Type of Holiday: Religious (Muslim)
Date of Observation: One of the last ten days of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; usually the27th
Where Celebrated: Africa, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia,Syria, Thailand, Turkey, and throughout the Muslim world
Symbols and Customs: Lanterns, Qur'an
Related Holidays: Laylat al-Miraj, Mawlid al-Nabi
ORIGINS
Laylat al-Qadr is a holiday in the tradition of Islam, one of the world's largest religions. According to some estimates,there are more than one billion Muslims worldwide, with major populations found in the Middle East, North andsubSaharan Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. In Europe and the United States, Islam is the secondlargest religious group, with some seven million adherents in the United States. During the early years of Islam, thefaith spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula into regions that are today occupied by Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, andJordan. Contrary to popular opinion, however, Muslims are not just Arabs. Muslims-followers of Islam-are found inmany different ethnic groups all over the globe. In fact, Arabs make up less than twenty percent of Muslims.
The word Islam is an Arabic word that means "surrender to God." Its other meanings include peace, safety, andhealth. The central focus of Islam is a personal commitment and surrender to Allah, the Arabic word for God. In Islam,the concept of Allah is universal and eternal. Allah is the same in every religion and throughout the history ofhumankind. A person who follows Islam is called a Muslim, which means one who surrenders or submits to Allah'swill. But Islam is not just a religion of belief; it is a religion of action. Five specific deeds are required of followers; theseare called The Five Pillars of Islam. They are 1) Shahadah- confession of faith; 2) Salat-prayer/worship; 3) Zakat-charity; 4) Sawm-fasting; and 5) Hajj-pilgrimage.
The message of Islam was brought by Muhammad (570-632 C . E .), who is considered a prophet of Allah. The holybook of Islam is the Qur'an (also sometimes spelled Koran or Alcoran). According to Islamic belief, the Qur 'an wasrevealed to Muhammad by Allah over a period of twenty-three years. Authorship of the Qur'an is attributed to Allah,and not to Muhammad; Muhammad merely received it. Muslims believe that because it originated with Allah, theQur'an is infallible.
There are two main sects within Islam: Sunni and Shi'ite. Sunni Muslims are the majority (estimated at about eightypercent). They recognize the authority of the first four Caliphs, including Ali, and they believe that the Sunna (theexample of the Prophet Muhammad) is interpreted through the consensus of the community. Shi'ite Muslims also lookto special teachers, called imams. The imams are the direct descendants of Muhammad through Fatimah and Ali.These individuals are believed to be inspired and to possess secret knowledge. Shi'ites, however, do not recognize thesame line of Islamic leaders acknowledged by the Sunnis. Shi'ites hold to a doctrine that accepts only leaders whoare descended from Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah and her husband Ali. Many Shi'ite subsects believethat true imams are errorless and sinless. They receive instruction from these leaders rather than relying on theconsensus of the community.
Also known as the "Night of Power" or "Night of Destiny," Laylat al-Qadr celebrates the night on which, in 610 C . E .,the Q UR ' AN , or holy book of the Islamic religion, was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. While Muhammadwas engaged in meditation in the cave of Hira, near the summit of the mountain Jabal Nur, the Angel Gabriel appearedto him with the first of the revelations that would continue on a sporadic basis for twenty-three years. The Prophet hadno control over when Gabriel would speak, but when this occurred, Muhammad's state would visibly change. Once, forexample, he was addressed by Gabriel while riding a camel. By the time the revelation was over, the camel was lyingflat on the ground with its legs splayed out. Gabriel's words, according to Muhammad, physically assaulted him as ifthey were solid, heavy objects. In a trancelike state, Muhammad would repeat the words that Gabriel spoke, and hisfollowers would record them on whatever was available-bones, bark, leaves, or scraps of parchment.
The first revelation is believed to have taken place during the last ten days of the holy month of RAMADAN. Thewidespread belief that the Qur'an was revealed on the twenty-seventh day of the month originated with Manicheism, areligion founded in the third century C . E . by Mani, who died on the twenty-seventh of Ramadan. Because no one iscertain of the exact date, Muslims are asked to spend the last ten nights of Ramadan praying and reading the Qur'an.Some spend the entire night in the mosque during this period, or go out of their way to provide food and help for thepoor. Laylat al-Qadr
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source--<a href="http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Shab-e-Qadar+Ki+Fazelat">Laylat al-Qadr</a>
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