Senad-ef. Karišik on the Night of Wishes: May our prayers be for peace in our homes, our people, and the whole world

(Patria) - One of those blessed nights in which Allah, the Almighty, opens the doors of His mercy and compassion, Lejletur-regaib, or the Night of Wishes, begins tonight with the evening prayer.

“This is a night when the hearts of believers are filled with hope, and prayers emerge from the deepest corners of our souls,” said the chief imam of the Islamic Cultural Center (ICC) in Ljubljana, Senad-ef. Karišik, on this occasion for the MINA Agency.

He reminded that this is a night when believers remember Allah's generosity and His immense love for His creations.

„In a world full of challenges and uncertainty, Lejletur-regaib comes to us as a beacon of hope. It is a night when we should raise our hands and ask Allah for forgiveness, but also for the strength to be better people – better towards our families, neighbors, and every passerby on our life's journey,” said efendi Karišik.

He conveyed that Allah, the Almighty, loves those who turn to Him sincerely.

„Therefore, let us use this night to cast out envy, hatred, and doubt from our hearts, and replace them with love, compassion, and understanding. May our prayers be for peace in our homes, our people, and the whole world,” said Karišik.

The month of Rajab, which began on January 1st, marks the beginning of a period of spiritual preparation and hope before the arrival of Ramadan. The blessed night of Lejletur-regaib symbolizes the beginning of three blessed months – Rajab, Sha'ban, and Ramadan – during which believers dedicate themselves to prayer, repentance, and drawing closer to Allah, the Almighty. Blessed nights represent chosen periods which, according to Islamic teachings, have greater value than others and are symbolically linked to specific events in Islamic history or are a reflection of divine mercy. Lejletur-regaib is a call to awaken the heart and prepare the soul for the blessed nights that follow, culminating in Ramadan, the month of mercy and forgiveness.

Efendi Karišik pointed out that throughout the Muslim world, in his homeland of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and even in the mosque in Ljubljana, on Thursday, January 2, 2025, in honor of the blessed night of Lejletur-regaib, there will be recitations of the Quran, mawlids, dhikrs, ilahis, and qasidas, voluntary prayers, and supplications.

“And our prayers and wishes are based on the ethical principle 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' The universality of this ethical rule is reflected in its prescribing equal treatment for all people, not just members of one group or faith. Our wishes and prayers are directed towards all people in the world, especially towards those who need help, who are disenfranchised, oppressed, and subjugated,” said Karišik.

He called on Muslim men and women to cast out quarrels, arrogance, corruption, conceit, insincerity, and all other bad things from their hearts, and to instill sincerity, pure faithful love, gentleness, and empathy for those in need.
“And let us crown all this with sincere devotion, which is especially needed in this time. May these days be in an atmosphere of goodness, filled with good deeds and kind words, and true gratitude to the Creator for making us possessors of these joys,” emphasized efendi Karišik.

He reminded that many Quranic verses indicate that God the Almighty accepts prayers and fulfills believers' expectations, and that prayer and hope in God's mercy are the link between believers and their Creator.

“Prayer is necessary for a person. Just as prayer is a respite for the soul in daily life, prayer on blessed nights is our connection with the Lord, a reminder of the hereafter, the spiritual, the essence of our faith. Given the dynamism of modern life, it is a balance between the spiritual and the material. Therefore, let us cleanse our hearts by constantly remembering Allah, and let us fill our days and nights with prayers to Him, not forgetting those before us, nor those who will succeed us, in those prayers! In these days, let us pray to the Lord, fast, and perform prayers, awaiting God's mercy and blessings,” conveyed efendi Karišik.