Night of Destiny — Installment Two
More on this important celebration
Tonight my spiritual community celebrates the revelation of the Quran. This night, known as the Night of Destiny, or the Night of Power, occurs on the anniversary of God’s revelation of the Quran through the prophet Muhammad:
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Most glorified is the One who summoned His servant (Muhammad) during the night, from the Sacred Masjid (of Mecca) to the farthest place of prostration,* whose surroundings we have blessed, in order to show him some of our signs. He is the Hearer, the Seer. (The Quran 17:1)
*17:1 “The Aqsa Masjid” means “the farthest place where there is prostration,” many billions of Light Years away. This verse informs us that Muhammad, the soul, was taken to the highest Heaven to be given the Quran (2:185, 44:3, 53:1–18, & 97:1).
The above footnote to verse 17:1 explains about the Aqsa Masjid. This does not refer to a place on earth. Rather it describes a place in the universe that comes as close to God as we humans in our earthly forms can withstand.
The Quran continues with the information that in a similar manner God gave the world scripture through the prophet Moses:
Similarly, we gave Moses the scripture, and rendered it a beacon for the Children of Israel…. (The Quran 17:2)
What an amazing gift God gave us in His scriptures, and for me at least, especially the Quran!
The Quran tells us of all the practices that we need to grow our souls enough to be able to return to God with good and developed souls that allows us to enjoy His presence, both in this world and, God willing, for eternity in the Hereafter. Where else can we find such information?
When I first read the Quran, I feared the practices would prove too difficult for me to follow for the rest of my life. I hesitated to make the dive, so to speak, and commit myself to trying to perform those practices until I went through a storm at sea while sailing with friends in the Pacific Ocean, far from shore. When we all survived that storm, I knew I needed to do more than read the Quran. I decided to make the commitment to try becoming a Muslim and perform all of the practices given in the Quran.
I realize now that I could not have made a better decision. It has been many years since that storm in 1976, my life has changed greatly since then — and all for the better, praise God. For those of you who have made similar decisions, I pray that the results for you have been as rewarding!
Now, may we stay on our course and continue to grow stronger in our submission to God, our Merciful Creator and Sustainer.
If you have not read the first installment on the Night of Destiny, here is the link to it:
May God bless your Night of Destiny and your life!
