Dear Brothers,

We will realize and revive the Lailat al-Bara’ah which is one of the special times when the doors of forgiveness opens wide with the vast mercy of our Lord, the Almighty Allah (swt) tonight, Inshallah.

For us, the believers, of course, all times are precious; and these times should be satisfied with the aim of gaining the consent of Allah (swt) and with the consciousness of servitude. However, the blessed days and nights are special times when the Almighty Allah (swt) offers us to reward our worships as many more times, to accept our duas and wishes and to give a chance for us to be forgiven.

Regarding this blessed night, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) stated “When it is 15th night of the month Sha’ban, worship all night and observe fasting during the day. Because the Almight Allah (swt) manifests on the skies of the World with his vast mercy from the sunset to the fajr and states ‘Is there no one who makes tawbah? I will accept his tawbah! Is there no one who wants bread? I will giveth! Is there no one who wants healing? I will grant him healing! Is there no one with another wish? I will hear his wish!”

Therefore this night is an important occasion to review our purpose of creation and our responsibilities to ourselves, to our Lord, to our environment and to all those who were created, and to make a fresh start with the purpose of reaching to a better life.

It is the occasion of being honored by the mercy stated by the verse of; “Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’ ” in our holy book, Qur’an.

Therefore let us make this night a great occasion of the reflection and comprehensive accountancy for our past years with heedlessness to be forgiven and the purification of our hearts contaminated with sins.

Let us beg forgiveness with the determination and consciousness of not approaching the same mistakes again, by making tawbah for all the mistakes we have made so far, knowingly or unknowingly, and the sins we have committed with sincere regret.

Let us review our responsibility to work under the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah for the construction of a world dominated by goodness, peace, trust and compassion, and spiritual resurrection and moral rise of all humanity this blesses night.

Let us pray and make requests to our Lord, the Almighty Allah (swt) with sincere and deep pleadings for ourselves, our nation and all humanity, especially in these days when we are faced with a disaster which has been affecting the whole earth. Let us comply with all the measures announced by the competent authorities. Let us continue to challenge with hope, determination and commitment together in order to be saved from this disease as soon as possible.

Our mosques which were filled with worship, duas and requests with a great enthusiasm in the blessed nights are now in sorrow. In this process, let us turn our houses into masjids and let us establish our prayers which are the miraj of the believers in awe. Let us perform qada for all unperformed prayers of the past and establish nafl prayers. Let us read the Qur'an which was hauled down as healing and mercy for the hearts as often as possible and let us try to understand its principles that bring humanity from darkness to light, and let us again promise that we will obey its orders without hesitation, and we will meticulously stay away from what it forbids and claims as haraam. Let us observe fasting on Monday and Thursday. Let us try to make our souls clean as well as our bodies. Let us beg to our Lord, the Almighty Allah (swt), with our duas in order for the humanity to come through this test in a short time and successfully.

At the end of the Quran and Mawlid program which we will broadcast on TRT 1 and Diyanet tv after the Isra prayer, let us say amen all together before televisions at our houses for our prayers for the salvation of all our brothers and all the humanity struggling in this disaster, especially for the salvation of our healthcare workers who are struggling day and night by endangering their lives with great sacrifices.

Acting with those feelings and thoughts, I am marking the Lailat al-Bara'ah of our nation and the whole Islamic world. I am praying and supplicating that the Almighty Allah (swt) help this night to contribute to the salvation from all troubles in the world and all torment in the afterlife, the world peace, and goodness and tranquility of all humanity.

Prof. Dr. Ali ERBAŞ

The President of Religious Affairs