A Ramadan Treasure – The Night of Decree
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Sarmad Naveed, Illinois, USA
As the month of Ramadan winds down into the last ten days, it marks perhaps the most anticipated time of the holy month, because it is said there is a coveted treasure hidden in these last ten days that Muslims eagerly search for. It’s a night for contentment, fulfilment, peace, security, joy and ultimate bliss. It’s a night described by God Almighty when He says:
‘Surely, We sent it down on the Night of Decree. And what should make thee know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. Therein descend angels and the Spirit by the command of their Lord – with every matter. It is all peace till the rising of the dawn.’[1]
When Is the Night of Decree?
Certainly, everyone would covet a night ‘wherein descend angels and the Spirit.’
So when exactly is this night?
The truth is, there’s no telling exactly when the Night of Decree (Lailat al-Qadr) manifests. The only person to have ever known the exact time of the Night of Decree was the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (sa). He narrowed the search for the Night of Decree to the last ten days of Ramadan.[2] In fact, one day, when he had been informed of the exact night, he came out to tell his companions of the great news, but as Hazrat ‘Ubadah bin al-Samit (ra) narrates:
‘The Prophet (sa) came out to inform us about the Night of Decree, but two Muslims were quarrelling with each other. So, the Prophet (sa) said, “I came out to inform you about the Night of Decree, but such-and-such persons were quarrelling, so the news about it had been taken away; yet that might be for your own good, so search for it on the 29th, 27th and 25th (of Ramadan).’[3]
And so, on the odd nights of Ramadan, Muslims supplicate, seeking to find that which is better than a thousand months. But what makes this so special? No doubt, the blessings and bounties of God Almighty descend on a daily basis, especially in the month of Ramadan. So what is it about this night, the Night of Decree, that makes it unique?
The Night of Decree Has Changed the World
It’s important to understand that the Night of Decree transcends merely the last ten days of Ramadan. The Night of Decree is a concept which has manifested itself time and again, entirely changing the landscape of the world. In fact, Lailat al-Qadr or the Night of Decree is synonymous with divine revelation.
This is gleaned from the very words Lailat al-Qadr. The word Lailah has appeared a total of eight times in the Holy Qur’an. Almost every time, it is in connection with the revelation of God’s word.
For example, the retreat of Moses (as) to Mount Sinai where divine communion would take place and he received divinely revealed commandments, is mentioned in the following words:
‘And We made Moses a promise of thirty nights and supplemented them with ten. Thus the period appointed by his Lord was completed – forty nights.’[4]
It was on the occasion outlined in this verse that God sent down divine commandments with ‘angels and the Spirit by His command’ and the darkness which had spread over the world was lifted. Thus, the manifestation of Moses (as) and the teachings given to him was a form of the manifestation of Lailat al-Qadr.
Similarly, the word Lailah has been used with reference to the revelation of the Holy Qur’an.
The state of Arabia before the advent of Islam has been well documented. It was known as the ‘Time of Ignorance’ – a dark peril wherein the age along with the people therein were wandering aimlessly surrounded by the darkness of Godlessness, resulting in every vice and evil imaginable. It was when this darkness had reached its pinnacle that God Almighty manifested His divine decree and sent down His word.
Regarding that momentous night when the first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (sa) took place, God Almighty says:
‘Truly, We revealed it in a blessed Night. Truly, We have ever been warning against evil.’[5]
The revelation of the Qur’an and the manifestation of Muhmmad (sa) as God’s greatest messenger, along with his subsequent dispensation, was yet another manifestation of Lailat al-Qadr. And so, these were no ordinary nights, but were nights for the manifestation of the magnanimous magnificence and majesty of the Omnipotent God. Thus, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) states:
‘Some of the verses of the Holy Qur’an indicate that the condition of the darkness of the world is also a Night of Decree on account of its hidden qualities. In that condition of darkness, sincerity and steadfastness, and piety and worship, have great value in the estimation of God. It was because of that condition of darkness, which at the time of the advent of the Holy Prophet (sa) had arrived at its climax and demanded the descent of a Grand Light, that observing this dark condition and having mercy on the creatures afflicted with darkness, there was an up-surge in the attribute of Rahmaniyyah [Graciousness] and heavenly blessings addressed themselves to the earth. That dark condition became blessed for the world, and the world thereby received a grand mercy so that the Perfect Man and the Chief of the Prophets, like whom there had been no one, nor ever will be, came for the guidance of the world and brought that bright Book for the world whose match no eye has beheld. It was a great manifestation of spiritual perfection of God that, at a time of gloom and darkness, He sent down a Grand Light.’[6]
The Night of Decree signifies the enlightenment of the entire world in a time of grave darkness through the revelation of divine light.
The Inextricable Link Between the Night of Decree and Ramadan
Now remains the question: what is the connection between the Night of Decree and the month of Ramadan?
The words, ‘Surely, We sent it down’ refer to the words in the preceding chapter, the first words ever revealed to the Holy Prophet (sa), the first words revealed of the Holy Qur’an:
‘Convey thou in the name of thy Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Convey! And thy Lord is Most Generous, Who taught man by the pen, taught man what he knew not.’[7]
The greatest manifestation of the Night of Decree was the revelation of the Holy Qur’an. As for when the Holy Qur’an was revealed:
‘The month of Ramadan is that in which the Qur’an was sent down as a guidance for mankind.’[8]
And so, as taught by the Holy Prophet (sa), Muslims search for the Night of Decree in the last ten days of the month in which it manifested itself in the highest form – Ramadan.
Muslims seek the Night of Decree so that it may have the same impact upon their individual beings, as it did on the entire world: to enlighten their souls, imbibing within them the divine spirit by way of God’s grace and mercy. Just as the world was enlightened, so too do seekers of the Night of Decree endeavour to be enlightened by the light of God.
How to Find the Night of Decree
Now comes the matter of actually searching for this night in the last ten days of Ramadan; how is it to be done?
The first step to realising the Night of Decree begins well before the last ten days of Ramadan. It is narrated that the first ten days of Ramadan are of God’s mercy, the second ten days are of His forgiveness, and the last ten days signify salvation from the fire.[9] According to another narration, the Holy Prophet (sa) remarked that in the month of Ramadan, the gates of heaven are flung open and the gates to Hell are chained shut.[10] Though the gates of hell may be chained shut, one can only attain true salvation from it when he makes the appropriate efforts during the ten days of mercy, and the ten days of forgiveness, as explained by the Fifth Caliph and Worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba):
‘It cannot be that for the duration of Ramadan, one pays no attention to fasting, reciting the Qur’an nor establishing prayer, but then suddenly begins paying attention to these forms of worship in the last ten days; no, rather it is necessary to pay due attention to these forms of worship from the outset of Ramadan…When due attention is paid to fulfilling the rights of God and the rights of humanity from the outset of Ramadan, and these righteous deeds are done, then will the doors to hell be shut and the doors to heaven opened.’[11]
Once the first step has been taken care of, and one has spent the first twenty days of Ramadan fulfilling these obligations to the best of their abilities, then they can begin the search for the Night of Decree, especially on the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan.[12] In fact, the Holy Prophet (sa) outlined even further as to how one can attain the blessings of the Night of Decree. He said:
‘Whoever establishes the prayers on the Night of Decree out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.’[13]
In this narration, the Holy Prophet (sa) has effectively answered two pertinent questions: the how, and the why?
How can one attain the Night of Decree? By immersing oneself in prayer, with true sincerity, in ardent hope for His blessings.
Why should one search for this Night of Decree? Because just as it previously brought the world out from the depths of darkness, it can bring an individual out from the darkness of sin. His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masoor Ahmad (aba) explains:
‘True faith is when one believes in all attributes of Allah Almighty with complete conviction. For example, if one is convinced that of all those who show mercy, He is the most Merciful, He is the Forgiver; He can forgive all faults, and He does. At the same time, He also has the right to punish, and with this thought, and in His fear, the hearts melt; and while keeping this in mind, one analyses themselves and seeks forgiveness, then does He forgive all his past sins.’[14]
How to Know You’ve Actually Found It
Then, when all these things are in place, how can one know that they have successfully found and attained the Night of Decree? The Second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) explains:
‘Is there any sign by which it can be known as to which night in Ramadan was the Night of Decree? The answer to this question is that it is narrated in some traditions that there are some flashes of light, the wind blows, and there is a slight drizzle; a light can be seen either going to or coming from the heavens. However, at the outset, a sign is not necessary. Though it has been experienced that it often does occur in this way, and the last sign, of seeing light, has been experienced by the righteous. However, this is a vision, not a physical sign that can be seen by everyone. I have also had experiences, however what I have seen has not been seen by others. The right way is that a believer prays to God throughout Ramadan and fasts with sincerity. Then, Allah Almighty manifests the Night of Decree upon him in one way or another.’ [15]
What’s in it for You?
What exactly does this manifestation yield? Ultimately, what is a seeker of the Night of Decree truly seeking?
Just like it did for the world through divine revelation, the Night of Decree manifests for an individual a brilliant personal revolution. Describing the power of the Night of Decree, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah and Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community explains:
‘Since Lailat al-Qadr, in its inner reality, is the time of extreme misguidance in which divine grace attends to the reformation of the world, God – in order to establish that mutual connection – appointed a physical night to externally represent the last part of the age of misguidance in which [spiritual] darkness reached its ultimate point. This was the night in which God Almighty, finding the world steeped in extreme misguidance, decreed to reveal His holy word to His prophet. So, as a result, this night became one of immense blessings, or in other words, these blessings were present within it since eternity in accordance with eternal divine will, and then, divine acceptance and blessings were preserved in that particular night for all times to come.’[16]
In one way or another, everyone goes through some form of difficulty or ‘darkness’. What the Night of Decree offers is a light in the darkness; just as the entire world which stood lifeless was revived through spiritual light on the Night of Decree, the same illumination can take place at an individual level.
This night signifies intense and immense communion with God; the same God Who is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, the Lord of All the Worlds. He, through His infinitely limitless power, can heal sorrows, remove worries, and actualise endeavours of all sorts, both spiritual and physical. The Night of Decree presents an opportunity to establish one of the highest forms of communion with that same God, a relationship that yields unimaginable benefits, all while fulfilling the core purpose of life in establishing a living connection with God.
To achieve this, one must embark upon a journey that transcends the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan, that in fact transcends the month of Ramadan itself, as it requires a level of preparation which entails striving on a daily basis. Its manifestation can vary from person to person, yet one thing remains certain – it is a night which, if achieved, can be the source of attaining an infinite amount of blessings, bounties, rewards, favours, and enlightenment. Such that when one comes across it, they will be sure that they have indeed found the Night of Decree.
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About the Author: Sarmad Naveed is a missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who graduated from the Ahmadiyya Institute for Languages and Theology in Canada. He serves as Online Editor and is on the Editorial Board for The Review of Religions, and also coordinates the Facts from Fiction section. He has also appeared as a panellist and host of programmes on Muslim Television Ahmadiyya (MTA) International, such as ‘Ahmadiyyat: Roots to Branches.’
ENDNOTES
1. The Holy Qur’an, 97:2-6.
2. Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-I‘tikaf.
3. Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fadl Lailat al-Qadr.
4. The Holy Qur’an, 7:143.
5. The Holy Qur’an, 44:4.
6. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 1, pp. 414-435 footnote 11.
7. The Holy Qur’an, 96:2-6.
8. The Holy Qur’an, 2:186.
9. Sahih ibn Khuzaimah, Kitab al-Siyam.
10. Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 2, p. 445.
11. Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), November 14, 2003.
12. Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab Fadl Lailat al-Qadr.
13. Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Saum.
14. Friday Sermon delivered by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba), November 14, 2003.
15. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra), Tafsir-e-Kabir, Vol 9, p. 399.
