سورة القدر

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I said: "May I be your ransom! Is the Ruh not Jibra'il himself?" In reply he said: "The Ruh is greater than Jibra'il. Indeed Jibra'il is one of the angels, and the Ruh is a creation greater than the angels. Does not Allah, Blessed and Exalted, say: تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ [The angels and the Ruh descend]?"

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): A man came to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and asked about the Ruh, saying that it is Jibra'il himself. Ali (peace be upon him) said: "Jibra'il is one of the angels, and the Ruh is other than Jibra'il." He repeated this statement to him several times. The man said: "You have claimed a great thing; no one says that the Ruh is other than Jibra'il." Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said to him: "You are astray, and you narrate from those who are astray. Allah says in the Qur'an to His Prophet: the Ruh is other than the angels. Allah says: لَیْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَیْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ* تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ فِیها بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ [The Night of Qadr is better than a thousand months; in it the angels and the Ruh descend by the permission of their Lord]. Also the statement of Allah that on the Day when the Ruh and the angels stand in one row, and none of them speaks except by the permission of the Most Merciful, and (when they speak) they speak the truth. (Naba'/38)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Humran said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this verse: تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ فِیها [The angels and the Ruh descend in it]. He said: "The angels here are the believers who possess the knowledge of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon them). The Ruh is Ruh al-Qudus, and he is with Fatima (peace be upon her). مِنْ کُلِّ أَمْرٍ* سَلامٌ [For every affair; peace] — He says: they are in safety from every affair."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): When Laylat al-Qadr arrives, the angels who dwell in Sidrat al-Muntaha descend, and Jibra'il is among them, and they carry banners with them. They plant one of those banners on my grave, one in al-Masjid al-Haram, one on Bayt al-Maqdis, and one on Tur Sinai, and they do not let any believing man or woman pass without sending greetings upon him, except one who is addicted to wine and one who eats the flesh of pig cooked with saffron. It has been mentioned that this night is the very blessed night in which every firm affair is distinguished.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): When Laylat al-Qadr comes, Allah the Mighty and Majestic commands Jibra'il to descend to the earth amid a company of angels, and with him is a green banner. He then plants that banner on the back of the Ka'bah. Jibra'il has six hundred wings, two of which he does not unfold except on Laylat al-Qadr, and on that night he unfolds those two wings, and those two wings extend beyond the east and the west. Jibra'il on such a night dispatches the angels to the corners of the world, and they greet every standing and sitting person, and every one praying and remembering Allah, and they shake hands with them and say amin to their supplications until the break of dawn. Then when dawn breaks, Jibra'il calls out: "O company of angels, depart, depart." They say: "O Jibra'il, what has Allah done regarding the needs of the believers from the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)?" He says: "Allah the Exalted has looked upon them tonight with mercy, has pardoned them and forgiven their sins, except four persons." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "And these four are: the wine-drinker, the one disobedient to his parents, the one who has cut ties of kinship, and the mushahin (spiteful one)." It was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who is the shahin?" He said: "The spiteful one."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: When Laylat al-Qadr arrives, the angels who are the dwellers of Sidrat al-Muntaha [a leafy, shady tree at the utmost heights of the heavens beyond which the angels, even Jibra'il (peace be upon him), cannot pass] descend, and Jibra'il (peace be upon him) is one of them, and there are banners in the hand of Jibra'il (peace be upon him); he plants one of those banners on my grave, one on Bayt al-Maqdis, one in al-Masjid al-Haram and one on Tur Sinai (the name of a mountain where revelation was sent down upon Musa (peace be upon him)), and on that night he sends salutations and greetings upon every believing man and woman, except the wine-drinker and the eater of pig-flesh smeared with saffron.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The angels here are the believers who possess the knowledge of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). The Ruh is Ruh al-Qudus, and it is in Fatimah (peace be upon her).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that concerning the verse تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ فِیها بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ [The angels and the Ruh descend in it by the permission of their Lord] he said: "That is, from the presence of the Lord upon Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the family of Muhammad (peace be upon them) concerning every affair, [there is] peace."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): ... The angels [on the Night of Qadr], from the setting of the sun until its rising, bring the affairs pertaining to one year to the presence of the infallible Imam (peace be upon him).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It was said to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): "Do you know the Night of Qadr?" He said: "How could I not know, when the angels circle around us?"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: ... And when the Imam falls from his mother's womb, he comes down onto the ground with both hands and raises his head to the sky. The secret of his placing both hands on the ground is that he grasps every knowledge which Allah has sent down from the sky to the earth; and the secret of his raising his head to the sky is that a caller from within the Throne, from the side of the Lord of Might, from the highest horizon, calls out his name and his father's name, saying: "O so-and-so son of so-and-so, be firm, so that you may remain in place for the greatness of the creation I have made of you. You are the chosen one of My creation, and the keeper of My secret and the treasury of My knowledge; you are the trustee over My revelation and My successor on My earth. For you and for those who hold the bond of your wilayah I have made My mercy incumbent, and I have granted My paradise, and I have accepted all into My nearness. And after that, by My might and My majesty, I swear that upon whoever bears enmity toward you I shall kindle the severest of My punishments, even if in the world I expand for him in the abundance of provision." And when the voice of the caller of truth ends, that newborn Imam, while his two hands are placed on the ground and his head is raised to the sky, says: شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ أُولُوا الْعِلْمِ قائِماً بِالْقِسْطِ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَکِیمُ [Allah, (by establishing the single order of the world of existence,) bears witness that there is no god but Him, and the angels and the possessors of knowledge [each in their own way] bear witness to this, while [Allah in the entire universe] stands with justice; there is no god but Him, the Mighty, the Wise.] (Al Imran/18). He said: When he says this, Allah gives him the first knowledge and the last knowledge, and he becomes deserving that the Spirit should visit him on the Night of Qadr. I said: "May I be your ransom! Is the Spirit not the same as Jibreel?" In reply he said: "The Spirit is greater than Jibreel. Indeed Jibreel is one of the angels, and the Spirit is a creation nobler than the angels. Does not Allah, Blessed and Exalted, say: تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ [The angels and the Spirit descend]; all the angels descend and the Spirit also descends."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Daylami has narrated from his father from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "The seed of the Imam is from Paradise. When he is born from his mother onto the earth, he places his hand on the ground and raises his head towards the sky." I said: "May I be your ransom! Why does he do this?" He said: "Because a caller from the sky, from the Throne and the highest horizon, cries out: 'O so-and-so son of so-and-so, stand firm! You are My chosen one from among My creation and the treasury of My knowledge. I have made My mercy obligatory for you and for whoever loves you, I have granted Paradise, and I make the houri lawful for you. By My might and majesty, whoever bears enmity toward you, I shall afflict with the worst of My punishment, even if I expand upon them in this world in provision and sustenance.'" He said: "When the voice of the caller ends, the Imam answers him thus: شَهِدَ اللهُ أَنَّهُ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ أُولُوا الْعِلْمِ قائِماً بِالْقِسْطِ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِیزُ الْحَکِیمُ [Allah bears witness — through His establishing the unified order of the world of existence — that there is no deity except Him, and the angels and those possessed of knowledge, each in their own way, bear witness to this matter, while Allah stands with justice throughout the entire universe; there is no deity except Him, the Mighty, the Wise] (Aal Imran/18). When he says these words, Allah grants him the first knowledge and the last knowledge, and he becomes deserving of the increase of the Spirit on the Night of Qadr."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Ajlan Sakuni said: I heard Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) say: The house of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) is part of the chamber of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and the ceiling of their house is the Throne of the Lord of the Worlds, and in the floor of their house there is an opening which, all the way up to the Throne, is the ascent (mi'raj) of revelation, and the angels have their path through it. The angels descend upon them with revelation morning and evening, at every hour and every blink of an eye, and the troops of angels do not cease — one group descends and another group ascends. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, drew back the veil of the heavens for Ibrahim (peace be upon him) until he saw the Throne, and Allah increased the strength of his sight. And Allah increased the strength of the sight of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) and Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), and they used to see the Throne and found no ceiling for their houses other than the Throne. Their houses are roofed by the Throne of the All-Merciful, and the ascents (mi'rajs) of the angels and the Spirit are in their houses, group after group without interruption. And there is no house among the houses of the Imams (peace be upon them) except that the ascent of the angels is in it, for Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: "تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِکَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِیهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن کُلِّ أَمْرٍ* سَلَامٌ [The angels and the Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair* Peace]". Ibn Ajlan said: I asked: "مِّن کُلِّ أَمْرٍ [for every affair]?" He said: "[That is,] with every affair." I said: "Was it revealed like this?" He said: "Yes."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): A man said to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): "O son of the Messenger of Allah! Do not be angry with me." He said: "About what?" He said: "About what I wish to ask you." He said: "Speak." He said: "You will not be angry?" He said: "I will not be angry." He said: "Tell me — regarding what you hold about Laylat al-Qadr, that the angels and Jibreel descend to the awsiya (successors) (peace be upon them): do they bring them a matter which the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did not know, or do they bring them a matter which the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did know? For you know that when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) passed away, Ali (peace be upon him) had grasped all his knowledge." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "O man! What have I to do with you? Who brought you to me?" He said: "Destiny brought me to you in search of religion." He said: "Then understand well what I say to you. Indeed, when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was taken on the Mi'raj, he did not descend until Allah taught him the knowledge of what had been and what shall be, and a great part of that knowledge was in summary form, sealed up, whose tafsir (explanation) and clarification would come on Laylat al-Qadr. Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) was likewise: he knew the knowledge in summary, and its tafsir would come to him on the Nights of Qadr, just as it did for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)." The questioner said: "Was there no tafsir within that summary, sealed-up knowledge?" He said: "Yes, but on the Nights of Qadr the command comes from Allah the Exalted to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and to the awsiya concerning what they know: 'Do such and such,' and on that night they are ordered how to act concerning what they know." The questioner says: I said: "Explain this matter to me." He said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did not pass away except having grasped the summary knowledge and its tafsir." I said: "Then what knowledge was it that came to him on the Nights of Qadr?" He said: "It was the command and facilitation concerning what he already knew [the particulars and instances would be matched to the generalities, and the order for their execution would come, and this itself was a facilitation for the Prophet and the Imam (peace be upon him and his family)]." The questioner said: "Then what knowledge came to them on the Nights of Qadr beyond what they already knew?" He said: "This is among the matters they have been commanded to keep hidden, and none knows the tafsir of what you have asked about except Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." The questioner said: "Do the awsiya then know what the prophets do not know?" He said: "No! How can a wasi know knowledge other than what has been bequeathed to him?" The questioner said: "Is it permissible for us to say that one of the awsiya knows something that another wasi does not know?" He said: "No. No prophet dies except that his knowledge is in the heart of his wasi, and the angels and Jibreel on Laylat al-Qadr only bring down that by which the wasi is to judge among the servants." The questioner said: "Do they not know that judgement?" He said: "Yes, they know it, but they cannot carry any of it out until on the Nights of Qadr they are ordered how to act until the coming year." The questioner said: "I cannot deny this matter." The Imam said: "Whoever denies it is not of us." The questioner said: "O Aba Ja'far! Tell me: did anything come to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) on the Nights of Qadr which he did not know?" He said: "It is not permitted for you to ask about this. As for the knowledge of what has been and what shall be — no prophet or wasi dies except that the wasi after him knows it. But as for this knowledge you ask about, Allah the Mighty and Majestic has refused that any but the awsiya themselves be informed of it."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ فِیها [In that night] the angels and Ruh al-Qudus (the Holy Spirit) descend upon the Imam of the Age (peace be upon him), and they hand over to the Imam (peace be upon him) whatever they have written of these affairs [that are decreed on the Night of Qadr, that is, deaths, births, provisions, and every good and evil that is to occur during the year]... کُلِّ أَمْرٍ سَلامٌ [Every affair — peace] — this salam is a greeting with which the Imam (peace be upon him) is saluted until the break of dawn.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Dawud ibn Farqad said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the Night of Qadr, in which the angels continually descend. He said: تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ فِیهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن کُلِّ أَمْرٍ سَلَامٌ هِیَ حَتَّی مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ [The angels and the Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair; peace it is until the break of dawn]; then Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to me: what is it that descends, from whom, and to whom.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): [On that night] the angels and Ruh al-Qudus (the Holy Spirit) descend upon the Imam of the Age (peace be upon him) — تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ وَ الرُّوحُ فِیها بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ [The angels and the Spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord] — and they hand over to the Imam (peace be upon him) whatever they have written [of the year's decrees]; and Allah hands over these affairs [first] to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), then to the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), and then in order to each of the Imams (peace be upon them) until finally they hand them over to the Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his noble relief)... مِنْ کُلِّ أَمْرٍ سَلامٌ [For every affair — peace] this salam is a greeting with which the Imam (peace be upon him) is saluted until the break of dawn.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) fasted seven Ramadans, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) fasted (also) with him, and on every Night of Qadr Jibreel (peace be upon him) descended upon Ali (peace be upon him) and conveyed to him the salam from his Lord.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): There is no angel whom Allah sends down to the earth for some affair except that he first comes to the Imam and presents that affair to him. And the coming and going of the angels is from the presence of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, to the Master of this Affair (Sahib al-Amr).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) passed away, Jibril (peace be upon him) came down together with the angels and the Spirit who used to descend on the Night of Qadr. At that moment the veil was lifted from Ali's (peace be upon him) eyes and he saw them at the far end of the way between the heavens and the earth, washing the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) along with him, praying over the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and digging the grave for him. By Allah, none but they dug the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) grave. When the body of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was placed in the grave, they came down to the earth and laid him in the grave. At that moment the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) began to speak, and the veil was lifted from Ali's (peace be upon him) ears and he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) commending him to the angels. Ali (peace be upon him) began to weep, and he heard the angels saying: "We will spare no effort [in helping] Ali (peace be upon him), for after you he is our master; the difference between him and you is that after this occasion he will no longer see us with his own eyes." When the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) passed away, Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them) beheld the very same scenes that Ali (peace be upon him) had beheld, and they saw that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) too was assisting the angels (in washing and burying Ali (peace be upon him)), and they did for Ali (peace be upon him) the same as what they had done for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). When Hasan (peace be upon him) passed away, Husayn (peace be upon him) beheld the same scenes regarding him, and saw the Prophet and Ali (peace be upon them) assisting the angels. When Husayn (peace be upon him) passed away, Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them) beheld the same scenes regarding him, and saw the Prophet, Ali and Hasan (peace be upon them) assisting the angels. When Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them) passed away, Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon them) beheld the same scenes and saw the Prophet, Ali, Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them) assisting the angels. When Muhammad ibn Ali (peace be upon them) passed away, Jafar (peace be upon him) beheld the same scenes and saw the Prophet, Ali, Hasan, Husayn and Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon them) assisting the angels. And when Jafar (peace be upon him) passes away, Musa (peace be upon him) will behold the same scenes, and this will continue down to the last of us.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: What you see of the armies and consorts [and spirits] of the satans, whom Allah the Mighty and Majestic has appointed for wretchedness upon the misguided, are more than the angels who are Allah's vicegerents and whom He has sent for justice and rightness. It was said: "O Aba Ja'far! How can anything be more than the angels?" He said: "As Allah the Mighty and Majestic has willed." It was said again: "O Aba Ja'far! How can anything be more than the angels?" He said: "As Allah the Mighty and Majestic has willed." The questioner said: "O Aba Ja'far! If I were to relate this hadith to some of the Shia, they would deny it." He said: "How would they deny it?" He said, they say: "The angels are more than the satans." He said: "You have spoken truly, but understand well what I say. There is not a day or a night in which all the jinn and the satans do not visit the leaders of misguidance, and angels equal to their number visit the Imam of guidance, until the Night of Qadr arrives and the angels descend on that night to the Wali of the Affair (the Imam of the Time). Allah the Mighty and Majestic creates — or he said: prepares — from among the satans a number equal to them, then they visit the chief of misguidance and fabricate lies for him, so that when morning comes, he says: I saw such-and-such. If he were to ask the Master of the Affair about that, he would say to him: You saw a satan who informed you of such-and-such, and he would explain the matter to him thoroughly and inform him of the misguidance he is upon. By Allah! Whoever believes in the Night of Qadr knows that this night is exclusive to us, for when the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) death approached, he said concerning Ali (peace be upon him) [to his ummah]: 'Your guardian and master after me is this Ali (peace be upon him); if you obey him, you will be guided.' But whoever does not believe in the Night of Qadr is a denier [of our Imamate and of the Night of Qadr being exclusive to us], and whoever believes in the Night of Qadr but does not share our view [and does not consider it exclusive to us] has no way in truthfulness except to say: that night is exclusive to us; and whoever does not say so is a liar. For Allah is far greater than to send down that great Affair through Jibreel and the angels to a disbelieving transgressor; and if he says: it is sent down to the caliph of misguidance [to the caliph who is their leader], their speech is nonsense and worthless; and if he says: it is sent down to no one, it is impossible that something be sent down to nothing; and if they say — and they will say — the Night of Qadr has no reality, they have fallen into far misguidance.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Amr ibn Yazid said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): What is your opinion about someone who neither affirms that the decrees of the year are brought to your presence on the Night of Qadr, nor denies such a thing? The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "If a firm proof concerning our knowledge [of the decrees on the Night of Qadr] is brought to him from someone he trusts, and yet he does not rely on that firm proof, he is counted as a disbeliever. But someone whose ears have not received such a proof is excused so long as he has not heard it." Then the Imam recited this verse: He believes in Allah and trusts [only] the believers (Tawbah/61).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Imam Ali (peace be upon him), on the morning of the first Night of Qadr after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), said: "[Ask me whatever you wish], for by Allah I will inform you of every event that occurs in the three hundred and sixty days of the year, down to a single particle [as small as an ant or the tiniest of parts, or smaller, or greater than that]; and in what I tell you I will not toil, nor will I speak my personal opinion, nor do I claim knowledge [that I myself have acquired] — rather, whatever I say is from [the treasury of] the knowledge of Allah the Blessed and Exalted and from His teaching. By Allah, the people of the Tawrah, the people of the Injil, the people of the Zabur, and the people of the Quran will not ask me anything without my judging between each of them according to the ruling of their own book."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hasan ibn Abbas ibn Harish narrated: ... I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Is it possible that the year after the Night of Qadr, in which you Ahl al-Bayt come to know the events and decrees of that year, passes by while some of the events of that year remain and you Ahl al-Bayt [for example, though it was your duty to say something about it] have not spoken about it?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "No; by the One in whose hand is my soul! If [even] in what we come to know on that night it were included that you should remain silent before your enemies, we would certainly remain silent — and our silence would be sharper than speech."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Indeed Allah the Mighty and Majestic supported us with a spirit from Him — sanctified and pure, which is not an angel. It was not with any of the past [prophets] except with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and it is with the Imams from among us, granting them soundness and success. It is a pillar of light between us and Allah the Mighty and Majestic.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Indeed, if our Shia say to those who oppose us that Allah the Mighty and Majestic said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ فِی لَیْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ [Indeed, We sent it down in the Night of Decree]... — did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) on this night receive any new knowledge that he did not know on other nights, or did Jibreel bring him anything on other nights? In answer to this question the opponents will say: No. Say to them: Was there any escape from the knowledge that the Prophet had being made known and shown? They will say: No. Say to them: One who claims to rule by the ruling of Allah while there is contradiction and disagreement in his rulings — is he opposing the Messenger of Allah? They will have no choice but to say: Yes; and if they say No, they have contradicted their own first statement. Say to them: ما یَعْلَمُ تَأْوِیلَهُ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِی الْعِلْمِ [None knows its interpretation (i.e. of the Quran and Allah's knowledge) except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge] (Aal Imran/7). If they ask: Who are those firmly rooted in knowledge? Say: The one in whose knowledge there is no disagreement. If they say: Who is he? Say: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was the possessor of this knowledge; did he convey it and deliver it to the people, or not? If they say: He did convey and deliver it, say: When he passed away, was there a successor in his place who possessed knowledge free of disagreement? If they say: No, say: The successor of the Messenger of Allah must be one supported by Allah, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would not appoint as his successor anyone except one who rules by his ruling and is like himself, except in prophethood. And if the Messenger of Allah had not appointed a successor to hold his knowledge, he would have wasted all the people who were still in the loins of men and the generations yet to come. If they say to you: The knowledge of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was only from the Quran [which exists among the ummah and to which they can cling], answer them: حم. وَ الْکِتابِ الْمُبِینِ. إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ فِی لَیْلَةٍ مُبارَکَةٍ إِنَّا کُنَّا مُنْذِرِینَ [Ha Mim. By the clear Book. Indeed, We sent it down in a blessed night; indeed, We are ever warning] (Dukhan 3–1). If they say: Allah sends command only to the Prophet, say in reply: This wise affair which is distinguished and conveyed by the angels and the Spirit — do they descend from one heaven to another, or from the heaven to the earth? If they say: From one heaven to another — this is not correct, because in the heavens there is no one who sins or transgresses so as to need any ruling to be conveyed. And if they say: From the heaven to the earth, and the people of the earth are greatly in need of such a ruling — say: Do the people of the earth have any option but to have a chief and master to whom they may bring their disputes for judgement? If they say: The caliph of the time is their judge, say in reply: اللهُ وَلِیُّ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا یُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُماتِ إِلَی النُّورِ [Allah is the Guardian of those who believe; He brings them out of darkness into light] — (but) those who disbelieved, their guardians are the tyrants, who bring them out of light into darkness; they are the people of the Fire, and they will remain in it forever (Baqarah/257). By my life, there is no friend of Allah, the Mighty in remembrance, on the earth or in the heavens who is not divinely supported, and whoever is supported does not err; and there is none on the earth who is an enemy of Allah, the Mighty in remembrance, but that he is forsaken, and whoever is forsaken and left to himself does not go straight. Just as every affair must inevitably descend from the heaven for the people of the earth to rule by it, likewise there must be a ruler and guardian. If they say: We do not know this one, say to them: Say whatever you wish — Allah the Mighty and Majestic has refused, after Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), to leave His servants without a proof and an Imam over them.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: My father (peace be upon him) was sitting and some people were with him. Suddenly he laughed so much that his eyes filled with tears, and he said: "Do you know what made me laugh?" They said: "No." He said: "Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) imagined that he was among those who said: those who said, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then remained steadfast (al-Ahqaf/13). I said to him: 'O Ibn Abbas! Have you seen the angels informing you of their friendship with you in this world and the hereafter, and of your safety from fear and grief?' He said: 'Allah the Blessed and Exalted says: Indeed, the believers are brothers (al-Hujurat/10), and this ruling includes the whole community.' So I laughed and said to him: 'You have spoken truly, O Ibn Abbas! I put you under oath by Allah — is there any disagreement in the ruling of Allah the Blessed and Exalted?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'What do you say about a man who cuts off the fingers of another man with a single sword blow and leaves, and then another man comes and cuts off the palm of his hand; if you were the judge and this second man were brought before you, what would you do?' He said: 'To the one who cut off the palm I would say: give him the blood-money of his palm; and to the one whose hand was cut off I would say: settle with him for whatever you wish; and I would send him to just people.' I said: 'Disagreement has appeared in the ruling of Allah the Blessed and Exalted, and you have contradicted your first statement. Allah the Mighty in remembrance has not permitted anything of the hudud to occur among His creation without its interpretation being on the earth. Cut off the hand of the one who cut off another's hand entirely, and then give him the blood-money of the fingers. This is the ruling of Allah, on a night in which He sends down His command. If you deny it after having heard it from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Allah will send you to the Fire, just as He blinded your eyes on the day you denied it against Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).' Ibn Abbas said: 'My eyes were blinded for that very reason — how did you know this? By Allah, my eyes were blinded only from the strike of an angel's wing.' Then I laughed and left him that day because of the weakness of his intellect. Then I met him and said: 'O Ibn Abbas! You have never spoken a truth like the one you spoke yesterday. Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) said to you: indeed, the Night of Qadr occurs every year, and the command of that year is sent down on that night, and for that command there are guardians after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). You said: Who are they? He said: I and eleven from my loins, imams who are muhaddath (the angels speak to them, but do not appear to them). You said: In my view the affair of the Night of Qadr was only with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Then the angel who speaks with him appeared to you and said: You have lied, O servant of Allah! With my own eyes I have seen the angel of whom Ali (peace be upon him) told you, though he (peace be upon him) did not see him with his eye, but rather his heart perceived him and his voice settled in his ear. Then he struck you with his wing and thus you were blinded.' Ibn Abbas said: 'In whatever we disagree, the ruling belongs to Allah.' I said to him: 'Has Allah ever ruled in any of His rulings with two rulings?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'Here you have perished and caused others to perish.'"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the Night of Qadr arrives — that is, the night in which the affairs of the servants that serve their welfare are distributed and apportioned — a caller calls out from the direction of the Throne: Allah the Exalted forgives, on this night, the sins of whoever has gone to visit the grave of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him).

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِی لَیْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ [Indeed We sent it down in the Night of Qadr] — Allah the Mighty and Majestic spoke the truth; Allah sent the Quran down on the Night of Qadr. ... Then in another verse of the Quran He said: "And beware of a trial which will not strike only the wrongdoers among you [but will encompass everyone, since the others kept silent]" (Anfal/25), [meaning the wrongdoers in the matter]. And He said: إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِی لَیْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ [Indeed We sent it down in the Night of Qadr]. And in another verse He said: "Muhammad is only a Messenger; before him other messengers have passed away. If then he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels [and, abandoning Islam, return to the age of ignorance and disbelief]? And whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah in the least, and Allah will soon reward the thankful [and the steadfast]" (Al Imran/144). Allah in the first verse says: When Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) passes away, those who oppose the command of Allah the Mighty and Majestic say: The Night of Qadr also passed away with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). This was a trial that struck them alone, and by it they turned back to their predecessors; because if they had said the Night of Qadr has not passed away, then inevitably Allah the Mighty and Majestic must have some affair in it on that night, and if they had acknowledged the existence of that affair, they would inevitably have had to accept that for that affair there is a master.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The meaning of the Night of Qadr is that Allah on that night decrees the appointed terms and the sustenances, and whatever occurs during the year of death or life, drought or greenery and abundance, hardship or ease, good or evil.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): It is the beginning of the lunar year, and Ramadan is the month in which the decrees and matters are determined for that year — of good or evil, harm or benefit, profit or loss, life and death, and the share of each person's sustenance [on the Night of Qadr which falls in this month]. For this reason that night is called "Qadr".

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): He was asked about the Night of Qadr, and he (peace be upon him) said: On that night, the angels and the recording scribes descend to the lowest heaven, and they write down whatever is connected to the affairs of the coming year and the events that will befall the servants. This matter is suspended with Allah the Exalted and His will is in it: so He advances whatever of it He wills, and delays whatever of it He wills; He erases and He confirms, and with Him is Ummul Kitab.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Humran said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "When Laylat al-Qadr arrives, the angels, the Spirit, and the scribes descend to the lowest heaven and write down the destiny that Allah the Blessed and Exalted has appointed for the coming year. When Allah wills to bring something forward, or delay it, or reduce it, He commands that angel to erase what Allah wills and to establish firmly what He wills." I said: "Everything that is fixed [and decreed] with Allah is recorded in a writing?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Yes." I said: "What then remains after that?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Glory be to Allah! Then again, Allah the Blessed and Exalted brings into being whatever He wills."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah decrees in it (Laylat al-Qadr) the measures of that year, then He casts it down to the earth (to the infallible Imam).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Dawud ibn Farqad said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Whatever will occur of death or birth in the coming year is sent down on Laylat al-Qadr." I said to the Imam (peace be upon him): "Upon whom is it sent down?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Upon the one worthy of it. On that night, people are busy performing prayer, supplicating, and asking [from Allah], and the angels, from sunset until sunrise, bring the affairs of the year to the presence of the infallible Imam (peace be upon him), and that night, until the break of dawn, is for the infallible Imam (peace be upon him) a night full of peace [and mercy]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): ...And they [the Proofs of Allah upon the earth] are the possessors of authority (ulu al-amr) about whom Allah said: "O you who have believed! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you" [the successors of the Prophet] (al-Nisa/59)... The questioner asked: "What is meant by that affair?" Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: "It is that with which the angels descend on the night in which every wise affair is distinguished — comprising creation, provisions, appointed times of death, deeds, life and death, knowledge of the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and the miracles which are fitting for none but Allah, His chosen successors [on the earth], and the emissaries who are [the intermediaries] between Allah and His creation; and these successors and emissaries are the Face of Allah, of which He said: فَأَیْنَما تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللهِ [And wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah] (al-Baqarah/115). They are the Baqiyyatullah (Remnant of Allah), that is, al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble relief)... [And if this affair which descends on Laylat al-Qadr and which] I explained for you [were such that] Allah conveyed it only to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and it did not extend to others (his true successors), the wording of the verse would have had to indicate the past tense, not a verb indicating the continuity of this act into the future, and] Allah would have had to say: نَزَلَتِ الْمَلَائِکَةُ [the angels descended] and فُرِقَ کُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَکِیمٍ [every wise affair was distinguished], and would not have said: تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلائِکَةُ [the angels descend] and [would not have said]: یُفْرَقُ کُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَکِیمٍ [every wise affair is distinguished] (al-Dukhan/4)..."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Hasan ibn Abbas ibn Harish said: I presented it to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and he affirmed it, and said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "The heart that sees what is sent down on the Night of Qadr possesses a station and rank exceedingly great." I said: "O Aba Abdillah! How does that heart see?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah! The inside of that person is split open and they attend to his heart and write upon it with a pen of light, and what they write is the utmost of knowledge; then that heart becomes a written text for the eye, and the tongue becomes the expresser of [what] the ear [has heard]. When that person wishes [on the Night of Qadr] to gain awareness of something, he looks with his eye and his heart as though he is looking at a written text [invisible to others]." After these words I said to the Imam (peace be upon him): "How does that person gain awareness [of realities] on other than the Night of Qadr? Is his heart split open again or not?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "No! The heart is not split open, but Allah, by casting into the heart, inspires that person; in such a way that it appears to the ear that that person has spoken, from the divine knowledge, whatever Allah wills; the bounty of Allah is vast, and He is aware [of the worthiness of persons for offices]. (Baqarah/247)."

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): That night is the salaam and greeting of [the angels] [upon those who stand for prayer or are in ruku and sujud, or it is a night of safety and freedom from the harm of the satans], whose blessing and goodness lasts until the emergence of the light of dawn and is perpetual and everlasting.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) concerning the saying of Allah the Exalted, who said: Allah never delays the departure of a soul to the other world when the term of its living in this world has come to an end. Indeed, with Allah there are books in which, for each of the decrees, there is a time, and Allah advances some of those matters whose expediency requires it, and delays others; so when the Night of Qadr arrives, Allah sends down every thing that will occur during that year [until the next Night of Qadr], and this is the meaning of وَ لَنْ یُؤَخِّرَ اللهُ نَفْساً إِذا جاءَ أَجَلُها [And Allah will never delay a soul when its term has come] (Munafiqun/11), when it is sent down and the writers of the heavens write it, and this is that which Allah does not delay.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): In it, complete separation has fallen between truth and falsehood, as Allah Himself has said: [Fasting is during a few specified days of] the month of Ramadan — the month in which the Quran was sent down, as guidance for the people and clear signs of guidance and the criterion between truth and falsehood. (Baqarah/185).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Dawud ibn Farqad narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: "Whoever, on that night — that is, the night in which all the affairs of the creatures are decreed — has hajj not written for him, will not go to hajj in that year. Because on the aforementioned night the journey of all the pilgrims of that year is written, and likewise the sustenances and the lifespans and whatever of events and occurrences comes to pass in the year is decreed." I said in his blessed presence: "So one whose name is not written in the ranks of the pilgrims on the Night of Qadr does not have the capability of going to hajj?" His Eminence said: "No!" I said: "How is this so?" His Eminence said: "I do not dispute or debate with you; the reality of the matter is like this."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Allah the Mighty and Majestic said regarding the Night of Qadr: (Yes, the revelation of the Quran) was a command from Us; indeed We sent (Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family))! (ad-Dukhan/5). Allah says: On that night every firm affair is sent down, and the firm is not two things, but only one thing. So whoever judges by something in which there is no disagreement, his judgment is from the judgment of Allah the Mighty and Majestic; and whoever judges by a matter in which there is disagreement and supposes that he has judged correctly, he has judged by the judgment of taghut (false authority). Every year, on the Night of Qadr, the interpretation of the affairs which occur in that very year is sent down upon the wali al-amr (guardian of the affair), and on that night he is commanded regarding his own affair thus and thus, and regarding the affair of the people thus and thus. In addition to this, every day, from the knowledge of Allah — like the command which is sent down upon him on the Night of Qadr — special, hidden, wondrous and sealed matters come forth for him. "And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea were ink for it, and seven seas added to it, all of these would come to an end, but the words of Allah would not come to an end; indeed Allah is Mighty and Wise" (Luqman/27).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Humran that he asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: "Indeed We sent it down on a blessed night" (ad-Dukhan/3). He said: "Yes, it is the Night of Qadr, and this night is every year in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, and the Quran was sent down only on this night. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: 'On that night every affair is determined and distinguished on the basis of [divine] wisdom' (ad-Dukhan/4). On the Night of Qadr, whatever will occur in the following year until the like of this night is decreed — such as good and evil, obedience and disobedience, birth and death, or sustenance — is decreed. So whatever is decreed for that year and its decree is passed, it is definite, and the will of Allah the Mighty and Majestic is in it."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Humran said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about what is distinguished on the Night of Qadr: Is it that which Allah the Glorified and Exalted decrees on the Night of Qadr? He said: "The power of Allah the Exalted cannot be described, but He said: 'On that night every affair is determined and distinguished on the basis of [divine] wisdom' (ad-Dukhan/4). So how could anything be wise except that it be distinguished? And the power of Allah the Exalted cannot be described, for He brings about whatever He wills."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): O Abu Muhammad! The company of the pilgrims, and deaths, and calamities, and sustenance, and affairs like these until the coming year, are inscribed on the Night of Qadr.

Imam Ridha (peace be upon him): Sulayman said: "Will you not inform me about Surah إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ فِی لَیْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ [Indeed We sent it down on the Night of Qadr] — concerning what was it revealed?" Imam Ridha (peace be upon him) said: "Allah the Mighty and Majestic decrees on the Night of Qadr whatever occurs from the beginning of the year to the end of the year — of life or death or good or evil or sustenance. So whatever Allah has decreed on that night is among the definite matters which Allah has made firm and obligatory."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the month of Ramadan arrives, strive with your utmost effort [to perform the obligatory and recommended acts and to avoid the disliked and forbidden ones], for in that month provisions are apportioned and the terms of life are decreed. In this month, the names of the pilgrims of Hajj are written down.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ishaq ibn Ammar said: I heard that people asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Are provisions apportioned on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban?" He said: "By Allah, no! This matter takes place only on the nineteenth night of the month of Ramadan, the twenty-first night, and the twenty-third night."