A Sublime Way

In this webinar, Asatizah will delve into the worldview of Islam and gain comprehensive knowledge and practical skills to engage with complex issues and emerging trends in a diverse society.

Asatizah will explore multiple relevant discourses in the webinar and examine the ramifications of the disarray resulting from religious leaders who exhibit a lack of competence or incomplete understanding.

MON, 14 AUG 2023
6:00 - 10:00 PM (Zoom)
3 CPE (Tier 1 Asatizah)
Fees: $30

Register now at: https://events.pergas.org.sg/event/aisp-webinar-2023/

Programme is open for tier 1 Asatizah only

Over the course of the past three years, The Asatizah Islamic Studies Professional Programme (AISP) has provided a transformative educational journey for our asatizah, offering them the invaluable opportunity to engage with esteemed scholars across diverse Islamic scholarly traditions and disciplines.

Consequently, a seminal retreat of scholarly stature has been meticulously curated to commemorate this significant milestone. Set in a webinar format, this scholarly event will be dedicated exclusively to exploring and examining the Islamic worldview, delving deeply into its intricate dimensions and implications.

Through a series of lectures from esteemed experts, Asatizah will explore the implications of a clear Islamic worldview on the micro-macro level.

MON, 14 AUG 2023
6:00 - 10:00 PM (Zoom)
3 CPE (Tier 1 Asatizah)
Fees: $30

Register now at: https://events.pergas.org.sg/event/aisp-webinar-2023/

Programme is open for tier 1 Asatizah only

"There is a temptation in our modern world to treat time as the most egalitarian, equal opportunities phenomenon in existence. That every day is the ‘same’ as any other ‘day’ – it simply depends on you and what you’re doing. Friday is like Monday, Saturday is like Sunday, 5pm is like 8pm, and so on, and so forth.

But in our tradition, the situation is rather different. On the one hand, time is a creation of Allah, subhana wa ta’ala. And thus, He chooses to do what He sees fit, when He does, and how He does. And it is part of His way, part of His sunna, that certain months are different to others, that certain days are different to others, and certain times are different to others.

And yet – and here is a hidden mercy that not enough is mentioned about – He is never limited to those times. Allah’s mercy is boundless, and if He chooses to place a blessing in a certain place and certain time, even beyond that which we might have already thought was the indicated time and place, then that continues to be His prerogative. Time itself is a creation of His."

An article on time and Muharram, going into some of the special qualities about this month, including Sayyidina Musa and Pharaoh, the martyrdom of Sayyidina al-Husayn, and practices that have been recommended by the righteous. (Links to the du'as included in the article.)

https://asublimeway.com/time-and-muharram/

Activist, historian and archaeologist of the West and Arab world: my father, Peter Hellyer Dr H A Hellyer reflects on his father's remarkable life and impact

The allama, Shaykh Seraj Hassan Hendricks, returned to the mercy of his Lord on the 9th of July, 2020, in Cape Town, after decades of serving the Divine, His religion, and His Prophet. The below is the obituary published a few days after his passing, written by his student and muqaddam.

The Ibaad-U-Ragmaan Qadiri Jamaah will have the annual Azzawia dhikr today, on Saturday 8th July from Asr till Maghrib, and will commemorate the Shaykh, in Azzawia in Walmer Estate, Cape Town.
All are welcome.

A LAMP IN THE SHADE OF A MOUNTAIN: Shaykh Seraj Hendricks Shaykh Dr Hisham, a noted scholar and academic of politics & religion internationally, has studied the Islamic intellectual tradition with classically trained scholars in the UK, the Arab world, the Gambia, southeast Asia, and elsewhere. Dr Hisham’s academic career has involved positions with Camb...

***EID SA'ID 'ALAYKUM WA BARAK ALLAH FIKUM***

With the name of the Divine, the all-Beneficent, the all-Merciful:

Al-salam 'alaykum wa raḥmatullah wa barakatuh, wa maghfiratuhu!

There are days, and then there are *days*. There are nights, and then there are *nights*. And these days we are currently within are among the best of days, and the best of nights. Eid al-Adha is upon us, alhamdulillah; and we should always remember that the night before Eid al-Adha is a special night indeed. The Prophet is related as having said: “One who gives life to the nights preceding the two Eids, then Allah will give life to his heart on the day when hearts will die.”

So, engage with this night, and give life to it, in acts of worship. Do so in a spirit of joy and happiness; because many of the 'ulama said that the reason this is called 'Eid' is because of the joy and happiness felt on this day, or because of the blessings and lights that are received on this day, as our noble teacher, Shaykh Ahmad, has reminded us.

It is a fitting way, masha'Allah, to close the ten days - the ten blessed days of Dhu al-Hijja, that are the best of days, and Arafa, the best of the best of days. Continue to take full advantage of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon all of us; take the advantage of giving in sadaqa; take the advantage of the qurban; take the advantage of engaging in dhikr and reading awrad. For the rewards of all of this are more than you can imagine. There are specific awrad and adhkār recommended for the day of Arafa, which are included in the article ( https://asublimeway.com/dhu-al-hijja/ ) - take full advantage, insha'Allah.

It is extraordinary, really, how much we have been privileged. All of these boons and blessings and benefits; all of these favours are there for anyone to acquire. But it is from within the umma of Muhammad that knows about them - because it is our liegelord, Sayyidina al-Habib, that taught us about them. Take full stock of this - not from a point of view of arrogance or self-importance, but out of gratitude and thankfulness. Verily, our way is of shukr and hamd, and we must orient ourselves accordingly.

In gratitude and thanks, be of good cheer on the day of Eid, and adorn your outward accordingly. Take a ghusl; dress in your best; apply your perfume; and then head to the mosque. Engage in dhikr in abundance; with the affirming of God's unity (tahlil/the saying of la ilāha ilAllah), expressing thanks to God (tahmid/the saying of alhamdulillah), announcing Allah's glory (taqdis/the saying of subhan al-Malik al-Quddus), sending blessings upon our master Muhammad, alayhi salat wa salam (salawat).

We ask God to grant us all the greatest of blessings on these days; to give forgiveness to those whom we loved who have departed, including our beloved teacher, al-'allama Shaykh Seraj; to give full health and healing to our loved ones who may be unwell; to draw us to al-Mustafa, the chosen one, who was sent to us and to all of creation as a mercy; to bring us closer to embodying his way in its reality and totality; and to make us nearer to Allah, exalted is He.

From myself and my family: Eid Sa'id 'alaykum wa kul 'aam wa antum bikhayr.

Barak Allah fikum, wa-s-salam, Sh Dr Hisham

The greatness of the month of Dhu al-Hijja is well established in our religion. The evidences are many, but it suffices to note that the Prophet of God صلى الله عليه وسلم informed us that there are no days in which righteous actions are more beloved to Allah than the first ten days of this month. Allah in the Qur’an swears by ‘The Ten Nights’ in Sura al-Fajr, which many scholars say refers to the first ten nights of the month of Dhu al-Hijja. For that reason, many of the learned claim that the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijja are even better than the final ten days of Ramadan, while the last ten nights of Ramadan exceed them in greatness. And God knows best.

There are specific actions that are advised by our scholars and sages during these days and nights, and there are general ones as well. the general ones are clear – they are all good actions. Prayer, fasting, charity, the reading of litanies, the seeking of knowledge, giving aid to people, making du’a to Allah: the reward for any righteous action may be multiplied seven hundred times.

The following page gives more information about Dhu al-Hijja, and different practices associated with it. May Allah give life to our hearts, amin! https://asublimeway.com/dhu-al-hijja/

https://asublimeway.com/cairo-the-city-of-awliya-and-the-commanded-visitations/

The City of Awliya and the Commanded Visitations: a story narrated from Shaykh BaBikr Ahmad BaBikr
=====================================

“The true rulers of Cairo are Sayyidina al-Husayn and Sayyidatina Zaynab”

The first time I visited Cairo was perhaps almost forty years ago; the son of an English father, my mother was a Cairene, through and through. But it took some time before I heard the description of one of my first teachers in Sufism about Cairo’s unique quality – the city of awliya’ Allah (friends of God). He told me:

“The true rulers of Cairo are Sayyidina al-Husayn and Sayyidatina Zaynab. Visit them.”

On another occasion, I expressed my amazement to him how so many bizarre things seemed to exist in Cairo, against the laws of nature. Such as the gas-jockey at the petrol station who is smoking a cigarette – and yet all is well. And so many other rather peculiar and odd things. He told me, “It’s not according to the laws of physics, otherwise the whole place probably would have collapsed long ago. But the soil of Cairo is the resting place of so many awliya’. It’s really just about that.”

It is well known among the mashaykh worldwide that there is something unique about Egypt. A deeply spiritual quality, and one that no-one has ever quite understood. I asked many shaykhs about it – they all had no idea, and also said no-one else seemed to either, but that it was clearly there. It’s why outside of the Hijaz, there is no place on earth where more Ahl al-Bayt, sages and scholars visited and decided to stay, more than is the case in Egypt. No one quite knows why – only that it is like that.

“Did you visit Imam al-Husayn?”

When Shaykh BaBikr Ahmed BaBikr visited Cairo recently, he and I visited a particular set of awliya’ from among the saints and sages buried in Cairo. I added a few ziyaras, to them, including my mother, Imam al-Shafi’i, Sidi Salih al-Jaf’ari, and Ibn Ata’illah al-Sakandari. But Shaykh BaBikr had a particular tartib/order of visitations that he wanted to do. And Shaykh BaBikr had a reason for that order – because it had been told to him many years before.

On a previous visit to Egypt, Shaykh BaBikr visited Sidi Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi, the successor to Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhuli, the eponymous founder of the Shadhuli tariqa, may God be well pleased with him and all the mashaykh. He was also there to visit al-Mursi’s successor, Sidi Yaqut al-‘Arsh (an article on this lesser known saint is here) and Imam al-Busayri, the compiler of the well-known Burda.

Shaykh BaBikr met an old man outside, who seemed to almost be sleeping, while selling ‘yellow books’ (probably books of litanies), and then asked Shaykh BaBikr, “Did you visit Imam al-Husayn (the grandson of the Prophet, buried in Cairo)?” Shaykh BaBikr responded that he had. “Did you visit Sayyida Zaynab (the grand-daughter of the Prophet, also buried in Cairo)?” to which Shaykh BaBikr said ‘yes’. And then the old man returned to the sleepful kind of state he had been in, and then he told Shaykh BaBikr, “Sayyida Zaynab is telling me, “Why don’t you (i.e., Shaykh BaBikr) visit Sidi Ali Zayn al-Abidin?”

Ali Zayn al-Abidin is, of course, the son of Sayyidina Husayn b. Abi Talib; one of the few who survived the massacre at Karbala; he is buried in Madina al-Munawarra, but his own son, Zayn al-Abidin, is buried in Cairo, and the place where Sayyidina Zayn al-Abidin’s grave is actually known in Cairo as the maqam of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin. A maqam, one should keep in mind, is not always the qabr or grave of the saint in question; rather, it is dedicated to them due to a particular reason.

Shaykh BaBikr responded, “No, I didn’t, and I never did, and I don’t know why I never did.” The old man continued, “She (Sayyida Zaynab) is telling me (to tell you) to do the ziyara (visitations) of Imam al-Husayn, Sayyida Zaynab, Ali Zayn al-Abidin, Sayyida Nafisa, Sayyida Sukayna, and then Sayyida Aisha.” Before Shaykh BaBikr left him, he asked the man for his name, and he was told: “Jabal al-Awliya’.”

Sayyida Nafisa is, of course, the great hadith scholar, the daughter of al-Hasan al-Anwar b. Zayd b. Hasan b. Ali, the teacher of Imam al-Shafi’i, who migated from the Hijaz to Egypt and, like so many sages and saints, decided to remain in Egypt till her passing.

Sayyida Sukayna, or Sakina, is the daughter of Sayyidina al-Husayn; she survived the massacre of Karbala, and was the first of his children to arrive in Egypt, accompanying her aunt Sayyida Zaynab. Her name was actually Amina, named after the Prophet’s mother – but her mother nicknamed her ‘Sakina’ because she was a source of peacefulness to her family.

Sayyida Aisha is the daughter of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, and the sister of Imam Musa al-Kazim – a noble and generous lady, who is revered by the people of Egypt and far beyond.

"I am the one who has been ordered to take this shaykh for ziyara"

Shaykh BaBikr then prayed the next day the Friday prayer at Sayyidina al-Husayn’s mosque, and then prayed two rak’at in the mihrab of Sayyidina Husayn, and there found a man, dressed in an Moroccan jubba, with his hood covering his head. Shaykh BaBikr could not see his face, nor could the man see Shaykh BaBikr. Eventually, Shaykh BaBikr knew his name as Shaykh Ahmad. Shaykh Ahmad was reading Qur’an, and while he was reading, he then touched Shaykh BaBikr on his back and said, “Read Ya’sin.” So Shaykh BaBikr did, and Shaykh Ahmad then said, “Read Surah Ta-Ha.” Then a friend who was accompanying Shaykh BaBikr came and said to Shaykh BaBikr, “Shall we go?” Shaykh Ahmad then told Shaykh BaBikr, “Can you tell your friend to pray two rak’at and then read Surah Ya’sin.” So his friend did, and then Shaykh BaBikr was told to tell the friend to read Surah Ta-Ha. The friend expressed some frustration, as they had made other plans, and Shaykh Ahmad replied to Shaykh BaBikr, “Tell your friend to be patient. And you (Shaykh BaBikr) read al-Anbiya’.” And so it continued like this, where the two of them read many surahs from the Qur’an.

Then when they finished, Shaykh Ahmad stood up and said to Shaykh BaBikr, “I need to take you for ziyara.” The friend repeated his frustrations, as they had made plans elsewhere, and Shaykh Ahmad said, “Be patient. I am Ma’mur (one who has been ordered) to take this shaykh for ziyara.” When he said that, Shaykh BaBikr recalled what had happened in Alexandria. Shaykh Ahmad then took Shaykh BaBikr to the actual maqam of Imam al-Husayn, then to Sayyida Zaynab, then to the maqam of Ali Zayn al-Abidin, then to Sayyida Nafisa, then to Sayyida Sukayna, and then Sayyida Aisha. Shaykh Babikr said nothing about which ziyarat to do all throughout, and then at the end, he said to Shaykh Ahmad, “SubhanAllah. This ziyara is exactly what I was told to do by a man I met in Alexandria.” The man replied, “Yes. Yes, the man who asked me to do this is Jabal al-Awliya’.”

[Jabal al-Awliya’ means: the mountain of the saints.]

Two miraculous events at once. First, Shaykh Ahmad in Cairo took Shaykh BaBikr on precisely the route that Jabal al-Awliya’ in Alexandria had relayed to him to follow; and the secondly, the main in Cairo identified the name of the man in Alexandria – without any communication between any of them.

Then Shaykh Ahmad said, “Shaykh, I have done what I was commanded. Now, if you don’t mind, could you please allow me to take you on my own extra ziyara.” And they went to Sayyida Fatima al-Nabawiyya. She is one of the daughters of Imam al-Husayn, and one of the great scholars of the ummah. It happened to be the hawl (death remembrance) of Sayyida Fatima, where Shaykh Babikr eventually realised that from among those who were serving food humbly and without notoriety to the poor happened to be someone from the highest elite in Egyptian society – but without anyone knowing.

The Ziyarat

Shaykh BaBikr never met Shaykh Ahmad or Jabal al-Awliya’ again – but he followed their advice diligently, and we tried to do repeat that same ziyara ourselves on a recent visit to Cairo.

It’s one I strongly advise to those who visit Cairo, although one might reasonably change it a little bit if traffic dictates as such.

I would say we intended to add a few more ziyarat in between – for in the same mosque-complex as Sayyida Sakina is Sayyid Hassan al-Anwar, the father of Sayyida Nafisa. Down the road towards Sayyida Nafisa from Sayyida Sakina is another set of graves that includes Sayyida Ruqaya, the daughter of Imam Ali, and Sayyid Ali Muhammad, the son of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq. We also happened to come upon the resting place of Sayyid Muhammad al-Anwar, originally known as Sayyid Muhammad al-Asghar, b. Zayn al-Ablaj b. al-Hasan b. Ali b. Abi Talib, the uncle of Sayyida Nafisa. These are all basically on the route that Jabal al-Awliya had recommended. We then visited Imam al-Shafi’i, Imam Zakariyya al-Ansari, my mother Sayyida Laila al-Zubayr, and we finished at Ibn Ata’illah al-Sakandari. One could add at the end of that easily Ibn Daqiq al-‘Id, Kamal b. al-Humam, Ibn Abi Jamra, and the khalwa of Sayyida Nafisa – they’re all a stone’s throw from Ibn Ata’illah. And if one had more time (and if the route is clear), the sadah of the Wafa’iyya, through whom so many of the contemporary Shadhuli lines go through, is 5 minutes north of Ibn Ata’illah.

The list thus is:

Imam al-Husayn

Sayyida Zaynab

Maqam of Ali Zayn al-Abidin

Sayyida Nafisa

Sayyida Sukayna

Sayyida Aisha

(Additional ziyara requested by Shaykh Ahmad): Sayyida Fatima al-Nabawiya

(close to Sayyida Sukayna is also Sayyid Hasan al-Anwar, Sayyid Muhammad al-Anwar, Sayyida Ruqaya, Sayyid Ali Muhammad)
(Imam al-Shafi’i and Imam Zakariyya al-Ansari)
(Ibn Ata’illah; Ibn Daqiq al-‘Id, Kamal b. al-Humam, Ibn Abi Jamra, the khalwa of Sayyida Nafisa)
(al-sadah al-Wafa’iyya, nearby to Ibn Ata’illah).

Of course, there are many, many others that one could do, and should do at least once.

But this is the land of Egypt – and in its soil are the resting places of so many of Ahl al-Bayt, the saints, the sages, the scholars. May God draw us nearer to their grandfather and model, our liege lord, Sayyidina Muhammad, ‘alayhi salat wa salam.

Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Ja'fari is the current Shaykh of the Ja'fariyya, son of Shaykh Abdul Ghani, grandson of Shaykh Salih al-Ja'fari. Shaykh Salih was one of the teachers of Sayyid Muhammad b. Alawi al-Maliki, from whom Sayyid Muhammad received ijaza. Indeed, al-marhum Shaykh Seraj once related to Shaykh Dr Hisham as they visited Shaykh Salih's maqam that Sayyid Muhammad had spoken incredibly highly of the Ja'fariyya and the tariqa. Shaykh Muhammad Salih was a gracious host indeed.

The Prophet, 'alayhi salat wa salam is reported as having said: "No Muslim servant visits his brother for the sake of Allah but that a caller from the heavens announces: You are purified and Paradise is purified for you! Otherwise, Allah says in the realms of His throne: My servant has visited Me and his guest for My sake, so I am not pleased for him to have any reward other than Paradise."

Shaykh Babikr Ahmed Babikr, a well known Sudanese-British shaykh of the Sammaniyya, received ijazas in various fields from the likes of the great sage Shaykh al-Fatih Qaribullah, the shaykh of our shaykhs, Sayyid Muhammad b. 'Alawi al-Maliki, and Shaykh Salih al-Ja'fari. Shaykh Babikr knew al-marhum Shaykh Seraj, and spoke on various platforms with him, including in Cape Town. (www.sheikhbabikr.com).

Shaykh Dr Hisham hosted Shaykh Babikr recently, his distant relative, as they both hail from the Sudanese al-Ja'ilin clan. They visited various maqams together, including that of Shaykh Salih al-Ja'fari pictured below, along with Sidi Rashid Hendricks.

May God grant Sidi Rashid success in his studies, as per the du'as of Shaykh Babikr and Dr Hisham. May Allah allow us to benefit from the likes of Sayyid Muhammad, Shaykh Salih, Shaykh al-Fatih, and their inheritors, in the best of ways.

Shaykh Ebrahim Gabriels and Sh Dr Hisham at a conference in Doha, Qatar - Shaykh Ebrahim studied in Madinah at the same time that al-marhum Shaykh Seraj studied in Makka, and they knew each other well. Shaykh Ebrahim mentioned how marvelous the gatherings of Sayyid Muhammad b. Alawi al-Maliki in Makka were, with ulama from around the world. He also recollected how as a child, he accompanied his father to the Muslim Judicial Council office in Azzawia, which hosted the MJC at the time. May Allah have mercy on all our teachers, living and those passed.

For those in Istanbul this week!

Dr Hisham A. Hellyer, an expert in religion, geopolitics, and political economy, has more than 20 years of senior experience in academic, governmental, and corporate advisory environments in Europe, the Middle East, USA, and Southeast Asia. Fellow of Cambridge University’s Centre for Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, he is also a Scholar in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (USA), and Senior Associate Fellow in International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security (RUSI) (UK).

He has held academic attachments at noted institutions including the University of Warwick, where he was the research equivalent of an associate professor; the American University in Cairo, as a professor of law, where he taught on religious freedom; the JFK School of Government at Harvard University, where, as research associate, he focused on MENA; Cambridge Muslim College, where he taught several courses in contemporary Islamic studies as a Professorial Fellow; and RZS-CASIS-University of Technology in Malaysia, as visiting faculty at the rank of full professor.

His career has seen him engage as a public intellectual in his subject areas, which has meant significant contributions in the policy arena on Islam in the contemporary Middle East and globally.

Since 2016, he has been named every year as one of the ‘500 Most Influential Muslims in the World’ list (scholars’ section), instituted by Georgetown University (DC) and the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (Amman). Moreover, he is active on the civil society level in other capacities, including via appointments as Senior Scholar at the renowned Capetonian seminary, Azzawia Institute, and as Council Member of the British Board of Scholars.

Born of an English father, and an Arab mother of Egyptian, Sudanese and Moroccan background, Dr Hellyer had a cosmopolitan childhood between the West and the Middle East, working between the two throughout his career.

Wonderful news from Baghdad. Shaykh Afeefuddin al-Jailani visited Azzawia and al-marhum Shaykh Seraj in 2015; Dr Hisham visited him just before Ramadan this year. May Allah grant Shaykh Afeefuddin all assistance and aid in this noble task. https://www.facebook.com/ShaykhSerajHendricks/posts/pfbid02jK6BYuQ2wanmTB2TKVY8KhcxLu9iVW1Db7km5LGhf425bLL18PmuUPNBUxbTCZeil

Congratulations.

Al-salam ‘alaykum wa rahmutullah wa barakatuh,

As we approach the last ten days and nights of Ramadan, a common question that is raised by people is often: “When is Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power)?”
The reality is – we do not know, and that’s for the best.
(An extended version of this article, including du’as following a khatm of the Qur’an, can be found at https://asublimeway.com/khatm-al-quran-the-night-of-power-and-the-end-of-ramadan/).
It is clear from the sunna of the Prophet, alayhi salat wa salam, that he would exert himself more during the last ten days of Ramadan than what he did in other times. A hadith from Sayyida Aisha, reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, notes: "The Messenger of God used to combine the first twenty nights with worship and sleep. But when it was the last ten nights, he would strive hard and tighten his loincloth." In other hadiths, narrated by Abu Dharr and Sayyidina Ali, it's noted that the Messenger of God would wake his family up particularly during the last ten nights of Ramadan to engage in worship. Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, one of the great mujtahid imams, said, "At the commencement of the last ten nights, I consider it desirable for a person to offer the tahajjud salah, strive hard in worship, and awaken his family and children for salah if they are able to perform it."
Clearly, the salaf considered the last ten nights to be special. Some of them used to take a ghusl on every night of the last ten nights; others would also put on perfume during those nights in particular, similar to how many of the salaf would engage with the nights of Eid and the night of Jumma'.
All of this is indicative of seeking out the night of Power most particularly during the last ten nights of Ramadan - but without a set night being established for the night of Power. There's a great deal in the sunna indicated the importance of the night; that deeds on that night are better than deeds done at other times for 1000 months; that the person who engages in night worship on the night of Power with faith and expectation of reward shall have his past sins forgiven, as per the hadith of the Prophet (recorded by the shaykhan); but in terms of precisely when it is, it's not designated with certainty on any particular night.
Rather, as Imam Abd Al-Rahman b. Ahmad b. Rajab al-Hanbali notes, there is evidence for the night of Power on many nights; and particularly a lot of evidence in the last ten nights of Ramadan. A narrative in al-Bukhari notes, "[Seek it] on the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan"; another hadith from Ibn Abbas indicates, "Seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadan; the 9th which remains, the 7th which remains, the 7th which remains, and the 5th which remains." Another hadith narrated from Abu Bakrah indicates the Prophet said, "Seek it on the 9th which remains, the 7th which remains, the 5th which remains, the 3rd which remains, or on the last night." There is also additional evidence indicating that he, alayhi salat wa salam, encouraged people to seek it in the last 7 nights in particular.
With all the evidence in mind, we see that the scholars had a myriad of opinions as to when the night of Power takes place; some of them (according to Ibn Rajab) are included here:
1. It has been been attributed to Ibn Mas'ud that it occurs throughout the year;
2. Imam Abu Hanifah and the majority of scholars say it occurs in Ramadan;
3. There are those who say it occurs any time in Ramadan;
4. Others say it occurs on the first night of Ramadan;
5. Others say it occurs in the second half of Ramadan;
6. Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani say it is on the night of the full moon;
7. The majority of scholars indicates it is confined to the last ten nights;
8. Al-Hasan and Imam Malik, and some Hanbali scholars say it should be sought in all of the ten nights;
9. Many more scholars than this last group, nevertheless, say there is more likelihood, in general, of the night of Power occurring in the last odd nights.
10. Imam al-Shafi'i said it should be sought on the 21st and the 23rd nights (this is also related from Imam Ali and Ibn Mas'ud)
11. Another opinion of Imam al-Shafi'i is that it was most likely to be the 23rd night, and this is also the opinion of the folk of Madinah. Imam Sufyan al-Thawi narrates that as well from the folk of Makkah and Madinah, and it is also related that Ibn Abbas and Sayyida Aisha were from among those who would awaken their families on this night. There is some other evidence from the sunna about the 23rd, and Allah knows best.
12. Other scholars gave precedence to the 24th night, including al-Hasan.
13. Others still give precedence to the 27th night; that is the opinion of Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal, and narrated from a number of the companions, including Sayyidina Omar. There are a number of ahadith that are the basis for this opinion.
14. Nevertheless, others still are reported as having the opinion that the night moves around in the last ten nights, including the great student of Imam al-Shafi'i, Imam al-Muzani. (Ibn Abd al-Barr narrates that this was also an opinion held by Imam Malik, Imam al-Thawri, Imam al-Shafi'i and Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal, and Allah knows best.)
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So, take full advantage of these nights. Do your recitations of the Qur'an; pray extra nawafil of salat; and perhaps most of all, engage in du'a. Our teachers relayed to this to read the following in particular, especially the first dhikr, which is what the Prophet specifically told Sayyida Aisha to do if she thought it was the night of Power:
1. اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عُفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
2. اللهمّ إنا نسألك العفو والعافية والمعافاة الدائمة في الدين والدنيا والآخرة
3. لا اله الا الله الحليم لااله الا الله العلي العظيم سبحان الله رب السموات السبع ورب الارضين السبع ورب العرش العظيم
4. آية الكرسى
More can be found at https://asublimeway.com/khatm-al-quran-the-night-of-power-and-the-end-of-ramadan/
May Allah allow us to be those who reach the night of Power, and be counted among those who took its full blessing, on the night of its occurrence, and every night in the year, ya Rabb!