Allah, the Exalted, says:

"We have sent it (the Qur'an) down in the Night of Qadr. And what may let you know what the Night of Qadr is? The Night of Qadr is much better than one thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend in it, with the leave of your Lord, along with every command. Peace it is till the rising of dawn.'' (97:1-5)

"We have sent it down in a blessed night, (because) We had to warn (people). In that (night), every wise thing is decided through a command from Us. We were to send the Messenger." (44:3-6)

One of the most meritorious aspects of the month of Ramadan is that it contains Laylatul Qadr, the most blessed night of the year. It is the night which Allah Almighty chose to reveal the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Qur'an has mentioned that this night is better than one thousand months. It means that the worship performed in this night brings more reward than the worship performed in one thousand months. The authentic traditions of the Holy Prophet mention that, in this night, Allah Almighty directs His special mercy towards the people of the earth, accepts the supplications made by His slaves and forgives a large number of people who repent and pray.

Laylatul Qadr falls in one of the last five odd nights of Ramadan, i.e. 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, and 29th. According to authentic sources, Laylatul Qadr falls in any one of these nights alternately. The purpose of this alternation is that one should spend all the five nights in worship and prayers, so that he may find Laylatul Qadr with certainty.

No special form of worship is prescribed for Laylatul Qadr. The night should be spent by offering as much nafl prayers as one can offer, in recitation of the Holy Qur'an, in dhikr and tasbeeh, in supplications and in making sadaqah (charity).
It is not advisable in this night to hold ceremonies or meetings or delivering long lectures or illuminating the masjids. This is a night meant for developing a special connection with one's Creator, for offering acts of worship in solitude and seclusion, for having constant and exclusive contact with his Lord Who is the Lord of the universe, for minimizing the diversity of thoughts and actions and for devoting oneself to Allah Almighty with his heart and soul.

This purpose can seldom be achieved in congregations and assemblies. That is why the Holy Prophet never tended to celebrate this night by lectures, meetings, illumination or even by offering prayers in jama'ah. Instead, he used to perform acts of worship individually, and in solitude.

Sayyidah 'Aishah (ra) once asked the Holy Prophet as to what du'a (supplication) she should recite in the Laylatul Qadr. The Holy Prophet taught her the following du'a:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

"O Allah, You are surely most forgiving and You like forgiving, so, forgive me." (Tirmidhi)

The best way to benefit from the blessings of this night is to keep awake for the whole night and spend it in worship and prayers. But people who cannot do so for any reason should spare at least a considerable part of the night for acts of worship. At least 8 rak'at should be prayed after midnight as tahajjud, some part from the Holy Qur'an should be recited and the supplications of the Holy Prophet should be offered. Any dhikr or tasbeeh should be constantly recited. Even when one is not in the state of wudu, the dhikr and tasbeeh may be recited. Similarly, the dhikr may also be performed during other states, when walking or in bed.

Ahaadeeth

Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anh) reported: The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whosoever performs Qiyam during Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), with Faith and being hopeful of Allah's reward, will have his former sins forgiven.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

`Aishah (radiallahu anha) reported: The Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to seclude himself (in the mosque) during the last ten nights of Ramadan. He would say, "Search for Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree) in the last ten nights of Ramadan.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

`Aishah (radiallahu anh) reported: The Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to observe I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan and say, "Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree) in the odd nights out of the last ten nights of Ramadan.'' [Al-Bukhari]

We learn from this Hadith that Lailat-ul-Qadr occurs in any of the five odd nights - 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th - of the last ten nights of Ramadan. Its exact date has not been revealed for the reason that people keep themselves awake for prayer for a larger number of nights. Had its date been fixed, people would have kept awake for prayer only on that night.

`Aishah (radiallahu anha) reported: When the last ten nights (of Ramadan) would begin, the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) would keep awake at night (for prayer and devotion), awaken his family and prepare himself to be more diligent in worship. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

'Aishah (radiallahu anha) reported: The Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to strive more in worship during Ramadan than he strove in any other time of the year; and he would devote himself more (in the worship of Allah) in the last ten nights of Ramadan than he strove in earlier part of the month. [Muslim]

One should keep oneself awake for prayer, worship and glorification of Allah in the last ten nights of Ramadan so that one can attain the blessings of Lailat ul-Qadr. One should also persuade his family members to keep themselves awake for prayer and worship in the last ten odd nights of Ramadan so that they can also make efforts to please Allah. I`tikaf (seclusion in the mosque for prayers) in the last ten days of Ramadan is also a meritorious act for its being a practice of the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam).

`Aishah (radiallahu anha) reported: I asked: "O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lilat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it?'' He (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) replied, "You should supplicate: Allahumma innaka `afuwwun, tuhibbul-`afwa, fa`fu `anni (O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me).'' [At-Tirmidhi]

Commentary Of Surah Qadr (97:1-5)







"Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'an) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree). And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e., worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e., 83 years and 4 months). Therein descend the angels and the Ruh [Jibril (Gabriel)] by Allah's Permission with all Decrees. (All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.'' (97:1-5)

Occasion of Revelation

Ibn Abi Hatim (ra) has reported from Mujahid (ra) (as mursal hadith) that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him was told about a mujahid [warrior in the cause of religion] from amongst the Children of Israel who carried weapons of war on his shoulders for a thousand months during which time he never laid down his arms. The Companions were amazed when they heard this. On that occasion, this Surah was revealed which describes that worship in the Night of Qadr granted to this Ummah exceeds by more than a thousand months of jihad persistently fought by that warrior. According to another narration of Mujahid cited in Ibn Jarir (ra), a worshipper from among the Children of Israel used to worship Allah the whole night, and as soon as the dawn broke, he would arm himself and fight the whole day. This continued consecutively for a thousand months. This Surah was thus revealed. This shows the superiority of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him, and that the Night of Qadr is a special characteristic of this ummah. [Mazhari].

Meaning of the Night of Qadr

One meaning of the word Qadr is 'greatness, honour or dignity'. Zuhri and other scholars have assigned this meaning to it. The night is called the Night of Qadr because it is a night of greatness, honour, majesty and dignity. Abu Bakr Warraq has stated that this night is so called because a person becomes a man of honour and dignity on account of repentance, seeking pardon and righteous acts during this night, whilst prior to this he might have lacked honour and dignity on account of unrighteous life he might have led.

Another meaning of the word Qadr is 'predestination'. From this point of view, the night is so called because the destiny of individuals and nations that was decided in pre-eternity is assigned to the relevant angels who are appointed for cosmic planning. Every man's age, death, sustenance, rain and other things are measured out to the angels to be implemented for a complete year from one month of Ramadan to another. If an individual is destined to perform Hajj in the forthcoming year, it will be prescribed. According to Ibn 'Abbas Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him, there are four angels in charge of cosmic planning: [1] Israfil; [2] Mika'il; [3] 'Izra'il; and [4] Jibra'il (A.S).

It is clearly stated in [44:3-5]:





"We have sent it down in a blessed night, (because) We had to warn (people). In that (night), every wise thing is decided through a command from Us. We were to send the Messenger."

'Laylatun Mubarakah' or the 'blessed', according to overwhelming scholars of the Qur'an, refers to the Night of Qadr. The angels record and descend with whatever Allah has destined or decreed for the coming year. Some scholars hold that the 'blessed night' in 44:3 refers to the fifteenth night of Sha'ban, that is, 'Laylatul Bara'ah' or the 'Night of Immunity'. This view may be reconciled with the former one by holding that the initial Divine decrees are decided on the Night of Immunity, and the details are recorded and handed over to the relevant angels on the Night of Qadr. This is supported by a narration of Ibn 'Abbas Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him which Baghawi has recorded on the authority of Abud-Duha which states that Allah decrees all cosmic matters on the Night of Immunity, but they are only handed over to the relevant angels on the Night of Qadr. [Mazhari].

Date of the Night of Qadr

It is explicitly stated in the Qur'an that the Night occurs in the blessed or auspicious month of Ramadan, but its exact date has not been disclosed. As a result, it is disputed and debated among scholars. There are about forty opinions recorded. Mazhari states that the most authentic opinion is that the Night of Qadr occurs in the last ten nights of Ramadan, but no specific date has been fixed. It could be any of the last ten odd nights which may alternate from year to year. According to authentic Traditions, it could be one of the following nights: 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29. Thus all the apparently conflicting Traditions relating to the odd nights are reconciled. All the Traditions pertaining to the date of the Night are authentic, and there is no need for any convoluted interpretation. Most eminent jurists - like Aba Qilabah (ra), Imam Malik (ra), Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (ra), Sufyan Thawri (ra), Ishaq Ibn Rahwaih (ra), Abu Thawr (ra), Muzani (ra), Ibn Khuzaymah (ra) and others - agree that the Night occurs in the last ten odd nights, alternating. Imam Shafi'ee (ra) has two opinions. In one he sides with the majority, and in another he holds that the night is fixed and does not alternate. [Ibn Kathir].

Sayyidah 'A'ishah's Radhi-Allahu Anha: Allah be pleased with her narration is recorded in Sahih of Bukhari, according to which the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him is reported to have said: "Look for the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan." Ibn 'Umar Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him narrates, as recorded in Sahih Muslim, that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him said: "Search for it in the last ten odd nights of Ramadan." [Mazhari].

The Value and Importance of the Night and a Special Du'a for the Night

The greatest virtue of the Night is mentioned in the Surah itself, that is, the acts of worship performed in this single night is better than worship in one thousand months which amounts to eighty-three years and four months. The figure here and elsewhere in the Qur'an does not signify its precise number, but simply denotes a very large or high number. Allah alone knows how much more or better.

It is recorded in Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him said: "He who spends the Night of Qadr in the worship of Allah, all his past sins will be forgiven." Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him narrates that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him said: "All the angels resident at the 'Lote Tree of the Uttermost Boundary' descend in the leadership of Sayyidna Jibra'il (A.S) and greet every believer, man or woman, except one who takes wine or eats pork." Another narration reports that anyone who is deprived of the good of the Night of Qadr is in fact deprived of all good. On the Night of Qadr some people experience and witness special anwar [lights]. However, it may be noted that this is not experienced or witnessed by all and sundry nor is it part of the blessings and reward of the Night. Therefore, people should not concern themselves about it.

Sayyidah 'A'ishah Radhi-Allahu Anha: Allah be pleased with her once asked the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him what supplication she should make if she finds the Night. The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him advised her to make the following supplication: "O Allah! Verily, You are the Oft-Pardoning, You love to pardon, so do pardon me." [Qurtubi].

Revelation of the Holy Qur'aan

Verse [1] "We sent it [the Qur'an] down in the Night of Qadr." This verse makes explicit that the Holy Qur'an was revealed on the Night of Qadr. This could have one of two meanings: [1] the entire Holy Qur'an was revealed on this Night from the Preserved Tablet. Then Sayyidna Jibra'il (A.S), according to the exigency of circumstances, brought it down to the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him piecemeal over a period of twenty-three years; and [2] it is related that the first revelation, consisting of the opening verses of Surah [96], took place in the month of Ramadan on the Night of Qadr, when the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was at his devotion in the cave of Hira'. The rest of the Qur'an was revealed little by little according to the need of different occasions.

All Heavenly Books Were Revealed in Ramadan

Sayyidna Abu Dhar Ghifari Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him narrates that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him said: "Holy Prophet Ibrahim's (A.S) Scriptures were revealed on 3rd of Ramadan; Torah was revealed on 6th of Ramadan; Injil was revealed on 13th of Ramadan; Zabur was revealed on 18th of Ramadan; and the Holy Qur'an was revealed on 24th of Ramadan." [Mazhari].

Descent of the Angels and the Spirit with Divine Decrees

Verse [4] (The angels and the Spirit descend in it, with the leave of their Lord, along with every command.) 'Spirit' here refers to Jibra'il (A.S).

Sayyidna Anas Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him narrates that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him said: "When the Night of Qadr occurs, Jibra'eel (A.S) descends on the earth with a huge throng of angels and all of them pray for every servant of Allah, man or woman, busy in salah or dhikr, to be blessed by Allah." [Mazhari]. In the phrase (along with every command), the preposition min is used in the sense of 'with' as in [13:11] The verse under comment means the angels bring down, during the Night of Qadr, the decree for everything destined to occur in the coming year. Some of the commentators, like Mujahid and others, say that the phrase min kulli amrin is syntactically related to salam, and the word 'Amr means 'every thing'. Thus they interpret the statement to mean: 'The night is a security from every evil, harm and calamity.' [Ibn Kathir].

Verse [5] salaamun (Peace it is till the rising of dawn.) The word Salaam [peace] stands for a complete sentence meaning 'it is all peace, equanimity and complete goodness, having no evil in it.' [Qurtubl]. Some scholars treat the word Salaamun as a sentence qualifying min kulli amrin, meaning 'the angels come with every such matter which is good and peace'. [Mazhari].

The concluding expression of the verse means the blessings of the Night of Qadr are not restricted to any particular part of the night. They start descending at the fall of night and continue till the break of dawn

Special Note

According to the verse 'The Night of Power is better than a thousand months' which equals eighty-three years and four months. Obviously, each year will contain a laylatul Qadr which will be better than a thousand months. As a result, the Night of Qadr will recur ad infinitum, that is, repeat or continue without an end. For this reason, some of the commentators say the expression 'more than a thousand months' does not include nights of Qadr. Thus this should not pose any problem. [Ibn Kathir on the authority of Mujahid].

On account of geographical positions, the time will vary from place to place. As a result, the Night of Qadr will not occur in all the regions of the world simultaneously. This is not a problem because people of each location should calculate and consecrate the night and receive its blessings according to their geographical position. Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best. (Ma'ariful Qur'an)

Ruling

If anyone performs the 'Isha' and Fajr salahs in congregation, he will receive the blessings and reward of the Night of Qadr. The more one performs acts of worship in this night, the more he shall receive its blessings. It is recorded in Sahih of Muslim that Sayyidna 'Uthman Radhi-Allahu Anh: Allah be pleased with him narrates that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him said: "One who performs `Isha' prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night. And one who performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat the whole night.'' [Muslim] (Ma'ariful Qur'an, Mufti Muhammad Shafi - ra)

The narration of At-Tirmidhi says: `Uthman ibn Affaan (radiallaahu 'anh) narrated that he had heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) saying: "He who attends `Isha' in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night; and he who attends `Isha' and Fajr prayers in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for the whole night.''

The Power Of Spending

“During every night of Ramaḍān, spend at least £1 in charity; if it happens to be Laylah-al-Qadr, you will receive the reward of spending £1 every day for eighty-three years!” (Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 19th August 2011

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