Surah Al-Qadr - The Night of Decree

Salam Walekum, I would today like to take us to a chapter of the Qur'an, a relatively short Surah entitled Surah Al-Qadr which refers to a night called Laylatul Qadr, which literally means - "The night of decree". But as we all know big things come in small packages; Surah Al-Qadr is the 97th Surah of the Holy Qur'an. Some narrations say that it was revealed in Makkah, while others hold the opinion that it was revealed in Madinah. However in the Surah, the subject-matter is the Night of Decree (or Power), in which Revelation of the Quran came down to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) for the very first time through the Angel Jibril AS. I would go through the Chapter ayah by ayah to further explain the message of the great surah.

Q97 V1 - "We have indeed revealed this in the Night of Decree."

One of the most meritous aspects of Islam fall in one of the last five odd nights of the Holy month of Ramadan. It is the most blessed night of the year. Reference here is made to the fact that on this special night the Holy Qur'an was revealed. One reason this night is referred to as the Night of Decree is due to the increase in the amount of reward gained by worship performed on this particular night in comparison to any other throughout the whole year.

Q97 V2 - "And what will explain to you what the night of decree is?" The deeper effect of this question being asked here is: "Have you any knowledge as to how great and important this night is, and to the favours and bounties which are placed within the Night of decree?".

Q97 V3 - "The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months."

This verse means that the worship performed in this night brings more reward than the worship performed in a thousand months; but how much more better? Allah is such a great being that anything is possible from his behalf. "A thousand" in this context must be taken in an indefinite sense; meaning a very long period of time. This does not refer to our literal ideas of time, but to "timeless Time" as only seen by Allah.

Q97 V4 - "Therein come down The Angels and the Spirit By Allah's permission, on every errand."

The Angels descend by Allah's permission and the Spirit mentioned here is usually understood to be the Angel Jibril AS.

Q97 V5 - "Peace! This until the appearance of dawn!" When the Night of spiritual darkness is dissipated by the glory of Allah, a wonderful peace and sense of security arise in the soul, and this lasts on until this life closes, and the glorious day of the new world dawns, when everything will be on a different plane, and the chequered nights and days of this world will be even less than a dream.

CONCLUSION Traditions of the Final Prophet (SAW) mention that, in this night Allah Almighty directs His Mercy towards His slaves. Supplications made by His servants are granted and Allah Almighty forgives that large number of people who repent. This night is meant for developing a special connection with one's Creator, for making contact with the Lord of the Universe. So let us please our Lord so that He is pleased with us, and there is surely nothing better than the pleasure of our Lord. This is amongst the many bounties that Allah the Most Glorious has blessed us with. We should grasp this opportunity and ask for guidance from the All-Forgiving and the All-Merciful, from which we will achieve a good life on this earth and more importantly - a better life in the Hereafter.

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