A.T.M.Nurun Nabi :
The word ‘Qadr’ means Power, Fate and Majesty. It refers to the night (one of the last 10 nights of the lunar month of Ramadan) on which the Prophet Muhammad (SM) received the Call from Allah and prophethood.
The word Qadr is taken from the verses No.1, 2, 3 and 4 of Chapter Al-Qadr, a very early Meccan Surah. The text is:
1.Surely We have revealed it (Quran) on the Night of Power.
2.And what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is?
3.The Night of Power is better than a thousand months,
4.The angels and the spirit (angels of higher rank) descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees,
5.Peace on that Night until the rise of the dawn.
Many commentators have taken ‘spirit’ for the angels of the higher rank having formation of a man. It does not refer to Jibreel, whom Allah attributes as the Holy Spirit (V:16/102), Faithful Spirit (V:26/192) and Honoured Messenger (V:81/19).
Here it is worth to mention that the identical verses of AI-Qadar are the first five verses of Chapter Ad-Dukhan, a middle group of Meccan surah. The text is:
2.Ha Mim.
3.By the Book (Quran) that makes things manifest.
4.Surely We have revealed it (Book) on a Blessed Night-for sure We are ever warning-
5.Therein every wise affair is made distinct,
6.A command from us; surely We are the senders (of apostles).
Allah attributes that night as ‘Blessed’ one also because the Quran was revealed first on that night. It means that the Night of Power and the Blessed Night is the one. And that the revelation of the Quran began in the month of Ramadan springs from verse no.2/185:
“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction (between right and wrong).”
There are about 80 verses on Namaj, 300 verses on law, ethics and morality, about 300 on economics and income distribution, 280 on fighting against social vices, injustice, immorality, exploitation and inequality, about 800 on science and technology and around 1,000 on history.
The Night of Qadr is different, as it is better than a thousand months, the fate of every human being for the next one year is decreed on this night, and the angels and the spirit descend to the first heaven with blessings of Allah for His servants.
Commentator Abdullah Yusuf Ali said that ‘A thousand months’ must be taken in an indefinite sense, denoting a very long period of time. Whoso passes this night researching on the Allah’s creation of heaven and earth has immense rewards with Him. Those who obey Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (SM) will be lodged in the Paradise. The reward is not for him who neglects Islami way of life throughout the year.
One night towards the end of the Ramadan, the Prophet Muhammad (SM) was in trance. Suddenly he heard a Voice to say: Read! He said: I cannot read. The Voice again said: Read! He said: I cannot read. A third time, the Voice, more terrible, commanded: Read! He said: What can I read? The Voice said:
1.Read! In the name of thy Lord Who creates,
2.Creates man from a clot.
3.Read! And thy Lord is the most Bounteous,
4.Who teaches man by the pen,
5.Teaches man that which he knew not.
The Prophet awoke and went out of the cave on to the hillside and heard the same awe-inspiring Voice to say: O Muhammad! Thou art the Messenger of Allah, and I am Jibreel. Then he raised his eyes and saw the archangel in the likeness of man, standing in the sky above the horizon. Again the archangel said: O Muhammad! Thou art the Messenger of Allah, and I am Jibreel.
The Prophet stood quite still, turning away his face from the brightness of the vision, but withersoever he turned, there always stood the archangel confronting him. The Prophet remained thus a large while till at length the archangel vanished.
The very first word of the Quran is ‘Ikra’, which means read, research, study and ponder. By it, Allah gives extraordinary stress on acquiring knowledge so that man can distinguish between the right and the wrong, between just and unjust. We read in verse No.5/42: Allah loves those, who judge equitably.
But to do justice is possible on the part of him only who has wisdom only.
Allah says in Verse No.2/247 that the two special qualities of a king are physique and wisdom.
In truth, there is no substitute for wisdom. It helps man avoid shirk (ascribing partner to Allah), great sins and indecencies, superstition, bigotry and self-delusion. On magnitude of knowledge, the Prophet Muhammad (SM) said:
“Those who seek knowledge are closest to the rank of prophethood,” – Mizan, Chapter- 2837.
“It is incumbent upon every Muslim, both male and female, to seek knowledge in all circumstances”-Mizan, Chapter-2864.
“The scholar’s pen is mightier than the blood of martyrs,”-Mizan, Chapter-2839.
Allah says: Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and debate with them (disbelievers) in the best manners,” Chapter An Nahal, V-125.
In the present world, the Muslims cannot properly answer the hate campaigns and criticisms directed against them. It is because they have not sufficient knowledge, and even if they have cannot use it properly.
In Bangladesh, fatwa is an instrument to torture women. The word ‘fatwa’ means ruling. Only the Islamic scholars whom the State authorises can give ruling. Anyone who is not authorised to give ruling, if does, is liable to severe punishment. Therefore, if all the people become educated about Islam, none will be able to misuse fatwa.
In our society, the saint and grave worshipping has been continuing for years. Islami scholars such as Shah Waliullah Dehlovi, Syed Ahmed Barlovi, Hazi Shariatullah and Titumir declared jihad against all kinds of shirk and social vices and prejudices. That war still continues.
Islam does not believe in idle speculation. Allah says in verse No.1 0/36:
Most of them follow naught but conjecture. Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth. He again says in verse No 17/36: (0 man), follow not (or speak not) that of which you have no knowledge. In verses numbers 51/10 and 11, He decrees: Accursed are the conjectures. (And) who are in the gulf of ignorance.
The Prophet said: It is incumbent on every Muslim, both male and female, to acquire knowledge. He added that the first source of knowledge is the Holy Quran, the second source is Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet), the 3rd and the 4th sources are Ijma and Qias. Islamic scholars put importance also on reading the biographies of the prophets and the great men, the Islamic history, the general history, the geography, the elementary science, the social studies and the economics.
