Sūrat al-Qadr

سورۃ القدر

Sūrat al-Qadr, Makkī — revealed in Makkah. It has five (5) āyāt.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismillāhi l-Raḥmāni l-Raḥīm.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ

Innā anzalnāhu fī Laylati l-Qadr.

"Indeed, We sent it down on the Night of Decree." (al-Qadr 97:1)

Innā — indeed, We. Anzalnāhu — We sent it down, We descended it. What thing did Allah send down? The Qurʾān. Fī — in. Laylati l-Qadr — the night of divine power, the Night of Decree. What is Laylat al-Qadr? In it the Qurʾān was begun to be revealed. Why is it a night of such great dignity?

Translation: "Indeed We have begun sending down the Qurʾān on the Night of Decree (Shab-e-Qadr)."

The whole Qurʾān — all twenty-three years — was sent down on this night.

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ

wa-mā adrāka mā Laylatu l-Qadr.

"And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is?" (al-Qadr 97:2)

Wa-mā adrāka — and what has informed you — do you know what this is? Mā Laylatu l-Qadr — what is the Night of Decree?

Translation: "And what do you know what the Night of Decree is?"

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

Laylatu l-Qadr khayrun min alfi shahr.

"The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months." (al-Qadr 97:3)

Laylatu l-Qadr — the Night of Decree is better than. Min — than. Alf — a thousand, meaning the number alf which gathers in totality. Shahr — month. Shuhūr — months — months.

Translation: "The Night of Decree is better than (worship in) a thousand months."

Why has the date of Laylat al-Qadr not been specified? So that you search for it. Some people say it is one of the odd nights of Ramadan from the 21st to the 29th. Some say it is one fixed night of the year. Some say it comes once a year in the month of Ramaḍān — because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to remain in seclusion during Ramaḍān, night and day engaged in the worship of Allah — and the Qurʾān was sent down beginning on that day on which its grandeur is such that one who memorises it or comprehends its meaning will have a portion of Allah's grandeur also — and one's life, to the degree it is in accord with the Qurʾān, will have greater rank and station with Allah.

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ

tanazzalu l-malāʾikatu wa-l-rūḥu fīhā bi-idhni rabbihim min kulli amr.

"The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, for every matter." (al-Qadr 97:4)

Tanazzal — they descend, come down. Al-malāʾika — the angels. Wa-l-Rūḥ — and the Spirit — who is this? Some say it is Jibrīl, for he is the Spirit of Life. Fīhā — in it, on this night. Bi-idhni — with permission, with the command. Rabbihim — their Lord. Min kulli — of every. Amr — matter, affair, thing.

Translation: "On this night the angels and the Spirit descend, by the command of their Lord, for every matter."

Does Jibrīl also descend now? His coming has ceased with the giving of good tidings and blessings. The angels can do their work — but only by Allah's command.

سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ

salāmun hiya ḥattā maṭlaʿi l-fajr.

"It is peace until the rising of the dawn." (al-Qadr 97:5)

Salām — there is peace — it is peace. Min kulli amrin — from every matter — salāmun — peace, safety, the angels bestow goodness and blessings. Hiya — this is it. Ḥattā — until. Maṭlaʿ — rising, the point of emergence. Al-fajr — the dawn, the morning.

Translation: "It is (a night of) peace and safety (until) the break of morning — (when the morning comes)."

Esteemed readers! There are two ways in which the Qurʾān stops — one pauses at min kulli amrin salāmun and the other separates ḥattā as its own sentence. These are different points of punctuation. Esteemed readers! The virtue of Ramaḍān is great — people recite the Qurʾān in Ramaḍān. Others call the reading of Tarāwīḥ prayers a bid'a (innovation). Ḥażrat ﷺ offered three nights of Tarāwīḥ prayer in congregation — certain reports from some Companions also mention this. Ḥażrat ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) established Tarāwīḥ in his time and the entire Umma accepted it. If Tarāwīḥ is not performed that is one thing, but it is not a non-sunnah.