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Several books in various languages are
available which provide these Prophetic prayers, and one
should pray Allah Almighty in accordance with them,
whether by reciting their original Arabic text or by
rendering their sense in one's own language.
(e) There are some people who cannot
perform any additional Salah or recitations for any
reason, like illness or weakness or being engaged in some
other necessary activities. Such people also should not
leave themselves devoid of the blessings of this night.
They should observe the following acts:
(i) To perform the salah of Maghrib, Isha
and Fajr with Jama'ah in the mosque, or in their homes in
case of their being sick.
(ii) They should keep reciting the Dhikr, particularly the one
mentioned in para (c) above, in whatever condition they are
until they sleep.
(iii) They should pray to Allah for their forgiveness and for
their other objectives. One can do so even when he is in his
bed.
(f) The women during their periods cannot perform Salah, nor
can they recite the Holy Qur'an, but they can recite any Dhikr,
Tasbeeh Durood Sharif and can pray to Allah for whatever
purpose they like in whatever language they wish. They can also
recite the Arabic prayers mentioned in the Holy Qur'an or in
the Hadith with the intention of supplication (and not with the
intention of recitation).
(g) According to Ahadith, which is
relatively less authentic, the Holy Prophet (SAW) went in
this night to the graveyard of Baqf where he prayed for
the Muslims buried there. On this basis, some of the
fuqaha hold it as mustahabb (advisable) in this night to
go to the graveyard of the Muslims and recite Fatihah or
any other part of the Holy Qur'an, and pray for the dead.
But this act is neither obligatory nor should it be
performed as regularly as an obligatory act.
What should not be done in this
night...
1. As mentioned earlier, the Night of
Bara'ah is a night in which special blessings are
directed towards the Muslims. Therefore, this night
should be spent in total submission to Allah Almighty,
and one should refrain from all those activities which
may displease Allah. Although it is always incumbent upon
every Muslim to abstain from sins, yet this abstinence
becomes all the more necessary in such nights, because
committing sins in this night will amount to responding
to divine blessings with disobedience and felony. Such an
arrogant attitude can invite nothing but the wrath of
Allah. Therefore, one should strictly abstain from all
the sins, particularly from those mentioned in the Hadith
No. 3 quoted earlier in this article, because these sins
make one devoid of the blessings of this
night.
2. In this night some people indulge in
some activities which they regard as necessary for the
celeberation of the Night of Bara'ah, like cooking some
special type of meal, or illuminating houses or mosques,
or improvised structures.
All such activities are not only baseless
and innovated in the later days by ignorant people, but
in some cases they are pure imitation of some rituals
performed by non Muslim communities. Such imitation in
itself is a sin, let alone to perform it in a blessed
night like the Night of Bara'ah. The Muslims should
strictly abstain from all such activities.
3. Some people spend this night in holding
religious meetings and delivering long speeches. Such
activities are also not advisable, because these acts can
easily be performed in other nights also. This night
requires one to spare himself for the pure acts of
worship only.
4. The acts of worship like Salah,
recitation of the Holy Qur'an and Dhikr should be
performed in this night individually, not collectively.
The Nafl Salah should not be performed in Jama'ah, nor
should the Muslims arrange gatherings in the mosques in
order to celebrate the night in a collective manner.
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