Lejletu-l-berat heralds the upcoming Ramadan

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The blessed night of Lejletu-l-berat, according to the Calendar of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2020, begins on the evening of April 7th, and is seen as a herald of the upcoming month of fasting, blessed Ramadan. It is also celebrated as the night when angels begin to write the destiny of humanity and each individual for the coming year, and in the tradition of Bosnian Muslims, it is also known as the night of forgiveness, destiny, and wishes. This chosen night is mentioned in the hadiths, the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as the night when Almighty Allah determines human destinies, human lives, and their sustenance, and some hadiths mention that in this night Allah forgives people's sins.

In the Quran, this night is mentioned in the chapter Ad-Duhan (Smoke) in which Allah says it is a blessed night in which God determines all His decrees. Lejletu-l-berat means liberation, purification. Allah, in that night, liberates a large number of people from sins.

This blessed night has several names: the night of the middle of Sha'ban, the night of forgiveness, the night of liberation, the night of presentation of deeds, the night of distribution and decision. According to the noble hadith, the name of this night is "Nisfu Sha'ban", which means the middle of the month of Sha'ban.

Traditionally, Muslims of this region spend the blessed nights reciting the Holy Quran, performing voluntary prayers with dhikr – frequent remembrance and glorification of the Lord, as well as offering supplications to the Most Merciful.