In my conversations with Muslim friends over the years, one of the common themes of Ramadan that comes up is pursuing a deeper experience of God in this month. I truly believe that this time that many of us might see as ritualistic, or at the very least a commitment to fasting beyond what the average person can uphold, is for many Muslims motivated by a hunger to draw closer to God and experience deeper revelation.
This anticipation of revelation of God is not a modern concept but rather stems from the roots of Ramadan itself. Ramadan is believed to be the month in which the Qur’an was revealed to mankind. Within the month of Ramadan, specifically in the last ten days of the month, is the Night of Power, or Lailat Al Qadr. This is the night of remembrance of the actual night in which the angel Gabriel is said to have visited the Prophet Muhammad and given him the first verse of the Qur’an.
In a way the lead up to this night for Muslims might be similar to the lead up Easter for us as Christians. We might remember how Jesus humbled himself and entered Jerusalem on a donkey or feel particularly moved as we think about the pain and the sacrifice experienced on the cross. On resurrection Sunday, we rejoice in the love of our Jesus who has claimed victory over death. For Muslims, the Night of Power is a time for increased prayers and recitations. “Many Muslims believe that prayers prayed on the Night of Power are a thousand times more effective than prayers prayed on other days.”
The Night of Power falls on the 5th of April this year but there is a special emphasis on this for the last 10 days of Ramadan. As our Muslim friends, co-workers, and neighbours seek to hear from God, let’s pray that it happens. Let’s pray that Jesus would be revealed to them in a way like never before.
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” – Matthew 7:7
Danielle Aguilar
References: 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World – page 29.
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