The blissful ceremony of the whole night of supplication in the Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny) during the days of mourning for the martyrdom of the Master of the Monotheists; Imam Ali (a.s.) was held at the Islamic Centre of England with the magnificent presence of mourner believers living in London.
In this ceremony, which was held on the nights of the 19th and 21st of the Holy Month of Ramadhan, dated March 29 and 31, 2024, in both English and Farsi, the fasting believers recited a part of the Holy Qur’an before the Maghrib call to prayer. Then they lined up in magnificent prayer lines and filled the main halls of the Islamic Centre of England with their attendance to the congregational prayer.
After the Iftar banquet, in the first part of the whole night of supplication ceremony, speakers in English and Farsi simultaneously spoke in two separate halls about the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.) and the effect of fasting on the lifestyle and health of the human soul and body. The reciters of Eulogies for Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) also recited poems to mourn the martyrdom of Amir al-Mu’minin Imam Ali (a.s.).
In the second part of the whole night of supplication ceremony, the Jawshan Kabir supplication, the Munajat of Imam Ali (a.s.), Abu Hamzah Thumaali supplication, and ziarah of Imam Hussein (a.s.) were recited. Three days of Qadha prayers were offered in a congregation as some of the rituals of the Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny). The second part of the whole night of supplication ceremony continued with the speech of Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Seyed Hashem Moosavi; the Imam of the Islamic Centre of England.
In a speech explaining some of the virtues of Imam Ali (a.s.) and the importance of staying awake and doing the rituals of the Nights of Destiny, he said: “The history of mankind has rarely seen a character like Hazrat Ali (a.s.). A personality whose friends and enemies allied to hide his outstanding virtues and attributes, while despite all the hidden and open hostility, the virtues of that Imam are brighter than the sun in the east and west of the world.”
The Imam of the Islamic Centre of England, quoted a narration from Jaber bin Abdullah Ansari, who narrated from the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and added: “Ali’s position and status to me is like my soul to me. Following him is following me and disagreeing with him is disagreeing with me. It is stated in another hadith: “Ali is with the truthfulness and the truthfulness is with Ali, they will never be separated, and whoever stays away from Ali has stayed away from me and whoever stays away from me, is far from God.”
Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Moosavi also emphasised the importance of the Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny) in the Holy Month of Ramadhan and said: “According to a hadith from Imam Sadiq (a.s.), The Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny) is the heart of the Holy Month of Ramadhan.” Moreover, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: “God, chose Friday among the days and the Holy Month of Ramadhan from among the months and the Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny) from among the nights.
The Imam of the Islamic Centre of England considered one of the traditions of the Holy Month of Ramadhan to be staying awake during the Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny). He added: “According to the traditions of the infallibles, peace be upon them, repentance from sins and asking for forgiveness, prayer, reading the Qur’an and thinking about God and His creation are among the most important duties of a believer in these Nights of Destiny.
The whole night of supplication ceremony of the third night of the Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny) will be held on the 23rd of the Holy Month of Ramadhan, corresponding to April 2, 2024, like the previous whole night of supplication programs at the Islamic Centre of England.
The act of donation and offering meals to others by the fasting believers at the banquet before the dawn on the Nights of Qadr (Night of Destiny) were also among the special scenes of the spiritual feast in the Holy Month of Ramadhan at the Islamic Centre of England.
