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Surah 97 · Makkah · 5 āyāt
Phase 02 · Going public — and the persecution(c. 10–8 BH) — view in timelineAl-QadrThe Decree / The Night of Power
القدر
A short, luminous Makkan surah announcing that the Qurʾān was sent down on Laylat al-Qadr — a single night whose worth outweighs a thousand months. It moves from the fact of the revelation's descent, to a rhetorical question raising its immense value, to a description of angels and the Spirit descending with every decree, and closes with the night's defining quality: peace, until the break of dawn.
Why it was revealed
The surah speaks of the night in which the Qurʾān began to be sent down — understood by the majority of commentators as the night in Ramaḍān when revelation started in the Cave of Ḥirāʾ, though the surah itself does not narrate a specific incident tied to a cause of revelation.
Drawn fromṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1901; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2020; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1169; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 760; al-Wāḥidī, Asbāb al-Nuzūl (no authenticated sabab given for this surah); cited by Ibn Kathīr on 97:1; Ibn Kathīr on 97:1; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm on Sūrat al-Qadr; al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak (from Ibn ʿAbbās)
There is no sound, specific occasion of revelation (sabab al-nuzūl) narrated for this surah beyond its general connection to the night the Qurʾān's descent began. Reports about why it was named 'al-Qadr' or about a vision of the Prophet ﷺ regarding the short lifespans of earlier nations, sometimes quoted from al-Suyūṭī's collections, are not established with a reliable chain and should not be presented as fact.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm on Sūrat al-Qadr; al-Wāḥidī, Asbāb al-Nuzūl (no authenticated sabab given for this surah)
In the Prophet's ﷺ life
The Qurʾān's descent begins
The Qurʾān began to be sent down to the Prophet ﷺ in the Cave of Ḥirāʾ during Ramaḍān, an event this surah refers to as taking place 'on the Night of Decree'.
Recalled in āyah 1
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ
Indeed, We sent it [i.e., the Qur’ān] down during the Night of Decree.
Cited toṢaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3; Ibn Kathīr on 97:1
- Madd — 2 vowels
- Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
- Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
- Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
- Ghunnah — 2 vowels
- Qalqalah
- Ikhfāʾ
- Ikhfāʾ shafawī
- Idghām shafawī
- Idghām with ghunnah
- Idghām without ghunnah
- Idghām mutajānisayn
- Idghām mutaqāribayn
- Iqlāb
- Hamzat al-waṣl
- Lām shamsiyyah
- Silent letter
Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).
The descent: a Book sent down on a single night
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.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ
Tajwīd markup unavailable for this āyah — text shown uncoloured
Indeed, We sent it [i.e., the Qur’ān] down during the Night of Decree.
From the tafsīr
Allah informs that He sent the Qurʾān down in Laylat al-Qadr, which is in Ramaḍān, as stated in Sūrat al-Baqarah (2:185) — 'the month of Ramaḍān in which the Qurʾān was sent down'. Most commentators explain this as the Qurʾān's descent, in full, to the lowest heaven, from where it was revealed in stages according to events.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
The pronoun 'it' (-hu) in 'anzalnāhu' refers back to the Qurʾān even though the Qurʾān is not named in this surah, because its mention was already known and understood by the addressees.
Cited toAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān
Key takeaways
- The Qurʾān's arrival in history is tied to a specific, named night, not a vague span of time.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- Guidance was not earned by the world — it was sent down as a gift, all at once in origin.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Reflect
What does it change for you to know the Qurʾān has an exact night of origin?
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Question 1 of 1
According to Ibn Kathīr, what does 'anzalnāhu' in āyah 1 most commonly refer to?
The question: what do you know of this night?
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.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ
Tajwīd markup unavailable for this āyah — text shown uncoloured
And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?
From the tafsīr
This form of question ('wa mā adrāka...') is used by Allah to magnify the importance of the matter being introduced, before then explaining it in what follows.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Even addressed to the Prophet ﷺ, who was himself informed of its reality by revelation, the question underscores that the night's true weight surpasses what words alone convey.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
Key takeaways
- Some realities are announced first as unknowable in scale, then explained — teaching humility before divine value.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- The very structure of the verse builds anticipation for what comes next.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Reflect
Which blessings in your life have you underestimated before learning their true worth?
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Question 1 of 1
What is the rhetorical function of 'wa mā adrāka mā laylatu al-qadr'?
Better than a thousand months
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.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
Tajwīd markup unavailable for this āyah — text shown uncoloured
The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.
From the tafsīr
Worship on this one night outweighs worship across a thousand months in which it does not occur — a mercy from Allah to this ummah, whose lifespans are shorter than those of earlier nations.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Scholars differ on whether this superiority is restricted to reward for worship performed that night, or extends more broadly; the stronger view ties it to the immense reward available for sincere devotion on this night.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
Key takeaways
- Allah's mercy compresses immense reward into a single accessible night rather than demanding a lifetime.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- The comparison to 'a thousand months' — not a round number chosen arbitrarily — signals totality, a virtually unmatched span.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- This verse is the scriptural basis for the Prophetic encouragement to seek this night in the last ten nights of Ramaḍān.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Reflect
How would your Ramaḍān change if you treated one night as worth more than eighty years of routine?
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Question 1 of 1
Approximately how many years does 'a thousand months' represent?
The angels and the Spirit descend
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.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
Tajwīd markup unavailable for this āyah — text shown uncoloured
The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.
From the tafsīr
'Al-rūḥ' here refers to Jibrīl عليه السلام, singled out for mention due to his honour, alongside the angels who descend in great numbers 'by permission of their Lord, for every matter' — i.e., carrying what Allah decrees for that year.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
'Min kulli amr' ('for every matter/decree') is understood by many early commentators in light of 44:4 — that on this night, matters of provision, life, and other affairs for the coming year are made distinct and apportioned.
Cited toAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān
Key takeaways
- The descent of angels signals mercy and attention, not merely a symbolic label for a special night.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- Everything decreed unfolds within Allah's permission — nothing, not even the angels' movement, is independent of Him.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Reflect
Does knowing angels descend that night change how you spend it?
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Question 1 of 1
Who is 'al-rūḥ' understood to be in āyah 4?
Peace until the rise of dawn
The surah closes by naming the night's essential quality: it is peace (salām) — safety and tranquility — lasting until the break of dawn.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
سَلَـٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ
Tajwīd markup unavailable for this āyah — text shown uncoloured
Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.
From the tafsīr
'Salām hiya' — the night is entirely peace, in which Satan can do no harm and no evil dominates, continuing until dawn appears.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Some early exegetes explained the peace as the angels' greetings of salām to the believers they pass by during the night, others as the night's general security from harm.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
Key takeaways
- The surah ends not on power or awe but on peace — the emotional register the whole night carries.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- The night's blessing has a defined limit — dawn — teaching that even the greatest opportunities are time-bound.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Reflect
What would it mean to end your worship, like the surah, on a note of peace rather than exhaustion?
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Question 1 of 1
According to āyah 5, until when does the night's peace last?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ق د ر
āyāt 1, 2, 3to measure, decree, or determine with precision and power
- قَدْرmeasure, decree, worth
- قَدَّرَhe decreed, ordained
- قَادِرone who is capable, able
- مِقْدَارan amount, extent
ن ز ل
āyāt 1, 4to descend, come down
- أَنزَلَhe sent down
- تَنَزَّلُdescend (repeatedly, gradually)
- مَنزِلa dwelling, stage
- نُزُولdescent
ل ي ل
āyāt 1, 2, 3night, the period of darkness
- لَيْلnight
- لَيْلَةa night (single instance)
- لَيَالٍnights (plural)
خ ي ر
āyāt 3goodness, that which is preferable or superior
- خَيْرgood, better
- خِيَارthe choicest, the best
- خَيِّرone who is good, generous
ر و ح
āyāt 4spirit, breath of life
- رُوحspirit
- رَيْحَانfragrant plants, comfort
- رَاحَةrest, ease
أ م ر
āyāt 4command, matter, affair
- أَمْرmatter, command
- أَمَرَhe commanded
- إِمَامleader, one followed in a matter
س ل م
āyāt 5safety, soundness, peace
- سَلَامpeace
- سَلِمَhe was safe, sound
- إِسْلَامsubmission (to Allah)
- مُسْلِمone who submits
ف ج ر
āyāt 5to split open, burst forth — hence dawn's first light breaking through darkness
- فَجْرdawn
- فَجَّرَhe caused to gush forth
- تَفْجِيرa bursting, explosion
Carry this with you
- The Qurʾān's descent is anchored to a real, specific night, not an abstract idea.
- A single night of sincere worship can outweigh what would take a lifetime to otherwise accumulate.
- Allah's mercy to this ummah compresses immense reward into an accessible act, not an impossible one.
- Angels descending signals divine attention and mercy converging on the believer, not mere symbolism.
- Nothing occurs — not even the angels' movement — outside Allah's permission and decree.
- The night's defining quality is peace, not merely power or awe.
- Every blessing, however immense, is bound by time — the night's grace ends at dawn.
- Seeking this night (in the last ten nights of Ramaḍān) is a Prophetic practice grounded directly in this surah's meaning.
Where this surah connects
Cross-surah threads
Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.
All threads →Sources behind Sūrah Al-Qadr
Every line of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these references. Ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com and āyah references open on quran.com, so you can check the claim rather than take it on trust. The Arabic text itself is fetched live from a verified public corpus.
Ḥadīth5
Tafsīr12
- Al-Qurṭubī on 97:3
- Al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
- al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān
- Al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān
- al-Wāḥidī, Asbāb al-Nuzūl (no authenticated sabab given for this surah)
- cited by Ibn Kathīr on 97:1
- Ibn Kathīr on 97:1
- Ibn Kathīr on 97:2
- Ibn Kathīr on 97:4
- Ibn Kathīr on 97:5
- Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm on Sūrat al-Qadr
Other references1
- al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak (from Ibn ʿAbbās)
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Al-Qadr · Better than a thousand months
Approximately how many years does 'a thousand months' represent?
Arabic (Uthmānī script) and the Ṣaḥīḥ International translation are fetched live from the Quran.com API (v4), sourced from the King Fahd Complex muṣḥaf — api.quran.com API docs · Translation: Ṣaḥīḥ International · Integrity & testing protocol