Taraweeh Reflections (2024)
12 / 12
Earthquakes and Eclipses on Laylatul Qadr | Taraweeh Reflections
Do natural phenomenon like eclipses and earthquakes have anything to do with Laylatul Qadr? Should they be understood as signs of this blessed night?
Transcript
This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu. A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytani r-rajim. Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen. Wa ala adwani ila ala al-dhalimeen wa ala al-aqeebatu lil-muntaqeen. Allahumma salli wa sallim wa barak ala abdika wa rasulika Muhammadin sallallahu alaihi wa sallam wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam tasliman kathira. Allahumma ballighna laylatul qadr. Oh Allah, we ask you to allow us to be amongst those that witness laylatul qadr. Allahumma wafiqna li qiyami laylatul qadr. May Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la allow us to be amongst those who stand in it. And may Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la make us amongst those who are forgiven in it. Allahumma ameen. Dear brothers and sisters, of course, just a quick reminder, it's the 27th night. And there's no doubt that of the 10 nights, while we look for laylatul qadr in all of the 10 nights, the most emphasized singular night, even within the body of the hadith of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and the sayings of the companions, is the 27th night. So we ask Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la that if it is laylatul qadr tonight, that it be accepted for us. And if it is before or after, that we catch it. Allahumma ameen. And of course, there's a large group of Muslims, by the way, that are considering tonight to be the 26th night. So don't be a person who, tomorrow night, treats it like it's just another night. And it might be that tomorrow night, actually, is in fact the 27th. So pursue these nights, dear brothers and sisters, inshaAllah, and keep on making your du'a. I actually wanted to address something that I found very interesting, Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, from the amount of people that asked this question, and of course, the way that it all seems to be so perfectly in place. Today, we had an earthquake in the northeast, between New York and, I believe, all the way to D.C. And it was, you know, somewhat unprecedented, right? The first of its kind in how many decades? And Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, we also have, of course, this eclipse that's going to take place on Monday. And they're saying the first of its kind in how many decades?
And there's this question that I was intrigued by. Shaykh, is this a sign of Laylatul Qadr? Does that mean that last night was Laylatul Qadr because New York shook in the morning? Does that mean that Laylatul Qadr is on the 29th night because the 29th day, we're expecting an eclipse? And Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, there is actually something that deeply ties the concept of Laylatul Qadr to these phenomenons that are out of order for us. And that's what I want to speak about. So first and foremost, when the Prophet ﷺ describes to us the signs of Laylatul Qadr, the natural signs of Laylatul Qadr, it actually is the presence of peace, right? The Layla, the night is Safiya, Sakinah. It's a still, beautiful, peaceful night, right? If there's a rain, it's a light rain. The sky is not too cloudy. The moon, even though it's later in the month, is so pronounced and clear. So there's great clarity in the moon as if the middle of the month, right? The sun rises without rays. So it's a very peaceful night that the Prophet ﷺ is actually describing when he talks about the night of Laylatul Qadr and then the morning after. But then what is this all about? And what lessons can we take from this? Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, I have to say that as I was watching, and I don't know if any of you watched this, but it was really, to me, it was just a sight to see. As I was watching the UN session, in session, and the ambassadors, and then the trombone started, you could see how everyone's face suddenly changed. And it's amazing how quickly Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la reminds you, even those who think that they have power, you have no power at all. أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الْأَرْضِ
Do you really feel secure from the one in the heavens to not shake the ground beneath you and split the ground beneath you and to swallow you from the ground beneath you? And you could see how everyone suddenly sheds their sense of security. They shed their sense of confidence when the earth starts to shake. And it's actually really, Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, when you're reading even in the Qur'an and the Mus'haf, one surah over from Suratul Qadr, the next page is what? إِذَا زَلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَفْقَالَهَا Right? The earth shaking and spitting out its contents. Right before that, you're looking up to Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la and waiting for mercy to descend from the sky. أَأَمِنْتُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ أَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمُ الْأَرْضِ Who gave you this sense of confidence, this sense of entitlement with your Lord? Now how would the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam respond to these types of events? This is actually really interesting. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam taught the believers to respond to these types of events with seeking forgiveness from Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la. That it is to remind us of our vulnerability to Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la that we don't control anything at all. And the presence of rahmah, the presence of Allah's mercy, we talked a little bit about this last night, brings stillness, brings peace, brings calm, brings barakah, brings blessing. And when you start to see that those things that you count on being still are not as stable as you thought they were, it's a reminder to turn back to Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la and to seek His forgiveness. Seeking His forgiveness removes you from the culpability that brings about punishment. Seeking His forgiveness causes Him to descend His blessings. Both of those things. So it actually does tie Laylatul Qadr and the idea of the descent of good
and not assuming good from things that you've taken for granted, from the blessings that you've taken for granted, that you're not in control at all. That seeking Allah's forgiveness and invoking His mercy is what brings about stillness and safety and what brings about salvation and tranquility and sustenance from the skies. That's one thing. And there's also something Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, it's very profound in Surah Al-Ahqaf, when Hud A.S. is warning his people, and then his people are so confident that they see the clouds coming and they say what? هذا عارض منطرنا Oh look, another cloud is coming just to descend beautiful rain upon us. بَلْ هُوَ مَسْتَعْجَلْتُمْ بِهِ رِيحٌ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَلِيمٌ Rather, this is what you hasten for yourselves. Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, this is actually part of the arrogance of man. That you start to expect good again. Not حُسْنَ الظَّنَّ لِللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَالْغُرُورَ Not good hopes in Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la because you're doing something good. Delusion, because you demand good from Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la while you insist upon your evil ways. Oh look, another cloud is coming, it's probably just more rain. We can count on it being rain. Who are you to make these types of demands? Or to think that you can control what sustenance falls upon you? The default relationship with our Lord is that what comes to us from the skies and what grows out of the earth is Barakah, is blessing and sustenance. But when you change, the equation flips. The same sky that rains upon you its blessings can rain upon you stones. The same earth that produces for you your fruits and your crops and your sustenance can shatter beneath you and can actually envelope you. May Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la protect us. All of these things are true and it goes back to one reality, your relationship with your Lord. And so Laylatul Qadr is the night of Allah's power
and a night where you're invoking Allah's power and a night where you're invoking Allah's mercy and a night where you are seeking forgiveness for your sins which are a barrier between you and His mercy and a means by which His power can destroy you if you're not careful. The last thing that I'll say, and I actually don't mind saying this at this point, I really don't, you know, Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la, I think it's important for us to be very open. One thing, when I saw the shaking there, I'm going to be very honest with you. I think about how many people from Gaza have made du'a against this country. And I ask Allah to protect us. Because the reality is, is that if we, and how many oppressed people, how many oppressed people around the world make du'a against this country. And if we are not challenging its evil from within, we are complicit. We are culpable. The only way that we remove ourselves from being included in that la'na, in the curses of the oppressed, from around the world, abroad and within, are by challenging that oppression ourselves. And that's an excuse before Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la so that even if the consequence of that du'a were to strike us, that insha'Allah we would not bear the sin of what that du'a was made for in the first place. And so it's just crazy how you can just see the most powerful people in the world, but if the earth starts to quake, watch how everyone becomes as vulnerable as an insect. It's stunning. And Allah Azawajal tells us in the Qur'an, إِذَا زُرْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا وَأَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا وَقَالَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا لَهَا And the human being says, man says to the earth, what is wrong with it? What's happening here? Why is this happening? Why is this changing? Why is it shaking?
Make it stop. Is there a button that you press? How do you make it stop? Dear brothers and sisters, when we're calling Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la to forgive our sins, we should fear the effect of our sins as well. And hope in His mercy in that process. And in these days where we're invoking Allah for His mercy, let's put all of our sins in front of Him, knowing that His mercy can overcome and forgive all of our sins. And we ask Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la for that forgiveness and for that mercy. May Allah Azawajal allow us to realize Laylatul Qadr, allow us to realize the forgiveness of Laylatul Qadr. And may Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la make it a means of ease for the oppressed and a means of victory for them over the oppressors. Allahumma ameen. Wa salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Al Fatiha.
Welcome back!
Bookmark content
Download resources easily
Manage your donations
Track your spiritual growth
1 items
1 items
1 items
25 items
50 items
9 items
