SURA AL-QADR

                                This sura was revealed on The Holy Prophet (s) in Makkah.

           Bismillah Hir Rahmaanir Raheem

              Inna Anzalnaho Fi Lailatul Qadre Wa Ma Adraaka Ma Lailatul Qadr Lailatul Qadre

           Khairum Min Alfe Shaher Tanazzalul Malaikatu War Ruhu Fiha Beizne Rabbehim Min

                                 Kulle Amrin Salamun Hiya Hatta Matla’il Fajr

                               In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

                        Surely, We sent it (The Qur’an) down on the night of Honor.

                         And what makes you know what the Night of Honor is?

                            The Night of Honor is better than a thousand nights.

        The Angels and the Spirit descend on descend therein by their Lord’s leave of every affair.

                                        Peace! It is still the rising of the dawn.

Allah says in Sura Al-Baqara verse 185 “Ramazaan is the month in which was sent the Qur’an” which conveys the notion that the whole Qur’an was descended in this month.

The first verse of Sura al-Qadr contains two pronouns; one is “it” referring to Qur’an and the other “we” relates to Almighty Himself. Together with these two pronouns the very fact that it was revealed on the Night of Honor manifests the importance of The Holy Qur’an.

The revelation was of two kinds: one was that the whole Qur’an came down, at once, in one night on the heart of the Holy Prophet(s) or, the Bait-ul-Mamoor, or from the “Preserved Tablet” or “Lauh-e-Mahfooz”. The second kind of revelation was the Holy Qur’an came down in portions, gradually, during the life time of the Holy Prophet(s).

This explanation is further supported by the fact that the two different Arabic words like “Inzaal” and “Tanzeel” have been used in the Noble Qur’an. Inzaal has a broad meaning and here it implies “bringing down all at once” while Tanzeel implies bringing down gradually.

The Night of Honor is better than thousand nights which is about eighty years. It is reported that the Holy Prophet(s) said “one of the members of the Israelites had spent one thousand months wearing his fighting dress on and prepared to fight on the path of Allah”

On hearing this, the companions wished if they could also do the same. Hence this verse was revealed.

The word “tanazzala” is a future term showing continuity and hence the Night of Honor

comes every year. About the meaning of word “Ruh” Imam Jaffer al-Sadiq (a.s.) said

“Gibraeel is one of the angels and “Ruh” is greater than the angels. Has Allah, the Exalted, not said “The Angels and the Spirit descended”. The objective for the descend is to proportionate and assign the fates and to bring any blessings and goodness on that night.

Sura Al-Dukhan verse 3 and 4 reads “that We have revealed the Qur’an on a blessed night to warn mankind. On this night, every absolute command coming from Us becomes distinguishable.” Other traditions corroborate to this fact that every human’s sustenance, life span and other important events for the next year are decided by Allah on this night. This does not in any way obstructs an individual’s independence of actions as it is reflected by his purity of intentions, knowledge, faith etc. Qazaa-o-Qadr has already been discussed in a separate article.The fact that the angels and the Ruh descends every year points to the existence of an infallible on the earth till the last day of this universe. 

The last verse of the sura which says “Peace! It is till the rising of the dawn” It is a night on which both the Qur’an has descended and worship and vigilance is equal to a thousand months.

Imam Baqir (a.s.) when asked as to which night was the Night of Honor, replied “How do we not know it, whereas angels go round us therein”

There are narrations that on that night the destinies and affairs of men are determined; sustenance, death and other affairs are made distinct and clear. It is called the Night of Honor:

1. Because it is very important.
2. Also because the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Grand Apostle of Allah by means of His Grand Angel.
3. A person who keeps vigil on that night obtains a grand rank.

As to the question that which night is the Night of Honor, it is suggested as 1^st, 17^th, 19^th,

21^st, 23^rd, 27^th and 29^th of Ramazaan. Imam Jaffer al-Sadiq (a.s.) suggested to be 21^st or 23^rd.

Virtues of reciting Sura al-Qadr:

The Holy Prophet(s) said “He who recites Sura al-Qadr will be rewarded like the one who has fasted the whole month of Ramazaan and has kept vigil the night of the Qadr.

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said “He who recites Sura al-Qadr loudly and openly like a person who fights in the Holy War on the path of Allah and he who recites hiddenly like a person who swims in his own blood for the sake of Allah.”

Allah has kept his love obscured in different prayers, obligatory or recommended, so that people will turn towards them. He has kept hidden His Wrath in sins so that people will abstain from disobedience and committing sins. He has kept his friends secret so that people will respect every one. He has kept acceptance of prayers in different supplications so that people will rush towards prayers. He has kept hidden His Isme Aazam in Asma-ul-Husna so that people will recite all names of Allah. Allah’s names has been mentioned in Duaa-e-Jaushan-e-Kabeer which contains His one thousand names. And lastly, He has kept the time of death secret from people so that they should always be prepared for it.

Is it possible to have one Night of Honor in different cities? The answer to this question will be clear by studying what is night. At any moment, half of the globe is in darkness and because the earth is moving on its axis and completes one revolution in 24 hours. Hence, the Night of Honor may be one complete revolution during which time every part of the earth will be in darkness.