THE

TAFSĪR SURAT AL-QADR [LAYLAT AL-QADR]

(COMMENTARY ON THE SŪRAH OF THE "NIGHT OF POWER" = Q. 97)

 OF THE BĀB

Trans. being revised 2006-7

Stephen Lambden

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The five verse Meccan Surat al-Qadr or Surah of the Night of Power /  Destiny  (Q. 97) in the  Arabic text along with the A.J. Arberry (d.1969)  translation reads as follows:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

(1)

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْر

(2)

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْر

(3)

لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْر

 (4)

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ 

(5)

سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْر

 

Islamic Tafsir

It has been observed that the Surah of the Night of Power  [or Destiny, Decree]  Laylat al-qadr   (Q. 97) is made up of five verses including thirty words and one hundred and twelve letters (112) letters. The  Laylat al-qadr  mentioned in its third verse is traditionally, historically  identified with the evening of the 26th and/or 27th of the month of Ramadān believed to have been the night when the Qur'an was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad (d. 632 CE). It is said to have been "greater than 1,000 months" (Q.97:3).

 

 

The Tafsir of the Bab.

 

Prov. Trans. Stephen Lambden

[I]

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

        [1] Praise be to God Who, through His Command, originated whatsoever is in the heavens and in the earth as well as such as believe in God and in His signs [verses]  (ayāt): those, that is, who are being assembled [for judgment] before God. [2] And praise be to God Who originated the essential realities (jawhariyyāt) which nothing preceded, by means of the causality of their own Logos-Self (nafs). [3] He made their station that of the theophanic msnifestations of His Power  (zuhūrāt qudratihi) in the Kingdom of Names and Attributes lest anyone perceive a single thing therein other than the theophany of his Creator (bari`) wherein is the appearance of "all things" (kulli shay').

        [4] And in "all things" (kulli shay') he witnesseth the garments (qumus) of the Countenance of the Beauty of the Beloved One. [5] This inasmuch as he doth not perceive a single light (nūr ^an) except it is a Light of His Beauty (nūr jamālihi) nor discern any cry (sawt) save that of a Melody of His Splendour (sawt bahā'ihi). [6] So praise be unto Him and exalted be He Who, in the sublimity of His Essential Reality (dhātiyyatihi), transcendeth "all things" (kulli shay'). [7] This such that he who perceiveth the existing thing seeth it in the station (maqām) of the theophany of his Lord seating Himself upon the Throne of Beneficence (`arsh al-`aṭa') above all that beareth a name designating an existing thing (shay'). [8] Then what is more transcendent (a`lā) than His praise (thanā')? What greater (a`am) than His glory (jalāl)? And what more splendid (abhā') than His eulogium (thanā')? And what is more glorious (ajall) than His accomplishment (imḍā') for everything is encompassed by His knowledge.

[II]

[1] And I am One established in my position (mawqifā) , this the Day of Gathering (yawm al-jum`ah = Friday ), in the midst of the mountains (was al-jibāl). [2] I testify that there is none other God except Thee alone; for Thee there is no associate. [3] Still Thou dost not cease to exist even when Thou art without any existing thing besides Thee. [4] Thou remaineth One Who ceaseth not for Thou art Being Itself (kā'in) without any existing thing on Thy level. [5] If I should say `Thou art God' [hypocritically] Thou Thyself calleth me a liar (takadhdhibunā) inasmuch as that divinity (ulūhiyya) which is known within thyself [the liar] is an inappropriate description of Thy Lord. [6] And if I should say, `Thou, verily, art a Lord,' mine own self would call me a liar inasmuch as that Lordship (rubūbiyya ) which is of thy Lord (rabb) is incapable of being truly known by anyone other than He [the Lord God].

[III]

[1] So praised be unto Thee, praised be unto Thee, the Divine Essential Reality (al-dhātiyyat) which is Camphoric (al-kafāriyyat),  Pre-Eternal (al-qadāmiyyat), Scintillant (al-mutasha``shat), Glimmering (al-mutalā'lā'at), Lustrous (al-mutalāmi`at), Sanctified (mutaqaddisat), and  Glorious (mutajalliyyat) is the One Who is detached from Thine Own Logos-Self (nafs).  [2] And if thou should  direct thy gaze towards the letters of this Sūrah [ Surat al-Qadr] relative to that [elevated] station (maqām) thou wouldst see that the [letter] "H" (hā' =  ﻫ ) which is the Spirit of the Sūrah, its very basis (aliha), XX check hereXX  `Alā (`alāhā) would circle the Spirit of the Manifestations and the Names... 

 

[X]