CENTRAL CEREMONY ON THE OCCASION OF LAYLATUL-QADR Reis Kavazović: Tonight, let us ask God to direct the world towards good

(Patria) - The central ceremony of the Riyaset of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina was held tonight at the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Sarajevo, on the occasion of Laylatul-Qadr, the 27th night of Ramadan.

The Reis-ul-ulema of the Islamic Community, Husein-ef. Kavazović, addressed the present believers, reminding them that Muslims believe tonight is Laylatul-Qadr, the night when the revelation of the Quran began and the night when events for the coming year are determined.

He called on believers to spend it in prayer and seeking forgiveness, asking God to direct the world towards good and stop violence.

Speaking about global affairs, he expressed deep concern over wars and the suffering of civilians, particularly in Gaza and the wider Middle East, emphasizing that the destruction, the killing of children, and the indifference of parts of the international community have caused great disappointment.

He particularly warned of the danger of internal quarrels, slander, and divisions among Muslims, recalling a narration that the exact date of Laylatul-Qadr was hidden precisely because of the quarrels among the companions. He stressed that such conflicts deprive the community of blessings and bring unrest, fear, and uncertainty to society.

You can read the address of Reis-ul-ulema Kavazović below:

Brothers and sisters!

Tonight is the 27th night of the blessed month of Ramadan. We Muslims believe that tonight is Laylatul-Qadr, the most distinguished night of the year, better than a thousand months. In that night, the Quran was sent down to the nearest heaven to us, from where it was gradually sent down to Muhammad, peace be upon him, on Earth. About this night, the Almighty says:

"Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace is until the emergence of dawn."

This was in the summer of 610 AD, in the last third of Ramadan, as the Quran informs us. In the month of Ramadan, the revelation of the Quran began, which is a guide for people and a clear proof of the right path and the distinction between good and evil. Therefore, the Quran and Laylatul-Qadr are closely and intimately connected.


Photo: Patria

Brothers and sisters!

Tonight, as we have received from the Prophet, peace be upon him, is the night of destiny. This is an opportunity to ask Allah to direct world events towards good, towards His pleasure, and not towards evil and His wrath.

According to narrations from the Prophet, peace be upon him, the heavens are open tonight and filled with angels. According to some narrations, this is also the night of angels. May our hearts also be open tonight and be filled with heavenly gifts, mercy, and forgiveness. We believe that the paths to God are more accessible tonight.

This is the best opportunity of the year to offer supplication to Allah, the Exalted and Mighty; let us do so with humility and a willing heart!

Let us ask Him, the Exalted and Mighty, to restrain the tyrants and spare the world from their evil, because people are not doing enough to stop them in their rampage.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, warned that we should do so. "When people see a tyrant," he said, "and do not prevent him from his tyranny, they risk Allah encompassing them all with His punishment!"

The situation in the Middle East particularly concerns us. Much blood has been shed there, many children killed and maimed, many lives destroyed, especially in Gaza and now in Iran.

Many countries, their infrastructure, and economies have been devastated; goods are brazenly seized and plundered, and people's positions are further weakened. People turn against each other, and discord is sown among them.

It has become redundant to speak of the world's insensitivity, of the support for the killers of Palestinian children by that part of the world we considered civilization, which has met with global disappointment, outrage, and condemnation, but on this occasion tonight, I will remind you of something else.

The companion Ubadah ibn Samit narrates: "Once, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went out to inform us about the exact date of Laylatul-Qadr. Then, a quarrel began between two people present, after which he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'I went out to inform you about when exactly Laylatul-Qadr is, but because two people quarreled, the specification of the exact date was taken away from me. Perhaps it is better for you. Therefore, seek it on the ninth, seventh, and fifth nights (of the last third of Ramadan).'"

From this hadith, we draw an extremely important lesson: the quarrel between two companions resulted in the hiding of knowledge about the exact date of Laylatul-Qadr. Quarrels and futile discussions are always a reason for the loss of blessings.

Once, the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked his companions: "Shall I inform you of something that is better than prayer, fasting, and charity?" The companions replied that they would, and he told them: "Maintaining peaceful and good relations among yourselves is the most noble, because quarrels among you remove faith."

We, brothers and sisters, constantly have quarrels and verbal attacks on each other here, slander and backbiting. And not only about worldly matters but also about the hereafter, and not only about secular issues but also about religious ones, sowing discord and division among us. We are tired of them.

As a result, our country, all of us, are deprived of heavenly blessings, and unrest, bitterness, nervousness, uncertainty, and fear of the future are brought into our lives.

I want to tell you one thing on this blessed night: in times of strife, hold on to the community of Muslims, as the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, advised us.


Photo: Patria

Brothers and sisters!

The situation in the world is worsening practically day by day, and becoming more complex. People have largely strayed from the Right Path. As a consequence, we have this soullessness, cruelty, violence, and injustice that are increasingly prevalent. As a result, the living environment is becoming more difficult, more poisoned, and more stressful, with more pain, sadness, and misfortune in it.

Our old scholars used to say that whoever breaks the connection with God, God replaces the pleasantness of His company with the unpleasantness of separation. The times we live in confirm the truth of their words.

We ask ourselves, what should we do, brothers and sisters? Can we do anything to make the situation better and more pleasant to live in, with less uncertainty and fear of each other?

We are not a great nation, nor a strong country, and we cannot significantly influence world affairs, but we can change our own state. We can revive the dormant person within us and draw closer to God – the source of beauty, nobility, and mercy.

In God's closeness, we will find all these values, and our reality will undoubtedly be completely different. "O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life." (Al-Anfal, 24)

Respond, therefore, to that which will bring light, life, and meaning to your hearts, and thus sweetness and beauty to living; that which will revive in you the striving for truth, bring you closer to one another, and to the reverence of God Almighty, His word. In this lies man's happiness, both in this world and the next. Outside of this is darkness, collision, anxiety, and pain. And a life without meaning and purpose.

Brothers and sisters!

We believe that Laylatul-Qadr is the night of decision, the night in which everything that will happen during the coming year, until the next Qadr night, is decided according to Allah's knowledge: when and where it will rain, what the crops will be like and how much sustenance there will be, who will be born and who will die, who will get married – meaning, in that night Allah informs His angels about natural events. It is the night when things are set in motion to create the causes that will lead to the realization of what will happen.

I call on each of you individually to ask Allah tonight to direct the general course of world events towards good, and for each of you to make a firm decision: to reject from yourselves what God Almighty dislikes and has forbidden, and to implement what He loves and has commanded.

In a word – to respect Allah and stand before Him with humility. Do this, and our situation will change. Pray tonight, turn to Allah, the Exalted, as His Prophet taught us, until dawn: "My Lord, You are Generous and You love generosity, so forgive this sinner."

O God, bless us, bring harmony among us, guide us, and lead us out of this darkness. And answer, O God, our prayers tonight and help us to improve ourselves. Amen!