A‘ūdhu billāhi minash-shaitānir-rajīm.
I seek refuge in Allāh from the accursed satan.
Bismillāhir-Rahmānir-Rahīm.
In the name of Allāh, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
In this book, the words of Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) describe the indescribable: the original state of Light—Nūr—in which the words of the Divine Qur’ān were sent down as a blessing bestowed by Allāh upon the Rasūlullāh, the Messenger of God (Sal.), who then gave that state to his followers. Thus, the Light is not limited to the night we know as Lailatul-Qadr. It is limitless and descends continuously. This book tells us:
“Allāh is a merciful Being, a Being of rahmah and Light. He has always been a Being of Light. His Light, His rays of Light, and His rahmah descend every second. His rahmah is descending even today.”
When we read these words wishing to understand that which may lie beyond our understanding, when we read with a humble and melting heart, we may find that these words will have a tendency to come alive. Perhaps we may even feel a subtle breeze from a window into the realm of grace that has somehow appeared before us.
If we are among the one or two in ten million who wish to go further and pass through the window into the state of Light, we must prepare ourselves for a rigorous journey. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (Ral.) has told us:
“God is prepared. He does not possess the work of the dunyā, the nafs, desire, and selfishness. He does His duty—the work He does equally for everyone—holding all lives within Himself as His own life. He does His duty and serves all lives because He holds everything within Himself. He has no outer work. He has no selfishness, so the only work He has is for the people.”
In order to experience the everlasting Day of Light, we must climb the high mountain of the self with great effort as we do the duties God has ordained for us, telling ourselves with each step:
“When I am here, God is not. When God is here, I am not. Lā ilāha, illAllāh.”
God Himself has to come to do this.
“For anything beneficial we seek, if our qalbs and our wisdom search together in a state of harmony, God will bring what we seek close to us and unite us with it. Thus, it is through this that the rahmah, the great wealth we seek, will be abundantly given to us.”
By the grace of God, may we survive the dangers of the ascent, climb past the self, leave it behind forever, and finally be absorbed into the realm of Light.
Accordingly, may all of us, all the children of Adam (A.S.), obtain Allāh’s blessings and experience the eternal Day of Light that is Lailatul-Qadr this year and every other year, this day and every other day. Āmīn.
