Verse 2
The Power • makkah
View Aspects
44:4.
Important Words:
القدر (Destiny) is derived from قدر (qadara). They say قدر الشیء i.e. he measured or decreed the things; he thought upon the thing or affair and considered its issue, or result and compared one part of it with another; he estimated, honoured or magnified the thing. قدرت علی الشیء means, I had power or ability to do the thing. قدر means, measure, limit or number; value, worth, greatness; dignity, majesty; power; decree or destiny, ordinance (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
Generally لیل and لیلة mean the same thing, i.e. night, but according to the famous lexicographer, Marzuqi, لیل is used as opposed to نھار and لیلة as opposed to یوم. لیلة like علامة and نسابة is expressive of exaggeration, and possesses a wider and more extensive meaning than لیل as یوم which is its opposite has a wider sense than نھار which is opposite of لیل. The word لیلة has been used as many as eight times in the Quran (2:52; 2:188; 44:4; twice in 7:143 & three times in the verse under comment), and everywhere it has been used in connection with the revelation of the Quran and other kindred subjects. It thus points to the dignity, majesty and greatness of those nights in which the Quran was revealed. In view of different meanings of قدر given under Important Words and of the significance of the word لیلة the present verse may be interpreted as follows:
1. We have revealed the Quran in the night which We had specifically set apart for the manifestation of Our special powers, i.e. We have revealed the Quran at a time about which prophecies were to be found in previous Scriptures.
2. We have revealed it in a night which is equal in worth to all the other nights put together, i.e. this one night is equal in worth to the life of the whole of humanity.
3. We have revealed it in a night of dignity, majesty and honour, i.e. the Quranic teaching is too dignified to be successfully assailed.
4. We have revealed it in the night of sufficiency, i.e. the Quran fully meets all moral and spiritual human needs and requirements so as to render man independent of all other scriptures.
5. We have revealed it in the Night of Decree or Destiny, i.e. the Quran was revealed at a time when man’s destiny was decreed, the future pattern of the universe was settled, and right principles of guidance for humanity were laid down for all time to come. The time of the appearance of a great Divine Reformer is also called لیلة القدر because at that time sin and vice hold widespread sway and the powers of darkness reign supreme. It has also been taken to mean the particular night among the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan when the Quran first began to be revealed. Or it may signify the whole period of 23 years of the Holy Prophet’s ministry when the Quran gradually was being revealed.
Generally Lail and Lailah both mean night, but according to the famous lexicographer, Marzuqi, Lail is used as opposed to Nahar and Lailah as opposed to Yaum. Lailah possesses a wider and more extensive meaning than Lail, as Yaum, which is its opposite, has a wider sense than Nahar which is the opposite of Lail. Lailah has been used as many as eight times in the Qur’an (2:52; 2:188; 44:4; twice in 7:143 and three times in the verses under comment), and everywhere it has been used in connection with the revelation of the Qur’an and other kindred subjects. The word thus refers to the dignity, majesty and greatness of those nights in which the Qur’an was revealed.
Qadr means worth; sufficiency; dignity; decree; destiny; power (Lane). In view of the different meanings of Qadr and Lailah the verse may be interpreted as follows: The Qur’an has been revealed in a night which had been specifically set apart for the manifestation of special Divine powers; or in a night which is equal in worth to all the other nights put together, or in a night of dignity, majesty and honour; or, in a night of sufficiency, i.e. the Qur’an fully meets all moral and spiritual human needs and requirements. Or, the meaning is that God has revealed it in the Night of Decree or Destiny, i.e. the Qur’an was revealed at a time when man’s destiny was decreed, the future pattern of the universe was settled, and the right principles of guidance for humanity were laid down for all time to come. The time of the appearance of a great Divine Reformer is also called Lailatul-Qadr because at that time sin and vice hold widespread sway and the powers of darkness reign sup