Surah Al-Qadr, Ayah 5

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

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,

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـهُ فِى لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَـرَكَةٍ

(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,

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِى أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ

(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 ﷺ 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,

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

هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ‌ 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.

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 ؓ narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "If a person performs his ` Isha' salah in congregation, he will attain the blessings of spending half the night in devotion; and if he performs Fajr salah in congregation, he will attain the blessings of spending the entire night in devotion."

Al-Hamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah Al-Qadr

Ends here

It seems that on that night there is an abundance of angels on the earth. Those who are spiritually aroused are influenced by this atmosphere and, as a result, they become imbued with a spirituality which enhances the value of their religious deeds at that time as compared to such deeds as are performed in ordinary circumstances. For this reason, as the month draws towards the last ten days, the worshippers give more time to prayers, give more in charity and read as much as possible from the Quran, beseeching their Lord for His mercy and forgiveness. When the Prophet was asked by his wife, ‘A’ishah, what one’s prayer should be if one finds the Night of Destiny, Lailatul Qadr, he taught her this simple prayer: Allahumma innaka afuwwun, tuhibbul afuwa, fa afuanni. O Allah, You are forgiving, You love forgiveness, so forgive me.