1. Truly, We sent it down on the Night of Qadr.

2. What will explain to you what the Night of Qadr is?

3. The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.

4. The angels and the spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord, for every affair (or command).

5. [There is] peace (that night) until the break of dawn.

[97:1] Truly, We sent it down on the Night of Qadr.

[97:2] What will explain to you what the Night of Qadr is?
This chapter and the previous one, both of which address the subject of revelation, facilitate the understanding of the first five verses (96:1–5) revealed to the Prophet.
Every verse of this short but symbolic (mutashābihāt) chapter requires extensive explanation, as suggested by the second verse: “What will explain to you (wa mā adrā-ka) what the Night of Qadr is?” This shows that, unlike contemporary issues, one cannot approach this particular night scientifically and expect to understand it. The verse addresses the Prophet, who has an intimate relationship with the source of existence and is considered to be the most intelligent and wisest person. And yet even he is informed that he cannot fathom its nature.
In principle, the Qur’an often employs the formula wa mā adrā-ka when discussing issues related to the Day of Judgment, as in“What do you know what the Day of Judgment is?” (82:17), “What do you know what the Day of Decision is?”(77:14),“What do you know what the terrible calamity is?”(103:3), and “What will make you know what it is?” (101:10).
This phrase is employed in about a dozen instances to address specific phenomena, primarily those related to the Day of Judgment, that are beyond human comprehension and therefore bewildering. It is akin to an illiterate person asking a nuclear physicist about nuclear energy, for what else could the latter reply but “wa mā adrā-ka mā nuclear energy?” Such high-level concepts cannot be explained to those who lack the most rudimentary knowledge of this field.
The same holds true for a phenomenon that occurs every year on this particular night. At the chapter’s onset, God states that this phenomenon can be approached and understood, to a very limited degree, only by resorting to the Qur’an itself for guidance.
Despite the chapter’s brevity, it requires more explanation than some of the longer ones. Let us begin its exegesis by posing a few questions:
What is Qadr and how does it relate to revelation and the Qur’an’s descent. Why is this particular night known as the “Night of Qadr?”
If the Qur’an were revealed during this night, why did the revelation continue for 23 years? Can these two contradictory points be reconciled?
Why is it called the Night, as opposed to the Day, of Qadr?
Why is it beyond our comprehension?
How and why do the angels and the spirit descend during it?
What is the difference between the angels and the spirit?
Who are the angels and the spirit that descend together? Do they belong to the same class and group?
What does it mean that they descend “by the permission of their Lord?”
What is the command in “on every affair (or command)”?
What does “[There is] peace (that night) until the break of dawn”mean?
These and other questions indicate that deep contemplation and reflection is required to gain any level of understanding. The Qur’an does not offer much explanation in this regard; however, 44:3 proclaims: “Truly, we sent it (the Qur’an) down during a blessed night.”
Qur’an 97:4 proclaims that the angels also descend at that time, and 44:4 states that “[On that particular night], every wise command is made clear.” In other words, firm, fixed, and uniform matters will be broken down into their components. For instance, the body can digest solid food, like a piece of meat, only by making it digestible. This process begins in the mouth, where it is mixed with saliva and chewed to start breaking it down. The stomach’s digestive juices break it down further and then empty the contents into the small intestine, after which everything is absorbed into the body’s cells and then into its blood. This rather simple example is a good allegory of how spiritual matters can be understood.
The various disciplines and subjects of study, all of which are “food” for our mind and spirit, cannot be taught in their entirety in one session, because learning is a step-by-step process that requires years of study. Given that this is true of the experimental and other sciences, how could anyone expect one’s heart to absorb God’s revelations in just one setting? These truths need to be digested over thousands of years of earthly life, which suggests that humans’ spiritual growth and guidance take shape gradually.
We eat three times a day because it is impossible to eat all of our daily or weekly meals at once. Likewise, whatever is revealed during this specific night is equivalent to one’s annual scientific and spiritual nourishment. Schools hand out new textbooks at the beginning of every academic year, assign new teachers, and implement new curricula so that students can increase their knowledge. This entire process is then repeated each year until the students finally graduate.
The word Qadr connotes two meanings in the Qur’an: quantity and quality. The former is used in the sense that whatever exists in this world is based upon a prescribed measure, whereas the latter connotes measured or measurable qualities. Fundamentally, the world is governed by a precise and calculated order that can be observed in all natural phenomena, for as 54:49 states: “Surely We have created everything by measure (qadr).” Qur’an 13:8 and 25:2 proclaim that God has based everything upon a precise measure. Thus even death is a measured quantity (56:60). Moreover, He created this world with order, geometry, and accounting. This measured order defines the beginning, end, and duration of all life, because all cells experience entropy (with some deviation) at about the same rate. One may have a shorter life due to bad nutrition and living conditions, but overall our lives are nothing but a measured quantity.
The same is true of the movements of the Sun and the Moon. For example, 36:39 proclaims that the Moon’s various positions are measured from its crescent to its full phases. Qur’an 13:26 states that our sustenance is established based upon order and measure, and 77:20–22 asks: “Did We not create you from a base fluid, [and] then lodge it in a secure abode for a known term?” (i.e., nine months and nine days). The cellular growth of a fetus, in terms of its prescribed measure, account, and order, also follows an accurate predetermined order that progressively transforms its cells into bones, muscles, skin, blood, and so on. If the secretion of one bodily organ were to fluctuate as much as the weight of a fly’s wing, severe growth disorders could ensue. These organs were initially formed and shaped by cells, and have all been ordained to grow to a certain extent and no more.
The cornucopia of food harvested from the soil, as well as other blessings provided for humans and animals, are based upon a measure (41:10). Nothing is exempt from this truth, even the food that we consume or the number of animals. Have you ever wondered why animals do not face extinction even though they feed upon each other? It seems that only the stronger animals should survive, but we can see that this is not the case. In fact, nature functions according to its own measure and balance, a balance that is disturbed only when humans interfere.
Qur’an 73:20 says that God created night and day based upon measure. Everything in this world reflects a precise geometry and measure that has a calculated quantity and quality (15:21). Consider the rain that nourishes Earth; in almost all places it rains a specific amount and a proper measure.
The Qur’an says that what God sent down – and will continue to send down – on that specific Night is also based upon measure, for during it people receive guidance in proportion to their spiritual needs. This process is repeated every year, just like the incremental progression that one makes in one’s field from one year to the next.
At times, the Qur’an employs the same terminology to refer to physical and spiritual matters. For example, it uses tanzīl (coming down gradually) and nuzūl (coming down suddenly) for both rain and revelation, as well as tasrīf (turning about; moving from one location to another)to refer to “wind” and then a similar word to refer to the Qur’an. Qur’an 35:10 says that humanity’s pure words and deeds ascend to God like droplets of water do, and other verses relate that all creatures engage in tasbīh (glorifying and praising God). In addition, it alludes to the fact that both rainwater and prophecy contain a buried treasure. In other words, since the methods of “sending them down” are comparable, understanding what occurs in nature can help us get at least a limited idea of the revelation’s meaning.
Importantly, chapters 10 through 15, except for chapter 13,begin with “A,” “L,” and “R” (الر); the exception starts with the same two letters but contains “M”: “A,” “L,” “M,” and “R” (المر). These six chapters deal with revelations sent to the Prophet, relay their stories, and mention how they established a relationship with God.
Chapter 13, located midway between chapters 10 and 15, uses nature as a model to explain revelation by drawing comparisons between sending revelations and rain, as well as such other natural phenomena as lightning. Among the many examples mentioned are: “He sends down water from the sky that fills valleys each according to its measure”(13:17). Valleys collect rainwater according to their own capacities; beyond that, flooding occurs. This verse talks of God effecting something and humans’ capacity to receive it. The same is true of revelation. Humans receive His revelations, which are poured upon Earth, and people receive as much of it as their capacity and readiness allows. This beautiful allegory indicates that revelation and guidance are always available for those who can receive them. Floods come with a roar and clamour, with froth and scum riding on its surface, and yet all of this eventually subsides and leaves behind soil and silt deposits that benefit farmers, for “that which profits the people remains on the earth (13:17).”
After the natural phenomena’s initial tumult, opportunities are created and what remains are beneficial thoughts and actions. Chapter 13 repeatedly cites these as examples provided by God (13:17) to show us the essence of what was revealed to Abraham, Joseph, Jonah, and Hūd,and, in general, to all prophets. God uses examples from nature to show how this pattern continually repeats itself.
Qur’an 13:8, which refers to the term of a mother’s pregnancy, says that God is aware of what she carries in her womb and its ability to accept the fetus. He is privy to the transformations that occur therein and how they affect the fetus’ growth and actualize its Y chromosomes’ potentiality.All of this is done to show that God is always the active and effecting “agent” and that there has to be a “vessel” able to receive it. This is true for revelation as well, for the light of revelation is always shining and yet people can only realize its truths and blessings if they are able to receive it. Prophets were men who had nurtured their capacity to receive revelation. Considering the fact that the Sun shines perpetually on the surface of our rotating planet, humans sometimes live in the light and at other times in the darkness.
Qur’an 13:13 declares that thunder glorifies God and mentions lightning and thunderbolts to point out that thunder does not occur whenever clouds wander around the skies. Static electricity, which is created by friction among clouds during storms, causes thunder and lightning. When clouds carrying very high electrical charges collide with each other, they release those charges as thunder and lightning. And since they pass over the planet’s surface, due to the positive charge in the sky and the negative charge on Earth’s surface, thunderbolts are produced. This charge leaves the cloud and, if it touches a tall building, a hill, or a tree, may cause severe damage. As revelation carrying truths traverses its path, it also discharges its inspiration upon those who have the ability to ascend upward. Just for a moment, reflect upon how snow settles on top of a mountain, gradually melts and flows downward, finally reaching the fields and nourishes the soil. Unlike a flash flood that sweeps away everything in its path, snow remains and gradually, in proportion to nature’s thirst, nourishing the soil and is absorbed slowly.
This is an analogy between nature and prophecy. In fact, nature can act as a model for us to understand how revelation functions. The Prophet also received certain truths during the Night of Qadr,stored them in his being, and gradually provided this knowledge to people over the next 23 years.
But why during the Night of Qadr? You must have heard that this specific nightmay coincide with any of the odd-numbered nights of Ramadan’s last ten nights; however, tradition holds that it is most likely the 21st, 23rd, or 27th night. But despite this probability, it may be true thatthis particular night is not fixed. The fasting Muslims spend this month increasing and strengthening their relation with God and moving toward Him by reciting the Qur’an and making supplications (du‘ā) to improve their morals and grow in spirituality. In this exalted state, they are better able to connect with Him and thereby ascend to higher spiritual levels. This month is similar to spring, when nature experiences change, clouds move rapidly, and rain is more frequent. There is a spiritual atmosphere, and more people are ready to receive the month’s fruits. Those who have ascended receive the truth step by step and bit by bit, after which they pass it on to others. In this case they resemble Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein, both of whom dis-covered important scientific and mathematical concepts and passed them on to their societies. In the end, all of humanity benefits from such knowledge.
This interpretation of the Qur’an’s gradual revelation is analogous to snow’s gradual melting and flowing down to reach dry land. The entire Qur’an was revealed all at once on the Night of Qadr, analogous to an idea that occurs to a writer who needs several months to flesh it out. The concept in the mind of an engineer or an architect at first appears in generalities; to bring it into reality, all of the details have to be worked out and then implemented. Although the truth and totality of the Message was revealed on that particular night, the manifestation and implementation of its details took place over 23 years.
What about angels? What type of creatures are they? And what is spirit? Angels are present everywhere, for they are the world’s power and the agents by which missions are carried out. All that happens takes place because of them. For example, there is an Angel of Death, and an Angel of Comfort and Tranquility who boosts the believers’ morale during wars so that their hearts will be calm and tranquil. The Qur’an mentions this in many places.
The issue of angels is important. Regarding their creation and role in nature, Ali says that some of them are involved in producing heavily laden clouds that bring about rain and other atmospheric phenomena. Others reside in high mountains or are residents of dark nights. Some have their feet in Earth’s center, and their shoulders transcend the horizon. Might not this kind of power be another interpretation of gravity? Note that these statements were made centuries before Newton discovered gravity. This is the type of language that had to be used to explain the existence of a force that acts as a column and prevents the stars from falling. Clearly Ali employed a language that his contemporaries could understand.
The third supplication in as-Sahīfat-us-Sajjādiyyah states that every place in the sky’s many layers contains angels, each one of whom has a specific location and function, including generating rain, clouds, hail, and snow. This is an obvious reference to the powers of nature expressed via different types of agents, in this case angels. We may assume that the material world is dead and has no soul, but in reality nothing here is really dead. Even iron, wood, rock, and all other “dead” solids have atoms that are in constant motion. Electrons that revolve around the nucleus, or even the complex nucleus itself, have two messages for us: The world is not composed of living and dead material only and that whatever exists has life and meaning, for all of it depends upon an order and governance that, according to the Qur’an, is achieved via the angels.
These agents are responsible for bringing down the revelation for the Prophet, just like gravity, electromagnetism, or strong and weak nuclear energy, each of which is a power and an angel. The force that descended upon him was both an energy and an acute perception at a highly advanced level of human comprehension.
But why did this revelation descend upon the Night, as opposed to the Day,of Qadr, for many other revelations descended upon him during the day when he was traveling, at home, or on the battlefield. Apparently, what occurred during that particular Night was the result of the many years he had spent awake long into the night, which is intimated by God’s words: “And during part of the night wake up and pray, as an extra offering of your own, so that your Lord may elevate you to a [highly] praised status” (17:79).
During the day one is preoccupied with making ends meet and has no time for focused contemplation. After recuperating from the rigors of one’s job and a few hours of sleep, one can engage in deep meditation because the mind is at peace and rest and therefore able to contemplate on one’s own faith and Creator. Chapters 73 and 74highlight that one way to prepare oneself to receive divine inspiration is this nighttime contemplation. This is why the first revelation was sent at night.

[97:3] The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months.
But why is it better than a thousand months? Imagine students who have spent years trying to pass a demanding and crucial entrance exam, but to no avail. The day that they finally pass it would be equivalent to the number of years they have spent trying to pass it. The same is true of a nation that spends many years moving in the wrong direction, until one day it manages to acquire fruitful ideas and join them together in a way that actually allows it to turn around and start moving along the path of progress. A thousand months is approximately 83 years, the age of someone who lives a long life. Thus, even one night of deep understanding and connection with the truth is better than a lifetime of vain and directionless existence.
Some exegetes opine that this “thousand months” refers to the Umayyaddynasty’s reign,which lasted for 1,000 months; others have posited other explanations. But determining its exact meaning is a waste of time. What is important is to be aware of and establish your connection with God so that you can benefit from its moral and spiritual opportunities, regardless of how long you live.
Humanity has known about this blessed night for a very long time. It is narrated in our sources that the Psalmswere revealed on the sixth day of Ramadan and that the Bible was revealed on the eighteenth day of the same month. Prophets were given Books during this part of the year, when spiritual readiness descended upon the world and one’s soul. Over countless millennia humanity has progressed from scant knowledge to higher levels of knowledge due to the presence of oral knowledge and book learning, spiritual teachers and guides, all of which have enabled them to evolve and move toward perfection (takāmul. All of this is the product of the Night of Qadr.
The difference between angels and spirit cannot be explained clearly; however, this simple example may be of some help. Two factors help students progress in their studies: external factors (e.g., books, teachers, laboratories, and schools) and their own personal abilities. Let’s consider the “angels” to be the external factors, the same force that conducts the world’s affairs and helps us. But if we have no intelligence, mental capability, and ability to learn, we cannot progress in anything. We can call this factor “spirit.”
God breathed His spirit into humanity (15:29).This “spirit” is not the same as what biology calls “life,” but rather a special power that can help humanity, whom God created in the best form, progress and ascend (95:4). No other creature can progress by increasing its knowledge, understanding, and perception. This “spirit” is that ability: the power of speech, understanding, insight, scrutiny, and analysis. Qur’an 55:4 says that God has enabled humans to “read” the signs of nature, understand its alphabet, utter it in speech, and then transfer it to others so that they can expand the breadth of their knowledge. In other words, “angels” are the external factors and “spirit” is personal ability.
During the Night of Qadr, God avails us with teachers, books, and other opportunities for increasing our understanding while simultaneously honing our personal receptivity. During this month, our spiritual prowess increases so that we can build our character and strengthen our divine spirit. In fact, the Qur’an relates that Jesus was strengthened with a Holy Spirit (2:87) and that those who are resolute and steadfast in exalting God will have their spirit, their divine aspect, strengthened. The Qur’an stresses that we can continuously elevate our spiritual capacity and progress toward spiritual perfection.
But what is the purpose of the angels and the spirit coming down?

[97:4] The angels and the spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord, for every affair (or command).
Unlike our schools, the divine school has no boundaries or limits, which means that one can study whatever one wishes. It is said that there are as many paths to God as there are creatures. As such, during the Night of Qadr one can absorb and understand the truth according to one’s capacity to comprehend it, but only by “God’s permission” (bi idhni-l-Lāh). This should not be taken literally, for it means in accordance with the divine rules. If you have the necessary readiness and enthusiasm, it would be the same as God granting you permission. The Qur’an says that if a garden’s soil is ready for planting and there is enough water, sunlight, and air, then by “God’s permission” (His laws) the plants will grow. As long as you have not impaired its readiness, then by “God’s permission” it will flourish.
The Qur’an says that ten faithful, determined, and patient individuals will, by “God’s permission,” overcome 100 opponents. In other words, such people possess a stronger willpower. “Permission,” repeated many times in the Qur’an, refers to being able to transform one’s character. Therefore, the phenomenon that takes place during this Night is not accidental, for only within God’s rules does such inspiration become possible.

[97:5] [There is] peace (that night) until the break of dawn.
This peace is the realization of safety, security, serenity, and success in both worlds. The Qur’an calls Heaven “the house of peace” (dār-us-salām). The word “Islam” is derived from the same root S-L-M and means one’s “unconditional voluntary surrender” to the divine will to such an extent that one’s will coincides with that of God. “Islam” also means to reach one’s destination in peace and safely. One’s engagement with Islam helps people mold their spirit with peace, security, and voluntary resignation to the divine will. The Qur’an is inundated with discussions about peace and safety (e.g., 15:46), for the prophets came to guide humanity to the valley of the “house of peace.” So, ideally, during the Night of Qadr no unwholesome act, sin, or wrongdoing ought to occur.
This was a general overview and summary of this complex and multi-layered chapter. As it notes, God asks: “What will explain to you (or make you understand) [Oh Prophet] what the Night of Qadr is?” As we clearly cannot fully comprehend this concept, I have tried to use nature as a model to present a very limited understanding of it.

Translator: Amir Douraghy
Editor: Hamid Mavani