What can be done on the night of Raghaib? How should we benefit from holy nights?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The Night of Raghaib is a night when the Prophet (pbuh) received some special manifestations, luminous grace and grants, and heavenly gifts from Allah. It is the first Friday night of the month of Rajab.  Raghaib is the plural form of raghiba, which lexicologically means “something that is wished a lot, wonderful, valuable, worthy, grant”. Thus, when the phrase the Night of Raghaib is used, “the night that is full of grace and grants a lot, that has great value and that needs to be benefitted from very well”. Allah sends his grace in abundance that night.  

It is believed among Muslims that it is the day when the Prophet was transferred into his mother’s womb, which forms the first stage of the birth of the Prophet (pbuh). (However, the time period between that night and the day when the Prophet was born indicates that this view is not right. Nevertheless, it can be thought that Amina, the Prophet’s mother, found out on that night that she was pregnant with the Prophet (pbuh) that night.) (Bilmen, Ömer Nasuhi, Büyük İslâm İlmihali, p.187, Bilmen Yayınevi, Istanbul, 1990)

When the Prophet (pbuh) was born, the earth was saved from the darkness of unbelief and ignorance and became very happy; similarly, the universe appraised and welcomed that night, which was the first step of his honoring the world, with enthusiasm. One of the properties of that night, which is spiritually blessed, is that it is the first heraldist of the month of Ramadan. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states that the Night of Raghaib is the title of the beginning of the Prophet’s progress life and that the night of Ascension (Miraj) is the title of the zenith of his progress life. (Nursi, Sikke–i Tasdik–i Gaybî, p.207)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed twelve rak’ahs of prayer on that night in order to thank God Almighty for those manifestations and grants. One gets a lot of rewards if he spends that night worshipping. (Bilmen, ibid, p.187) If ten thawabs are given for each letter of the Quran that is read at normal times, it is more than hundreds in the month of Rajab and increases more on the Night of Raghaib. The thawabs given to missed (qada) prayers and nafilah prayers are many times more than other nights. 

One of the deeds of worshipping that can be done on the night of Raghaib is dua (supplication). The Prophet (pbuh) states in a hadith that duas made on that night will not be rejected. [Suyuti, Jalaluddin, Jamius–Saghir, (with Faydul-QKadir), III/454, Beirut, 1972]

BENEFITTING FROM THE HOLY NIGHTS

There are means of attaining pardoning and forgiveness, gaining thawabs, achieving spiritual progress, getting rid of misfortunes and attaining divine consent that can be done and should be done on holy nights. It will be useful to write and remember some of them in a list concisely: 

1. One should read the Quran and listen to those who read the Quran; Quran programs should be organized; the feeling of love, respect and loyalty to the Quran should be renewed and strengthened.

2. One should utter salawat for the Prophet (pbuh), expect his intercession and renew the consciousness of being a member of his ummah.

3. One should perform missed (qada) and nafilah prayers; one can perform prayers reported for that night if any; one should spend a holy night worshipping with the consciousness of ihsan (worshipping Allah as if one sees Him).

4. One should contemplate; he should meditate deeply on vital issues like “Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What does Allah want from me? etc.”

5. One should think over and check the past, and plan the present day and the future.  

6. One should repent for his sins sincerely and ask for forgiveness; one should regard that night as his last night, regret and repent.

7. One should mention Allah and read supplications a lot.

8. One should ask forgiveness from other believers; one should attain their consent.

9. Those who are cross should be compromised; the people whose hearts are broken and who are sad should be cheered up.

10. One should pray for himself and for his other believing brothers by mentioning their names.

11. One should find those whose rights he violated and ask forgiveness from them; one should act loyally toward the people he knew.

12. One should visit the poor and desolate people, orphans, ill and handicapped people, the elderly; he should make them happy by showing love, compassion and respect to them and by giving them gifts and sadaqah.  

13. One should read the verses, hadiths and interpretations related to that holy night from books individually or in congregation.

14. Religious meetings, panels and talks should be organized; preaching should be listened; poems should be read; religious songs should be listened to make hearts enthusiastic.

15. One should perform the evening, night and morning prayers of a holy night in congregation in the mosque.

16. One should visit the tombs of the Companions, scholars and saints; one should make them pleased and pray God in their presence.

17. One should visit the graves of his relatives and friends, fulfilling the loyalty of being believing brothers.

18. One should say blessed holy night to his religious teachers, parents, friends and relatives by visiting them, or calling them, or sending them messages or emails. One should ask them to pray for him. 

19. One should perform fasting on the days of those holy nights.  

There is no definite deed of worshipping to be performed on holy nights. One can spend such a holy night by performing prayers, reading the Quran and supplications. Some prayers performed on holy nights do not exist in the Sunnah; they are not based on reliable narrations. This does not mean “It is makruh to perform prayers on those nights.” There are a lot of narrations encouraging tahajjud and nafilah prayers. It is definitely more virtuous to perform them on holy nights.” (Canan, Kütüb–ü Sitte, III/289). There is no drawback to performing the prayers stated to be related to the holy nights; one can get thawabs by performing them.

Questions on Islam