Today's verse

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم

ﺳﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﻘَﺪﺭ
Suratul Qadr
The Night of Decree
Chapter 97

Verse 5

Arabic

ﺳَﻠَﺎﻡٌ ﻫِﻲَﺣَﺘَّﻰٰ ﻣَﻄْﻠَﻊِﺍﻟْﻔَﺠْﺮِ

Transliteration

Salaamun hiya 'hattaaa ma'tla'hil Fajr

Meaning:

5. There is peace until the appearance of dawn.

Tafsir

Sa`id bin Mansur said, `Isa bin Yunus told us that Al-A`mash narrated to them that Mujahid
said concerning Allah's statement, 
﴿ﺳَﻠَـﻢٌ ﻫِﻰَ﴾
(There is peace) "It is security in which Shaytan cannot do any evil or any harm.'' Qatadah and others have said, "The matters are determined during it,
and the times of death and provisions are
measured out (i.e., decided) during it.''

Allah says,
﴿ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ ﻳُﻔْﺮَﻕُ ﻛُﻞُّ ﺃَﻣْﺮٍ ﺣَﻜِﻴﻢٍ ﴾
(Therein is decreed every matter of decree.) (44:4)

Then Allah says,
﴿ﺳَﻠَـﻢٌ ﻫِﻰَ ﺣَﺘَّﻰ ﻣَﻄْﻠَﻊِ ﺍﻟْﻔَﺠْﺮِ

(There is peace until the appearance of dawn.)

Sa`id bin Mansur said, "Hushaym narrated to us on the authority of Abu
Ishaq, who narrated that Ash-Sha`bi said
concerning Allah's statement,

﴿ﺗَﻨَﺰَّﻝُ ﺍﻟْﻤَﻠَـﺌِﻜَﺔُ ﻭَﺍﻟﺮُّﻭﺡُ ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ
ﺑِﺈِﺫْﻥِ ﺭَﺑِّﻬِﻢ ﻣِّﻦ ﻛُﻞِّ ﺃَﻣْﺮٍ - ﺳَﻠَـﻢٌ ﻫِﻰَ ﺣَﺘَّﻰ ﻣَﻄْﻠَﻊِ ﺍﻟْﻔَﺠْﺮِ
﴾
(With every matter, there is a peace until the appearance of dawn.)

`The angels giving the greetings of peace during the Night of Al-Qadr to the people in the
Masjids until the coming of Fajr (dawn).'''

Qatadah and Ibn Zayd both said concerning Allah's statement,

﴿ﺳَﻠَـﻢٌ ﻫِﻰَ﴾

(There is peace.) "This means all of it is good and there is no evil in it until the coming of Fajr (dawn).''

Specifying the Night of Decree and its Signs

This is supported by what Imam Ahmad
recorded from `Ubadah bin As-Samit that the Messenger of Allah said,

‏« ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔُ ﺍﻟْﻘَﺪْﺭِ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺸْﺮِ ﺍﻟْﺒَﻮَﺍﻗِﻲ، ﻣَﻦْ ﻗَﺎﻣَﻬُﻦَّ ﺍﺑْﺘِﻐَﺎﺀَ
ﺣِﺴْﺒَﺘِﻬِﻦَّ ﻓَﺈِﻥَّ ﺍﻟﻠﻪَ ﻳَﻐْﻔِﺮُ ﻟَﻪُ ﻣَﺎ
ﺗَﻘَﺪَّﻡَ ﻣِﻦْ ﺫَﻧْﺒِﻪِ ﻭَﻣَﺎ ﺗَﺄَﺧَّﺮَ،
ﻭَﻫِﻲَ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔُ ﻭِﺗْﺮٍ: ﺗِﺴْﻊٍ ﺃَﻭْ ﺳَﺒْﻊٍ
ﺃَﻭْ ﺧَﺎﻣِﺴَﺔٍ ﺃَﻭْ ﺛَﺎﻟِﺜَﺔٍ ﺃَﻭْ ﺁﺧِﺮِ
ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔ‏»
(The Night of Al-Qadr occurs during the last ten (nights). Whoever stands for them (in prayer) seeking their reward, then indeed Allah will forgive his previous sins and his latter sins. It is an odd night: the ninth, or the seventh, or the fifth, or
the third or the last night (of Ramadan).)

The Messenger of Allah also said,

‏« ﺇِﻥَّ ﺃَﻣَﺎﺭَﺓَ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔِ ﺍﻟْﻘَﺪْﺭِ ﺃَﻧَّﻬَﺎ
ﺻَﺎﻓِﻴَﺔٌ ﺑَﻠْﺠَﺔٌ، ﻛَﺄَﻥَّ ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ ﻗَﻤَﺮًﺍ
ﺳَﺎﻃِﻌًﺎ، ﺳَﺎﻛِﻨَﺔٌ ﺳَﺎﺟِﻴَﺔٌ، ﻟَﺎ ﺑَﺮْﺩَ ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ ﻭَﻟَﺎ ﺣَﺮَّ، ﻭَﻟَﺎ ﻳَﺤِﻞُّ ﻟِﻜَﻮْﻛَﺐٍ ﻳُﺮْﻣَﻰ ﺑِﻪِ ﻓِﻴﻬَﺎ ﺣَﺘْﻰ ﻳُﺼْﺒِﺢَ، ﻭَﺇِﻥَّ ﺃَﻣَﺎﺭَﺗَﻬَﺎ ﺃَﻥَّ ﺍﻟﺸَّﻤْﺲَ ﺻَﺒِﻴﺤَﺘَﻬَﺎ ﺗَﺨْﺮُﺝُ ﻣُﺴْﺘَﻮِﻳَﺔً ﻟَﻴْﺲَ ﻟَﻬَﺎ ﺷُﻌَﺎﻉٌ، ﻣِﺜْﻞَ ﺍﻟْﻘَﻤَﺮِ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔَ ﺍﻟْﺒَﺪْﺭِ، ﻭَﻟَﺎ ﻳَﺤِﻞُّ ﻟِﻠﺸَّﻴْﻄَﺎﻥِ ﺃَﻥْ ﻳَﺨْﺮُﺝَ ﻣَﻌَﻬَﺎ ﻳَﻮْﻣَﺌِﺬ‏»
(Verily, the sign of the Night of Al-Qadr is that it is pure and glowing as if there were a bright, tranquil, calm moon during it. It is not cold, nor is it hot, and no
shooting star is permitted until morning.
Its sign is that the sun appears on the morning following it smooth having no rays on it, just like the moon on a full
moon night. Shaytan is not allowed to come out with it (the sun) on that day.) This chain of narration is good. In its text there is some oddities and in some of its wordings there are things that are
objectionable.

Abu Dawud mentioned a
section in his Sunan that he titled, "Chapter: Clarification that the Night of Al-Qadr occurs during every Ramadan.''
Then he recorded that `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah was asked about the Night of Al-Qadr while I was listening and he said,
‏« ﻫِﻲَ ﻓِﻲ ﻛُﻞِّ ﺭَﻣَﻀَﺎﻥ‏»
(It occurs during every Ramadan.)'' The men of this chain of narration are all reliable, but Abu Dawud said that Shu`bah and Sufyan both narrated it from Ishaq and they both considered it to be a statement of the Companion (Ibn `Umar, and thus not the statement of the
Prophet ).

It has been reported that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of
Allah performed I`tikaf during the first ten
nights of Ramadan and we performed I`tikaf with him. Then Jibril came to him and said, `That which you are seeking is in front of you.' So the Prophet
performed I`tikaf during the middle ten days of Ramadan and we also performed I`tikaf with him. Then Jibril came to him and said; `That which you are seeking is
ahead of you.' So the Prophet stood up
and gave a sermon on the morning of the
twentieth of Ramadan and he said,
‏«ﻣَﻦْ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﺍﻋْﺘَﻜَﻒَ ﻣَﻌِﻲَ
ﻓَﻠْﻴَﺮْﺟِﻊْ ﻓَﺈِﻧِّﻲ ﺭَﺃَﻳْﺖُ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔَ
ﺍﻟْﻘَﺪْﺭِ، ﻭَﺇِﻧِّﻲ ﺃُﻧْﺴِﻴﺘُﻬَﺎ، ﻭَﺇِﻧَّﻬَﺎ
ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺸْﺮِ ﺍﻟْﺄَﻭَﺍﺧِﺮِ ﻓِﻲ ﻭِﺗْﺮٍ،
ﻭَﺇِﻧِّﻲ ﺭَﺃَﻳْﺖُ ﻛَﺄَﻧِّﻲ ﺃَﺳْﺠُﺪُ ﻓِﻲ
ﻃِﻴﻦٍ ﻭَﻣَﺎﺀ‏»
(Whoever performed I`tikaf with me, let him come back (for I`tikaf again), for verily I saw the Night of Al-Qadr, and I was caused to forget it, and indeed it is during the last ten (nights). It is during an odd night and I saw myself as if I were
prostrating in mud and water.) The roof of the Masjid was made of dried palm- tree leaves and we did not see anything (i.e., clouds) in the sky. But then a patch
of wind-driven clouds came and it rained. So the Prophet lead us in prayer until we saw the traces of mud and water on the forehead of the Messenger of Allah ,
which confirmed his dream.''

In one narration it adds that this occurred on
the morning of the twenty-first night (meaning the next morning). They both
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim) recorded it in the Two Sahihs. Ash-Shafi`i said, "This Hadith is the most authentic of what has
been reported.'' It has also been said that it is on the twenty-third night due to a Hadith narrated from `Abdullah bin
Unays in Sahih Muslim. It has also been said that it is on the twenty-fifth night due to what Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn `Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said,
‏« ﺍﻟْﺘَﻤِﺴُﻮﻫَﺎ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺸْﺮِ ﺍﻟْﺄَﻭَﺍﺧِﺮِ
ﻣِﻦْ ﺭَﻣَﻀَﺎﻥَ ﻓِﻲ ﺗَﺎﺳِﻌَﺔٍ ﺗَﺒْﻘَﻰ،
ﻓِﻲ ﺳَﺎﺑِﻌَﺔٍ ﺗَﺒْﻘَﻰ، ﻓِﻲ ﺧَﺎﻣِﺴَﺔٍ
ﺗَﺒْﻘَﻰ‏»
(Seek it in the last ten (nights) of Ramadan. In the ninth it still remains, in the seventh it still remains, in the fifth it
still remains.) Many have explained this
Hadith to refer to the odd nights, and this is the most apparent and most popular explanation. It has also been said that it occurs on the twenty-seventh night because of what Muslim recorded in his
Sahih from Ubay bin Ka`b that the Messenger of Allah mentioned that it was on the twenty-seventh night. Imam
Ahmad recorded from Zirr that he asked Ubayy bin Ka`b, "O Abu Al-Mundhir! Verily, your brother Ibn Mas`ud says
whoever stands for prayer (at night) the
entire year, will catch the Night of Al- Qadr.'' He (Ubayy) said, "May Allah have mercy upon him. Indeed he knows that it
is during the month of Ramadan and that it is the twenty-seventh night.'' Then he swore by Allah. Zirr then said, "How do you know that'' Ubayy replied, "By a sign
or an indication that he (the Prophet ) informed us of. It rises that next day having no rays on it -- meaning the sun.''
Muslim has also recorded it. It has been
said that it is the night of the twenty- ninth.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded from `Ubadah bin As-Samit that he asked the Messenger of Allah about the Night
of Decree and he replied,
‏« ﻓِﻲ ﺭَﻣَﻀَﺎﻥَ ﻓَﺎﻟْﺘَﻤِﺴُﻮﻫَﺎ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟْﻌَﺸْﺮِ ﺍﻟْﺄَﻭَﺍﺧِﺮِ، ﻓَﺈِﻧَّﻬَﺎ ﻓِﻲ ﻭِﺗْﺮٍ ﺇِﺣْﺪَﻯ ﻭَﻋِﺸْﺮِﻳﻦَ، ﺃَﻭْ ﺛَﻠَﺎﺙٍ ﻭَﻋِﺸْﺮِﻳﻦَ، ﺃَﻭْ ﺧَﻤْﺲٍ ﻭَﻋِﺸْﺮِﻳﻦَ، ﺃَﻭْ ﺳَﺒْﻊٍ ﻭَﻋِﺸْﺮِﻳﻦَ، ﺃَﻭْ ﺗِﺴْﻊٍ ﻭَﻋِﺸْﺮِﻳﻦَ، ﺃَﻭْ ﻓِﻲ ﺁﺧِﺮِ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔ‏»
(Seek it in Ramadan in the last ten nights. For verily, it is during the odd
nights, the twenty-first, or the twenty- third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty- seventh, or the twenty-ninth, or during the last night.)

Imam Ahmad also recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said about the Night of Al-Qadr,
‏« ﺇِﻧَّﻬَﺎ ﻟَﻴْﻠَﺔُ ﺳَﺎﺑِﻌَﺔٍ ﺃَﻭْ ﺗَﺎﺳِﻌَﺔٍ
ﻭَﻋِﺸْﺮِﻳﻦَ، ﻭَﺇِﻥَّ ﺍﻟْﻤَﻠَﺎﺋِﻜَﺔَ ﺗِﻠْﻚَ
ﺍﻟﻠَّﻴْﻠَﺔَ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟْﺄَﺭْﺽِ ﺃَﻛْﺜَﺮُ ﻣِﻦْ
ﻋَﺪَﺩِ ﺍﻟْﺤَﺼَﻰ‏»
(Verily, it is during the twenty-seventh or the twenty-ninth night. And verily, the angels who are on the earth during that night are more numerous than the
number of pebbles.) Ahmad was alone in
recording this Hadith and there is nothing
wrong with its chain of narration. At- Tirmidhi recorded from Abu Qilabah that he said, "The Night of Al-Qadr moves around (i.e., from year to year) throughout the last ten nights.'' This view that At-Tirmidhi mentions from Abu
Qilabah has also been recorded by Malik,
Ath-Thawri, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Ishaq bin
Rahuyah, Abu Thawr, Al-Muzani, Abu Bakr bin Khuzaymah and others. It has also been related from Ash-Shafi`i, and
Al-Qadi reported it from him, and this is most likely. And Allah knows best.

Supplication during the Night of Decree

It is recommended to supplicate often
during all times, especially during the
month of Ramadan, in the last ten nights,
and during the odd nights of it even more
so. It is recommended that one say the
following supplication a lot: "O Allah! Verily, You are the Of the Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me.'' This is
due to what Imam Ahmad recorded from
`A'ishah, that she said, "O Messenger of Allah! If I find the Night of Al Qadr what should I say'' He replied,
‏«ﻗُﻮﻟِﻲ : ﺍﻟﻠْﻬُﻢَّ ﺇِﻧَّﻚَ ﻋَﻔُﻮّ ﺗُﺤِﺐُّ ﺍﻟْﻌَﻔْﻮَ ﻓَﺎﻋْﻒُ ﻋَﻨِّﻲ‏»
(Say: "O Allah! Verily, You are the Of the
Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon
me.'') At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah have all recorded this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan
Sahih.'' Al-Hakim recorded it in his
Mustadrak (with a different chain of
narration) and he said that it is authentic
according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). An- Nasa'i also recorded it.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Laylat Al-Qadr, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir