Editorial
A night of soul-searching and salvation
Renewing commitment to true spirit of Islam
LAILATUL Barat, or the night of emancipation, falls tonight, preceding the 15th night of Shaban, the eighth Hejira month, according to Muslim lunar calendar. It is the special night to seek forgiveness from Almighty Allah by atoning for the past sins and earnestly praying to Him for His munificence in spite of the frailties and failures of the faithful. The devoted Muslim also commits on this holy night to steadfastly uphold spiritual values and conduct his temporal life in a way that does not hurt fellow beings in any way.
It is also said that on this night the Almighty keeps the doors of mercy and forgiveness for his beloved wide open. So, whoever would be sincere enough to cry for God's forgiveness would be granted this in full measure.
Actually, the night has got a special meaning in the life of every Muslim, for it gives him the opportunity to take stock of the past in terms of his dealings with his fellow people in the day-to-day life and seek divine guidance for an improvement of his conduct in future. So, the holy night is also one of purifying one's soul and emerging as a clean person approaching the worldly affairs with a new fervour.
The spirit is one of staying away from what might be harmful for the individual as well as the greater humanity. This brings up the significance of Laitlatul Barat for the modern-day Muslims in a fresh light. For it is observed that a handful of people are given to extremist proclivities often committing violence which is at variance with the true spirit of Islam. In fact, Islam being a religion of peace as the Arabic word 'Islam' itself stands for, never permits violence in any form or shape.
This is where we urge Islamic scholars to explain the real message of Islam to all and sundry asserting that use of force and violence have no place in our religion. On this occasion we pray for the salvation, wellbeing and prosperity of all humanity.
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