بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
1
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ
We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the night of Power: 6217
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
2
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ
And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is?
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
3
لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ
The Night of Power is better than a thousand Months. 6218
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
4
تَنَزَّلُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission on every errand: 6219
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
5
سَلَـٰمٌ هِىَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ ٱلْفَجْرِ
Peace!... This until the rise of Morn! 6220
Yusuf Ali Translation Note Number :
Note Number : 6217
Cf. xliv. 3 and n. 4690. The 23rd, 25th or 27th night of Ramadhan, as well as other nights, have been suggested as the Night of Power. See, however, the Introduction to this Sura. It is best to take this in conjunction with verse 3 below, which says that the Night of Power is better than a thousand Months. It transcends Time: for it is Allah's Power dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance, by his Revelation, in every kind of affair.
Note Number : 6218
"A thousand" must be taken in an indefinite sense; as denoting a very long period of time. Cf. notes 3632 and 3634 to xxxii. 4-5, and n. 5678 to lxx. 4. This does not refer to our ideas of time, but to "timeless Time". One moment of enlightenment under Allah's Light is better than thousands of months or years of animal life, and such a moment converts the night of darkness into a period of spiritual glory.
Note Number : 6219
The Spirit: usually understood to be the angel Gabriel.
Note Number : 6220
When the Night of spiritual darkness is dissipated by the glory of Allah, a wonderful Peace and a sense of Security arise in the soul. And this lasts on until this life closes, and the glorious Day of the new world dawns, when everything will be on a different plane, and the chequered nights and days of this world will be even less than a dream.
