Reflecting on the du’aa of Laylatul Qadr

Qur’an motivates its readers to reflect upon its verses.

In fact reflection is one of the purposes of the Qur’an.

Let us reflect over the encouraged du’aa of Laylatul Qadr along with some related  aayaat (verses) of the glorious Book of Allah, Inshaaallah.

Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

I asked: “O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it?” He (ﷺ) replied, “You should supplicate:

اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعفُ عني

Allahumma innaka ‘afuw’wun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni.

“O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me.”  At-Tirmidhi

When his beloved wife, Aishah, asked him as to what should be said in the night of Laylatul Qadr, Prophet sal-lal-laahu-alahi-wa-sallam advised her to seek forgiveness for her sins from Allah.

From this what lessons we can draw?

1. Seeking forgiveness for one’s sins is more important than seeking anything else. So give priority to Istighfaar.

2. Even a person so close to the Prophet (peace be upon him) as his beloved wife, MUST seek forgiveness for her sins and shortcomings. You might be a relative of the Prophet of Islam. But you are not absolved from sins. You are not special in Islam.

3. You are responsible for your actions and you need to seek forgiveness for yourself.  The Prophet (peace be upon him) can neither help you nor come to your rescue on the Day of Judgement. So better understand and seek forgiveness from the Almighty Lord if you happen to live by the nights of Laylatul Qadr.

4. This discussion brings us to this ayah: وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ  “And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another” (Surah al An-aam 6:164)

5. Make hay while the sun shines. Grab the golden opportunity of Laylatul Qadr nights. Recall your sins and bad deeds and open your heart to your Lord beseeching His gracious forgiveness. Don’t delay! Who knows this could be your last laylatul Qadr night!

6. One of the attributive names of Allah is اَلْعَفُوُّ Al Afuw’wu, the Most Forgiving or the ever-Pardoning. 

Al-‘Afuww comes from the root ‘afw, which means to hide, obliterate, or remove something. This meaning connotes ‘pardoning’, which is when one looks over another’s errors and does not take them to account for it. In other words, Allah is so pardoning that He removes or erases our sins from our very book of deeds! Subhanallaah!

Allah introduces Himself in the Qur’an thus:

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُواْ عَنِ السَّيِّئَاتِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

“And it is He who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons misdeeds, and He knows what you do.” (Surah Ash-Shura 42:25)

فَأُولَـٰئِكَ عَسَى اللَّـهُ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّـهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

“…For those it is expected that Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.” (Surah An-Nisa 4: 99)

إِن تُبْدُوا خَيْرًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ أَوْ تَعْفُوا عَن سُوءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا

“If [instead] you show [some] good or conceal it or pardon an offense – indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Competent.” Surah An-Nisaa 4:149

7. Allah is not only العفو the Pardoning, He loves to pardon. Subhanallaah!

When we say that Allah loves to pardon, the matter becomes significant. Now, we need to be really sincere and serious in seeking His forgiveness.

8. Allah wants us to imbibe the quality of pardoning others. In fact one of the qualities of a true believer in Islam is that he pardons the people in a gracious manner:

الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“Who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good” (Surah Aal Imran 3:134)

خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ

“Show forgiveness, enjoin Al-`Urf (what is good), and turn away from the foolish” Tafsir Ibn Kathir

9. What you give, you get in return. Pardon people, and Allah pardons you.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَادِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ۚ وَإِنْ تَعْفُوا وَتَصْفَحُوا وَتَغْفِرُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“O you who have believed, indeed, among your wives and your children are enemies to you, so beware of them. But if you pardon and overlook and forgive – then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Surah At-Taghabun 64:14)

Now, I would like to present two interesting verses before I conclude this post, Inshaaallah:

a) About spending, Allah says:

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ

“……And they ask you what they should spend. Say, “The excess [beyond needs]” (Surah al Baqarah 2:219)

In this ayah, the word ‘afw’ is used interestingly. Here it means ‘something that is in excess’. If you relate this word to pardoning and forgiving it gives out a meaningful explanation. You don’t lose anything if you give out something from ‘excess’. Similarly, if you forgive others, you are not going to lose anything. On the contrary, it is only going to be good for you, both in this world and in the Hereafter. Subhanallaah!

b) In another verse, Allah says:

ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّىٰ عَفَوْا وَقَالُوا قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءَنَا الضَّرَّاءُ وَالسَّرَّاءُ فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

“Then We exchanged in place of the bad [condition], good, until they increased [and prospered] and said, “Our fathers [also] were touched with hardship and ease.” So We seized them suddenly while they did not perceive.” (Surah Al Araaf 7:95)

The word afa/afaw comes from the same root as ‘afuww’. It means ‘to increase, to multiply in number’. If you relate this meaning to forgiveness, it would mean that your forgiveness and pardoning others doesn’t decrease you in anything. It only increases. For example, if you forgive others, your hatred for them is gone, and your love for them increases. Envy, hatred, jealously is no more. Love, generosity, magnanimity, accommodative and cooperative spirit for people increase. Subhanallaah!

So when we ask Allah to forgive us saying اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعفُ عني – Allahumma innaka ‘afuw’wun, tuhibbul-‘afwa, fa’fu ‘anni/anna, we must also bear in mind that we, as obedient and faithful Muslims, must develop forgiving nature in us and when situations arise, we must pardon people, Inshaaallah.

Won’t you like Allah to forgive you if you do something wrong?

Sal-lal-laahu-ala-Muhammad, Sal-lal-laahu-alaihi-wa-sallam.

Baarakallaahu Feekum.

Related Reading:

Al ‘Afuww in the Qur’an

And the Answer is AL-AFUWW!