Nights of Decree Vitalize Our Souls

We are now in the holy month of Ramadan, and the outbreak of Coronavirus has deprived us, Muslims, of religious gatherings till the layali al-Qadr (Nights of Decree). The Coronavirus Fight National Headquarters, upon the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s recommendation, released restrictions for gatherings in mosques,provided that all sanitary protocols are observed, for marking layali al-Qadr to pray God and to seek help from Imam Mahdi (AS) for the better in the year ahead.

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Essentially in the holy month of Ramadan and according to what has been cited in the Holy Quran, there is a night which is called “Qadr” and according to the Holy Quran, it is of the best nights of the year. According to reliable quotations from the grandees and scholars of the religion, five nights of Ramadan  Ramadan could be nights of decree which are 17^th, 19^th, 21^st, 23^rd, and 27^th of the month.

But they have put emphasis more on nights of 19, 21 and 23 of the month and there are some quotations from the sixth Imam of Shiites, Imam Jaafar Sadq (AS), who has paid more emphasis on 23^rd of Ramadan as the Night of Decree. There are some narratives from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) where he has said the Night of Decree will remain with ummah till the Resurrection. The meaning of those narratives is that the Night of Decree is something more than sending down of the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran has been sent down on the Night of Decree but there is something else lying in this night. What is it? Those, who marking this night and believe it, ask what has descended from the Heaven?

Some Muslim scholars and grandees of Shia link fully the meaning of the Night of Decree to the fasting in Ramadan. So we realize that first, fasting prepares the one who fasts in order that he could remove the curtain from his wisdom for better and comprehensive seeing, thinking and learning more than the days that he eats more. Secondly, fasting makes the man feel the pains of other people and it makes his feeling more sensitive and expanded. Thirdly, fasting creates some kind of preparedness and sustainability in man because he stands against temptations and hardships and consequently his patience grows and patience has deep relation with fasting.

The Holy Quran in verse 153 of the Cow Chapter says, “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer,” and meaning of patience in ahadith (collected sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)) is the very fasting.

So we realize that fasting brings three properties for the human: more understanding, more feeling and more patience. These triple factors are actually tools for human to make decision for forming his future and fate. So the one who fasts has better insight due to his fasting and feels the pains in the society much more, and his patience increases for continuing his path. So this man is the one who can make decision and portray a path for his future and determine his fate in his decisions. And praying and demand from Almighty would help him in this process of improvement.

Imam Musa al-Sadr, the Lebanese leader who has gone missing, may God bless him in interpretation of Ad-Dukhan (the Smoke) Chapter of the Holy Quran which is recited mostly in these days says, “Ha, Meem. By the clear Book, Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to warn [mankind].On that night is made distinct every precise matter -[Every] matter [proceeding] from Us. Indeed, We were to send [a messenger] As mercy from your Lord. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”

Since the word “Dukhan” (smoke) has been mentioned in the chapter, the chapter has been named ad-Dukhan. It is one of the chapters in the Holy Quran which is mostly recited during the Night of Decree. The first six verses of the chapter, which were mentioned above, openly show that the chapter definitely deals with layali al-Qadr (Nights of Decree). So I think it is better to mention some points on this issue which is a complicated one and it is a secret among the Muslims.

This chapter defines the theme and meaning of layali al-Qadr, a meaning which is totally different with the common prevalent meaning because it says, “We have sent the Holy Quran down during a blessed might.” And in the Qadr (Power) Chapter and in its first verse, it has been emphasized that the Holy Quran has been sent down during the Night of Decree, “Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Decree.”

So the blessed night is the very Night of Decree when the Holy Quran has been sent down. These verses interpret the meaning of Night of Decree in this way that the Night of Decree is that night of sending down of the Holy Quran and in the Holy Quran, everything has been clearly defined and everything about halal (allowed), haram (forbidden), right and corrupt as well as legal truths have been cleared. By the way, all definitions about mystical values and Divine teachings and meanings have been mentioned.

Hence, month of Ramadan is an educational course which determines the fate of human, and it means his fate of the whole year is set based on the framework which has been designed in the heart and soul of the pious and the degree of piety in him in Ramadan. It means Ramadan is month of education and because of the Nights of Decree when man reaches this educational course, he would evolve.

This evolution lies in the third decade of the month and according to some narrations, the Night of Decree is one of the last days of the third decade of the month. In some narrations have been mentioned that any man has a Night of Decree which differs from other one’s and this meaning accords with the concept about the relation between the Night of Decree and fasting.

 By: Hamid Reza Naghashian