Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

             From  Al-Ghunya li Talibi Tariq al-Haqq (Sufficient provision for seekers of the path of truth

                                    by Ghawz al Adhim Sayyidinaa Shaykh Abd al Qadir Jilani,

                                      Radhi Allahu anhu may Allah be well pleased with him

As for the characteristic features that indicate the arrival of the Night of Power/Lailat al-Qadr, they are present in a night when the atmosphere is comfortable, the sky is jet-black, and the temperature is neither hot nor cold. We may also quote this anonymous saying on the subject: "It is a night in which no barking of dogs can be heard. When the sun rises on the following morning, it appears as a disk without rays, rather like a copper bowl."

As for the marvels and wonders of the Night ofPower, they are revealed to those who possess the qualities of spiritual development and sainthood, to those who are committed to worshipful obedience, and to whomever Allah wishes among those of His servants who are true believers -in accordance with their spiritual states, their allotted portions, and their degrees of nearness to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). 

In other words, Gabriel (peace be upon him), who is the Spirit, comes down with an escort of seventy thousand angels, whom he leads as their commanding officer. Once they have descended from heaven to the earth below, Gabriel (peace be upon him) will give the greeting of peace to anyone who happens to be in a sitting posture, while the angels will give the greeting of peace to anyone who happens to be sleeping. At the same time, the  Maker/al-Baari (Glorified and Exalted is He) will bestow the salutation of peace upon those of His servants who are standing upright. It is certainly possible to conceive that Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) will bestow the salutation of peace upon those believing servants of His who are worthy to inhabit the Garden of Paradise, for He has indicated that He will say to them, within the confines of the Garden: "Peace!" -such is the greeting from a Lord All-Compassionate. Salamun qawlan min Rabbi-r Rahim. (36:58) By the same token, it is also conceivable that He will bestow the salutation of peace, here in this lower world, upon those righteous servants of His: unto whom the reward most fair has already gone forth from Us. (21:101) In other words, it is conceivable because the blessings of providence and felicity have already been conferred by Him, in the eternity without beginning, upon those who are extinct to the creation, existing in perpetuity with the Lord, and steadfastly reliant on the Truth.  When the Night of Power comes around, there will not be a single spot on earth that does not have an angel upon it, either bowing down in prostration, or standing erect, as he offers prayers of supplication on behalf of the believing men and the believing women. There will be no exceptions, apart from any church, or any synagogue, or any temple dedicated to the worship of fire, or any temple dedicated to the worship of idols, or certain places where people dispose of their filthy trash.

Those angels will dedicate every moment of their night on earth to offering prayers of supplication on behalf of the believing men and the believing women. As for Gabriel (peace be upon him), he will not leave any believer, male or female, without giving him (or her) the greeting of peace and shaking him/or her by the hand. To each and every one of them, he will say: "If you are in a state of worshipful obedience, peace be upon you, in the form of the approval and favor you deserve! If you are in a state of sinful disobedience, peace be upon you, in the form of forgiveness! If you are in a state of sleep, peace be upon you, in the form of contentment! If you are in the grave or tomb, peace be upon you, in the form of refreshment and sweet perfume!" This, according to one interpretation, is the import of the words of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He): On every errand: Peace... (97:4,5)

Another interpretation has been expressed as follows: "The angels will surely convey the greeting of peace to all worthy  practitioners of worshipful obedience, but they will not offer that same salutation to all who are guilty of sinful disobedience, for some of them are perpetrators of heinous wrongdoing and injustice, who deserve no share in the peace conveyed by the angels. Grievous indeed is the offense committed by the consumer of unlawful sustenance, the breaker of family ties, the spreader of malicious gossip and slander, and the consumer of goods that rightfully belong to orphans. The likes of these are therefore not entitled to any share in the peace conveyed by the angels, and none shall they receive."

What calamity could be worse than this terrible disaster? What a dreadful affliction it must be, to live through a month- 'the beginning of which is a mercy, the middle of which is a forgiveness, and the last part of which is a deliverance from the Fire of Hell' and yet find yourself excluded from sharing in the peace conveyed therein by the angels of the Lord of the sinners and the righteous!  What could have brought this affliction upon you? Was it due to your remoteness from the All-Merciful One, to your being an agent of tyranny and a willing accomplice of the devil, and to your having adopted the flamboyant style of those who tread the path that leads to the Fires of Hell? Was it due to your remoteness and aloofness from those who tread the path that leads to the Gardens of Paradise, and your extreme reluctance  to obey the One who controls both the infliction of harm and the bestowal of benefit? 
The month of Ramadan is the month of serenity and purity, the month of fulfillment and fidelity. It is the month of those who practice the remembrance of their Lord, the month of those who endure with patience, and the month of those who are honest and truthful. So, if it does not have the effect of improving your  heart if it does not induce you to desist from rebellious acts against your Lord, and does not make you avoid the company of troublemakers and criminals- what else can exert a positive influence on your heart? What goodness can be hoped for in a case like yours? What redeeming quality can survive in someone like you? What successful outcome can be expected from an individual like you?

You had better pay attention, O miserable wretch, and try to learn from what has happened to you. Come to your senses, wake up from your slumber, shake off your heedless indifference, and take a good hard look at what has befallen you. However little of the month you still have left, you must seize every opportunity for repentance/tauba and contrition. Take full advantage of the time that is still available for seeking forgiveness/istighfar and practicing worshipful obedience. If you follow this advice, you may yet be one of those who receive the blessings of mercy and compassionate grace.

Then, when the month of Ramadan comes to its close, you should bid it farewell with the shedding of copious tears. You should weep over your unfortunate self, while moaning and wailing and uttering plaintive cries of lamentation. For, as you must be well aware, many a keeper of the fast will never keep another fast, and many a keeper of the vigil will never keep vigil again.  The worker will be paid his wages, once he has finished his work, and we have now finished the work (required of us in the month of  Ramadan). But if only I knew for certain whether our fasting and  our vigil/qiyam have been accepted, or whether they will be used to slap us in our faces! If only I knew for certain which of us has been accepted, so that we may congratulate him, and which of us has been rejected, so that we may offer him our condolences! 

The Prophet sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi sallam Allah bless him and give him peace once said: There is many a one who keeps the fast by day, yet who gets nothing out of his fasting but hunger and thirst. And there is many a one who spends the night in vigil and prayer, yet who gets nothing from his vigil other than insomnia.  Peace be upon you, O month of daytime fasting! Peace be upon you, O month of nighttime vigil!  Peace be upon you, O month of true faith! Peace be upon you, O month of the Quran!  Peace be upon you, O month of the radiant lights! Peace be upon you, O month of forgiveness and pardon!  Peace be upon you, O month of the ascending steps of Paradise and of salvation from the descending steps of Hell! Peace be upon you, O month of the worshipful penitents!  Peace be upon you, O month of those who know from spiritual experience!  Peace be upon you, O month of those who exercise discriminating judgment!  Peace be upon you, O month of safety and security!

You are a prison for disobedient sinners, and for the truly  devout you are a place of comfort.  Peace be upon the lamps and lanterns that shine so bright! Peace be upon the sleepless eyes, and upon the streaming tears! Peace be upon the illuminated niches in the mosques, and upon the tears  that are spilled and shed! Peace be upon the sighs that arise from hearts that are aflame!  O Allah, include us among those whose fasting and prayers have been accepted, among those whose evil deeds You have transformed into good deeds, among those whom You have allowed by Your mercy to enter Your Gardens of Paradise, and among those whose degrees You have exalted, O Most Merciful of the merciful, ya Arhamar Rahimiyn!