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The
Angels Will Descend
By
M.Al-Zahra B.Ed
“O
Lord! Bestow on us such a wakefulness and acknowledgement
that we take sufficient benefit from the virtue of the Night
of Power.
O
Lord! We hope, only, that our predestined fates be
determined based on Your Grace.
O
Lord! Do not put us among those who are deprived from this
month, because it is the worst deprivation.”
(The Light of the Holy Qur’an, vol. 2, pg. 151)
On
the Night of Power ( Layltul-Qadr), the Holy Qu’ran
was revealed to our Holy Prophet ('s). On this night,
blessings from Allah (swt) for Muslims surpass the blessings
of every other night of the year.
There is no night of the year that can surpass in
excellence and superiority, with benefits and favours this
night brings for mankind. (Supplications, Prayers and
Ziarats, Call on Me, I Answer You”, Sheikh Abbas Qummi)
Surah
Al-Qadr
Surah
Al-Qadr describes the Night of Power and the
importance of the blessings therein.
Allah
(swt) says in the Holy Qur'an:
1“Innaaa
‘anzalnaahu fii Laylatil-Qadr:
2. Wa maaa ‘adraaka maa Laylatul-Qadr?
3. Laylatul-Qadri khayrummin ‘alfi Shahr.
4. Tanazzalul – malaaa – ‘ikatu war - Ruuhu fiihaa
bi-‘izni-Rabbihim-min-kulli ‘amr:
5. Salaamun Hiya hattaa matla-‘il-Fajr!”
1. "Lo! We revealed it (the Holy Qur'an) on the Night
of Power.
2. Ah, what
will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is?
3. The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
4. The angels and the Spirit (Jibrael) descend therein, by
the permission of their Lord, with all decrees.
5. (That night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn."
(97:1-5)
Our
Holy Prophet ('s) did not know the degree of significance
of the Night of Power until this verse was revealed
to him ('s), being “better than a thousand months”.
(The Light of the Holy Qur’an)
Laylatul-Qadr
(The Night of Power) is expected to be one of the 19th,
21st or 23rd nights of Ramadan (or one
of the odd numbered nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan),
with a greater emphasis being of the possibility of the 23rd
night. However, a mystic ambiguity covers The Night of
Power.
It
is known to be the night “which is better than a
thousand months” which is equal to more than eighty
years, the length of a long blessed life. It is highly
desirable to spend the night in prayer to be granted with
immense blessings from the Merciful Allah (swt) whereby
special Grace covers all His (swt) creatures. (The Light
of the Holy Qur’an)
The angels descend on that night, and there are so many
of them that the Earth’s expanse is not vast enough to
accommodate all of them, so that the space is very
restricted. .(The Light of the Holy Qur’an)
Other
scholars say that on the night of Qadr that the Spirit (
Rooh) together with 1000 angels descend and that which has
been decided is shown to the Living Imam
(Supplications, Prayers and Ziarats, Call on Me, I
Answer You”, Sheikh Abbas Qummi)
There
is no doubt that the Night of Qadr is one of the
nights in Ramadan, as Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:
“Ramadan
is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an….”
(Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verse 185), and
“"Lo!
We revealed it (the Holy Qur'an) on the Night of Power.”
(Surah Al-Qadr (97), verse 1)
Special
A’maal on this night are better than the A'maal
of 1000 nights. The Angels and Roohul Ameen (Jibrael)
descend on this earth, in that night. These call on the
living Imam of the time, and what is ordained (by Allah [swt])
for everybody is presented before the Imam. .(The Light
of the Holy Qur’an)
Recitation
of Surah Al-Qadr
The
Holy Prophet ('s) had been quoted to having said the
following in relation to the recitation of this Surah, Al-Qadr,
which was revealed to him ('s) to comfort him ('s) after a
disturbing dream he had one night (The Light of the Holy
Qur’an, vol. 2, pg. 142):
“He
who recites it (Surah-Qadr) will be rewarded like the one
who has fasted the whole month of Ramadan and has kept vigil
the night of Qadr (the Night of Power).”(Majma’-al-Bayan,
vol. 10, pg. 516)
Imam
Al-Baqir (a.s) is quoted as having said:
“He
who recites Surah Qadr loudly and openly is like a person
who fights in the Holy War on the path of Allah (swt), and
he who recites it hiddenly is like a person who swims in his
own blood for the sake of Allah (swt).”(Ruh-al-Ma’ali, vol. 30, pg. 188; and Darr-al-Manthur,
vol. 6, pg. 391)
Why
Is It Called “The Night of Power”
1. The night is called The Night of Power because all
the affairs and destinies of man are determined on that
night. Surah Dukhan (44), verse 3-4, stands as a
witness to this idea in that Allah (sws) has stated:
”We sent it down during the night: For We (ever) wish
to warn (against evil).”
”On that (night) is made distinct every affair of
wisdom,”
This
does not although contradict man's free will as divine
wisdom is carried out by the angels based on man’s
efficiencies and abilities on the level of the Faith and
virtue in purity of their intentions and actions. (The
Light of the Holy Qur’an, vol. 2, pg. 146)
2. Some have also stated that it is the Night of Power because
of its great importance and honour as stated in Surah Hajj
(22), verse 74:
“No
just estimate have they made of Allah…”
3. Others have stated it is The Night of Power
because the Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Holy Prophet
('s)
by means of the Arch Angel Jibrael.
4. Or that is was
the appointed night of the revelation of the Holy Qur’an.
5. Also that the person who keeps vigil and worships Allah (swt)
throughout the entire night obtains a grand rank.
6. Finally, one other reason for this particular night being
name The Night of Power, because the word Qadr
can be used in its literal meaning being “restricted”,
in regards to the number of angels who descend on Earth.
Surah Talaq (65), verse 7: ”… and the man
whose resources are restricted…”
And Allah (swt) knows best. Forgive me for any
mistakes, insh’Allah.
Sources:
Supplications, Prayers and Ziarats,
Call on Me, I Answer You”, pg. 442, by Sheikh Abbas
Qummi, Ansaryian Publications, Qum, Islamic Republic of
Iran. 1999/1420.
The
Light of the Holy Qur’an,
vol. 2, fourth edition, by a group of Muslim scholars, Imam
Ali Library and Research Centre for Islamic and Scientific
Studies, Isfahan, Iran, 1996.
The
Holy Qur’an, Muhammad
Abdul Haleem Eliasi (Arabic), Mohammed Marmaduke Picktall
(English Translation), Idara Isha’at-E-Diniyat (P) Ltd.,
168/2 Jha House, Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Dehli, India.
Majma’-al-Bayan,
vol. 10.
Ruh-al-Ma’ali,
vol. 30.
Darr-al-Manthur,
vol. 6.
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