Chapter: Al-Qadr (The Decree) (4) The angels and the Spirit descend...

Verse: {The angels and the Spirit descend therein...}

There are several issues concerning this verse:

It is known that the angels observe the spirits, while humans observe the physical forms (bodies). When the angels first observed your spirit, they saw it as a receptacle for blameworthy attributes like desire and anger, so they did not accept you (i.e., they objected to the creation of humankind). They said: "Will You place upon it one who will cause corruption therein and shed blood?" Similarly, your parents, upon seeing the ugliness of your form in the initial stages—when you were merely semen and a clinging clot—did not accept you either. Rather, they showed aversion and found that semen and clot repulsive, even washing their clothes of it. They even schemed to cause its expulsion and nullification.

However, when the Almighty bestowed upon you a beautiful form, your parents accepted and inclined toward you. Likewise, when the angels saw the beautiful form in your spirit—which is the knowledge of God and obedience to Him—they loved you. Thus, they descend to you, apologizing for what they said initially. This is the meaning of {The angels and the Spirit descend}.

When they descend to you, they find your spirit in the darkness of the body's night and the darkness of the physical faculties. At that point, they apologize for their previous statement: {and they supplicate for those who believe}.

The literal meaning of {The angels descend} implies the descent of all angels. However, the angels are so numerous that the entire Earth cannot contain them all. For this reason, scholars differed:

1. Some said: They descend entirely to the lowest heaven (the first heaven).
   • Objection: This still presents a problem, as the heaven is already full to the extent that there is no space the size of a leather hide without an angel occupying it. How can one heaven accommodate all of them?
   • Response: We prioritize the general meaning of the Book over a solitary report (Ahad). Furthermore, it is narrated that they descend in successive groups (fawjan fawjan), much like the pilgrims entering the Kaaba—despite their vast numbers, they all enter, though some are inside and some outside. This is why the descent is described as being extended until the break of dawn, indicated by the use of the verb {تنزل} (tanazzalu), which implies repeated action (once after another).

2. The Second Opinion (Preferred by the Majority): They descend to Earth. This is the sounder view because the purpose is to encourage the revival of this night. Furthermore, traditions indicate that angels descend on other days to gatherings of remembrance and religion; therefore, their descent on this night, given its high status, is even more appropriate. Moreover, an unqualified descent implies descent from heaven to Earth.

Those who hold that they descend to Earth offered several interpretations: * First: They descend to witness the worship and striving in obedience of humankind alone. * Second: Since the angels said, {And we do not descend except by the command of your Lord} (19:64), this indicates they were commanded to descend, which does not necessarily imply the utmost love. However, the phrase in this verse, {by the permission of their Lord}, indicates that they sought permission first and were granted it, which points to the utmost love, as they desired to meet us but awaited permission. * Objection: Doesn't the statement {And indeed, we are those who stand in ranks} (37:166) contradict {The angels descend}? * Response: We reconcile these two states by assigning them to two different times. * Third: God promised in the Hereafter that angels {will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], "Peace be upon you"} (13:23). Similarly, here in this world, if you engage in My worship, the angels descend to you to offer greetings and visitation. It is narrated from Ali (peace be upon him) that they descend to greet us and intercede for us, and whoever receives their greeting will have his sins forgiven. * Fourth: God has made the virtue of this night contingent upon engaging in obedience on Earth. Thus, they descend to Earth so that the reward for acts of obedience is multiplied, just as a person travels to Mecca to increase the reward for his obedience there. All of this is to encourage humans toward obedience. * Fifth: Humans perform acts of obedience and good deeds better in the presence of the great scholars and pious ascetics than in solitude. Therefore, God sent down the near angels so that the accountable person knows that he performs acts of obedience in the presence of those devout scholars and ascetics, making his actions more complete and further from deficiency. * Sixth: Some restricted the term "angels" to specific groups of angels. Ka'b narrated that the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntaha) is at the edge of the seventh heaven, bordering Paradise. Its trunk is in Paradise, and its branches are beneath the Throne. Countless angels worship God there, and Gabriel's station is in its center. Every angel there possesses compassion and mercy for the believers and descends with Gabriel on Laylat al-Qadr. No spot on Earth remains without an angel prostrating or standing, supplicating for believing men and women. Gabriel does not leave any person without shaking their hand. The sign of this is when one's skin shivers, the heart softens, and the eyes shed tears—that is from the handshake of Gabriel (peace be upon him). Whoever says, "There is no god but God," three times, is forgiven for one utterance, saved from the Fire for one, and admitted to Paradise for one. Gabriel is the first to ascend until he is before the sun, where he spreads two green wings, which he only unfurls at that specific hour of that night. Then he calls out to the angels one by one, and they all ascend. The light of the angels and the light of Gabriel's wings combine. Gabriel and those with him remain between the sun and the lowest heaven for that entire day, engaged in supplication, mercy, and seeking forgiveness for the believers and for those who fasted Ramadan seeking reward. When evening comes, they enter the lowest heaven and sit in circles. The angels of the heaven gather around them and ask them about every man and woman individually, saying, "What did so-and-so do? How did you find him?" They reply, "We found him devoted to worship last year, but an innovator this year," or vice versa. They cease praying for the first and focus on the second. They report, "We found so-and-so reciting [Qur'an], and so-and-so bowing, and so-and-so prostrating." They continue this day and night until they ascend to the second heaven, and so on, until they reach the Lote Tree. The Tree then asks them, "O my inhabitants, tell me about the people, for I have a right over you, and I love those whom God loves." Ka'b mentioned that they list the man and woman by their names and their fathers' names. This news then reaches Paradise, and Paradise says, "O God, hasten them to me!" The angels and the inhabitants of the Tree say, "Amen, Amen."

Knowing this, we say: The greater the gathering, the greater the descent of mercy there. Just as the greatest gathering is at the Hajj site, the descent of mercy is greatest there. Similarly, on Laylat al-Qadr, the gathering of the near angels occurs, so the descent of mercy is necessarily greater.

Scholars mentioned several opinions regarding the Spirit:

1. It is a mighty angel, so vast that if he swallowed the heavens and the earths, it would be but a single mouthful for him.
2. It is a group of angels whom other angels do not see except on Laylat al-Qadr, similar to the ascetics whom we only see on Eid day.
3. It is a creation of God that eats and drinks, neither an angel nor a human, perhaps servants of the people of Paradise.
4. It might be Jesus (peace be upon him), as that is his name, and he descends in conjunction with the angels to observe the Ummah of Muhammad.
5. It is the Qur'an, based on the verse: {And thus We have revealed to you a Spirit of Our command} (42:52).
6. It is Mercy. It has been read (in a variant recitation) as: {No! Go and search out} (with the verb in the indicative mood), as if God is saying: The angels descend, and My Mercy descends in their wake, and they find the happiness of this world and the happiness of the Hereafter.
7. It is the noblest of angels.
8. According to Abu Nujayh, the Spirit refers to the guardian angels and the noble scribes. The angel on the right records the performance of obligations, and the angel on the left records the abandonment of the reprehensible.

The soundest view is that the Spirit here is Gabriel. He is singled out for mention due to his elevated status, as if God is saying: the angels are on one scale, and the Spirit is on the other.

Regarding {by the permission of their Lord}: We mentioned this indicates their longing for us.

• Objection: How can they desire us when they know the abundance of our sins?
• Response: They do not know the details of the sins. It is narrated that they look upon the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh). They see the detailed obedience of the accountable person, but when they reach his sins, a curtain is drawn, and they do not see them. Then they say: "Glory be to the One who reveals beauty and conceals ugliness!"

We have previously mentioned the benefits of their descent, and we will now mention others. The essence is that they witness types of obedience on Earth that they did not see in the realm of the heavens:

1. The wealthy bring food from their homes and offer it as hospitality to the poor, and the poor eat the food of the wealthy while worshipping God. This type of obedience does not exist in the heavens.
2. They hear the groans of the sinners, which does not exist in the heavens.
3. God Almighty said: "The groans of the sinners are more beloved to Me than the clamor of those who glorify Me." So they said, "Let us go to Earth and hear a sound that is more beloved to our Lord than the sound of our glorification." How could it not be more beloved? The clamor of the glorifiers demonstrates the perfection of the state of the obedient, while the groans of the sinners demonstrate the Forgiveness of the Lord of the heavens and the Earth. (This is the first point revisited).

This verse indicates the infallibility (Ismah) of the angels, similar to the verse {And we do not descend except by the command of your Lord} (19:64) and {They do not precede Him in speech} (21:27).

There is a subtlety here: God did not say, "being permitted" (ma'dhunīn), but rather {by the permission of their Lord} (bi-idhn Rabbihim). This signals that they do not undertake any action whatsoever except by His permission. This is analogous to a man telling his wife, "You may not go out except with my permission," where permission is required for every exit.

The phrase {Their Lord} implies glorification for the angels and humiliation for the disobedient. It is as if God is saying: "They were Mine, so I became theirs." A parallel for us is: {Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth} (7:54). Regarding the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is said: {And [mention] when your Lord said...} (8:17). A similar narration states that when David (peace be upon him) was near death, he said: "My God, be for Solomon as You were for me." Revelation descended: "Say to Solomon: Let him be for Me as you were for Me." It is also narrated that Abraham, the Friend of God, lost a guest for several days. He set out with his provisions to seek a guest. He found a tent and called out, "Do you desire a guest?" They replied, "Yes." He asked the host, "Do you have any food, milk or honey?" The man lifted two rocks, struck one against the other, and they split open, revealing milk from one and honey from the other. Abraham was amazed and said, "My God, I am Your friend, yet I have not received such hospitality. What is his matter?" Revelation descended: "O My Friend, he was Mine, so I was his."

This means the angels and the Spirit descend therein for every matter. Each one descends for a different purpose:

1. They were engaged in many tasks: some bowing, some prostrating, some supplicating, some contemplating, some teaching, some delivering revelation, some seeking the virtue of the night, or greeting the believers.
2. The Second Opinion (Preferred by the Majority): They descend because of every matter decreed for that year, whether good or evil. This indicates that their descent is an act of worship. It is as if they say, "We did not descend to Earth for our own whims, but for every matter that contains the welfare of the accountable." The word amr (matter) is generalized to encompass the good of this world and the Hereafter, clarifying that they descend with what brings benefit to the accountable in their religion and worldly affairs. It is as if the questioner asks, "Where did you come from?" and the answer is, "That is your concern and surplus; rather, ask for what matter you came, for that is your portion."
3. Third: Some recited it as {of every man} (min kulli imri'i), meaning for the sake of every individual. It is narrated that they do not meet any believing man or woman without greeting them.
   • Objection: Hasn't it been narrated that destinies and provisions are apportioned on the night of the middle of Sha'ban, yet now you say it happens on Laylat al-Qadr?
   • Response: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "God decrees the measures in the Night of Purity (Laylat al-Bara'ah), and when Laylat al-Qadr comes, He hands them over to their respective owners." Another view is that destinies and provisions are decreed on Laylat al-Bara'ah, while Laylat al-Qadr decrees matters involving goodness, blessing, and safety. Another view is that Laylat al-Qadr decrees matters related to the exaltation of religion and great benefit for Muslims, whereas Laylat al-Bara'ah is when the names of those who will die are written and handed over to the Angel of Death.

Verse: {Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.}