Blessed Age: In a Short Time One Can Attain the Virtue of Laylat al-Qadr

A prominent Egyptian scholar, Ibn Atā Allah al-Sakandari, explains the meaning of a blessed age and its virtues in his famous work, Al-Hikam. In the book, he reveals that the blessing of age can bring forth God’s great gifts, even in a short span.

Ibn Atā Allah writes a famous maxim: ‘Whoever has a blessed age, within a short time, will receive a gift from Allah that cannot be expressed in words and cannot be reached by signs.’

This maxim was later elaborated by another Egyptian scholar, Sheikh Abdullah Asy-Syarqawi, in his commentary on Al-Hikam. In his explanation published by TuRos Pustaka, Sheikh Abdullah states that the blessing of age is a great favour from Allah to the servant He desires.

According to him, when Allah chooses a servant to receive the blessing of age, He brings him closer to Himself. This nearness makes it easier for a person to obtain various divine favours in a short time—the gifts that are even difficult to describe in words or illustrate by signs.

Sheikh Abdullah also explains that Allah will grant intellect and inner vigilance to the servant whose age is blessed. With that awareness, a person is urged to make the best use of their time.

In this way, he will be moved to perform righteous deeds at every moment. In a short time, he will receive the gifts from Allah that cannot be expressed in words or signs because the blessing is so abundant and noble for him.

He offers an analogy: in a month, a person blessed with age can attain a spiritual standing that others may not reach in a thousand months. This is likened to the attainment of the virtue of Laylat al-Qadr.

‘In a single night, he receives a reward that is better than worshipping for a thousand months,’ he explains.

This explanation shows that the blessing of age is not merely about the length of life, but how a short time can be filled with closeness to Allah and abundant good deeds.