Explanation Of Soorah al-Qadr (The Night Of Power)

Author: al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer

Source: Tafseer Ibn Katheer

Published: Saturday 29th October, 2005



















In the Name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Bestower of Mercy.
[img=198,48]http://www.theclearpath.com/images_quraan/1_1.gif[/img]
1.Verily! We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree)[img=230,51]http://www.theclearpath.com/images_quraan/97_1.gif[/img]
2And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is?[img=227,48]http://www.theclearpath.com/images_quraan/97_2.gif[/img]
3.The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).[img=267,48]http://www.theclearpath.com/images_quraan/97_3.gif[img]
4.Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibrael (Gabriel)] by their Lord's Permission with all Decrees,[img=433,49]http://www.theclearpath.com/images_quraan/97_4.gif[/img]
5.Peace! (All that night, there is Peace and Goodness from Allaah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn.[img=253,47]http://www.theclearpath.com/images_quraan/97_5.gif[/img]


The Virtues of the Night of Al-Qadr (the Decree)

Allaah informs us that He sent the Qur'aan down during the Night of Al-Qadr, and it is a blessed night about which Allaah says:

"We sent it down on a blessed night..." [Soorah ad-Dukhaan (44):3]


This is the Night of Al-Qadr and it occurs during the month of Ramadhaan. This is as Allaah says:

"The month of Ramadhaan in which was revealed the Qur'aan..." [Soorah al-Baqarah (2):185]


Ibn Abbaas (radi-Allaahu anhu) and others have said:

"Allaah sent the Qur'aan down all at one time from the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawhul Mahfoodh) to the House of Might (Baytul-Izzah), which is in the heaven of this world. Then it came down in parts to the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) based upon the incidents that occurred over a period of twenty-three years."


Then Allaah magnified the status of the Night of Al-Qadr, which He chose for the revelation of the Mighty Qur'aan, by His saying:

"And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr is?"

The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months.

[At-Tabari 24:531, 532, and Al-Qurtubi 20:130]


Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) recorded that Abu Hurayrah (radi-Allaahu anhu) said,

"When Ramadhaan would come, the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) would say:

'Verily the month of Ramadhaan has come to you all. It is a blessed month, which Allaah has obligated you all to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are shackled. In it there is a night that is better than one thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good, then he has truly been deprived.'" [Ahmad 2:230. There is witness for this narration from the Hadeeth of Anas Ibn Maalik in the book of the Sunan.]


An-Nasaa'ee recorded this same Hadeeth. [An-Nasaa'ee 4:129]

Aside from the fact that worship during the Night of Al-Qadr is equivalent to worship performed for a period of one thousand months, it is also confirmed in the Two Saheehs from Abu Hurayrah (radi-Allaahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) said:

"Whoever stands (in prayer) during the Nigh of Al-Qadr with faith and expecting reward (from Allaah), he will be forgiven for his previous sins." [Fath al-Baree 4:294, and Muslim 1:253]



The Descent of the Angels and the Decree for Every Good during the Night of Al-Qadr

Allaah says,

"Therein descend the angels and the Rooh by their Lord's permission with every matter."


Meaning: the angels descend in abundance during the Night of Al-Qadr due to its abundant blessings. The angels descend with the descending of blessings and mercy, just as they descend when the Qur'aan is recited, they surround the circles of Dhikr (remembrance of Allaah) and they lower their wings with true respect for the student of knowledge.

In reference to Ar-Rooh, it is said that here it means the angel Jibreel. Therefore, the wording of the Ayah is a method of adding the name of the distinct object (in this case Jibreel) separate from the general group (in this case the angels).

Concerning Allaah's statement, "...with every matter."

Mujaahid said,

"Peace concerning every matter."


Sa'eed Ibn Mansoor said, "Eesaa Ibn Yoonus told us that Al'mash narrated to them that Mujaahid said concerning Allaah's statement, 'There is peace...'

'It is security in which Shaytaan cannot do any evil or any harm.'"


Qataadah and others have said,

"The matters are determined during it, and the times of death and provisions are measured out (i.e., decided) during it."


Allaah says,

"Therein is decreed every matter of decree..." [Soorah ad-Dukhaan (44):4]


Then Allaah says:

"There is peace until the appearance of dawn."


Sa'eed Ibn Mansoor said, "Hushaym narrated to us on the sincerity of Abu Ishaaq, who narrated that Ash-Sha'bi said concerning Allaah's statement, 'With every matter, there is peace until the appearance of dawn.'

'The angels giving the greetings of peace during the Night of Al-Qadr to the people in the Masjids until the coming of Fajr (dawn).'"


Qataadah and Ibn Zayd both said concerning Allaah's statement, "There is Peace..."

"This means all of it is good and there is no evil in it until the coming of Fajr (dawn)."



Specifying the Night of Decree and its Signs

This is supported by what Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) recorded from Ubadah Ibn As-Samit that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) said:

"The Night of Al-Qadr occurs during the last ten (nights). Whoever stands for them (in prayer) seeking their reward, then indeed Allaah will forgive his previous sins and his latter sins. It is an odd night: the ninth or the seventh, or the fifth, or the third or the last night (of Ramadhaan)."


The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) also said:

"Verily, the sign of the Night of Al-Qadr is that it is pure and glowing as if there were a bright, tranquil, calm moon during it. It is not cold, nor is it hot, and no shooting star is permitted until morning. Its sign is that the sun appears on the morning following it smooth having no rays on it, just like the moon on a full moon night. Shaytaan is not allowed to come out with it (the sun) on that day." [Ahmad 5:324. It is a Mursal narration]


This chain of narration is good. In its text there are some oddities and in some of its wordings there are things that are objectionable.

Abu Daawood mentioned a section in his Sunan that he titled,

"Chapter: Clarification that the Night of Al-Qadr occurs during every Ramadhaan."


Then he recorded that Abdullah Ibn Umar said,

"The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) was asked about the Night of Al-Qadr while I was listening and he said, 'It occurs during every Ramadhaan.'" [Abu Daawood 2:111. This narration is considered Mawqoof]


The men of this chain of narration are all reliable, but Abu Daawood said that Shu'bah and Sufyaan both narrated from Ishaaq and they both considered it to be a statement of the Companion (Ibn Umar, and thus not the statement of the Prophet sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam).

It has been reported that Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudree said,

"The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) performed I'tikaaf during the first ten nights of Ramadhaan and we performed I'tikaaf with him. Then Jibreel came to him and said, 'That which you are seeking is front of you.' So the Prophet (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) performed I'tikaaf during the middle ten days of Ramadhaan and we also performed I'tikaaf with him. Then Jibreel came to him and said, 'That which you are seeking is ahead of you.' So the Prophet (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) stood up and gave a sermon on the morning of the twentieth of Ramadhaan and he said,

'Whoever performed I'tikaaf with me, let him come back (for Itikaf again), for verily I saw the Night of Al-Qadr, and I was caused to forget it, and indeed it is during the last ten (nights). It is during an odd night and I saw myself as if I were prostrating in mud and water.'


The roof of the Masjid was made of dried palm-tree leaves and we did not see anything (i.e. clouds) in the sky. But then a patch of wind-driven clouds came and it rained. So the Prophet (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) lead us in prayer until we saw the traces of mud and water on the forehead of the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam), which confirmed his dream."


In one narration it adds that this occurred on the morning of the twenty-first night (meaning the next morning). They both (Bukhaaree and Muslim) recorded it in the Two Saheehs. [Fath al-Baaree 2:329, 318, and Muslim 2:824]

Ash-Shaafi'ee said,

"This Hadeeth is the most authentic of what has been reported."


It has also been said that it is on the twenty-third night due to a Hadeeth narrated from Abdullah Ibn Unays in Saheeh Muslim. [Muslim 2:827]

It has also been reported that it is on the twenty-fifth night due to what Bukhaaree recorded from Ibn Abbaas (radi-Allaahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) said,

"Seek it in the last ten (nights) of Ramadhaan. In the ninth it still remains in the seventh it still remains, in the fifth it still remains." [Fath Al-Bari 4:306]


Many have explained this Hadeeth to refer to the odd nights, and this is the most apparent and most popular explanation. It has also been said that it occurs on the twenty-seventh night because of what Muslim recorded in his Saheeh from Ubay Ibn Ka'ab that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) mentioned that it was on the twenty-seventh night. [Muslim 2:828]

Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) recorded from Zirr that he asked Ubayy Ibn Ka'ab,

"O Abul-Mundhir! Verily, your borther Ibn Masood says whoever stands for prayer (at night) the entire year, will catch the Night of Al-Qadr."


He (Ubayy) said:

"May Allaah have mercy upon him. Indeed he knows that it is the twenty-seventh night."


Then he swore by Allaah. Zirr then said:

"How do you know that?"


Ubayy replied,

"By a sign or an indication that he (the Prophet sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) informed us of. It rises that next day having no rays on it - meaning the sun." [Ahmad 5:130, Muslim has also recorded it, Muslim 2:828]


It has been said that it is the night of the twenty-ninth. Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah) recorded from 'Ubadah Ibn As-Samit that he asked the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) about the Night of Decree and he replied,

"Seek it in Ramadhaan in the last ten nights. For verily, it is during the odd nights, the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth, or during the last night." [Ahmad 5:318 There is a deficiency in this chain of narration, but the meanings are found with others]


Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) also recorded from Abu Hurayrah (radi-Allaahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam) said about the Night of Al-Qadr,

"Verily, it is during the twenty-seventh or the twenty-ninth night. And verily, the angels who are on the earth during that night are more numerous than the number of pebbles." [Ahmad 2:519]


Ahmad (rahimahullaah) was alone in recording this Hadeeth and there is nothing wrong with its chain of narration.

At-Tirmidhee recorded from Abu Qilabah that he said,

"The Night of Al-Qadr moves around (i.e., from year to year) throughout the last ten nights."


This view that At-Tirmidhee mentions from Abu Qilabah has also been recorded by Maalik, ath-Thawree, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Ishaaq Ibn Rahuyah, Abu Dhaar, Al-Muzani, Abu Bakr Ibn Khuzaymah and others. It has also been related from ash-Shaafi'ee and al-Qaadhee reported it from him, and this is most likely. And Allaah knows best.


Supplication during the Night of Decree

It is recommended to supplicate often during all times, especially during the month of Ramadhaan, in the last ten nights, and during the odd nights of it even more so. It is recommended that one say the following supplication a lot:

"O Allaah! Verily, you are the Oft-Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me."


This is due to what Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) recorded from Aa'ishah (radi-Allaahu 'anhaa) that she said,

"O Messenger of Allaah! If I find the Night of Al-Qadr what should I say?" He replied, Say: "O Allaah! Verily You are the Oft-Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me." [Ahmad 6:182]


At-Tirmidhee, an-Nasaa'ee and Ibn Maajah have all recorded this Hadeeth. At-Tirmidhee said,

"This Hadeeth is Hasan Saheeh." [Tahfatul-Ahwaadhi 9:495, an-Nasaa'ee in al-Kubra 6:218, and Ibn Majah 2:1265]


Al-Haakim recorded it in his Mustadrak (with a different chain of narration) and he said that it is authentic according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs (Bukhaaree and Muslim). [al-Haakim 1:530]

An Nasaa'ee also recorded it. [an-Nasaa'ee in al-Kubra 6:219]


 

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