Discussion of the Night of Decree, mentioning the wisdom and mercy in its concealment.
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The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the righteous, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows, this night is the night of Wednesday, the twenty-seventh of Ramadan in the year 1420. I hope that it is one of the nights of the last ten days that is the Night of Decree. However, it is not certain that it is the Night of Decree. The Night of Decree could be on the twenty-seventh, twenty-fifth, twenty-third, twenty-first, twenty-ninth, thirtieth, twenty-eighth, twenty-sixth, twenty-fourth, or twenty-second. Every night is a possibility for it to be the Night of Decree.
For this reason, the scholars said: If a man says, "My slave is free on the Night of Decree," when is he freed? When? On the last night of Ramadan. If he says, "My slave is free on the Night of Decree," he cannot free him except on the last night of Ramadan. Why? Because we do not know which night is the Night of Decree. On the last night, it is certain that what has happened is? It has either passed or it was before. In any case, the Night of Decree is not known specifically. This is from the wisdom of Allah and the mercy of Allah—listen, man—its concealment is wisdom and mercy. As for it being wisdom, it is so that Allah the Exalted knows who is eager for good and who is not, because the one who is eager for good finds it easy to stand in prayer for ten nights, or even twenty nights, to seek out the Night of Decree. And the one who is not eager says, "If I do not know that it is a specific single night, then there is no need for me to exhaust myself." Is this wisdom or mercy? It is wisdom. As for the mercy, it is so that the servants increase in worship of Allah, because if the Night of Decree were known, people would strive in how many nights?—answer, everyone—in one night. But if it is not known, they strive in ten nights and thereby increase in reward and elevation. Do not belittle the reward, do not belittle the reward. Do not belittle the reward. By Allah, one of you would wish for an increase of a speck in his good deeds, an increase of the weight of a speck in his good deeds. And he does not know. He does not know when he will be wishing for this. For as soon as he dies, he will wish for it. And is death known? No. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2403Da'if (Darussalam) meaning that he did not repent. So do not belittle anything of the news .
As for what follows, this night is the night of Wednesday, the twenty-seventh of Ramadan in the year 1420. I hope that it is one of the nights of the last ten days that is the Night of Decree. However, it is not certain that it is the Night of Decree. The Night of Decree could be on the twenty-seventh, twenty-fifth, twenty-third, twenty-first, twenty-ninth, thirtieth, twenty-eighth, twenty-sixth, twenty-fourth, or twenty-second. Every night is a possibility for it to be the Night of Decree.
For this reason, the scholars said: If a man says, "My slave is free on the Night of Decree," when is he freed? When? On the last night of Ramadan. If he says, "My slave is free on the Night of Decree," he cannot free him except on the last night of Ramadan. Why? Because we do not know which night is the Night of Decree. On the last night, it is certain that what has happened is? It has either passed or it was before. In any case, the Night of Decree is not known specifically. This is from the wisdom of Allah and the mercy of Allah—listen, man—its concealment is wisdom and mercy. As for it being wisdom, it is so that Allah the Exalted knows who is eager for good and who is not, because the one who is eager for good finds it easy to stand in prayer for ten nights, or even twenty nights, to seek out the Night of Decree. And the one who is not eager says, "If I do not know that it is a specific single night, then there is no need for me to exhaust myself." Is this wisdom or mercy? It is wisdom. As for the mercy, it is so that the servants increase in worship of Allah, because if the Night of Decree were known, people would strive in how many nights?—answer, everyone—in one night. But if it is not known, they strive in ten nights and thereby increase in reward and elevation. Do not belittle the reward, do not belittle the reward. Do not belittle the reward. By Allah, one of you would wish for an increase of a speck in his good deeds, an increase of the weight of a speck in his good deeds. And he does not know. He does not know when he will be wishing for this. For as soon as he dies, he will wish for it. And is death known? No. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: