Salaamun Alaykum,

Another interesting article worth reading and analysing.  From a Quranic perspective, knowledge of laylatul Qadr has not been revealed except very little.. But the amount of details we get in hadiths which tries to explain the Book is incredible…  Have a good read and verify all information before acting upon them.

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ON LEYLATUL QADR AND HOW THE HADEETH EXPLAINS THE BOOK!

A subscriber to one of the lists, who trusts the hadeeths asked: :” How can we understand a thing with out the
hadeeth.” For example he brought the night fo destiney/leylatul qadr.  So, here I ma providing what the hadeeth has to say on this. 

This is just an example. All issues are just a copy of this very case.
 
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Ina anzal nahu fi leylatil qadr/we sent it down on the night of qadr (night of power/destiny/…)

This is the first verse of the 97th chapter of the Book. Lets us see what the hadeeth has to say about it, that is, how it explains it.

The following is taken from one of the most authoritative book of ‘axplanation’ among the sunni, the very well known Ibn Katheer tafseer.

The first sentence of the explanation of this sura states: “Ihtalafa alulema, that is, Ulema/scholars have differed!!??

Now let us see the narrated stories on the night of destiny:

1. Some said \ that it is in all Ramadan, Hanafi is leading this group.

2. It is said that it is in the first night of Ramadan.

3. It is on the 17th night of Ramadan. This si Imam shafi&’s position. It is said that Hasan Albasri said it was on leylat Badr (battle). It was on Friday night and on the morning of that dsay, it was Badr.
4. It is said that it was on the night of 19th.Narrated from Ali and Ibn masood.
5. It is said on the 21st night of Ramadan as per the hadeeth fo Ibn sa’eed alkhudari said: “Messenger was doing an I’tikaaf!? in the first ten days and we did it with him. Jibreel came to him adn said: ” what you are seekign is yet to come. Then the messenger did the I&tikaaf ion the following middle ten days. So did we with him. Then came Jibreel and said” What you are seeking si yet to come. Then the messenger stook up on the morning of the 20th of Ramadan and said: “Who was doing I&tikaaf with me let them go back now for I saw the night fo Qadrn and that I have forgotten it and
that it is in the last ten days in odd and I had a dream/vision that i was prostrating on mud and water.” The ceiling of the masjid was of Palm leaves and we did not see anything in teh sky (it was clear) and then came a cloud and it rained then the messenger prayed with us till I saw some mud and water on his forehead confirming his vision on the morning of
21st.” 
Imam shafi’i commented on this hadeeth saying: “This is the most correct narration!? (please notice that, and it is above mentioned, that Imam shafi&i’s position on leylatul qadr is that it is on the 17th.!?)

6. It is said that it is on the 25 as per the hadeeth by the Bukharian through Abdulahi Ibn Abas that the messenger said: “seek it in the last ten night for Ramadan, in nine to remain, in seven to remain, in five to remain”. many scholars explained this (notice that the main claim is that Hadeeth IS to explain the Quran)as the odd nights and this is clearer and more popular but again some scholars think it is on the even nights!

7. It is said that it is on the 27th as per what Muslim narrated in his ’saheeh’ collection from Ubey Ibn Ka&b that God’s messenger said : “It is on the 27th night”?

8. Abu hureyra narrated that the messenger said: “It is on the 27th or the 29th of Ramadan? and that the number of malaika on that night is more than the small pieces of stones.”

9. It is said that it is on the last night of Ramadan. In the ‘Musnad’ (a hadeeth collection) through Abu salama from Abu Hureyra!!!???from the messenger said:” it is in the last night.”

There are other valid hadeeths but i think the above sufices.

The third verse of the same chapter states: “the night of Qadr is bettter than a thousadn months/leylatul qadr hayrun min alfi shahr.”

Now few hadeths to confuse this, oh pardon to ”explain” this: 

It is narrated that the messenger fo God spoke once about a man from Bani Isreal who carried his arms and fought on God’s cause for a thousand months and then the muslims were very surprised and somehow jelous, then the God revealed “the night of Qdr is better that a thousand months” Meaning that spending that on prayer is better than those thousand months of the Isrealite’s servitude to God!?

Another similar story of that Isrealite states that he spent thousand months meditating the night and fihgting on daytime adn then God ’said’ to muslims that spenging one night is better than the whole servitude of that man. But as in all cases, there is more than one story.

The other narration states that the messenger of God was shown the life span/duration of life of earlier generation and as fi it was that his umah’s life expectancy is shorter than of those from old generation which would make their deeds to be less than those of old generations!? so God gave him the night of Qadr (to componsate for the short life) which is better than a thousand months.

My comment:

Adding to the clear and obvious fact that the hadith is meant to confuse people, alll the above stated as concept goes against the teaching of the Book. Notice that the revelation of God does not mention any special meditation on that night or any obligation to determine when it is.

It simply speaks that the Book was revealed on the night ordained by the God. That night is better than a thousand months. My personal understanding is that ‘a thousand months’ are not in human sense of time. It is just mentioned to create a notion and idea of the greatness and importnace of a moment when the Most High and Most Merciful revealed His wisdon and guidance to mankind. It is no tool to measure such a mercy that was represented in a human notion of time. 
 

An important thing to add at the end is what the second verse of the same chapter says:

WA MAA ADRAAKA MAA LAYLATUL QADR??

” And what do you know what the night of Qadr is?”