In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The concise commentary on the book *Bitaqat al-Ta'rif*
*bi-Suwar al-Mushaf al-Sharif* (Profile Cards of the Chapters of the Noble Qur'an),
by Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Aziz Ibn Umar Nasif,
may Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Qadr.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds,
and may peace and blessings be upon our brothers, the prophets and messengers,
and upon all his family and Companions.
We continue our concise commentary on *Bitaqat al-Ta'rif*,
and we have arrived at Surah al-Qadr.
I have three points of reflection concerning it.
The first point of reflection
is that this surah is among the short chapters
that focus entirely on a single topic
with a clarity that requires no deep contemplation.
For the surah, from its beginning to its end,
is about the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) and what pertains to it.
And this
leads us to reflect:
how could a surah be dedicated entirely to this subject
unless this subject is of utmost
importance?
Every surah dedicated to a single theme
highlights for us the profound significance of that theme.
This significance may be plainly obvious, or it may require deep reflection.
Moving to the second point, which is closely connected:
the very name of the surah
points to that blessed night
in which the Qur'an was revealed.
Try to imagine with me
that a single night in the entire year
is singled out for discussion in a complete surah,
just as there is one day in the week
singled out with a dedicated surah,
even though that surah is not exclusively devoted
to the events of that day, namely Surah al-Jumu'ah.
Yet here, Surah al-Qadr is uniquely focused in this manner.
It is as though a Muslim completing the Qur'an every month—
which is what should ideally happen, or at least
up to every forty days—
in every complete reading of the Qur'an outside Ramadan,
is reminded of this night.
In every completion, he is reminded of Friday and the Night of Decree.
Friday recurs weekly,
so remembering it is already a regular occurrence
because it passes by you every week.
But this night, which comes to you only once a year,
remains in your consciousness throughout the entire year, starting from Shawwal,
as you recite and remember this night.
From Shawwal, you begin to yearn for this night;
Allah fills your heart with longing for it
by keeping it in your memory throughout the year.
The imams of mosques may be keen,
when the last ten nights approach, to recite it, for instance, in the Maghrib prayer
or even during Isha.
But when you recite it throughout the year,
it tells us: do not forget that a great night lies ahead of you;
be eager to attain it,
prepare for it, and do not be distracted from it.
Do not let yourselves be distracted;
finish your worldly tasks before the arrival
of that promised night.
The third point of reflection
concerns the theme of the surah.
It is noted as: drawing attention to the virtue of the Qur'an and the night in which it was revealed.
That is, although the surah speaks of the Night of Decree,
it binds it inherently to the Magnificent Qur'an,
which is referenced by the pronoun in ﴿Indeed, We sent it down﴾.
This use of the pronoun carries great benefits here:
it highlights the supreme value of the Qur'an,
for it did not say, "Indeed, We sent down the Qur'an,"
but rather said, ﴿Indeed, We sent it down﴾.
This, as scholars have noted, indicates
that the Qur'an is ever-present in the believers' hearts,
so the mind immediately turns to it upon hearing the pronoun,
without needing to mention it explicitly, for hearts are already attached to it.
And how subtle and profound that is, coming right after Surah al-Alaq, which was revealed first!
This is what is indicated regarding the surah's placement in the Mushaf.
I ask Allah to grant success to me
and to you in reaching the Night of Decree, and to grant us acceptance therein.
Allah knows best, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon all his family and Companions,
and all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.