Sūrah Al-QadrThe Decree / The Night of Power · Makkah · 5 āyāt · 5 themes

The tafsīr in brief

Allah states plainly that He sent the Qurʾān down on Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree. The verb 'anzalnāhu' — 'We sent it down' — ties the whole surah to this one act of revelation.

• Approach the Qurʾān with gratitude: its opening description here reminds you that Allah sent it down.
• Make reading the Qurʾān part of how you value Ramaḍān, the month connected to its descent.
• Read attentively to context. A pronoun can refer to something already understood, even when it is not explicitly named.
• When studying revelation, distinguish its complete descent from its later delivery in parts; this helps you understand how one blessed night relates to many years of revelation.

The tafsīr in brief

A rhetorical question — 'And what can make you know what Laylat al-Qadr is?' — is a Qurʾānic device signalling that what follows is too immense to be conveyed by ordinary description alone.

• Pause at the Qurʾān’s questions rather than rushing past them: here, the question prepares you to appreciate something great.
• Let the verses that follow guide your understanding of the night’s worth, rather than relying on your own assumptions.
• Connect your appreciation of the Night of Decree with appreciation of the Qurʾān: Allah chose this night for its revelation.
• Approach the night with humility. Being able to describe it does not mean you have fully grasped its profound worth.

The tafsīr in brief

The night is declared better than a thousand months — roughly 83 years, a full lifetime of ordinary worship compressed into a single night's reward for the one who seeks it sincerely.

• Do not measure an opportunity for worship only by how long it lasts. Allah has given this single night extraordinary worth.
• Let limited time encourage hope rather than resignation: Ibn Kathīr describes this night as a mercy to a community with shorter lifespans.
• Make sincere devotion the aim of your preparations, rather than treating the night as a number of hours to fill.
• Take the opportunity seriously. The Prophet’s ﷺ warning about missing its good calls for attention, not indifference.

The tafsīr in brief

On this night the angels and the Spirit (Jibrīl عليه السلام) descend by their Lord's permission, carrying every decree — a scene of intense heavenly activity converging on the earth.

• Let the angels’ obedience strengthen your reliance on Allah: even their extraordinary descent takes place only with His permission.
• Approach Laylat al-Qadr with seriousness and appreciation. The great number of descending angels points to a night of extraordinary significance.
• When worries about provision arise, remember that the coming year’s affairs are within Allah’s decree. This reminder does not reveal your individual future circumstances.

The tafsīr in brief

The surah closes by naming the night's essential quality: it is peace (salām) — safety and tranquility — lasting until the break of dawn.

• Approach the Night of Decree with hope, remembering its peace and security rather than thinking only of its awe.
• Value the night through to dawn; its closing hours are included in the peace the verse describes.
• When reflecting on the angels' descent, remember their greetings of peace to believers as one explanation reported by early commentators.