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Zahid Joins Millions Chasing After Ramadan’s Holiest Night of Power for Forgiveness and Divine Intervention at Masjidil Haram in Mekah
By Mihar Dias
(C) Copyright April 2022
During the first week of Ramadan Zahid, the UMNO President who is facing 47 charges, requested for his passport to be returned and was allowed by the court for him to travel to Mekah for his umrah during the last 10 days of the holy month in search of Leylatul Qadar.
He would probably be joined by Malay politicians and millions of other Muslims from all over the world chasing after the same dream.
Prices of flights and hotels are sky high for this first-ever Ramadan after the pandemic. But for someone of Zahid’s calibre cost would not be a barrier. Hiring a private jet and staying at a five-star hotel for the last ten days would be worth every ringgit considering the punishment that he would likely face in the event he lost his case.
An umrah package on a private jet and a week’s stay at a five-star hotel with a view of the holy mosque this Ramadan is RM178,000. Such an exorbitant amount is just beyond the reach and the wildest dream of an ordinary Muslim in this country.
Muslims believe Leylatul Qadar or the night of power is the holiest of nights occurring only in the holy month of Ramadan. However, no one knows for sure which night it would be but Islamic scholars say it could take place during the last ten of Ramadan on oddly numbered days in the Islamic calendar.
Zahid’s leave from the High Court proceeding would be from April 21st through to 30th to coincide with the holiest of nights. Reports say Saudi authorities are planning to observe Leylatul Qadar 1443 Hijrah, on 28th April 2022.
The Night of Power also known as Night of Decree is incredibly significant for the faithful. It is believed to be better than a thousand months and worshipping on this night is equivalent to 83 years of worship, more than the average lifetime of mere mortals.
The significance of the night is shown by the Quran itself which dedicated a special Surah to Leylatul Qadar.
Surah Al-Qadr (97) states “The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, on every errand: Peace!… This until the rise of morn!”
This is the major reason that strongly motivates the faithful around the world to spend this night in prayer, seeking forgiveness and asking Allah for his blessings in this world and the hereafter.
For Zahid who is facing criminal charges, there was no better time to take leave from the court to perform his umrah and seek forgiveness, if indeed he was guilty and beseech Allah for divine intervention in the coming months when the judge would deliberate upon his sentence.
Umrah this Ramadan is expected to exceed millions. Zahid would join the multitude from all over the world begging Allah for intervention in their worldly affairs and the hereafter.
The question is, would Zahid’s request that becomes part of millions of others reaches the Almighty from that crowded floor of the Masjidil Haram in Mekah in time to have a bearing on a decision here on earth in the High Court of Kuala Lumpur.
But Muslims also believe that God’s wrath or judgement is decisive and immediate on earth because all it needed for Him was as expressed in a Quranic phrase often quoted by UMNO politicians, “Kun Faya Kun or “Be, and it is”.
For Zahid it is Que Será, Será, or what will be will be. All we can wish for him is good luck chasing the Leylatul Qadar because we know Allah decides upon whom He would show what it truly was and upon whom He would grant his blessings.
For us, mere mortals in Malaysia supplication on that Night of Power would suffice because angels of God do descent bringing good tidings on every corner of the globe, not just on the floor of Kaabah in Mekah where it would be too crowded and extremely expensive for the have-nots.
Photo credit masjidil haram.com
Mihar Dias is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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