Kuwait Times

Published Date: September 18, 2009
By Shakir Reshamwala, Staff writer

KUWAIT: In what has become an annual Ramadan tradition, tens of thousands of worshippers converged on the Grand Mosque early yesterday to spend the night of the 27th of Ramadan in prayer and supplication. Many believe 'Laylatul Qadr' (Night of Power or Decree) falls on this night, but this is not a confirmed fact as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instructed Muslims to hunt for this night on the odd-numbered nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. Qiyam ul-layl or special nightly prayers are therefore held during
these nights at the Grand Mosque and many other mosques across Kuwait.

But the number of worshippers at the Grand Mosque this year was markedly fewer than in previous years, which witnessed the faithful praying on the streets and traffic islands and vehicles caught in a snarl stretching for kilometres. The low attendance was possibly due to the outbreak of swine flu in the country - which has resulted in seven deaths and more than a 1,200 people infected - and many preferred to keep away from crowded areas. Another reason could be the absence of Sheikh Meshary Al-Afasy, the g
olden-voiced reciter who enjoys a global following. This year he is leading taraweeh prayers at the Islamic Center of Irvine in California.

The Grand Mosque in Kuwait is the hub of worship in Kuwait in Ramadan, and thousands pack its cavernous interiors throughout Ramadan. As on other nights, eight rakaats of tahajjud prayers were performed followed by three rakaats of witr prayers. The first four were led by Sheikh Majid Al-Anzi, and the remaining by Sheikh Khaled Saeedi, whose heart-rendering recitation of the Holy Quran and supplication in the witr prayers moved the congregation to tears. After four rakaats, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Qattan delivered
a short but rousing sermon.

Prayers started at 12:00 am, and concluded shortly at 2:15 am. Roads adjacent to the mosque were cordoned off, with only buses plying to ferry worshippers from parking lots to the mosque. Emergency services were at hand, with ambulances and the fire brigade on full alert. Scores of volunteers and boy and girl scouts directed the crowds. Refreshment booths distributed beverages and snacks throughout the night. As the night wore on, worshippers - citizens and expats, men and women - spilled out onto the pave
ments. The stretch opposite the mosque, from the stock exchange till the roundabout, was packed with worshippers. Thousands also prayed in front of the Babtain Library building and nearby embankments.

The organizers have done a wonderful job. Erecting tents outside the mosque was also a good idea," said Iqbal Dawre, a worshipper. "It was also great that other reciters were given an opportunity to lead prayers in the absence of Al-Afasi," he said. Firoz Sultan, who was in attendance with his five children, also praised the organization of the night's events, singling out the medical personnel for their quick responses. "I hope this spirit of helping others continues after Ramadan and extends to all Musl
ims and non-Muslims too," he said. "May Allah reward us all.

Laylatul Qadr holds great significance for Muslims, and the last ten nights of Ramadan are spent in prayer and meditation. Ubaadah bin Saamit (RA) reports that he asked the Prophet (PBUH) about Laylatul Qadr. He replied: "It is in Ramadan, during the last ten days, on the unevenly numbered nights, either the 21st 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th or the last night of Ramadan. Whosoever stands in 'ibaadah' (worship) on this night, with sincere faith and with genuine hopes of gaining reward, his previous sins will be f
orgiven.

Among the signs of this night is that it is a serene, quiet, shining night, neither hot, nor cold but temperate as if a moon is shining clear, and no meteors are shot at the devils on that night; it lasts until the break of the dawn. Another sign is that at morn, the sun rises without any radiant beams of light, appearing rather like the moon in its fullness. On that day, Allah prohibits the devils from rising up with the sun.

Laylatul Qadr could thus fall on any night, but the night of the 27th is believed by most to be the one, and millions of Muslims around the globe spend this night in prayer. The Holy Quran says that Laylatul Qadr is better than a thousand months, and Allah's blessings and angels descend on earth on this night. Laylatul Qadr is also the night that Allah first sent down the first verses of the Holy Quran via Archangel Gabriel to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).