عَمَُّْ ْ 1546 اَلْقَدْر
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ﴿۱﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ ﴿۲﴾ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ ﴿۳﴾
﴾1﴿ Innaa anzalnaahu fee lailatil qadr
﴾2﴿ Wa maa adraaka ma lailatul qadr
﴾3﴿ Lailatul qadri khairum min alfee shahr
﴾1﴿ Indeed, We sent down this (Quran) on the Night of Qadr
﴾2﴿ And what will make you know what the Night of Qadr is
﴾3﴿ The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months
There is a difference of opinion regarding whether this Surah is Makki or Madani.
Qurtubi has mentioned both views.
However, the stronger opinion is that it is Makki, as stated by Ibn Hayyan and Al-Asfahani.
Relevancy:
Claim of this surah:
This Surah is connected to the previous Surah in two ways:
Encouragement for Reciting the Quran – The previous Surah encouraged the recitation of the Quran, while this Surah explains the reason for that encouragement by mentioning the greatness of the Quran.
Rebuke vs. Consolation – The previous Surah contained a rebuke for those who prevent the recitation of the Quran, while this Surah provides consolation to the people of the Quran, indicating that their status is extremely high.
Summary of the surah:
The blessing of the revelation of the Quran on Laylatul Qadr is mentioned to demonstrate the greatness of the Quran.
Then, the greatness of Laylatul Qadr is mentioned briefly in (verse 2) and in detail in (verse 3).
The signs of its greatness are further described in (verses 4 and 5).
[1] (إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ) – "Indeed, We sent it down"
The pronoun (هُوَ - it), according to all commentators, refers to the Quran, even though it is not explicitly mentioned in this Surah. However, it is mentioned in other Surahs, confirming this reference.
(أَنْزَلْنَاهُ) – "We sent it down"
There are two main interpretations regarding the meaning of this revelation:
The First View:
The entire Quran was sent at once from the Preserved Tablet (اللوح المحفوظ) to the first heaven (بيت العزة - Bayt al-‘Izzah).
From there, it was gradually revealed to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) over 23 years.
Al-Biqa'i, in Masā‘id al-Nazhar (Vol. 3, p. 217), states that this is a narration from Al-Tabarani, but one of its narrators, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd al-Ghaffar, is weak, and there is also disagreement over ‘Imran al-Qattan, making the chain unreliable.
Therefore, this view does not have a strong, authentic chain of transmission.
The Second View (Stronger Opinion):
The verb (أَنْزَلْنَاهُ) means the initiation of revelation (ابتداء الإنزال), i.e., "We began to send down the Quran on this night."
This interpretation is attributed to Imam Sha‘bi.
This view is stronger because it aligns with the gradual revelation of the Quran over 23 years, beginning on Laylatul Qadr.
(لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ) – "The Night of Qadr"
The term "Qadr" has two possible meanings:
1. Qadr means "Decree" (تقدیر):
On this night, decrees for the coming year are handed over to the angels, and they record them in their registers.
Qadr means "Honor and Status" (عزت و شرف):
This night is extremely honored and blessed.
Worship and rewards on this night are multiplied greatly.
The Uniqueness of Laylatul Qadr
This night is exclusive to this Ummah, as confirmed by authentic Hadiths.
The honor and rank of this night are because of the revelation of the Quran.
This establishes the greatness of the Quran, as its time of revelation is itself a night of supreme honor.
Note: The muhaddithin (Hadith scholars) have mentioned more than forty hadiths regarding Laylatul Qadr.
However, based on investigation and analysis, the most authentic view is that Laylatul Qadr occurs in the last ten nights of Ramadan and is found on the odd nights.
This means it can occur on:
The 21st night,
The 23rd night,
The 25th night,
The 27th night،,
The 29th night
Among these, it most frequently falls on the 27th night, according to several hadiths and scholarly opinions.
[2] In this, there is a general reference to the greatness of Laylatul Qadr and an encouragement to seek it out.
The questioning style (وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ – "And what will make you know what the Night of Qadr is?") serves to highlight its immense status.
This motivates believers to actively seek Laylatul Qadr through worship, supplication, and devotion, especially in the last ten nights of Ramadan.
[3] In this verse, the greatness of Laylatul Qadr is described in detail, and this is the first aspect of its superiority.
Most commentators say that the meaning is: a good deed performed on this night is better in reward and blessings than performing it for a thousand months (which is 83 years and 4 months) outside this night.
Additionally, the special goodness and blessings that descend on this night are not found in a thousand months.
Interpretation of "A Thousand Months" (أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ)
Some commentators state that "a thousand months" is a figurative expression, meaning an extremely long period of time.
This is because Arabs often use the number "one thousand" to indicate an ultimate amount, as seen in Surah Al-Baqarah (96):
"He would wish to be given a life of a thousand years" (لَوْ يُعَمَّرُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ).
Thus, Laylatul Qadr is not just a blessed night but a night whose reward surpasses an entire lifetime of worship.