CHAPTER4
BETWEEN THE TWO NIGHTS
The Mi'raj or ascension
ofthe Prophet to the special Divine presence took place on 27 Rajab. This date
appears to be linked in the Islamic calendar to 27 Ramadan, the likely day of the
'night of power' (lailatul qadr).
It seems that this period of
two months is a special season in which the collective spirituality is
progressively enhanced until finally the individual effort of even the average
worshipper elevates him to eligibility for some form of religious experience. This,
in turn, launches him on a path· of spiritual
growth.
The progressive enhancement
begins on 27 Rajab when the worshipper refreshes his memory about the Prophet's
Mi'raj and reminds himself that the five daily prayers
(Salat) which were brought 'down' from 'above' in the Mi'raj, are
the vehicle for his personal Mi'raj. He thus pay serious attention to
improving the quality of his salat. This involves, most of all,
developing a 'devout' frame of mind.
In the month of Shaban he follows the example of the
Prophet and fasts - a trial run, really, to prepare the body and the mind for the
rigors of the fast of Ramadan. Thus the preliminary fast of Shaban is added to (salat)
and worship moves into a higher gear. On 1 Ramadan not only does the
compulsory fast for all (adult) Muslims begin but, also, there· is qiyam al-Lail or the prayers of the
night-vigil, when it is customary for the entire Qur'an to be recited. Fasting,
the night-time prayer vigil and the recitation of the Qur'an have a dramatic
impact in effecting a substantial qualitative improvement of worship.
When on 21 Ramadan the
withdrawal from worldly affairs and seclusion in the Masjid ('itikaf) for
ten days commences, the worshippers reach a pitch or intensity of worship which
makes this period most conducive (spiritually) for religious experience.
Finally comes 27 Ramadan, the
night of power (Iailatul qadr) when Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alah) sends down the angels and Gabriel for 'every errand', (Qur'an, 97:4)
- i.e. to bestow, among other things, the supreme gift of Miraj to all those
who have deserved it or who have earned it.
When the Qur'an asserts that
'the night of power' (Lailtul qadr) is superior to a thousand months',
(Qur'an 97:3) the implication is that that which can best be experienced on
that night (namely spiritual experience which launches spiritual growth) is
better than an entire life-span (a thousand months standing for an average
lifespan) lived without it.
There are profound
psychological and sociological lessons to be learnt from Islam's fast of
Ramadan. The enhanced collective -'spirituality
of Ramadan', for example, literally reaches down to embrace even the weakest of
the believers and to assist and strengthen his resolve to observe the fast.
Secondly, with the
institution of the fast of Ramadan and its attendant charity, prayers, and the
recitation of the Qur'an, Islam takes the believer to the third stage of the
process of religious development, the stage of total conformity and harmony
with the externally imposed sacred law.
In the first stage, we should
recall, the individual was invited to enter into Islam and to submit publicly to the Truth. In the second stage,
on the other hand, the process witnessed the internalization of the externally
proclaimed belief. This was the stage of faith (al Iman). With the
fulfilment of stage three, or total conformity with the sacred law, the stage
is now set for that spiritual growth (through al-Shariah, al-Tariqah, al- Ma'arifah and al-Haqiqah) which
is the true goal of the religious way of life.
To Be Continued ....
