Verses 1–5
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful
This sūrah was revealed in Mecca and consists of 5 verses. It states that the Qur’an was sent down on the Night of Destiny, and underscores the greatness of this night by saying that it is better than a thousand months. It is a night in which the angels and the Spirit descend. The chapter could have been revealed in Mecca or Medina. There are some narrations from the Imams confirming the view that it was revealed in Medina.
Commentary
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ١
(97:1) Indeed We sent it down (anzalnāhu, from inzāl) on the Night of Destiny.
The pronoun “it” refers to the Qur’an. Apparently what is meant is the entire Qur’an, not just some verses of it. This can be confirmed by the usage of the verb inzāl (to send down, to reveal), which implies a sudden act of sending at once, as opposed to tanzīl, which implies a gradual act of sending. The same idea is found elsewhere: By the Manifest Book! Indeed We sent it down (anzalnāhu) on a blessed night (). In the first verse [] God apparently swears by the Manifest Book in its entirety, and then He describes how this object of His oath was sent down in one incident.
These verses indicate that the Qur’an had a one-time concise descent upon the Prophet as a whole, in addition to its gradual descent over the twenty-three years of his mission. The latter revelation is described in other verses like: We have sent the Qur’an in [discrete] parts so that you may read it to the people a little at a time, and We have sent it down piecemeal (); The faithless say, ‘Why has not the Qur’an been sent down to him all at once?’ So it is, that We may strengthen your heart with it, and We have recited it [to you] in a measured tone ().
Some exegetes have suggested that We sent it down refers to the onset of the revelation, pertaining to only some verses of the Qur’an. However, given what we said, this view should be disregarded.
The Qur’an does not specify which night it was, apart from the verse: The month of Ramadan, in which the Qur’an was sent down (). Together, these verses show that the Night of Destiny was in the month of Ramadan. However, to determine the exact day of the month we would have to rely on the narrations. We shall present some traditions in this regard in our examination of narrations, God-willing.
God has named this night the night of qadr, where qadr apparently means taqdīr (measurement, ordainment, predestination). Hence, it is the night in which God decrees the events of the coming year, such as birth, death, sustenance, felicity and wretchedness. This is also indicated in Sūrah al-Dukhan in the description of the night: Every definitive matter is differentiated (yufraqu) in it, as an ordinance from Us. Indeed We have been sending [messengers], as a mercy from your Lord (). What is meant by the differentiation of Every definitive matter () is precisely decreeing and establishing the specifics of the events to come through divine destiny (taqdīr).
This implies that the special night of qadr is repeated annually. Every lunar year, in the month of Ramadan, there is a night in which the matters from that year to the same night of the next year are decreed. Otherwise, it does not make sense to have only a single night ever, when all the events before it and after it are decreed. This can be confirmed by three points: (1) The verb yufraqu (is differentiated, ) is in the present tense, which implies continuous action. (2) It is better than a thousand months (). (3) In it the angels and the Spirit descend… () [which is also in the present tense]. Nonetheless, there could be a single night in which the Qur’an was sent down in its entirety.
Here are some other suggested views on the verse:
- It was only a single night in which the Qur’an was revealed, never to repeat again.
- It repeated every year in the time of the Prophet, and then God lifted the night.
- It is the exact same night every year.
- It is repeated every year but at different times: one year in the month of Ramadan, one year in Shaʿbān, and so forth.
Comment: There is no basis for any of these views given what we said above.
- Qadr here means manzilah (status, position). Its appellation indicates how precious this night is, and the value of those who worship in it.
- Qadr here means ḍīq (constriction, tightness). This appellation is because the earth becomes crowded on that night since the angels come down.
Comment: The weakness of the last two views should be clear.
In short, as one can see, the verses are saying that it is a specific night which repeats yearly in the month of Ramadan, when all affairs are decided and preordained by divine decrees. This does not contradict the occurrence of some change in what is decreed during that year, because a change in what is decreed (muqaddar) is different from a change in the decree itself (taqdīr). Similarly, God may will to effect a change in cosmic events [in the realm of time and space], while the same events are preordained and fixed in the Guarded Tablet (al-lawḥ al-maḥfūẓ). He says: and with Him is the Mother Book ().
Moreover, one could say that the determination and finalization of affairs can have several stages and layers according to the actualization of their causes and the fulfillment of their conditions. Hence, it could be that, on the Night of Destiny, some of these stages may be assigned and decreed, but others may be delayed. However, the narrations do not support this view, as we shall see below.
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ ٢
(97:2) And what will show you what is the Night of Destiny?
This verse indicates the grand position and exalted rank of that night. This emphasis is highlighted by the repetition of Night of Destiny in this verse and the next verse—And what will show you what is the Night of Destiny? The Night of Destiny is… ()—instead of using a pronoun: “And what would make you know what it is? It is better…”
لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ ٣
(97:3) The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months.
This is a concise interpretation of the night’s lofty position, as indicated by the last verse: And what will show you what is the Night of Destiny? (). Exegetes have said that the reason it is better than a thousand months is because of the excellence of worship in it. This suits the Qur’anic objective of bringing people closer to God. Hence, keeping vigil on that night through worship is better than worshiping for a thousand months. This can also be inferred from the adjective blessed in the verse: Indeed We sent it down on a blessed night (). There is yet another interpretation for the verse, which we shall present in our examination of narrations below, God-willing.
تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ ٤
(97:4) In it the angels and the Spirit (al-rūḥ) descend (tanazzalu), by the leave (bi-idhn) of their Lord, with every command (amr).
Tanazzalu was originally tatanazzalu. The apparent meaning of the Spirit is the reality related to the divine command: Say, “The Spirit is of the command of my Lord” (). Idhn is “granting permission.” That is, announcing that are no obstacles or prohibitions against doing something.
There are a number of suggested interpretations for the preposition min (from, of):
- It means the letter bāʾ (by, with).
- It marks the origin of a movement (called ibtidāʾ al-ghāyah) and effectively implies causality. That is: “They descend because of—or through—every divine command.”
- It indicates the justification for an act by presenting its purpose and objective. The meaning is: “They descend in order to direct every command.”
Comment: The truth is that there are two possible interpretations for the preposition min based on two possible meanings of amr (command, affair):
- Amr means the divine command as defined by the verse: All His command, when He wills something, is to say to it “Be” (). In this case, the preposition min marks the origin of a movement and effectively implies causality. The meaning would be: “The angels and the Spirit descend on the Night of Destiny by the permission of their Lord. Their descent starts and emanates from the divine command.”
- Amr refers to all events that transpire in the world of existence. In this case, the preposition min would be equivalent to the letter lām which signifies justification (called taʿlīliyyah). The meaning would be: “The angels and the Spirit descend on that night by the permission of their Lord in order to manage every affair in the world of creation.”
سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ ٥
(97:5) It is peaceful (salām) until the break of the dawn.
Al-Mufradāt says: “Salām (peace) and salāmah (health, soundness) mean being free from defects and afflictions, outer or inner.” Therefore, It is peaceful refers to God’s grace and mercy spreading upon His worshipers who turn to Him, and the closing of the gates of any new punishment and misery on this night. An implication of this peace is that the devils are stopped from carrying out their plots, as mentioned in some narrations.
Another suggested meaning is: “The angels send greetings of peace upon the worshiping believers by whom they pass.” This interpretation effectively traces back to the first view.
The last two verses—In it the angels… ()—are an interpretation of the verse before them: The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months ().
Examining Narrations
- Once Abū Dharr asked: “O Messenger of God! Does the [Night of] Destiny exist only in the time of the prophets, when the divine command descends upon them? Does it come to an end when they pass away?”
“No,” he replied. “It continues until the Day of Resurrection.”
Author’s comment: The same idea is conveyed in more than one Sunni narration.
- Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was inquired about the Night of Destiny. He said: “Seek it on the nineteenth, the twenty-first, and the twenty-third [of Ramadan].”
Author’s comment: There are further narrations which express the same idea. Some narrations limit it to either the twenty-first or the twenty-third, like a narration reported from Imam al-Bāqir by al-ʿAyyāshī, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Wāḥid. It can be gleaned from the narrations that the Night of Destiny is the twenty-third night. This is not explicitly specified to highlight its grandeur and position, so that people would not take it lightly by disobeying God in it.
- It is narrated from either Imams al-Bāqir or al-Ṣādiq: The night of the twenty-third is al-Juhanī’s night. His story was that once he told the Messenger of God, “My house is far from Medina. If I were to come to town in only one night a year, which night should it be?” The Prophet commanded him to come on the twenty-third night.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: On the nineteenth night, destiny is apportioned. On the twenty-first, it is confirmed. On the twenty-third, it is executed [or finalized].
Author’s comment: Other narrations convey the same meaning. Narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt agree that: (1) The Night of Destiny repeats perpetually every year. (2) It is in the month of Ramadan. (3) It is one of the three nights [19th, 21st or 23rd]. But Sunni narrations disagree in a surprising manner, to the point that they cannot be reconciled. The most common view among them is that the Qur’an was revealed on the twenty-seventh night. Interested readers should refer to al-Durr al-manthūr or other collections [of hadith].
- The Messenger of God said: I saw in a dream the Umayyads ascending my pulpit, which distressed me a lot. Then God revealed the chapter: Indeed We sent it down on the Night of Destiny… ().
Author’s comment: This means that God comforted the Prophet by giving him the Night of Destiny, and making it better than a thousand months—which was the duration of the Umayyad rule. There are many Shia narrations from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt expressing this meaning.
- Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked: “How can the Night of Destiny be better than a thousand months?” He said: “Acts [of worship] during it are better than acts carried out for a thousand months—excluding such a nigt.”
- Ḥumrān said: Once I asked Imam al-Bāqir about the verse: Indeed We sent it down on a blessed night (). He said: “Indeed, that is the Night of Destiny, and it occurs every year in the month of Ramadan, during the last ten nights. The Qur’an was revealed on no other night than the Night of Destiny. God says: Every definitive matter is differentiated in it (). On this night, the destiny for all things is apportioned for that year, until the same night in the next year, such as every gain and loss, obedience and disobedience, birth and death, and all sustenance. Whatever is destined and decreed on that night is definite. Nevertheless, it is still subject to God’s will.”
I said: “The Night of Destiny is better than a thousand months (). What does it mean?”
“A good deed during it,” the Imam explained, “such as prayer, charity and other forms of good, is better than if it is done for a thousand months in which there is no Night of Destiny. This is something that the believers could not have achieved hadn’t God multiplied [their deeds] for them. However, God multiplies their rewards for them.”
Author’s comment: “Nevertheless, it is still subject to God’s will” implies the absolute power of God. It is up to Him to decree whatever He wills, even if something has been finalized. His finalization of something does not restrict His unqualified omnipotence. He is capable of repealing an ordained decree, even though He never wills to do so.
- The Prophet said: On the Night of Destiny, the angels which reside by sidrat al-muntahá (the Lote Tree of the Ultimate Boundary) [] come down [to the earth]. Among them is Gabriel, who comes down with some flags. He raises a flag over my tomb, a flag over Bayt al-Maqdis [in Jerusalem], a flag over the Sacred House [the Kaʿbah], and a flag on Mount Sinai. He greets with peace (salām) every believing man or woman, except for those who habitually drink alcohol, eat pork, or anoint themselves with saffron.
- Abu Baṣīr said: Once I was with Imam al-Ṣādiq, where he was speaking about the special qualities of an Imam when he is born. He said: “On the Night of Destiny he is entitled to a visitation (ziyārah) from the Spirit.”
I said: “May I be your ransom, isn’t the Spirit the same as Gabriel?”
“Gabriel is one of the angels,” he explained, “but the Spirit is greater than the angels. Doesn’t God say: the angels and the Spirit descend ()?”
Author’s comment: There are very many narrations about the Night of Destiny and its excellence. Some mention signs of it which occur sometimes but not always, such as the sun rising the next day without any rays, or having a moderate weather. We shall skip these narrations.
These are narrations which say that the sūrah was revealed after the Prophet had a vision of the Umayyads ascending his pulpit, which distressed him. Then God comforted him by revealing this sūrah. (Auth.) ↩︎
The meaning would be: “They bring down God’s command.” (Ed.) ↩︎
This is the same as the second suggested view above. (Ed.) ↩︎
This is the same as the third suggested view above. (Ed.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-burhān, on the authority of al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Ḥammād b. ʿUthmān, on the authority of Ḥassān b. Abī ʿAlī. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. Bukayr, on the authority of Zurārah. Al-Juhanī’s name was ʿAbd-Allāh b. Anīs al-Anṣārī. His narration is also related through Sunni chains of transmission, as reported in al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Mālik and al-Bayḥaqī. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Zurārah. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Khaṭīb, on the authority of Ibn al-Musayyib. The same book has also reported a similar narration to this from Ibn ʿAbbās, on the authority of al-Khaṭīb’s Tarīkh. It has also narrated a similar hadith from al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī, on the authority of al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Jarīr, al-Ṭabarānī, Ibn Mardawayh and al-Bayḥaqī. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of some of his companions, of whom he only remembers Saʿīd al-Sammān. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of al-Fuḍayl, Zurārah and Muḥammad b. Muslim. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās. ↩︎
Some versions say ziyādah, where the meaning would be: “He is entitled to receive a greater share of the Spirit.” This would correspond to verse and some narrations on it. (Ed.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-burhān, on the authority of Saʿd b. ʿAbd-Allāh, via its chain of narration. ↩︎