Chapter: The Decree (Qadar): (5) Peace it is until...

The Third Aspect: Concerning the Virtues of This Night

This relates to the Almighty's saying: {Peace it is until the emergence of dawn} (Surah Al-Qadr 97:5). In this verse, there are several issues:

There are several interpretations for the word Salāmun (Peace):

1. The Angels' Greetings: The Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) is peace until dawn, meaning the angels descend in continuous succession from the beginning of the night until dawn, greeting the obedient worshippers. The abundance of greetings necessitates the continuous descent (tarāduf).
2. The Night Itself is Peace: The night is described as Salāmun. This peace should not be belittled. Consider that seven angels greeted Abraham (Ibrāhīm) concerning the roasted calf, and his joy from this greeting surpassed his joy over worldly dominion. Furthermore, when the angels greeted Abraham, the fire of Nimrod became {cool and a safety} (bardan wa salāman) for him. Will not his fire become cool and a safety for us through the blessing of the angels' greeting to us? Moreover, there is a subtlety here: Abraham's hospitality was a roasted calf, whereas they desire from us a heart roasted (purified) by devotion. This also shows the virtue of this Ummah, as the angels descended upon Abraham individually, but here they descend upon the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
3. Safety from Evils: It means safety from all evils and afflictions. This is similar to saying, "So-and-so is perpetually engaged in Hajj and Jihad," meaning he is always occupied with them. Similarly, {it is but coming and going} (referring to menstruation). The angels and the Spirit descend on Laylat al-Qadr with goodness and felicity, and nothing decreed as harm descends. Thus, what descends is Salāmun, meaning safety, benefit, and good.
4. Safety from Natural Disturbances (Abu Muslim's View): Abu Muslim said Salāmun means the night is safe from winds, harm, lightning, and similar disturbances.
5. Inability of Satan to Cause Evil: It means that Satan cannot cause any evil during this night.
6. Connection to the Preceding Verse (Weak View): The pause should be after {from every matter * Peace} (97:4), connecting Salāmun to the preceding statement. The meaning would be that the decree of goodness, blessing, and safety lasts until the emergence of dawn. This view is considered weak.
7. Uniformity of Virtue: From its beginning until the emergence of dawn, the night is safe in that worship during any part of it is better than a thousand months. It is not like other nights where the first third is preferred for obligatory prayers, the middle for general worship, and the last part for supplication. Rather, all its times and parts are equal in virtue.
8. It is Paradise: Salāmun means it is Paradise, because one of the names of Paradise is the Abode of Peace (Dār al-Salām), meaning Paradise fashioned from safety.

Matla' means emergence (ṭulūʿ). It is said, Ṭalaʿa al-Fajr ṭulūʿan wa maṭlaʿan. The meaning is that this peace endures until the emergence of dawn.

If the Lām (in al-Matlaʿ) is read with a kasra (i.e., al-maṭliʿ), it is the noun indicating the time of emergence, or the place of emergence, according to Al-Zajjaj.

However, Abu 'Ubaydah, Al-Farra', and others preferred the fatḥa (i.e., al-maṭlaʿ) because it means the verbal noun (maṣdar). They argued that the kasra form is a noun like al-mashriq (the place of sunrise), and a noun indicating the place of emergence has no meaning here. If it is interpreted as the noun of time, as Al-Zajjaj mentioned, then it is acceptable.

Abu 'Ali suggested that it can also be interpreted as the verbal noun (maṣdar), because some verbal nouns that should follow the pattern Mufʿal are read with a kasra, such as al-muʿallā (the elevated) and al-muʿjiz (the miraculous). Similarly, the kasra in al-maṭliʿ is irregular compared to its usual pattern.

And Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, knows best. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and his companions.