Laylat al-Qadr - The Night of Power (or Destiny) (By Lynne McCarthy)

Today offers an extraordinary opportunity for us to pray for Muslims.  It’s the 20th day of Ramadan, the month-long fast, and for sincere Muslims (and there are many), it is an important night. Even as I write, and because of Covid, Muslims are praying at home through live streaming – the area around the Kaa’bah in Mecca, where traditionally they would come to worship Allah (the Hajj, one of the five piilars of Islam), is empty.

This month, I’ve followed the onlne “Prayercast”, a daily information and request for prayer for regions, cities and rulers in the Muslim world, explains the significance of this night for Muslim people. In its Prayer Points section, we pray they would find Jesus.

 Laylat al-Qadr is believed to be the night in which heaven is opened and God responds to prayer in a way unlike any other night of the year. Many believe, from Surah [Chapter] 97, that this one night is more spiritually blessed than a thousand months – 83 years – an entire lifetime!

Some Muslims believe that Allah sets in motion his good decrees for each year during Laylat al-Qadr, which can also be translated “The Night of Destiny.” An often-cited Hadith, a traditional saying of Muhammad, says: “Whoever establishes the prayers on Laylat al-Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven” (Bukhari 1.2.34). ... Laylat al-Qadr is a celebration of the giving of the Quran.

Muslims believe that Allah sent the entire Quran down from the seventh heaven to the first heaven during Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power). Then the angel Gabriel progressively revealed it to Muhammad over 23 years, from 610-632 AD.

Why am I writing this?  Because it is a prime opportunity to begin to pray for these millions of people made in the image of God.  Dreams and visions are not unusual for Muslims, and many of these have turned them to Christ.  If you have Muslim neighbours, friends, co-workers, and if you are reading this, trust that our God, more powerful and loving than we can imagine, will bring many Muslims to Jesus.