Faruk-ef. Efendić: There is no shortcut to Paradise

(Patria) - According to the Takvim of the Riyasat of the Islamic Community, the blessed night celebrated in Islamic tradition as Laylat al-Bara'at falls tonight.

It is also called the Night of Forgiveness and Destiny and holds a special place in the Islamic calendar as one of the four chosen nights.

The imam of the Central congregation, Medžlis of the Islamic Community Sarajevo, Mr. Faruk-ef. Efendić, emphasizes that the blessed moments placed within blessed days and nights are, in fact, a time when the human race is offered the chance to turn a new page in life.

„The Exalted Lord, in His noble Book, reminds believers that after hardship comes ease, after worry comes joy, after illness comes recovery. This is certainly witnessed by those who firmly believe in God's decree directed towards us humans. Optimism permeates the believer's convictions, thoughts, and feelings, therefore they bear life's trials more easily,“ explains Mr. Efendić.

He also warned of two extremes in experiencing and understanding blessed moments: on one hand, disputing them due to "lack of valid, well-founded evidence" and reducing them to mere form, and on the other hand, emphasizing their significance while neglecting the very essence of the blessed time. 

„We can conclude that the message sent by the blessed nights manifests precisely in the encouragement that life's obstacles in the form of sins, trials, and undesirable states must not be a reason for us to give up on the ultimate goal of God's pleasure. It is known that some of the blessed nights came after difficult life situations in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, found himself, such as the Mi'raj. After the boycott, various tortures and unpleasantness, and the loss of loved ones, he experiences an honorable ascension to the heavenly spheres in the presence of Allah, glory be to Him. Another example is the Night of Qadr, when after confusion, dejection, and spiritual solitude, he is honored with prophethood,“ reminds Efendić. 

Following these examples, he reminds that the blessed nights are also a kind of message that after a fall we must rise and move forward and do everything in our power.

„Ultimately, the blessed nights are not an end in themselves, but moments when we are once again offered the shelter of God's mercy and forgiveness. The happiness and elation a believer feels during the blessed nights should primarily be channeled into performing the fard and avoiding the haram, after those blessed nights have passed,“ advises Efendić.

As we discuss the celebrations organized on these occasions, Efendić describes for us images of full mosques on special dates, speaks of poems about the magnificent moments of the Prophet's, peace be upon him, life, dhikr, collective worship, and learning and listening to the Qur'an through different maqams. Along with all these impressions, Efendić warns, we must not allow the blessed nights to become a substitute for lethargy in all other moments of life. 

„If anyone should have been exempt from obligations towards God and people to a certain extent, it would have been the Prophet, peace be upon him. However, he would complete worship to the utmost limit of human endurance, through prayer and fasting. He cared for all people regardless of race, class, influence, or wealth. He fought in every possible way on God's path, established justice, ruled fairly, and especially emphasized care for the oppressed, persecuted, and disenfranchised. He explained that whoever prays gains nothing from their prayer if they lie, cheat, slander, disturb, and do evil to others - Efendić reminded of some aspects of the Prophet's, peace be upon him, life, noting that the values of faith are lived in all circumstances. 

As he points out, partial, fragmented, and incomplete acceptance of the demands from the Exalted God and His Messenger leads to crisis. In this sense, he warns against the dangerous opinion that "during the blessed nights we can earn absolute mercy and forgiveness, if our daily life is not filled with the practice we engage in during those nights."

„If we believe that one of the blessed nights is the one when wishes - duas are accepted, does our dua come down only to a specific date in the year? When we know that one of the blessed nights carries the blessing of forgiveness and special mercy, do we expect forgiveness from the Lord only on that night, or is it an integral part of our daily lives? If we know and believe that in one of the blessed nights, the Qur'an was revealed, do we learn it only on that night or, what is more tragic, perhaps only listen to its recitation? Life is a thorny worldly path to the eternal garden of contentment and infinite happiness. Therefore, there is no shortcut to Paradise,“ Efendić stated.