TACAM wishes everyone a holy Miraç Kandili night
There are five evenings in the in the Muslim faith, referred to as Kandil’s, which are considered among the most holy (mübarek)nights. The literal translation of Kandil is candle. This name may be coming from practices in the past where, for example, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, Selim the 2nd , is reported to have ordered the lighting of candles on minarets of mosques. These mystery evoking candles illuminating the evening skies perhaps reminded the faithful of the importance of the evenings and gently invited Muslims to attend prayer services, during which the faithful asked for God’s mercy and forgiveness. It is also interesting to note that until the period of Selim the 2nd, the lighting of candles was not a common practice in the Muslim faith, neither was it practice by the prophet himself.
The five Kandil Nights names and meanings are as follows:
- Mevlid Kandili – The birth of Prophet Mohammad
- Regaip Kandili – The beginning of the pregnancy of Prophet Mohammad’s mother
- Miraç Kandili – Prophet Mohammad’s rise to the presence of God
- Berat Kandili – When the Koran was made available to the Muslims in its entirety
- Kadir Gecesi – The Koran’s first appearance to Prophet Mohammad
Since it is a tradition in the Muslim faith to track time in the lunar calendar, the dates for these Kandil nights correspond to different times in the solar calendar.
Sources Cited
- My Merhaba.com (external link)
- Wikipedia.com (external link)
- Haberler.com (external link)