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| Explanation of Soorah al-Qadr Imam Ibn Kathir Tafseer ibn Katheer - Juz' `Amma In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent,
the Most Merciful Allah, Most High informs us that He sent
down the Qur'aan in the night of Al-Qadr, and it is the blessed night
referred to in the Words of Him, Almighty, All-Powerful: The night of Al-Qadr occurs in the month of
Ramadhaan, as Allah says: Ibn `Abbaas, amongst others, explains that
the complete Qur'aan was sent down from Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz (the Preserved
Tablet) in the night of Al-Qadr to Bait Al-`Izzah (the House of Glory) in
the lowest heaven, from whence it was revealed piecemeal to the Prophet
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam according to events which took place during
his life over a period of twenty-three years. Then, Allah says, in order
to make clear the greatness of the matter of the night of Al-Qadr, which
He has chosen for sending down of the Noble Qur'aan: It is narrated on the authority of Mujaahid
that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa salam mentioned a man
from Bani Israa'eel who carried his sword in the Way of Allah for a
thousand months; the Muslims were amazed at this until Allah revealed: (i.e. the thousand months during which the
man carried his sword in the Way of Allah). (Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim) Ibn Jareer narrates, on the authority of
Mujaahid that there was a man from Bani Israa'eel who used to spend the
night in prayer then in the morning he would fight the enemy in the Way of
Allah during the day, until the evening and he did this for a thousand
months and so Allah revealed the Soorah: That is, standing in prayer on that night
is better than the actions of that man. Sufyaan ath-Thawree reports, on
the authority of Mujaahid (also), that the night of Al-Qadr being better
than a thousand months means that the good deeds performed on it, fasting
on it and standing in prayer on it are better than a thousand months' good
deeds, prayers and fasting. (Narrated by Ibn Jareer) Ibn Abi Haatim relates, on the authority of
Mujaahid that it means: The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand
months without the night of Al-Qadr. This was also said by Qataadah ibn
Da'aamah and Ash-Shaafi’i and others, including Ibn Jareer, and it is
the correct interpretation and it is like the saying of the Prophet
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam: "To spend the night in the Way of Allah
is better than a thousand nights not spent in worship." (Narrated by
Ahmad) Likewise, it is narrated that whoever goes
to Friday prayers neatly-dressed, with a pure intention, it will be
written for him the reward of a year's good deeds, as if he had fasted on
it and spent its nights in prayer and in other acts of worship. It is reported from Abu Hurairah that he
said: "When the month of Ramadhaan came, the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "The month of Ramadhaan has come,
a blessed month in which Allah has made it obligatory for you to fast; in
it the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and
the devils are chained. In it is a night better than a thousand months,
whoever loses the benefit of it has lost something irreplaceable."
(Narrated by Imaam Ahmad. This was also narrated by An-Nasaa'i). It is reported on the authority of Abu
Hurairah, that Allah's Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:
"Whoever stood in prayer on the night of Al-Qadr, in faith and hoping
for a reward from Allah, he will have all of his previous sins
forgiven." (Narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim). ‘Therein descend the angels and the Spirit’ That is, innumerable angels descend with
uncounted blessings and mercy, as they descend when the Qur'aan is recited
and they surround those sitting in circles in remembrance of Allah and
they lower their wings in the presence of the sincere seeker of knowledge
in honour of him. As for the Spirit, it has been said that what is meant
by it is the angel Jibreel `alayhis salaam and that he is mentioned thus
to distinguish him from the other angels. It was also said that it means a
group of angels, and Allah knows best. (see the Tafseer of Soorah An-Naba',
verse 38) ‘With all decrees’ Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrates, on the
authority of Mujaahid that it means the night is safe from the
machinations of the devils, that they cannot commit evil or harm on it.
Qataadah and others said it means that the Divine Decrees are issued at
that night, the appointed time of everything is fixed and the blessings
are apportioned, as in the words of Allah: ‘Peace! Until the appearance of dawn’ Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrates, on the
authority of Ash-Sha’bi that it means the angels send their salutations
of peace upon those who are occupied in prayer in the mosques until the
dawn. It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah, that the Messenger
of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "It is the night of
twenty-seventh or the twenty-ninth and verily, the angels on that night
are innumerable." Al-A`amash says, on the authority of Abu Lailaa
that the verse means that the whole night is goodness, therein is no evil
- until the appearance of the dawn. This is supported by a narration on
the authority of `Ubaadah ibn As-Saamit that the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said: "The night of Al-Qadr is to be
found in the last ten (nights of Ramadhaan), whoever stood in prayer
during these nights, wishing for the reward of them will have his sins
forgiven by Allah, both the earlier and the later; and it is the night of
witr. (an uneven number). Nine, seven, five, three or the last night of
it." (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad). It is narrated on the authority of Ibn `Abbaas
radhiallahu `anhu that Allah's Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam
said: "It is a night of magnanimity and joy, neither very hot, nor
very cold; and the sun of the morning following it is weak and red-coloured."
(Narrated by Abu Dawood At-Tayaalisi). It is reported on the authority of Jaabir ibn `Abdillaah, that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said, "Verily, I saw the night of Al-Qadr and then I was made to forget it, but it is (to be looked for) in the last ten nights, the night is clear and fine, neither hot nor cold as if there were a full moon and on this night, the devils do not go forth until the light of dawn." (Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim) Scholars have differed as to whether the
night of Al-Qadr was extant for the communities which preceded that of
Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam or whether it was specially
designated for them. There are two schools of thought on this subject: Abu
Mus'ab Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr az-Zuhri (d.42H) said that Maalik informed him
that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam was shown the
generations of old from mankind and it was as if the lifespans of his
community were shorter, and so it was not possible to accomplish the same
amount of deeds as those communities of old, who lived longer lives and so
Allah gave him the night of Al-Qadr which is better than a thousand
months. According to Maalik, this necessarily means that this community
(of Muslims) has been specially favoured with the night of Al-Qadr. One of
the Shaafi'i scholars said that it is the view of the majority of scholars
of fiqh, and Allah knows best. The second view on this subject says that
the night of Al-Qadr was given to the previous peoples as it was given to
this community and the proof of this is the hadeeth which says that. (Ibn
Katheer has not mentioned the hadeeth, however). It is narrated that Abu Zarr radhiallahu `anhu
asked the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam: "Oh, Messenger of
Allah! Tell me about the night of Al-Qadr, is it in Ramadhaan, or another
month?" He sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam replied: "No, it is in
Ramadhaan." (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad). He sallallahu `alayhi wa
sallam also said: "…it is until they Day of Resurrection."
And, "Look for it in the last seven days of Ramadhaan and do not ask
me any more about it." (Narrated by An-Nasaa'i) - This hadeeth proves
that the night of Al-Qadr is only to be looked for in the month of
Ramadhaan and not, as has been attributed to Ibn Mas`ood radhiallahu `anhu
by the scholars of Koofa, that it is to be looked for throughout the whole
year without any distinction. In line with this, Abu Dawood wrote in his
Sunan: "Chapter: - Evidence that the night of Al-Qadr is in every
Ramadhaan." He then went on to narrate on the authority of Ibn `Umar
radhiallahu `anhu that he heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi
wa sallam being asked about the night of Al-Qadr; he replied: "It is
in every Ramadhaan." And all of the men in this sanad are thiqaat.
(trustworthy) except that Abu Dawood said that the narration is mawqoof. It was also said that the night of Al-Qadr is on the first night of Ramadhaan, and that it is on the seventeenth of Ramadhaan - this was a saying attributed to Ash-Shaafi'i and Abu Dawood narrated a hadeeth on the authority of Ibn Mas`ood radhiallahu `anhu and said that it was marfoo`, while Al-Hasan Al-Basree said that it is the night of the Battle of Badr, and it was said: The night of the nineteenth - this was attributed to `Ali and Ibn Mas`ood (may Allah be pleased with them both), and it was said: the twenty-first, according to the hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri radhiallahu `anhu in which he said: "The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam made his I`tikaaf in the first ten days of Ramadhaan and we made I'tikaaf with him, then Jibreel `alayhis salaam came to him and said: "That which you are in quest of is still ahead of you." Then the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam addressed the people saying: "Whoever has made I`tikaaf with me, let him return, for I have seen the night of Al-Qadr and then was made to forget it; but verily, it is in the last ten days and on the odd days, and I saw myself as if I were prostrating in mud and water." - the roof of the Prophet's mosque was made from palm leaves and we could not see anything on the sky, but clouds came and it rained on us and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam led us in prayer, until I could see the marks of rain and mud upon his forehead - a proof of what he had seen in his vision." Another version has it that it occurred on
the morning after the twenty-first; this is narrated by Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim, and according to Ash-Shaafi`i, it is the most authentic narration.
He (Ash-Shaafi`i) says, concerning these apparently contradictory reports:
"The Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam when asked:
"Should we search for it on such-and-such night?" would reply:
"Yes." (In order to encourage them to pray on the all last ten
nights), but the night of Al-Qadr is a fixed night and does not
change." However, according to Ahmad, Ath-Thawri, Ibn Khuzaimah and
others, it can occur any time on the uneven nights during the last ten
days of Ramadhaan and this is closer to the truth, and Allah knows best. Muslim reports that the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam instructed `Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased
with her) to supplicate Allah saying: "Oh, Allah! You are Forgiving,
You love forgiveness and so forgive me." (Allahumma innaka `Afuwwun,
tuhibbul `afwa, fa`fu `annee) At-Tirmizi, An-Nasaa'i and Ibn Maajah
narrated the same thing. According to Maalik, one should look for the
night of Al-Qadr throught the last ten days of Ramadhaan and one should
try not to identify which is the night of Al-Qadr, but should intensify
one's devotions throughout. And the most preferred action is to increase
one's supplications during the whole month of Ramadhaan, more in the last
ten days, more still on the odd days, and especially in the aforementioned
words to `Aa'ishah by Allah's Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam. It is narrated that Ka`b said: "Verily, whoever fasted the month of Ramadhaan resolving not to disobey Allah when he breaks his fast, will enter Paradise without reckoning or questioning. This is the end of the tafseer of Soorah Al-Qadr, all praise is due to Allah, and from Him proceeds all Grace. Source:
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