am better than that without any time! Its graciousness depends on me, while my own grace, Belongs to Him, Who Made me in His Image.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ajibah ( q.s. ) wrote: “When a time of need knocks at my door, I open to it the door of joy and happiness. I tell it, ‘Welcome and welcome again! Your time with me is more beneficial than the Night of Power!’”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Mawlana Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Muhammad Dashti Jami’ ( q.s. ) said, “O people, why do you so desperately seek the Night of Power?   Every night is the Night of Power, if you knew God’s Power.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The father of Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) informed him about special signs by means of which one could recognise Laylat al-Qadr .   One of these signs is mentioned in the Futuhat al-Makkiyyah : “The dawn at the end of the Night of Power is not from the light of the Sun.   It is the light of the Night of Power itself, which manifests in the body of the Sun, just as with the light of the Moon.”   He continued, “Thus, as the Night of Power effaces the rays of the Sun, the Sun remains like the Moon, shining on things and giving light without rays.”   The shaykh wrote this poem:   “Each moment I behold You is my Night of Power, While that which for mankind in the month of Ramadhan Is better than a thousand months. Verily I, I am better than that without any time! Its graciousness depends on me, while my own grace Belongs to Him Who Made me in His Image.”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ) wrote about the Night of Power.   He stated about this Night that, “If the first of Ramadhan falls on a Monday, then it may be expected on either the 23 rd night or the 19 th .”   Likewise, he said thus:   1 st Ramadhan = Tuesday: 29 th or 25 th . 1 st Ramadhan = Wednesday: 21 st or 17 th . 1 st Ramadhan = Thursday: 27 th or 23 rd . 1 st Ramadhan = Friday: if the first day of any month other than Ramadhan falls on a Friday, then the blessed night will be either the 15 th night or the 19 th of that month. 1 st Ramadhan = Saturday: 25 th or 21 st . 1 st Ramadhan = Sunday: if the first day of any month other than Ramadhan falls on a Sunday, then the blessed night will be either the 17 th night or the 13 th of that month.

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ There is a special night in Ramadhan, a night which is blessed as it is the night of the descending of the Qur’an.  It is called the “Night of Power”.  There are different opinions about the exact date of the Night of Power.  Some people point to the 27 th of Ramadhan.  Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Tsabit ( r.a. ) also referred to a tradition that the Night moves through the year.   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) wanted to tell the community about the exact day of the Night of Power, but this knowledge is not meant for them.  According to the collector of traditions. Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari ( r.a. ), the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) has said, “Seek it on the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan.”   So, it is hidden, like the friend of Allah ( s.w.t. ) is hidden in order that we respect all people.  So, it is up to the aspirant to be alert and awake to its coming.  Acc...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The father of Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Arabi ( q.s. ), Shaykh ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ath-Tha’i ( q.s. ), informed him about special signs by means of which one could recognise the blessed night.   One of these signs is mentioned in the Futuhat al-Makkiyyah : “The dawn at the end of the Night of Power is not from the light of the Sun.   It is the light of the Night of Power itself, which manifests in the body of the Sun, just as with the light of the Moon.”   He continued, “Thus, as the Night of Power effaces the rays of the Sun, the Sun remains like the Moon, shining on things and giving light without rays.”   The shaykh wrote this poem:   “Each moment I behold You is my Night of Power, While that which for mankind in the month of Ramadhan Is better than a thousand months. Verily I, I am better than that without any time! Its graciousness depends on me, while my own grace Belongs to ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ There is a special night in Ramadhan, a night which is blessed as it is the night of the descending of the Qur’an.   It is called the “Night of Power”.   There are different opinions about the exact date of the Night of Power.   Some people point to the 27 th of Ramadhan.   Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Tsabit ( r.a. ) also referred to a tradition that the Night moves through the year.   The Prophet ( s.a.w. ) wanted to tell the community about the exact day of the Night of Power, but this knowledge was taken away.   According to the collector of traditions, Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari ( r.a. ), the Messenger of Allah ( s.a.w. ) said, “Seek it on the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan.”   So, it is hidden, like the friend of Allah ( s.w.t. ) is hidden in order that we respect all people.   It is up to the aspirant to be alert and awake to its coming.   According to Khw...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following is extracted and adapted from Nuzhat al-Majalis , compiled by Imam Jamal ad-Din Khalil ash-Sharwani ( q.s. ).   This is the chapter on Laylat al-Qadr .   The Night of Allah’s ( s.w.t. ) Decree in the last ten days of the month of Ramadhan.   Many of the commentators have said that deeds done on that night are better than the deeds of 1,000 months, which do not contain a Night of the Decree.   Shaykh Abu Ishaq Ka’b ibn Mani’ al-Himyari al-Ahbar ( r.a. ) said, “There was a righteous king among Bani Isra’il.   Allah Revealed to their prophet, ‘Tell him to wish for something.’   He said, ‘I wish to strive in the way of Allah with my possessions and my offspring.’   Allah Gave him one thousand children.   He began to prepare each child for battle until that child died as a martyr, whereupon he prepared the next one, and so forth until they were all killed in a period of 1,000 months.   ...

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The author of the article this is on, is unknown.   The month of fasting, Ramadhan, is often greeted by the Sufis as a good friend, as a welcome and honoured guest.   They love to see this guest come, but also to see him go.   The implication of the first is clear, but perhaps not of the second.   The end of the month of fasting is followed by a feast.   In ordinary terms, it means that you can eat and drink.   In Sufi terms, the feast implies the meeting with the Beloved.   The Beloved is then the Cupbearer Who Pours Out the wine of gnosis and love.   Mawlana Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Muhammad Dashti Jami’ ( q.s. ) wrote:   “The search of the crescent of the feast, Is the work of the common people. The crescent of the feast, Is for the elite the circling movement of the goblet.”   That is why a Shishty shaykh said, “May every day be a day of festival to you!”   Shaykh Imami ( q....