Dismayed by the evil and immorality around him, he finds himself drifting away from his kinsmen, wishing more and more to be alone. Ascending the mountains around his town, he retreats to a small cave. From here, he is still able to see his beloved Kaʿbah, built by his grandfather, the imām of tawḥīd: Ibrāhīm (ʿalayhis-salām). He takes food along with him, and spends several days in this cave in isolation: reflecting, pondering, and worshipping.
And then one night, everything changes. The stillness and silence of the night is interrupted by one word: “Read!” The greatest of men – unbeknown to him at the time- has just experienced his first encounter with the greatest of all angels. It marks the beginning of Allah’s greatest gift to mankind: His very own words. Words of eternal guidance, instructing man how to live and prosper. A blueprint to attain eternal bliss.
This night will change the entire course of history. The world will never be the same again.
More than a thousand years later, we commemorate this incredible night. It is the mother of all nights, a night of blessings and forgiveness, a night of closeness and intimacy with one’s Creator.
From His deep love and generosity, Allah al-Akram (The Most Generous) named this night for us (‘Laylat al-Qadr’), and revealed a sūrah dedicated to it. This is so that we do not ever forget the greatness of this Night, the greatness of this gift (the Qur’ān), the greatness of the angel (Jibrīl) responsible for its transmission, the greatness of the man (Muḥammad ﷺ) upon whose heart the book was revealed, and ultimately the greatness of the Greatest: Allah, Magnificent and Exalted is He!
