The Night of Destiny

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The Messenger of Allah, once said:

“Allah has favored Friday over all other days, the month of Ramadhan over all other months, and the Night of Destiny (Lailatul-Qadr) over all other nights.” *[su_divider top=”no” style=”dotted” divider_color=”#dbf3ec” size=”2″ margin=”35″]

Ibrahim, one of the companions of Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (as), is quoted on p. 25, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, saying that he once asked the Imam (as) about how the Holy Qur’an was revealed during Lailatul-Qadr, knowing that it took more than twenty years to reveal.
The Imam (as) answered by saying: “The Holy Qur’an was revealed as a whole during the month of Ramadhan at the Ancient House (the Ka’ba), then from there it was revealed along the span of (more than) twenty years.”
Then he cited the Messenger of Allah (S) saying: “The Books of Ibrahim (as) were revealed on the first night of the month of Ramadhan; the Torah was revealed on the sixth of the month of Ramadhan; the Gospel (Injil) was revealed on the thirteenth of the month of Ramadhan; the Psalms (Zabur) were revealed on the eighteenth of the month of Ramadhan, and the Holy Qur’an was revealed on the twenty-fourth of the month of Ramadhan.” This tradition is also recorded on p. 80, Vol. 1, of al-’Ayyashi’s Tafsir.

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Why this night is called “The night of Destiny”?

This name was used for Lailatul-Qadr because Allah Almighty determines in it for everyone all what will happen the entire next year. The “Qadr” in this sense means destiny. According to al-Qummi’s Tafsir, as explained on p. 432 of its second volume, such destiny includes life and death, sustenance, abundance of crops or famine, and everything good or bad. This means that Allah the Glorified and Exalted determines in this night each and every event to occur during the next year to any and all of His creation.

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Al-Majlisi quotes his father on p. 12, Vol. 94, of his own Bihar al-Anwar quoting Ibn Maskan quoting Imam Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (as) saying, “During Lailatul-Qadr, the angels, the spirit, and the trusted scribes all descend to the lower heavens and write down whatever Allah decrees that year, and if Allah wishes to advance something or postpone it or add thereto, He orders the angel to erase it and replace it with whatever He decrees.” This is also confirmed by al-Qummi in his renown Tafsir, exegesis of the Holy Qur’an.

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On p. 182, Vol. 1, of ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, and on p. 14, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, quoting Sulayman al-Marzawi asking Imam al-Rida (as), “Could you please tell us why the Chapter of Qadr was revealed?” The Imam (as) said, “O Sulayman! Lailatul-Qadr is the night when Allah, the most Exalted, the most Great, decrees what will take place from one year to another of life or death, good or evil, or regarding sustenance, and whatever He then decrees is sure destiny.”

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On p. 315 of Ma’ani al-Akhbar, and also on p. 18, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, quoting Ibn Nubatah quoting Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) saying, “The Messenger of Allah (S) asked me once, ‘O Ali! Do you know the implication of Lailatul-Qadr?’ I said, ‘No, indeed, O Messenger of Allah!’ He (S) said, ‘Allah, the Praised One, the Most Glorified, decreed in it what will take place till the Day of Judgment, and among what He, the most Exalted, the Most Great, decreed was your own Imamate and Wilayat and the Imamate and Wilayat of your offspring till the Day of Resurrection.”

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Both Ma’ani al-Akhbar and Bihar al-Anwar, quoting al-Fadl ibn ‘Uthman saying, “When the Chapter of Qadr was mentioned in the presence of Abu Abdullah Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as), he was asked about its merits over other chapters, and he said, ‘It was revealed with reference to the Wilayat of the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) (as).’ He (as) was asked, ‘Do you mean Lailatul-Qadr for which we look in anticipation during the month of Ramadhan?’ He (as) said, ‘Yes; it is the night in which the heavens and the earth were determined, and the Wilayat of the Commander of the Faithful (as) was decreed.'”

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Ahmed ibn Muhammad and Ahmed ibn Ishaq, as recorded on p. 21, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, quote al-Qasim ibn Yahya quoting others citing Imam Abu Abdullah (as) saying that Ali ibn Abu Talib (as) quite often used to say, “We saw the Messenger of Allah (S) once in the company of al-Taymi and a friend of his while the latter was reciting Chapter al-Qadr. He (S) was profoundly moved and he kept weeping to the extent that he (S) was asked, ‘How so deeply moved by this Chapter your heart is!’

He (S) said, ‘My heart is deeply impressed because of what my eyes had witnessed, and what my mind had comprehended, and because of what the heart of this man [meaning Ali (as)] will go through after me.’ Both men asked the Messenger of Allah (S), ‘Did you really see all of that?! And what will he (Ali) see?’ He (S) would then recite the verse saying, ‘The angels and the Spirit descend therein with the permission of their Lord for every affair; peace, it is, till the break of the morn.’

Then he (S) would pause and ask them, ‘Is there anything left after the Almighty having verbally said ‘every affair’?’ They would both answer in the negative, and he (S) would then ask them, ‘Do you both know regarding whom it is revealed?’ They would both say, ‘No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah!’

He (S) would then say, ‘Yes; is there going to be a Lailatul-Qadr after me (I.e., after my demise)?’ They would answer in the affirmative, and he (S) would then ask them, ‘Will every affair descend therein?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ He then asked them, ‘To whom will it descend?’ They answered, ‘We do not know.’ He (S), with his hand on my head, pushed me gently forward and said, ‘If you do not know, then it is regarding this person after me.’ Both men, ever since the demise of the Messenger of Allah (S), used to be filled with awe whenever that night approached.”

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* Muftahul Jannat , Vol. 3 , page 265

The descent of the angles on Night of Qadr

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By referring to the verses of the holy Quran, we understand that all affairs destined to happen in the universe and also to each person and other creatures in the following year, are made clear in the Night of Qadr. Moreover the angels will descend these destined affairs in the form of divine command. (The holy Quran, (97:4))

In the verse 4 of Surah al-Qadr Allah (SWT) has talked about the descent of the angles and divine commands. In fact in this verse, we should see what the responsibility of the angles about these commands is. When Allah (SWT) says that the angels will descend in it by the permission of their Lord, every command, then it is clear that this manner of descending is to communicate a message. (The holy Quran, (97:4))

The descent of the angles toward which destination?

As it was discussed the descent of the angles in the Night of Qadr is for delivering messages. In this type of descending, the angels act as messengers from Allah (SWT) to bring a message for a receiver. Therefore there has to be a recipient for the angels to descend upon and give the commands.

Considering the descending of the angels and the message they carry, and supposing that the descent of angles is not vein, one can conclude that the descending of the angels can not be upon every creation of Allah (SWT). Rather it should be upon a person who has the ability of receiving such extensive and important information. Now let us refer to the verse of the holy Quran which implies that in that very night the angels reveal the distinction of all affairs, namely not only the distinction of the yearly affairs of you and I, but all the human beings on this planet. Therefore we simply find that an ordinary man can never receive such amount of information in just one night.

Now that we realize an ordinary human being cannot be the receiver of the decrees brought by angels, we can therefore expect that certain chosen people exist for this task. These chosen people must be far from any impurities or defects of any normal human being, and they must have the capacity of receiving and executing divine messages. In other words they must be Allah’s (SWT) representative on the earth. This is the status which the holy Quran refers to when talking about the representatives of Allah (SWT) [(The holy Quran, 2:30)]. The representative of Allah (SWT) is one who represents Allah (SWT) and with His permission does divine acts, like Prophet Jesus (PBUH) who was able to bring the dead back to life [The holy Quran, (3:49)]. The caliph of Allah on the earth is responsible for executing specific command and effects, in other words he is the connection between the heavens and the earth. It is obvious that the Caliph of Allah (SWT) being His representative on the earth and in connection with Him should be able to receive and execute divine messages.

Who are these people?

Muslims all agree on the fact that in the age of the Prophet the only person who the angels would descend upon for bringing the sacred messages was the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). During his lifetime, no one else would receive these messages. However, just as discussed above, the descending of the angels on the Night of Qadr and bringing the divine commands is a progressive act that is repeated each year. Therefore it did not end after the demise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). And the angels continue to bring the distinction of people to a person.

It is obvious that such a person should be the one who like the Prophet is appointed by Allah to be responsible for divine affair like the descent of the angles upon him. Also he should be given the special abilities and capabilities by Allah (SWT). Naturally such a person is the continuer of the path of the Prophet and is responsible for the acts which he was responsible for and should be continued after him. To be clearer he is the successor of the prophet and besides the representative of Allah on the earth.

Historical sources have shown that after the demise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), no one except a few have claimed that the angels descend unto him on the Night of Qadr. If they had done such, their claim could be easily defeated by asking the people of his era a few simple questions about the future and its specifics.  However there were a few who claimed that angels would descend upon them, and they would defend their claim through legitimate proof. They, like the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had such a vast knowledge about the incidents of the world that the people of their era would easily realize that they were the most  knowledgeable Man in their era. The biographies of these certain people confirm this claim and open a whole new subject that will need to be discussed in other articles.

Let it not be unsaid that these people are none other but the one who the Shiites believe in their Imamah, the successors of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), the representative of Allah (SWT): Ali and the eleven infallible Imam from his progeny (PBUT).

From the above argument, one can deduce that there must be a leader chosen by Allah (SWT), a representative of Allah at all times so the angels can descend upon on the Night of Qadr for bringing the destinies. Based on this reasoning the Shiite Muslims believe that after the demise of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), the angels would descend upon the representatives of Allah (SWT) and true successors of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) on the Night of Qadr. And in our present age, each year the angels descend upon the living Imam of the time, Imam Mahdi (May Allah hasten his appearance) to bring the destined affairs.

Which Night is Lailatul-Qadr?

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Is it the 17th or the 19th?

Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali-al-Baqir (as) is quoted in Bihar al-Anwar and Da’aim al-Islam as having said, “The 17th night of the month of Ramadhan is when the two parties met, and the 19th is when the lists of the pilgrims is written down, and the 21st is when successors to the Prophets passed away and Jesus Christ (as) was raised to heaven and Moses (as) passed away, whereas the 23rd is hoped to be Lailatul-Qadr.”

Both al-’Ayyashi’s Tafsir and al-Majlisi’s Bihar al-Anwar quote ‘Amr ibn Sa’eed saying, “A man from Medina disagreed with me regarding the night (Lailatul-Qadr) when the two hosts meet, saying that it was the night of the 17th of the month of Ramadhan, so I went to see Abu Abdullah (as) and told him about our disagreement, whereupon he (as) said, ‘The man from Medina did not say the truth; I know that you mean it is the 19th when the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali, as) was wounded, and it is the same night when Jesus son of Mary (as) was raised to heavens.”

Both references quote Humran quoting Abu Abdullah Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as) saying, “The destiny referred to as Lailatul-Qadr is the same destiny referred to in another verse (of Surat al-A’raf) wherein the most Exalted One says: ‘When their doom is come, they shall not remain behind in the least, nor will they go before’ (Holy Qur’an, 7:34).”

Or is it the 21st or the 23rd?

Al-Husayn ibn ‘Ubaydullah, according to Majalis al-Shaykh, as quoted on p. 2, Vol. 94, of Bihar al-Anwar, quotes Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya who in turn quotes his father saying, “I was in the company of Abu Abdullah (as) when Abu Busayr asked him, ‘Which night is the one when one is to plead to his Lord whatever he wishes to plead?’ The Imam (as) answered him by saying, ‘Either the twenty-first or the twenty-third.’

He then asked him (as), ‘What if I have no strength to observe both of them?’ The Imam (as) said, ‘How easy it is to observe them when compared to your pleas!'” Abu Abdullah (as) is also quoted in the same volume of Bihar al-Anwar saying, “The twenty-third night of the month of Ramadhan is the one when every weighty matter is decided, when trials, tribulations, deaths, and means of sustenance and other matters are determined, and so will whatever Allah decrees to take place for the entire next year; so, congratulations to anyone who remains awake during it bowing, prostrating, contemplating upon his sins, weeping on their account, for if you do all of that, God willing, you will never be disappointed.”

Then he added, “Allah will order an angel to call out during each and every day of the month of Ramadhan conveying Allah’s message to them thus: ‘Good news, O My servants! I have forgiven your past sins and permitted some of you to intercede on behalf of the rest on Lailatul-Qadr except those who break their fast with an intoxicant or those who bear grudge against another Muslim brother!'” It is narrated that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala wards off evil and sins and all types of trials on the 25th night from all His servants who fast and grants them light in their hearing and vision; Paradise is decorated during Lailatul-Qadr’s day and night.

The great Sunni scholar Ibn Abul-Hadid, in his commentary on Nahjul Balagha, cites Ibn Durayd’s Amali stating that al-Jarmoothi quotes Ibn al-Muhallabi quoting Ibn al-Kalbi quoting Shaddad ibn Ibrahim quoting ‘Ubaydullah ibn al-Hassan al-Fahri quoting Ibn ‘Aradah saying, “The Commander of the Faithful (as) was once asked about Lailatul-Qadr, and he said, ‘It is not at all improbable that I know which night it is and deliberately hide such knowledge, and I do not at all doubt that Allah hid such knowledge from you only out of His love for you, for if you knew which night it is, you would have honored it and left the others, and I hope you will not err in its regard.”

The Night of Qadr

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In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Surely We revealed it (Quran) on the Night of Qadr .:1:.
And what do you know about what Night of Qadr is .:2:.
The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months .:3:.
The angels and the Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord  every command .:4:.
It is peace till the break of the morning .:5:.

The holy Quran . Chapter 97: Surah al-Qadr

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A year consists of different hours, days, nights, months, and most importantly different periods. However amidst all these times, certain moments are given a higher value than the rest because of the special attention of Allah (SWT) upon them, the effects they have, and the events that occur or have occurred during those times. Of these very important times is the Night of Qadr. This night is the most important and valuable night of the year. The importance of this night is to such an extent that along with the different verses that discuss the Night of Qadr, a whole chapter (Surah) in the holy Quran has been named after this night. [The holy Quran, Chapter 97 al-Qadr]

To further study the importance of this night, we can consider two series of the verses, one of which talk about its magnificence and the others are about its effects.

The magnificence of this night in the holy Quran is to the extent that Allah (SWT) addresses His messenger as “And what do you know about what Night of Qadr is?”[ The holy Quran, (97:2)]  By referring to the holy Quran, we find that such kind of addressing is used only when Allah (SWT) is referring to very important issues or when He is reminding people of very great events. For example, where the Recurrence day and its magnificence is mentioned and Allah (SWT) has intended to inform people and draw their attraction to the huge events of that day, such kind of addressing is used. Likewise in this verse of Surah al-Qadr, if Allah (SWT) is addressing His best creature and last messenger in this way, definitely He is implying the great magnificence of this night.

In another verse the almighty Allah considers this night to have a higher value than nearly 30,000 ordinary night [“The Qadr night is better than a thousand months” [The holy Quran, (97:3)]. Such comparison of the holy Quran is an obvious proof for the high value and great magnificence of such night.

In the second series of verses Allah (SWT) mention the special features of this night. Having such features causes the Night of Qadr to have special and unique effects among the other nights of the year. For example this night is called Mubarak [“Surely We revealed it on a blessed night surely We are ever warning” (The holy Quran, (44:3))]. Mubarak means full of mercy and blessing. Applying such a word for the Night of Qadr states that this night has the capacity of abundant blessing to the degree that the revelation of the holy Quran has taken place in this night. Also due to the abundant blessing in this night the gates of forgiveness and mercy of Allah (SWT) is open to people.

Another effect of it is that in this great night no punishment is assigned for the creatures. For the almighty Allah has named it a night full of Salam (Peace) till the break of the morning [“It is peace till the break of the morning” (The holy Quran, (97:5))]

Considering the greatness and importance of the Night of Qadr and contemplating the effects and events of it, one is naturally inclined to learn more about this holy night.

Definition of Qadr

In general, Qadr is defined as measurement. Apparently the reason for using the term Qadr in referring to this grand night is mainly for the fate and measure of all affairs that will be decided in this night. In this precious night, the detail of events and affairs such as life and death, fortune or misfortune, sustenance and wealth … is determined for the Man. Also the detail of Natural events such as floods, earthquakes and … is determined.[ The holy Quran, (44:4)] A verse in the chapter of the holy Quran, al-Dukhan confirms this fact about the Night of Qadr, “Therein the detail of every affair which is to happen is made distinct.”

Knowing the outstanding mercy and blessings in this Night of Qadr one may wonder, does this night belong to a certain time; has this night been a specific night in the past? Or is there the Night of Qadr today and we also can benefit from the high blessings of this night?

It is better to search for the answer to these questions in the verses which are talking about this night. The verses in the holy Quran confirm this fact. When discussing the events that take place on the Night of Qadr, the verbs are used in the continuous form. So this night is not limited to a certain age, time, or year, rather is repeated at different times. This night along with the different events that take place, such as the descending of angels, will be repeated in the present age. But if we focus more deeply on the verses of the holy Quran, we will discover more details on how this night is repeated continuously in the different ages. One of the clear points that can be seen in the verses is that the Night of Qadr is in the sacred month of Ramadan (this point will be discussed further in the next sections).  Just as the month of Ramadan is reoccurring each year, the Night of Qadr is also repeated each year.  Therefore, depending upon the level of attention we give to understanding the significance of this night, we too can benefit from the great value and blessings of this night today.

Did Allah revealed The Holy Qu’ran in the “Night Of Glory”?

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The thing which can be treated to be the basis for the other view is the very statement of the Holy Qur’an, wherein it has been stated that the verses of the Qur’an were revealed in Ramadan. And as the day of the commencement of the prophetic mission is the day of the beginning of revelation of the Holy Qur’an it may be said that the Prophet was appointed to prophethood in the very month of Ramadan. The verses of the Holy Qur’an which indicate that it was revealed in Ramadan are as follows:

In the month of Ramadan the Qur’an was revealed.
(Surah al-Baqarah, 2:185 )

We swear by the Glorious Book that We revealed the Qur’an on a blessed night.
(Surah al-Dukhan, 44:2-3)

And that is the very night of Qadr (glory) which has been mentioned in Surah al-Qadr (verse 1) wherein it has been said:

“We revealed the Qur’an in the Night of Glory.”

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Reply By Shi’ah Scholars

The Shi’ah traditionalists and commentators have given various replies and explanations with regard to this argument; some of them are mentioned below:

[su_heading size=”19″]The First Reply[/su_heading]

The above-mentioned verses show that the Holy Qur’an was revealed in one blessed night of the Holy month of Ramadan, which is called the ‘Night of Glory’, but they do not mention the place of its revelation and do not also denote that they were revealed to the Prophet during the same night. It is quite possible that there may have been various revelations of the Qur’an and numerous Shi’ah and Sunni narrations confirm this possibility. One of those revelations is the gradual revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet and the other is its revelation in installments from the Lauhul Mehfuz  to Baytul Ma’mu’r. 

Hence there should be nothing wrong in a few verses of Surah al-Alaq being revealed to the Holy Prophet on the 27th of Rajab and the entire Qur’an, in one compact form, being revealed in the month of Ramadan from a place named by the Qur’an as ‘Lauhul Mehfuz’ to another place ‘Baytul Ma’mur.’ This view is confirmed by the very verse of Surah al-Dukhan which says:

“We swear by the glorious Book that We revealed the Qur’an on a blessed night.”

It is evident from this verse (on the strength of the pronoun which turns towards the word ‘Book’) that it was revealed in its entirety during the Glorious Night (falling in the month of Ramadan), and it is only proper that this revelation should be other than the revelation which took place at the time of the appointment of the Prophet to the prophetic mission, because at that time only a few verses were revealed.

In short the verses which indicate that the Qur’an was revealed in the month of Ramadan during the ‘Night of Glory’ cannot be a proof of the fact that the day of the Holy Prophet’s appointment to the prophetic mission, on which only a few verses were revealed, also coincided in the same month, because the aforesaid verses show that the entire Book (the Qur’an) was revealed in that month, whereas, on the day of the Holy Prophet’s appointment to the prophetic mission only five or six verses were revealed.

Hence, the two schools, while explaining the meanings of the above-mentioned verses in their narrations, say that the entire Qur’an was sent down from the ‘Lahhul Mehfuz’ to ‘Baytul Ma’mur in that very month. The Shi’ah and Sunni scholars have quoted the said narrations and in particular Professor Muhammad Abdul Azim Zarqani of ‘Al-Azhar’ university has mentioned them in his book in detail.

[su_heading size=”23″]The Second Reply[/su_heading]

The most sound reply, which has so far been given by the scholars, is the second one. The learned scholar Tabatabai has explained it in detail in his precious book and a gist of it is given below:

The real and actual purpose of the Holy Qur’an saying that: We revealed it in the month of Ramadan is that it was revealed to the Holy Prophet during that month, because besides being revealed in parts the Holy Qur’an possesses a reality about which Almighty Allah informed His great Messenger in a particular night of the month of Ramadan.

As the Holy Prophet possessed knowledge of the entire Holy Book, he was directed not to make haste in divulging its contents and to wait till he received orders regarding its communication to the people gradually. The Holy Qur’an says: Do not make haste in narrating the contents of the Qur’an till you receive orders in this behalf through revelation.

This reply shows that the Holy Qur’an possesses a total existence which was revealed in its entirety at one time in the month of Ramadan and it also possesses a gradual existence which lasted from the day of the Holy Prophet’s appointment to the prophetic mission up to the end of his life.

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[su_heading size=”19″]The Third Reply[/su_heading]

As has been explained briefly regarding the different kinds of revelation, it has evidently various stages. The first stage is that of true visions and dreams. The second stage is that of oracular and heavenly voices which are heard without facing an angel. And the last stage is that when the Prophet sees an angel and hears the words of Allah from him and learns through him about the realities of other worlds.

As the human soul does not possess the requisite strength to bear the different stages of revelation in the very first instance, it is necessary that the capacity to bear them should develop gradually, it may be said that: on the day of his appointment to the prophetic mission (27th of Rajab) and for some time thereafter the Holy Prophet heard only those Heavenly voices which informed him that he was the Messenger and Prophet of Allah and no verse was revealed during that period. And some time later gradual revelation of the Qur’an began in the month of Ramadan.

By this we mean that the appointment of the Prophet to the prophetic mission in the month of Rajab is not attached to the revelation of the Qur’an in that month. In view of this there should be no discrepancy between the Qur’an being revealed in the month of Ramadan and the Prophet being appointed to the prophetic mission in the month of Rajab.

Although what has been stated above does not conform to numerous texts (because many historians have said explicitly that the verses of Surah al-Alaq were revealed on the very day of the appointment of the Holy Prophet to the prophetic mission), still we possess some narratives, which tell us that on the day of the Holy Prophet’s appointment to the prophetic mission he heard oracular voice, and which do not say anything about the revelation of the Holy Qur’an or its verses.

They explain the matter by saying that on that day the Holy Prophet saw an angel who said to him “O Muhammad! you are the Messenger of Allah “. And in some of the narrations only hearing of the voice by the Prophet has been mentioned and nothing has been said about his seeing the angel.

 

“Contemplation” or “Tafakkur” in Quran and hadith

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One of the important actions in Islam, that has came as an Ibadaa, is “Tafakkur” or contemplation.

The beauty of Islam is that it does NOT ONLY consist of Instructions but also invites its followers to contemplate, to reflect and to think.

Contemplation is the source of Islamic spirituality – contemplative spirituality – which is received through a thinking process rather than the cessation of intellectual activity. In fact, the process of contemplation or tafakkur and tadabbur as mentioned in the Quran, is the beginning of all sorts of spiritual activity.

The question that arises here is: What should we contemplate and think about?
Firstly, to contemplate about the creations of Allah (SWT).

“How many a sign there is in the heavens and the earth that they pass by while they are disregardful of it”
(12:105)

Contemplating on the creations of Allah (SWT) has many advantages. One of the most important things is that that it leads us to recognize our Creator. If we recognize Him, we will obey Him;
And if we obey Him, we will achieve success in this world and in the Hereafter.
Miqdad was one of the close friends of Imam ‘Ali (as). Once he heard a companion of the Holy Prophet (saww) saying that the Holy Prophet (saww) has said: “Contemplating for an hour is better than the worship of one year”.’ He then heard another companion saying that the Holy Prophet (saww) has said, “Contemplating for an hour is better than seven years of worship”. He then again heard from the third companion saying that the Holy Prophet (saww) said, “Contemplating for an hour is better than seventy years of worship”. Not knowing which Hadeeth was true, Miqdad came to the Holy Prophet (saww) and informed him of the three different versions of his Hadeeth that was being quoted by his companions.
The Holy Prophet (saww) informed him that all the three are correct. In order to prove his point, the Holy Prophet (saww) summoned all the three men.
He (saww) asked the first, “How do you contemplate?” He said, “Allah says in Quran: “Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alteration of night and day, there are signs for those who have intellects”. (3:191) I too, ponder over the wonders of the heavens and the earth”. The Holy Prophet (saww) told him, “One hour of your contemplation is better than the worship of one year”.
Then he (saww) asked the second man as to how he contemplated. The man said, “I reflect upon death and the horror of Qiyamah”. The Holy Prophet (saww) told him, “One hour of your contemplation is better than the worship of seven years”.
He (saww) then asked the third man about his contemplation. The man said, “I reflect upon the fire of hell and its dreadfulness and severity”. The Holy Prophet (saww) told him, “One hour of your contemplation is better than the worship of seventy years”.1
Imam Ja’ffar as-Sadiq (as) has said, “Extensiveness in prayers and fasting is not the worship, rather extensiveness in contemplation is true worship”.2
He (as) has also said, “The mother of Abu Dhar (ra) was asked about the worship of Abu Dhar. She said, “He would isolate himself from the people and spend his day in ‘Tafakkur’ contemplation”.3

Secondly, to contemplate about the outcome before every action.
It is very important that before we say or do anything in this life, we must contemplate and think about their results.

A companion of the Holy Prophet (saww) once complained to him, ‘I always tend to suffer losses in my transactions. People cheat and deceive me. What should I do?’ The Holy Prophet (saww) told him, “In every transaction in which you fear to be deceived, demand from the person who you are doing business the right to annul the transaction within 3 days. This way, should you see yourself at the loosing end you can get your money back”. Then the Prophet (saww) said, “Know that contemplation and patience are from Allah; whereas hastiness is from Shaytan. Learn your lesson from a dog! When you throw a piece of bread to a dog, it does not immediately start eating it. It first sniffs it and then if it finds it suitable, it begins eating it. Similarly, you must also sniff every matter that comes to you (by weighing its pros and cons, and do not embark upon it without preliminaries). With your intellect and wisdom, you are better than a dog; thus contemplate and reflect before every matter”.4

Many people think that ‘Freedom of Individuals’ means you are free to say anything anywhere and do whatever you feel like. Islam says:
No! Before you say or do anything, think carefully about its repercussions on yourself; on those you influence and others around you. How is it going to affect them? And don’t only see its repercussions in this world; also see them in the Hereafter.

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1. Tafseer Rooh al-Bayaan
2. Al-Kaafi
3. Bihar al-Anwaar
4. Riwayat-Ha WA Hikayat-Ha

The Revelations of the Quran

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According to Allah’s statements in His Book, there were two distinct revelations of the Quran which took place. It is important that these two revelations be understood in order to clear up the apparent contradictions in the various terms used in the Quran and Sunnah to describe the Quran’s revelation. On one hand, the Quran is referred to as having been revealed in its totality in Ramadan or on Laylatul-Qadr, the Night of Decree; while on the other hand, it is referred to as having been continuously revealed in segments up until just before the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The First Revelation
Allah caused the Quran to descend from the Protected Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuth) on which it was written to the lowest heaven. In this revelation all of the Quran was sent down at one time to a station in the lowest heaven referred to as “Bayt al-‘Izzah” (The House of Honor or Power). The blessed night on which this descent took place is called “Laylatul-Qadr” (The Night of Decree), one of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. Allah referred to this initial revelation as follows:

“Haa Meem. By the Clear Book, verily, I revealed it in a blessed night.”
[Noble Quran 44:1-3]

“Verily, I revealed it on the Night of Decree.”
[Noble Quran 97:1] 

“The month of Ramadan in which I revealed the Quran as guidance to mankind …”
[Noble Quran 2:185]

These verses have to refer to the initial revelation because it is a known fact that the whole Quran was not revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on a single night in Ramadan. Ibn ‘Abbas stated that the Quran was first separated from its station in the upper heavens and placed in Bayt al-‘Izzah in the lowest heaven. One version states that this took place on the Night of Decree in Ramadan. Had it been Allah’s wish, the Quran could then have been revealed as a whole to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a single revelation.

This was the method by which all of the earlier books of revelation were sent down. But, Allah chose to divide the revelation into two parts. The first revelation within the heavens represented an announcement to the inhabitants of the heavens that the final book of revelation was being sent down upon the last of the prophets.

From the lowest heaven sections of the Quran were then taken down by the angel Jibril to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This process of revelation continued over the twenty-three years of his prophethood. This revelation began with the first five verses of Surah al-‘Alaq. These verses were revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was on a spiritual retreat in the cave of Hira’ near Makkah. However, the first complete Surah to be revealed was Surah al-Fatihah. The revelation of this portion of Quran marked the beginning of the final phase of prophethood. The last Surah to be revealed was Surah an-Nasr. This Surah was brought down in Mina during the Farewell Hajj of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which took place at the end of the tenth year after the Hijrah. According to Ibn ‘Abbas, the last verse to be revealed was verse 281 in Surah al-Baqarah, the last of a series of verses dealing with interest. Allah has referred to the second revelation in the following way:

“And (it is) a Quran which I have divided into parts in order that you (Muhammad) may recite it to the people gradually, and I have revealed it by successive revelation.”
[Noble Quran 17:106]

By:
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips

Why reciting Quran is so important?

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    The Holy Quran swears to those who recite the holy book, as mentioned in Ayah 3 of Surah Al-Saffat: “Swear to those who recite the divine revelations”; this shows the importance of recitation of the book of Allah (SWT). 

 It is said in the Ayah 79 of Surah Al-Waqi’a that “No one touches it [The Quran] except the pure ones” in othe words: You should performe ablution(Wudhu) befor Reciting The Holy Quran. it has also another meaning: that the real knowledge of Quran cannot be achieved by those who possess impure soul.
There are many people who recite Quran but there are some who are cursed by it 1.

There is a narration which said: The one who says I believe in Quran whilst making Haram into Halal and lies 2.

 Ayah 204 of Surah Al-A’araaf says: “When the Quran is recited, listen to it and be silent”; and Imam Sajjad (AS) said:
[su_quote]Every Ayah of the Quran is a treasure and if you think about each Ayah, you will learn new knowledge.[/su_quote]

 To recite one Ayah of the Quran in the month of Ramadan is like reciting the whole Quran in other months.
Even those who cannot read Quran, by just looking at Ayahs and listening to recitations will be rewarded 3. Imam Ali (AS) said:
[su_quote]Lighten your houses with recitation of the Quran and recite it in a way that is pleasant to the heart 4. [/su_quote]

[divider]
[1] Mostadrakul Wasael, Vol. 4, Page 250.
[2] Kanzul Fawaed, Page 97.
[3] Fazaelul Ashharul Thalathah, Page 97.
[4] Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, Page 614.
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Explained by: Hojjatul Islam Qara’ati
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Ref: www.shafaqna.com