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In the Name of Allah, the Most
Beneficent, the Most Merciful
1. Verily, We sent it down in the night of al-Qadr.
2. And what will make you know what the night of
al-Qadr is?
3. The night of al-Qadr is better than a thousand
months.
4. There in descend the angels & Spirit by their
Lord's permission with all Decrees.
5. Peace! Until the appearance of dawn.
Allah, Most High informs us that He sent down the Qur'aan in the night of Al-Qadr,
and it is the blessed night referred to in the Words of Him, Almighty,
All-Powerful: " Verily, We sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr ". The night of
Al-Qadr occurs in the month of Ramadhaan, as Allah says: "The month of Ramadhaan
in which the Qur'aan was sent down" (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:185). Ibn `Abbaas,
amongst others, explains that the complete Qur'aan was sent down from Al-Lawh
Al-Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet) in the night of Al-Qadr to Bait Al-`Izzah (the
House of Glory) in the lowest heaven, from whence it was revealed piecemeal to
the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam according to events which took place
during his life over a period of twenty-three years. Then, Allah says, in order
to make clear the greatness of the matter of the night of Al-Qadr, which He has
chosen for sending down of the Noble Qur'aan: " And what will make you know what
the night of Al-Qadr is? The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months "
It is narrated on the authority of Mujaahid that the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa salam mentioned a man from Bani Israa'eel who carried his
sword in the Way of Allah for a thousand months; the Muslims were amazed at this
until Allah revealed: " Verily, We sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr. And
what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr is? The night of Al-Qadr is
better than a thousand months "." (i.e. the thousand months during which the man
carried his sword in the Way of Allah). (Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim)
Ibn Jareer narrates, on the authority of Mujaahid that there was a man from Bani
Israa'eel who used to spend the night in prayer then in the morning he would
fight the enemy in the Way of Allah during the day, until the evening and he did
this for a thousand months and so Allah revealed the Soorah: " Verily, We sent
it down in the night of Al-Qadr " until the verse: " The night of Al-Qadr is
better than a thousand months " That is, standing in prayer on that night is
better than the actions of that man. Sufyaan ath-Thawree reports, on the
authority of Mujaahid (also), that the night of Al-Qadr being better than a
thousand months means that the good deeds performed on it, fasting on it and
standing in prayer on it are better than a thousand months' good deeds, prayers
and fasting. (Narrated by Ibn Jareer)
Ibn Abi Haatim relates, on the authority of Mujaahid that it means: The night of
Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months without the night of Al-Qadr. This was
also said by Qataadah ibn Da'aamah and Ash-Shaafi?i and others, including Ibn
Jareer, and it is the correct interpretation and it is like the saying of the
Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam: "To spend the night in the Way of Allah is
better than a thousand nights not spent in worship." (Narrated by Ahmad)
Likewise, it is narrated that whoever goes to Friday prayers neatly-dressed,
with a pure intention, it will be written for him the reward of a year's good
deeds, as if he had fasted on it and spent its nights in prayer and in other
acts of worship.
It is reported from Abu Hurairah that he said: "When the month of Ramadhaan
came, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "The month of
Ramadhaan has come, a blessed month in which Allah has made it obligatory for
you to fast; in it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are
closed and the devils are chained. In it is a night better than a thousand
months, whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable."
(Narrated by Imaam Ahmad. This was also narrated by An-Nasaa'i).
It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah, that Allah's Messenger
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "Whoever stood in prayer on the night of Al-Qadr,
in faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, he will have all of his previous
sins forgiven." (Narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
" Therein descend the angels and the Spirit " That is, innumerable angels
descend with uncounted blessings and mercy, as they descend when the Qur'aan is
recited and they surround those sitting in circles in remembrance of Allah and
they lower their wings in the presence of the sincere seeker of knowledge in
honour of him. As for the Spirit, it has been said that what is meant by it is
the angel Jibreel `alayhis salaam and that he is mentioned thus to distinguish
him from the other angels. It was also said that it means a group of angels, and
Allah knows best. (see the Tafseer of Soorah An-Naba', verse 38)
" With all decrees " Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrates, on the authority of Mujaahid,
that it means the night is safe from the machinations of the devils, that they
cannot commit evil or harm on it. Qataadah and others said it means that the
Divine Decrees are issued at that night, the appointed time of everything is
fixed and the blessings are apportioned, as in the words of Allah: " Therein
[that night] is decreed every matter of ordainments " (Soorah ad-Dukhaan 44:4)
" Peace! Until the appearance of dawn " Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrates, on the
authority of Ash-Sha'bi, that it means the angels send their salutations of
peace upon those who are occupied in prayer in the mosques until the dawn. It is
narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "It is the night of twenty-seventh or the
twenty-ninth and verily, the angels on that night are innumerable." Al-A`amash
says, on the authority of Abu Lailaa that the verse means that the whole night
is goodness, therein is no evil - until the appearance of the dawn. This is
supported by a narration on the authority of `Ubaadah ibn As-Saamit that the
Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "The night of Al-Qadr is
to be found in the last ten (nights of Ramadhaan), whoever stood in prayer
during these nights, wishing for the reward of them will have his sins forgiven
by Allah, both the earlier and the later; and it is the night of witr. (an
uneven number). Nine, seven, five, three or the last night of it." (Narrated by
Imaam Ahmad).
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn `Abbaas radhiallahu `anhu that Allah's
Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "It is a night of magnanimity and
joy, neither very hot, nor very cold; and the sun of the morning following it is
weak and red-coloured." (Narrated by Abu Dawood At-Tayaalisi).
It is reported on the authority of Jaabir ibn `Abdillaah, that the Messenger of
Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, "Verily, I saw the night of Al-Qadr and
then I was made to forget it, but it is (to be looked for) in the last ten
nights, the night is clear and fine, neither hot nor cold as if there were a
full moon and on this night, the devils do not go forth until the light of
dawn." (Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim) Scholars have differed as to whether the
night of Al-Qadr was extant for the communities which preceded that of Muhammad
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam or whether it was specially designated for them.
There are two schools of thought on this subject: Abu Mus'ab Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr
az-Zuhri (d.42H) said that Maalik informed him that the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam was shown the generations of old from mankind and
it was as if the lifespans of his community were shorter, and so it was not
possible to accomplish the same amount of deeds as those communities of old, who
lived longer lives and so Allah gave him the night of Al-Qadr which is better
than a thousand months. According to Maalik, this necessarily means that this
community (of Muslims) has been specially favoured with the night of Al-Qadr.
One of the Shaafi'i scholars said that it is the view of the majority of
scholars of fiqh, and Allah knows best. The second view on this subject says
that the night of Al-Qadr was given to the previous peoples as it was given to
this community and the proof of this is the hadeeth which says that. (Ibn
Katheer has not mentioned the hadeeth, however).
It is narrated that Abu Zarr radhiallahu `anhu asked the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi
wa sallam: "Oh, Messenger of Allah! Tell me about the night of Al-Qadr, is it in
Ramadhaan, or another month?" He sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam replied: "No, it
is in Ramadhaan." (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad). He sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam
also said: "?it is until they Day of Resurrection." And, "Look for it in the
last seven days of Ramadhaan and do not ask me any more about it." (Narrated by
An-Nasaa'i) - This hadeeth proves that the night of Al-Qadr is only to be looked
for in the month of Ramadhaan and not, as has been attributed to Ibn Mas`ood
radhiallahu `anhu by the scholars of Koofa, that it is to be looked for
throughout the whole year without any distinction. In line with this, Abu Dawood
wrote in his Sunan: "Chapter: - Evidence that the night of Al-Qadr is in every
Ramadhaan." He then went on to narrate on the authority of Ibn `Umar radhiallahu
`anhu that he heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam being
asked about the night of Al-Qadr; he replied: "It is in every Ramadhaan." And
all of the men in this sanad are thiqaat. (trustworthy) except that Abu Dawood
said that the narration is mawqoof.
It was also said that the night of Al-Qadr is on the first night of Ramadhaan,
and that it is on the seventeenth of Ramadhaan - this was a saying attributed to
Ash-Shaafi'i and Abu Dawood narrated a hadeeth on the authority of Ibn Mas`ood
radhiallahu `anhu and said that it was marfoo`, while Al-Hasan Al-Basree said
that it is the night of the Battle of Badr, and it was said: The night of the
nineteenth - this was attributed to `Ali and Ibn Mas`ood (may Allah be pleased
with them both), and it was said: the twenty-first, according to the hadeeth of
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri radhiallahu `anhu in which he said: "The Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam made his I`tikaaf in the first ten days of
Ramadhaan and we made I'tikaaf with him, then Jibreel `alayhis salaam came to
him and said: "That which you are in quest of is still ahead of you." Then the
Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam addressed the people saying:
"Whoever has made I`tikaaf with me, let him return, for I have seen the night of
Al-Qadr and then was made to forget it; but verily, it is in the last ten days
and on the odd days, and I saw myself as if I were prostrating in mud and
water." - the roof of the Prophet's mosque was made from palm leaves and we
could not see anything on the sky, but clouds came and it rained on us and the
Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam led us in prayer, until I could
see the marks of rain and mud upon his forehead - a proof of what he had seen in
his vision." Another version has it that it occurred on the morning after the
twenty-first; this is narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, and according to Ash-Shaafi`i,
it is the most authentic narration. He (Ash-Shaafi`i) says, concerning these
apparently contradictory reports: "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa
sallam when asked: "Should we search for it on such-and-such night?" would
reply: "Yes." (In order to encourage them to pray on the all last ten nights),
but the night of Al-Qadr is a fixed night and does not change." However,
according to Ahmad, Ath-Thawri, Ibn Khuzaimah and others, it can occur any time
on the uneven nights during the last ten days of Ramadhaan and this is closer to
the truth, and Allah knows best.
Muslim reports that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam
instructed `Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) to supplicate Allah saying:
"Oh, Allah! You are Forgiving, You love forgiveness and so forgive me." (Allahumma
innaka `Afuwwun, tuhibbul `afwa, fa`fu `annee) At-Tirmizi, An-Nasaa'i and Ibn
Maajah narrated the same thing. According to Maalik, one should look for the
night of Al-Qadr throught the last ten days of Ramadhaan and one should try not
to identify which is the night of Al-Qadr, but should intensify one's devotions
throughout. And the most preferred action is to increase one's supplications
during the whole month of Ramadhaan, more in the last ten days, more still on
the odd days, and especially in the aforementioned words to `Aa'ishah by Allah's
Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam.
It is narrated that Ka`b said: "Verily, whoever fasted the month of Ramadhaan
resolving not to disobey Allah when he breaks his fast, will enter Paradise
without reckoning or questioning. This is the end of the tafseer of Soorah Al-Qadr,
all praise is due to Allah, and from Him proceeds all Grace.
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