In the name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

In the name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

Do not search for a magical night
By Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi, Oxford
Translated by Hala Akram and Aisha Akram.

I moved to Oxford in January 1991 and stayed near a Bangladeshi mosque for a few days. I used to pray with the Bangladeshi community, and sometimes would take part in their gatherings. After a month and a half, the fifteenth of Sha’ban arrived and the mosque was abuzz with a festive atmosphere. People were dressed in their finest and celebrated the night of the 15th of Sha’ban wholeheartedly until morning. Upon asking, I learnt that the sustenance for the entire year is written on this night and so therefore, everyone comes to the mosque so that their businesses are blessed throughout the year and their wealth increases. In attendance were also those who took usury and sold prohibited things; it was very difficult for me to understand how superstitions had distorted the image of this divine religion.

When Ramadan arrived, I noticed that the same arrangements were made for the twenty-seventh night, the difference being that the night of the 15th of Sha’ban was limited to a specific group, whilst on the Night of Qadr, people of all sects were equally involved. It pains me to see that superstitions found in idolatrous nations are now included in the Muslim Ummah; we have mixed them into the religion of God. We do not accept truth in a clean and clear form, we do not like it until we make it fictional. God sent down simple and healthy foods from heaven but we found them bland and added spices and chilli, creating different flavours until their nutritional value was destroyed.

Where did this concept of a magical night come from? Magic has been declared forbidden in Islam; the Quran and Sunnah have strongly denounced it. Despite this, we have filled the religion with superstitions and charms, even turning the Quran itself into a book of magic. People have made witchcraft a part of the religion, changing verses into codes and symbols, and promoting ‘Islamic magic’.

O Muslim! Your religion has been clouded with deception, and the truth has been obscured from you. Instead, you have been offered deceptive customs and symbols in exchange for the truth, mistakenly believing them to be a path to closeness to Allah.

You’ve overlooked the tremendous blessing bestowed upon you by your Lord, the Night of Qadr. He gifted you a night surpassing a thousand months of worship. But alas! You failed to recognise this great favour. You did not value the Night of Qadr. Instead, you turned it into a magical night. You were captivated by the tales of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, enchanted by Aladdin’s lamp and deceived by the phrase ‘Open Sesame’. If only you had read the sacred book of your Lord. If only you had pondered upon the verses of the Noble Quran. If only you had reflected upon the blessed life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). If only you had drawn inspiration from the lives of the companions and tabi’un (may Allah be pleased with them). But alas, you were intoxicated with superstitions and allured by the magic of One Thousand and One Nights.

O people lost in ignorance! Open your eyes. Do not seek a magical night. This night comes every year; lamenting your disregard and mourning your neglect.

It is said that Khidr drank from the Fountain of Life and was granted eternal bliss. Alexander the Great, guided by Khidr, sought this spring as well. Sadly, he returned thirsty, caught in the relentless grip of death. Saib Tabrizi’s renowned verse underscores this irony:

What good is a perfect guide to the misfortunate?
For Khidr brings water to quench Alexander’s thirst.
For scholars, Khidr’s existence is timeless, and the Fountain of Life is steeped in myth. Our aim here is simply to illustrate that even discovering the Fountain of Life won’t suffice without divine grace.

O nation who turned the Quran into a book of magic and rituals! Listen, and listen carefully. You were given the Criterion that distinguishes between truth and falsehood. You were given that Prophet whose every tradition is the key to success. You were given the gift of prayer, the assurance of closeness to God. You have been given the Night of Qadr, which was intended to elevate your deeds above those of previous nations. But your fate has not changed:
It is not against the nature of rain to be gentle,
In the garden it grows tulips, and in the salt marsh it grows thorns.

O seeker of the truth! Do not seek the Night of Qadr, seek the Lord of the Night of Qadr. If you do not know Him, then even attaining a million nights will be of no help to you. Is not the Night of Qadr and all of the other nights the same for the disbelievers? You have not recognised your Lord, and whoever does not recognise his Lord will be deprived of all good. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked, “What is the matter? We make supplications but they still are not accepted?” He replied, “You do not even know the One to whom you supplicate”.