The Virtues of the Night of Al-Qadr (the Decree)
" On that night is made distinct every precise matter" - 44:4 Surat Ad-Dukhān (The Smoke) Quran |
Allah informs that He sent the Qur'an down during the
Night of Al-Qadr, and it is a blessed night about which Allah says,
(We sent it
down on a blessed night.) (44:3) This is the Night of Al-Qadr and it occurs
during the month of Ramadan. This is as Allah says,
(The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the
Qur'an.) (2:185) Ibn `Abbas and others have said, "Allah sent the Qur'an
down all at one time from the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) 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 Allah based upon the incidents that
occurred
over a period of twenty-three years.'' Then Allah magnified the status of the
Night of Al-Qadr, which He chose for the revelation of the Mighty Qur'an, 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.) Imam Ahmad recorded
that Abu Hurayrah "When Ramadan
would come, the Messenger of Allah would say,
would come, the Messenger of Allah would say,
(Verily, the month of Ramadan has come to you all. It
is a blessed month, which Allah 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.)'' An-Nasa'i
recorded this same Hadith. 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 Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of
Allah said,
(Whoever stands (in prayer) during the Night of
Al-Qadr with faith and expecting reward (from Allah), he will be forgiven for
his previous sins.)
Allah says,
(Therein descend the angels and the Ruh 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'an is recited, they surround the circles of Dhikr (remembrance of
Allah) and they lower their wings with true respect for the student of
knowledge. In reference to Ar-Ruh, it is said that here it means the angel
Jibril. Therefore, the wording of the Ayah is a method of adding the name of
the distinct object (in this case Jibril) separate from the general group (in
this case the angels). Concerning Allah's statement,
(with every matter.)
Mujahid said, "Peace concerning every matter.'' Sa`id bin Mansur said,
`Isa bin Yunus told us that Al-A`mash narrated to them that Mujahid said
concerning Allah's statement,
(There is peace)
"It is security in which Shaytan cannot do any evil or any harm.'' Qatadah
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.'' Allah
says,
(Therein is decreed
every matter of decree.) (44:4) Then Allah says,
(There is peace until
the appearance of dawn.) Sa`id bin Mansur said, "Hushaym narrated to us on
the authority of Abu Ishaq, who narrated that Ash-Sha`bi said concerning
Allah's statement,
(With every matter,
there is a 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).''' Qatadah and Ibn Zayd both said concerning
Allah'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).'
(The
Night of Al-Qadr occurs during the last ten (nights). Whoever stands for them
(in prayer) seeking their reward, then indeed Allah 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 Ramadan).) The Messenger of Allah
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. Shaytan
is not allowed to come out with it (the sun) on that day.) This chain of
narration is good. In its text there is some oddities and in some of its
wordings there are things that are objectionable. Abu Dawud mentioned a section
in his Sunan that he titled, "Chapter: Clarification that the Night of
Al-Qadr occurs during every Ramadan.'' Then he recorded that `Abdullah bin
`Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah was asked about the Night of Al-Qadr
while I was listening and he said,
(It occurs during
every Ramadan.)'' The men of this chain of narration are all reliable, but Abu
Dawud said that Shu`bah and Sufyan both narrated it from Ishaq and they both
considered it to be a statement of the Companion (Ibn `Umar, and thus not the
statement of the Prophet ). It has been reported that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said,
"The Messenger of Allah performed I`tikaf during the first ten nights of
Ramadan and we performed I`tikaf with him. Then Jibril came to him and said,
`That which you are seeking is in front of you.' So the Prophet performed
I`tikaf during the middle ten days of Ramadan and we also performed I`tikaf
with him. Then Jibril came to him and said; `That which you are seeking is
ahead of you.' So the Prophet stood up and gave a sermon on the morning of the
twentieth of Ramadan and he said,
(Whoever performed
I`tikaf with me, let him come back (for I`tikaf 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 lead us
in prayer until we saw the traces of mud and water on the forehead of the
Messenger of Allah , 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 (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) recorded it in the Two Sahihs.
Ash-Shafi`i said, "This Hadith 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
Hadith narrated from `Abdullah bin Unays in Sahih Muslim. It has also been said
that it is on the twenty-fifth night due to what Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn
`Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Seek it in the last
ten (nights) of Ramadan. In the ninth it still remains, in the seventh it still
remains, in the fifth it still remains.) Many have explained this Hadith 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 Sahih from Ubay bin Ka`b that the
Messenger of Allah mentioned that it was on the twenty-seventh night. Imam
Ahmad recorded from Zirr that he asked Ubayy bin Ka`b, "O Abu Al-Mundhir!
Verily, your brother Ibn Mas`ud says whoever stands for prayer (at night) the
entire year, will catch the Night of Al-Qadr.'' He (Ubayy) said, "May
Allah have mercy upon him. Indeed he knows that it is during the month of
Ramadan and that it is the twenty-seventh night.'' Then he swore by Allah. Zirr
then said, "How do you know that'' Ubayy replied, "By a sign or an
indication that he (the Prophet ) informed us of. It rises that next day having
no rays on it -- meaning the sun.'' Muslim has also recorded it. It has been
said that it is the night of the twenty-ninth. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded
from `Ubadah bin As-Samit that he asked the Messenger of Allah about the Night
of Decree and he replied,
(Seek it in Ramadan 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.) Imam Ahmad also recorded from Abu
Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah 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 was alone in recording this Hadith and there is nothing wrong with its chain
of narration. At-Tirmidhi 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-Tirmidhi mentions from Abu Qilabah has also been
recorded by Malik, Ath-Thawri, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Ishaq bin Rahuyah, Abu Thawr,
Al-Muzani, Abu Bakr bin Khuzaymah and others. It has also been related from
Ash-Shafi`i, and Al-Qadi reported it from him, and this is most likely. And
Allah knows best.
It is recommended to supplicate often during all
times, especially during the month of Ramadan, 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 Allah! Verily, You are the Of the
Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me.'' This is due to what Imam Ahmad
recorded from `A'ishah, that she said, "O Messenger of Allah! If I find
the Night of Al-Qadr what should I say'' He replied,
(Say: "O Allah! Verily, You are the Of
the Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me.'') At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and
Ibn Majah have all recorded this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is
Hasan Sahih.'' Al-Hakim 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 (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). An-Nasa'i also recorded it. This is the
end of the Tafsir of Surah Laylat Al-Qadr, and all praise and blessings are due
to Allah.
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