One Secret, Hidden in a Day and in a Heart
The Holy Quran: Al-Qadr Chapter
In the Name of God, the Beneficial, the Merciful;
1. “We sent it (the Qur'an) down on the Night of Divine Decree,”
2. “And what do you know of the Night of Divine Decree!”
3. “The Night of Divine Decree is better than a thousand months.”
4. “In it the angels and the Spirit descend, by the permission of their Lord, with every command.”
5. “Peace it is; until the rise of dawn.”
In the Name of God, the Beneficial, the Merciful;
1. “We sent it (the Qur'an) down on the Night of Divine Decree,”
2. “And what do you know of the Night of Divine Decree!”
3. “The Night of Divine Decree is better than a thousand months.”
4. “In it the angels and the Spirit descend, by the permission of their Lord, with every command.”
5. “Peace it is; until the rise of dawn.”
﷽
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ﴿1﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ ﴿2﴾ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ ﴿3﴾ تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ ﴿4﴾ سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ﴿5﴾ ٥
إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ ﴿1﴾ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ ﴿2﴾ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ ﴿3﴾ تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ ﴿4﴾ سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّىٰ مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ﴿5﴾ ٥
The Night of Divine Decree is a celebration to commemorate the arrival of the final prophet for humanity. It is a tribute to the commencement of the message revealed to mankind by their Creator, a message which shows them the way to success and happiness in both the worlds; our world and the hereafter.
Some sayings of the holy household indicate that the fate of every believer for the coming year is decreed on this holy night. Believers are encouraged to stay awake the entire night, and pray for blessings and forgiveness. Good deeds performed on that single night are equal to those performed over a thousand months. It is, in fact, the holiest night of the year.
Some sayings of the holy household indicate that the fate of every believer for the coming year is decreed on this holy night. Believers are encouraged to stay awake the entire night, and pray for blessings and forgiveness. Good deeds performed on that single night are equal to those performed over a thousand months. It is, in fact, the holiest night of the year.
Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) explained Al-Qadr Chapter by saying, “The night is Fatima and the divine decree is God; therefore, whoever knows Fatima well has understood The Night of Divine Decree. And the reason for Fatima being named Fatima, is that mankind has been prevented from obtaining her acquaintance.”
Linguistically, the name Fatima is derived from the arabic word “فَطَمَ” which translates to block (v.). The saying explains that to know The Night of Divine Decree, we must know Fatima. However, it also reveals that humanity is deprived of being acquainted with Lady Fatima. Hence, we are ignorant of both Lady Fatima and The Night of Divine Decree, but know that they both are one.
One might ask, what was the meaning and objective behind the saying if we are deprived of both? When reading both Al-Qadr Chapter and the saying, it becomes clear that the objective is to emphasize, to have us recognize the extent of the holiness of both Lady Fatima and The Night of Divine Decree. The deprivation of the acquaintance of both shows that who and what they are go beyond the simplicity of human cognition, which concludes that this one secret, which both withhold, is more than magnificent.
Linguistically, the name Fatima is derived from the arabic word “فَطَمَ” which translates to block (v.). The saying explains that to know The Night of Divine Decree, we must know Fatima. However, it also reveals that humanity is deprived of being acquainted with Lady Fatima. Hence, we are ignorant of both Lady Fatima and The Night of Divine Decree, but know that they both are one.
One might ask, what was the meaning and objective behind the saying if we are deprived of both? When reading both Al-Qadr Chapter and the saying, it becomes clear that the objective is to emphasize, to have us recognize the extent of the holiness of both Lady Fatima and The Night of Divine Decree. The deprivation of the acquaintance of both shows that who and what they are go beyond the simplicity of human cognition, which concludes that this one secret, which both withhold, is more than magnificent.
Zurarah said that Hamran said, “I asked Abu Abdullah (Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq), peace be upon him, about what is the differentiator in the Night of Divine Decree, is it God’s decrees on the night?” Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq said, “The power of God cannot be described, except with that He (God) said, ‘On that night, every wise matter is made distinct (Quran, 44:4).’ How can He be wise, except with what He differentiates? And even [with that], the power of God cannot be described because He does as He pleases. As for His saying, ‘The Night of Divine Decree is better than a thousand months (Quran, 97:3),’ He means Fatima peace be upon her. And His saying, ‘In it the angels and the Spirit descend (Quran, 97:4).’ The angels in this context are the believers who posses the knowledge of the family of Muhammad, peace be upon them. And the Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and it is in Fatima peace be upon her. ‘With every command. Peace it is (Quran 97:4,5),’ he said that she (Lady Fatima) holds integrity with every matter. 'Until the rise of dawn (Quran 97:5),' meaning until the rise of the riser, may God hurry his honorable exposure.”
The ultimate question was “What is the differentiator?”
Imam Al-Sadiq first explains that the differentiator is the power of God that He uses for decreeing the fate of humanity. The differentiation is God’s distributions of decrees to all His creation, and in differentiating are the wholesomeness and wisdom of God. He then further explains that even this power of differentiating cannot be described because God does as he wishes. This power is what is meant by “Decree.”
Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq could’ve stopped there, but he didn’t. The imam goes on to say that Fatima is the Night of Divine Decree. If Lady Fatima is the Night of Divine Decree, and the angels and Sprit descend on that night, then they also are in and within Lady Fatima. The Night of Divine Decree is the timing of the secret and Lady Fatima is the site of the secret, which concludes that the Night of Divine Decree is the time of differentiation and Lady Fatima is the differentiator.
The ultimate question was “What is the differentiator?”
Imam Al-Sadiq first explains that the differentiator is the power of God that He uses for decreeing the fate of humanity. The differentiation is God’s distributions of decrees to all His creation, and in differentiating are the wholesomeness and wisdom of God. He then further explains that even this power of differentiating cannot be described because God does as he wishes. This power is what is meant by “Decree.”
Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq could’ve stopped there, but he didn’t. The imam goes on to say that Fatima is the Night of Divine Decree. If Lady Fatima is the Night of Divine Decree, and the angels and Sprit descend on that night, then they also are in and within Lady Fatima. The Night of Divine Decree is the timing of the secret and Lady Fatima is the site of the secret, which concludes that the Night of Divine Decree is the time of differentiation and Lady Fatima is the differentiator.
Sources:
- https://www.al-islam.org/supplications-month-ramadhan/laylatul-qadr-night-power
- http://www.islamicinsights.com/religion/clergy-corner/lady-fatima-and-the-night-of-divine-decrees.html
- http://www.mezan.net/mawsouat/fatima/kadr.html
- http://imamhussain-lib.blogspot.com/2014/08/blog-post_24.html
- Figure 1: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/lailatul-qadr-night-of-power-2013-ian-garrett.html
- Figure 2: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/640988959441046140/
- Figure 3: https://www.facebook.com/%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9-225047721028063/
