Laylat al-Qadr: the Night of Power
Sídí Muhammad al-Jamal ar-Rifá‘í
in Tafsir of Juz' ‘Amma
[The Qur'ánic Súrah al-Qadr] was revealed in Makkah
and consists of five verses. The reason behind its revelation was
that when Allah commanded prostration and drawing near to Him [in
the previous Súrah, al-‘Alaq], He then mentioned the
moment in time which is most conducive to the greatest nearness
and proximity to Him, so He said:
'innáá 'añzalnáhu fí
laylati-l-qadr
"Indeed, We revealed it (sent it down) in the Night of Destiny"
[Q97:1]
He extolled the rank of the Qur'án in that He confirmed
its descent from Him and reinforced the attribution to Him by employing
the use of the plural particle of dignity "We", which
shows His complete attentive care to it and for it; and it did not
even mention the name of the Messenger himself (salla-lláhu
‘alayhi wa-sallim). This apparently is for plainly announcing
the Messenger's fundamental role, as if he is already present in
the minds of the listeners.
Then He magnifed the moment in which it was sent down in revelation,
when He said:
wa máá 'adráka má laylatu-l-qadr
"And what will make you conceive what the Night of Decree is?" [Q97:2]
Phrasing the statement in this way is for the purpose of explaining
that its reality is beyond the circle of understanding of the creation.
None can truly know the full import of its immense reality except
the One who is completely knowledgeable of the unseen... just as
He says:
laylatu-l-qadri khayrum-min alfi shahr
"The Night of Power is better than one thousand months."
[Q97:3]
It is a summarized explication of its prestigious rank. And in
the above two occasions where that Night is mentioned, there is
no doubt of the supreme exaltation of its nature and affair. And
the intended meaning of "revelation" (inzal)
could be two meanings:
1) Its complete descent from the Preserved Tablet [Q85:22] to the
lowest heaven, as the Prophet said that Allah caused the whole to
descend at once from the Preserved Tablet to the lowest heaven on
the Night of Qadr, and then for the next 23 years it descended from
the lowest heaven piece by piece;
or 2) It could mean the beginning of its revelation, which is the
more apparent meaning.
It was called the Night of Qadr because it is the night wherein
affairs are decided and matters are decreed (taqdir), and
in which all that is decreed during that particular year is manifested
and enacted, in accordance with His saying, "In it every wise
command is differentiated and enacted." [Q44:4]. So Qadr can
both refer to this enactment of the decrees, and can also mean its
nobility and rank above other nights. It is commonly said that it
falls on the night of the 27th of Ramadan.
And know that the Prophet saw that the life-spans of his followers
would be shorter compared to the past nations, and he was afraid
they would not reach the same amount of deeds performed by past
nations because they had longer lives, so Allah honored him with
this night which is better than 1000 months [83 years and four months].
Then He further unveiled some of its honor by saying:
tanazzalu-l-maláá'ikatu wa-r-rúhu
fíhá
"The angels and the Spirit descend in it in hosts..."
[Q97:4a]
The 'Spirit' can refer to the archangel Jibríl
(‘alayhi-s-salám), or another angelic creature that
cannot be seen by the angels. And the meaning of 'descending' is
their descending to the earth and greeting the people and saying
"Amín" after their supplications.
bi-'idhni rabbihim
"...by the permission of their Lord..." [Q97:4b]
They descend by the command of Allah, as a mercy to the believing
and humble slaves of Allah, who invoke His Great Name and seek His
forgiveness.
miñ kulli 'amr
"...with all decrees (alt: on every errand)."
[Q97:4c]
Their descent is for the purpose of every decree which Allah decreed
for that particular year; for Allah informs the angels of all that
is to occur during that year. Since this is their most important
task, He said that this is the reason for their descent; although
this does not conflict with their other tasks of greeing the believers
and bringing blessings to them and supplicating for them.
salámun hiya
"Peace it is!..." [Q97:5a]
Because "it is" (hiya) is the 27th word of the Súrah,
many commentators have stated that it falls on the 27th night of
the month of Ramadan. Then Allah mentioned its limit in time when
He continued:
hattá matla‘i-l-fajr
"...until the rising of the dawn." [Q97:5b]
And know, my beloved, that for the people of hearts among the gnostic
knowers, all moments are "nights of power," and all places
for them are ‘Arafah
(the mount of Hajj), and all days for them are Fridays.
Because the reason for exalting a certain time or place above others
is because of the blessings that lie in them, such as opportunities
for drawing closer, unveilings, openings, etc. And for the gnostic
knowers, all moments are such, as one poet said:
Were it not for [my] witnessing Your effulgent beauty in my essence,
Then I would not be content for any hour of my life.
The 'Night
of Power' has no special distinctions and honor,
If it is not with
You that I fill up my moments.
Indeed, if the lover is established
in his love,
And love does not depend on specific moments,
Then
all nights become 'Nights of Power' if [the Beloved] appears,
Just
like all days become Fridays when the meeting occurs.
And we say: And the praise belongs to Allah, that all of our moments
are 'nights of power' if our hearts are fully facing Allah, and
if we do not stand up except by Allah, or act except by Allah, or
not see any but Allah; sincere in one's devotion to Him, leaning
away from all falsehood towards the truth, bowing to, standing for,
prostrating to, and invoking Him in all states, all places, and
all moments.
And know that the reward for acts of worshipful devotion in this
blessed night in this blessed month is nothing less than unveiling
of the veil, opening of the door, and witnessing of the Holy Essence,
which cannot be measured or compared to anything!
I ask Him, Most High, that He keep us constantly
in His protection,
and grant us His satisfaction,
for He hears and
responds.
Amín!
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