There is a full Chapter in the Qur’an characterizing and...

There is a full Chapter in the Qur’an characterizing and praising the Night of Qadr, and thus it is called Sura al-Qadr [Qur’an 97]. In this Chapter, the value of the night is said to be greater than one thousand months. Besides, verses one to six of Qur’an 44 are also concerned with the importance and events of the Night of Qadr.

In other words, the night is not comparable to any others because of Muslims and according to a tradition, the blessings due to the acts of worship during this night cannot be equalled even by worshipping throughout an entire lifetime. The reward of acts of worship done in this one single night is more than the reward of a thousand months of worship.

Similarly, according to a hadith from Imam al-Sādiq (PBUH), the best month is Ramadan, and the heart of the month of Ramadan is the Night of Qadr [8] . There is a hadith from the Prophet (PBUHH) to the effect that the Night of Qadr is the head of all nights [9] . According to sources of hadiths and jurisprudence, the Days of Qadr are as virtuous and valuable as its Nights [10] .

In essence, what gives the Night of Qadr its importance is as follows: I) The Revelation of the Qur’an One of the events that make the Night of Qadr superior is the revelation of the glorious Qur’an. The first verse of Qur’an 97 (Sura al-Qadr) and the third verse of Qur’an 44 categorically stated that the Qur’an was revealed on the Night of Qadr.

The majority of Qur’anic exegetes believe that the whole Qur’an was instantly revealed from the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz) to the Frequented House (al-Bayt al-Ma’mur) on the Prophet’s heart, which is referred to as the instant revelation or compact revelation of the Qur’an [11] . II) Predestination of Affairs: In an interpretation of verse four of Qur’an 44, Imam al-Bāqir (PBUH) said: every year on this night, every person’s destiny in the coming year will be determined.

Thus, in some hadiths, the Night of Qadr is said to be the beginning of the year. According to ‘Allamah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, “the word, “Qadr,” means measurement, and thus, on this night, God measures and determines events such as life, death, livelihood, happiness, and misery [12] . III) Forgiveness of Sins: According to Islamic sources, the Night of Qadr is a special night for divine mercy and the forgiveness of sins.

On this night, Satan will be chained, and doors of the Heaven will be opened to believers [13] .