Surah Al-Qadr - The Grandeur
(Revealed at Mecca)
5 Verses in 1 Section
Sections of Surah Al-Qadr
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The Night of Qadr.
Al-Qadr - The Night Of Qadr
Qur’an sent down in the night of ‘Qadr’ - The importance of the night – Angels and Spirit descend with the decrees of the Lord about all affairs - Peace rules all through the night until the dawn.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
“In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful”
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
“Verily, We sent it (The Qur’an) down in the Night of ‘Qadr’1!” (97:1)
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ
“What can make thee know what the Night of ‘Qadr’ is?” (97:2)
لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
“The Night of ‘Qadr’ is better than a thousand month!” (97:3)
تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
“The Angels and the Spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord, with (decrees) of all affairs2“ (97:4)
سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ
“Peace is (the whole Nighty)! till the breaking of the dawn!” (97:5)
Commentary
Verse 1
The word ‘Qadr’ may mean - Power, Grandeur, Majesty.
‘Lailat al-Qadr’, i.e., the Night of Grandeur of the Lord - is kept a secret. The verse 2 below clearly means that none knows, what the night is, i.e., which night in the year it is and the special value of it, to its fullest extent.
The various statements of the commentators are:
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Some say it is concealed in the whole month of Shahan.
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Some say it is the 14th of Shaban.
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Some say it is one of the nights of Ramadhan.
But the majority of the commentators agree on its being one of the odd nights in the latter half of the month of Ramadhan - commonly agreed to be 19th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and the 29th night of the month. The fact is that it is a Mystic Night of special value and worth allotted for men to spend the whole of it, awake and praying to the Lord seeking His forgiveness for the sins, and His grace and mercy. It is said that it is announced in the heavens, ‘‘Who is there among the mankind to seek tonight the forgiveness and the grace of the Lord and have it” It is said that the Holy Qur’an was sent down on that Night to the heavenly centre (Bait al-Ma’moor) from where it was issued to the Messenger Angel Gabriel, in portions to be conveyed to the Holy Prophet. Some say that the whole of the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Holy Prophet in that night3.
But he was ordained to convey it to the people as and when it will be revealed to him through the Messenger Angel Gabriel. This conception agrees to what is said in 20:114, and 75:16 wherein there is the indication of the Holy Prophet’s eagerness to release the matter in haste in his anxiety to let people be informed of the Word of God. Unless the matter was already with him there is no question of the haste in conveying the thing if he had yet to have it through revelation.
However, it is an acknowledged fact, that the night referred to is a Mystic Night and it has been kept a secret so that people in their eagerness to realise the special value of the prayers in that night might be ever busy in seeking it. Some similar important factors of special grace and particular value to mankind are kept concealed:
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According to some reports this night (the Night of Grandeur) is concealed in the years as a whole - so that men be ever seeking His grace every night as much as they possibly can. Similarly, one of these several nights in the months of Shaban and Ramadhan have been thought to be the Night of Grandeur.
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The ‘Ism al-Aazam’ or the Greatest Name of God with which one could have everything he desires, is concealed in several names, so that man may remember and recite all the divine names of the Lord.
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The ‘Salat al-Wosta’, i.e., the Middle one of the prescribed daily prayers, to observe which without fail, man has been enjoined - is kept concealed in the Jive daily prayers so that man may offer every one of them with eagerness to earn the special return for it.
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In one particular hour of Friday every week it is said, prayer of a man is heard without fail, but the hour is not disclosed, so that man may be prayerful the whole of the day as much as he can.
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God’s pleasure is concealed in prayers so that man may be ever prayerful to the Lord.
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The displeasure of the Lord is mentioned to be in sinning in general - so that man may abstain from all kinds of sins.
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The most honourable with God is said to be the most pious, so that man may acquire piety for himself and seeking the friendship of the most honourable ones with the Lord, he may love the pious and the righteous one and. hate impiety and be away from the unrighteous.
Every believer in God has been enjoined to keep awake the whole of ‘Shab al-Qadr’ i.e., the Night of Grandeur and spend it in prayers to the Lord seeking pardon for his sins and the grace of the Lord and His bounties he desires for.
The night of ‘Qadr’ is undoubtedly in the month of Ramadhan4. Wherein Qur’an was revealed in total. Thus ‘Beth’at’, i.e., the commencement of the ministry being in the month of Rajab does not clash with this. The descension of the Angels and the Spirit in that night continues since the creation of Adam up to the Resurrection Day, and the place of the descent is nothing but the human heart which is purified from all dirt of the temporal life. Therefore, the existence of such purified heart should also continue. On this ground the Fifth Holy Imam says: ‘‘Argue against those who deny the continuity of the divine Vicegerency on the earth, with this Chapter” (A.P.).
Verse 2
The question put in this verse, is a clear indication of the mystic nature and value of the Night of Grandeur which none else but the Lord knows. The succeeding verses only defined the night with its value and do not say which night in the year it is.
Verse 3
The announcement here in this verse about the night, refers to the greatness of the Night.
The Second Holy Imam Hasan Ibn-Ali says that he heard from his grandfather, the Holy Prophet, that once he dreamt of monkeys getting upon his pulpit, and the Messenger Angel Gabriel informed him of the significance of the dream saying that ‘‘Those whom thou dost see get upon thy pulpit are the Bani-Umayyah who would rule the Muslim Empire after thee for a thousand months” And revealed this verse.
Quoting 32:4-5 and 70:4, a commentator says that the term “A Thousand, must be taken in an indefinite sense, i.e., a timeless time - and interprets it to mean that one moment if enlightenment under God’s light is better than thousands of months or the years of animal life and such a moment converts the night of darkness into a period of spiritual glory”
The renowned Sunni Scholar in his well-known commentary ‘Durr al-Manthur’ says that ‘‘the term ‘Lailat al-Qadr’ stands for the Holy Prophet and his Ahl Al-Bayt” (D.M.).
Regarding the boon of forgiveness of sins and the grant of grace and mercy endowed in the Shab al-Qadr which is said to be in the concluding days of the fasting month of Ramadhan, there is a justification attached to this special grant of grace by the Lord. After fasting for forty days by Moses, the Lord granted him the Law5 and after a similar fasting for an equal period, Jesus was commissioned with his office6. There is a justification in the special grant of the grace in forgiving the sins and bestowing His special favours on the Muslims who fast in obedience to His command for thirty days continuously.
Verse 4
It is said that angels and holy spirits descend on earth with the special blessings from God and peace for those who seek them through prayers, supplications to the Lord7.
Verse 5
Taking the mystic word ‘Night of Grandeur’ as one of the sacred nights, in any of the months mentioned above, this verse would mean that the shower of the special boon and the great blessings of God, promised to the sincere devotees that night, continues until the dawn of the succeeding day.
