Tafseer Suratul Qadr, By Shaykh As-Sa’dee

Soorah Qadr:

{ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ }

By the Name of Allaah, Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ

Verily! We have sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr (Merit and/or Decree)

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ

And what will make you comprehend what the Laylatul-Qadr is!

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

Laylatul-Qadr is better than a thousand months!

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ

Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, for every affair;

سَلامٌ هِيَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ

(The night is) Peace, until the rising of the dawn.

Tafseer:

Verse 1:

The Exalted says –informing of the excellence of The Qur’ân and its elevated status-:

{ إِنَّا أَنزلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ }

Verily! We have sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr (Merit and/or Decree)

Just as Allaah said:

{ إِنَّا أَنزلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ }

“We sent it down during a Blessed Night…”[Suratu Dukhaan: 2]

This is as Allah had begun revealing it in the month of Ramadan, in the Laylatul-Qadr ; the night of which Allah showers an immense, general mercy upon the servants. They could never be able to show gratitude for the bounty of that one night.

And It has been called Laylatul-Qadr (Merit and/or Decree): due to its enormous grandeur and its merit with Allah, and also because within that night Allah decrees what will occur in one year of the appointed terms [ending], provisions, and the pre-destined natural events.

Then Allah emphasized on its importance, and intensified its significance, so He said:

Verse 2:

{ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ }

And what will make you comprehend what the Laylatul-Qadr is

Meaning: for indeed its importance is lofty and its value is tremendous.

Verse 3:

{ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ }

Laylatul-Qadr is better than a thousand months!

Meaning, its merit is equivalent to a thousand months, for the deed which occurs within that night is greater than the deeds done in a thousand months [other than it].

This is from that which baffles the intellects, and astonishes the minds.

Allah has bestowed upon this Ummah [nation] which is weak in strength; a night, who’s deeds within it compound and multiply equaling and suppressing a thousand months. A life time of a man that is considered to have lived long; some eighty plus years.

Verse 4:

{ تَنزلُ الْمَلائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا }

Therein come down the angels and the Spirit, by Allah’s permission,

Meaning: they increase the frequency of coming down during that night.

{ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْر سَلامٌ هِيَ }

for every affair, (The night is) Peace,

Meaning: It is devoid of any evil or harms, and that is because of its abundant goodness…

Verse 5:

{ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ }

until the rising of the dawn.

Meaning: its starting point is from the setting of the sun and its ending is the break of dawn.

And indeed there are numerous narrations regarding its virtue, and that it is in the month Ramadhaan, within the last ten days, specifically the odd nights. And that it remains in every year until the establishment of the last hour.

And this is why the prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) used to make ‘itikaf [staying in the masjid for Ibaada], and would increase in worship in the last ten days of Ramadhaan; hoping for the reward of the night of Qadr.

And Allah knows best.