Laylat Ul-Qadr

Surah Inna Anzal na (chapter 97)

1. Verily, We have sent it down in the Night of Al-Qadr. 2. And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr is 3. The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months. 4. Therein descend the angels and the Ruh by their Lord's permission with every matter. 5. There is peace until the appearance of dawn

Ibn `Abbas and others have said, "Allah sent the Qur'an down all at one time from the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) to the House of Might (Baytul-`Izzah), which is in the heaven of this world. Then it came down in parts to the Messenger of Allah based upon the incidents that occurred over a period of twenty-three years.''

Prophet Muhammad was restless about the moral evils and idolatry that were rampant among his people. Humanity was passing through a difficult period of time. For hours, Muhammad would reflect on the state of humanity. He used to spend periods of time in retirement among the hills, in the neighborhood of Mecca in solitude. One of his favorite places was the cave of Hira in the mount Al-Nur. Here in the cave, he often remained plunged in thought deep in communion with the unseen yet all-pervading God of the universe. In his fortieth year of his life, he was in prayer during Ramadan in cave Hira, supplicating, when the light of revelation suddenly burst upon him. A glorious Angel aroused him from sleep, three times his mighty voice sounded in his ears, and three times a powerful grasp was laid upon him. He as very confused and perplexed and could not decide on what he should do. But when the Angel called on him the third time, the Holy Prophet took up the message of his lord. This important event has been described in Sahih Bukari in the following words:

“After the period of true visions, solitude became dear to him, and he would go to a cave, hira, to engage himself in devotion there for a certain number of nights before returning to his family and then he would return to them for provision for a similar stay. At length unexpectedly, the truth (angel) came to him and said “recite”. I cannot read he (Muhamad) said. “Then he took me and squeezed me vehemently and let me till I was exhausted”/

Then he said: “Recite in the name of thy lord”;  I said “I cannot recite. He squeezed me for a third time and then let me go and said: “recite in the name of thy lord, who created man from a clot of blood, for thy lord is beneficent”. The Prophet repeated these verses. He was trembling with fear. At this stage, he came to his wife Khadija, who said: “God will never bring you any disgrace. You unite uterine relations; you bear the burden of the weak, you help the poor and need, you entertain the guests, and endure hardship in the path of truthfulness”

Thus the first verses of the Quran were revealed. It took a total of 23 year for the entire quran to be revealed to the Prophet.

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who disbelieve say: Why is not the Quran revealed to him all at once? Thus (it is sent down in parts), that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages.” [25:32]. 

“And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages,” means We revealed it slowly and sent it gradually. All of this indicates that Allah was taking care of His Book, the Quran, and His Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), as He sent down His Book in accordance with the situations faced by the Messenger and as needed to address unfolding issues.

And what do you know what the Night of Glory is? The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.

The commentators in general have understood this to mean that the good acts performed in this Night are superior in value to the good acts of a thousand months in which Lailat-ul-qadr is not included. There is no doubt that this is in itself correct and the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has described great excellencies and virtues of the good acts and devotions of this Night. Hadrat Abu Hurairah, the Holy Prophet said: The one who remained standing in worship in the state of belief and for the sake of rewards from Allah during Lailat-ul-qadr, would have all his previous sins forgiven."( related in Bukhari and Muslim)

It is also the Night when all ordainments for the year are decreed. Allâh ta'ala said, which means:

{By the manifest Book (the Qur'ân) that makes thing clear. We sent it (this Qur'ân) down on a Blessed Night (i.e. the Night of Qadr) in the month of Ramadhân. Verily We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torments will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of Worship]. Therein (that night) is decreed every matter (amran) of ordainment}[The Smoke 44:2-5]

Signs of Lailatul Qadr

Allâh and His Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam provided us some signs of its occurrence:

Allâh subhanahu wa ta'ala describes the night as “..peace until the rise of the morn.” [97:5] In various sayings, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam described the night as serene, tranquil, and peaceful. The sun at sunrise would appear reddish and without its normal blazing and sharp rays. Ubayy radiallaahu 'anhu said : "On the morning of the night of Qadr the sun would rise without any beams; (it is like) a wash basin until it raises." [Muslim]

Abu Hurairah radiallaahu 'anhu said : "We mentioned the night of Qadr to the Messenger of Allaah (S) and he said: "Which of you remembers when the moon rises and it is like half a bowl." [Muslim]

Ibn Abbaas radiallaahu 'anhu said that the Messenger of Allaah (S) said : "The night of Qadr is a night of generosity and happiness, it is not hot and neither is it cold. The sun comes up in its morning weak, reddish." [Tabaranee, Ibn Khuzaimah and Bazzaar]

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam added that “the angel of earth on that night of Qadr will be more numerous than all the pebbles of the earth.”