44:10 Ad-Dukhaan (The Smoke)

{ فَارْتَقِبْ } أي: انتظر فيهم العذاب فإنه قد قرب وآن أوانه، { يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُبِينٍ }

"فارتقب يوم تأتي السماء بدخان مبين" قال سليمان بن مهران الأعمش عن أبي الضحى مسلم بن صبيح عن مسروق قال دخلنا المسجد يعني مسجد الكوفة عند أبواب كندة فإذا رجل يقص على أصحابه "يوم تأتي السماء بدخان مبين" تدرون ما ذلك الدخان؟ ذلك دخان يأتي يوم القيامة فيأخذ بأسماع المنافقين وأبصارهم ويأخذ المؤمنين منه شبه الزكام قال فأتينا ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه فذكرنا ذلك له وكان مضطجعا ففزع فقعد وقال إن الله عز وجل قال لنبيكم صلى الله عليه وسلم "قل ما أسألكم عليه من أجر وما أنا من المتكلفين" إن من العلم أن يقول الرجل لما لا يعلم الله أعلم سأحدثكم عن ذلك إن قريشا لما أبطأت عن الإسلام واستعصت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم دعا عليهم بسنين كسني يوسف فأصابهم من الجهد والجوع حتى أكلوا العظام والميتة وجعلوا يرفعون أبصارهم إلى السماء فلا يرون إلا الدخان وفي رواية فجعل الرجل ينظر إلى السماء فيرى ما بينه وبينها كهيئة الدخان من الجهد قال الله تعالى "فارتقب يوم تأتي السماء بدخان مبين يغشى الناس هذا عذاب أليم" فأتى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقيل له يا رسول الله استسق الله لمضر فإنها قد هلكت فاستسقى صلى الله عليه وسلم لهم فسقوا فنزلت "إنا كاشفوا العذاب قليلا إنكم عائدون" قال ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه فيكشف عنهم العذاب يوم القيامة فلما أصابهم الرفاهية عادوا إلى حالهم فأنزل الله عز وجل "يوم نبطش البطشة الكبرى إنا منتقمون" قال يعني يوم بدر قال ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه فقد مضى خمسة: الدخان والروم والقمر والبطشة واللزام وهذا الحديث مخرج في الصحيحين ورواه الإمام أحمد في مسنده وهو عند الترمذي والنسائي في تفسيريهما وعند ابن جرير وابن أبي حاتم من طرق متعددة عن الأعمش به وقد وافق ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه على تفسير الأية بهذا وأن الدخان مضى جماعة من السلف: كمجاهد وأبى العالية وإبراهيم النخعي والضحاك وعطية العوفي وهو اختيار ابن جرير وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا جعفر بن مسافر حدثنا يحيى بن حسان حدثنا ابن لهيعة حدثنا عبدالرحمن الأعرج في قوله عز وجل "يوم تأتي السماء بدخان مبين" قال كان يوم فتح مكة وهذا القول غريب جدا بل منكر وقال أخرون لم يمض الدخان بعد بل هو من أمارات الساعة كما تقدم من حديث أبي سريحة حذيفة بن أسيد الغفاري رضي الله عنه قال أشرف علينا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من غرفة ونحن نتذاكر الساعة فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم "لا تقوم الساعة حتى تروا عشر آيات: طلوع الشمس من مغربها والدخان والدابة وخروج يأجوج ومأجوج وخروج عيسى بن مريم والدجال وثلاثة خسوف: خسف بالمشرق وخسف بالمغرب وخسف بجزيرة العرب ونار تخرج من قعر عدن تسوق الناس - أو تحشر الناس - تبيت معهم حيث باتوا وتقيل معهم حيث قالوا" تفرد بإخراجه مسلم في صحيحه وفي الصحيحين أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لابن صياد "إنى خبأت لك خبأ" قال هو الدخ فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم له "اخسأ فلن تعدو قدرك" قال وخبأ له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "فارتقب يوم تأتي السماء بدخان مبين" وهذا فيه إشعار بأنه من المنتظر المرتقب وابن صياد كاشف على طريقة الكهان بلسان الجان وهم يقرظون العبارة ولهذا قال هو الدخ يعني الدخان فعندها عرف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مادته وأنها شيطانية فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم "اخسأ فلن تعدو قدرك" ثم قال ابن جرير وحدثني عصام بن رواد بن الجراح حدثنا أبي حدثنا سفيان بن أبي سعيد الثوري حدثنا منصور بن المعتمر عن ربعي بن حراش قال سمعت حذيفة بن اليمان رضي الله عنه يقول: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "إن أول الآيات الدجال ونزول عيسى بن مريم عليهما الصلاة والسلام ونار تخرج من قعر عدن أبين تسوق الناس إلى المحشر تقيل معهم إذا قالوا والدخان - قال حذيفة رضي الله عنه يا رسول الله وما الدخان؟ فتلا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم هذه الآية "فارتقب يوم تأتي السماء بدخان مبين يغشى الناس هذا عذاب أليم" - يملأ ما بين المشرق والمغرب يمكث أربعين يوما وليلة وأما المؤمن فيصيبه منه كهيئة الزكمة وأما الكافر فيكون بمنزله السكران يخرج من منخريه وأذنيه ودبره" قال ابن جرير لو صح هذا الحديث لكان فاصلا وإنما لم أشهد له بالصحة لأن محمد بن خلف العسقلاني حدثني أنه سأل روادا عن هذا الحديث هل سمعه من سفيان؟ فقال له لا قال أقرأته عليه؟ قال لا قال: فقلت له أقرأ عليه وأنت حاضر فأقربه فقال لا فقلت له فمن أين جئت به فقال جاءني به قوم فعرضوه علي وقالوا لى سمعه منا فقرءوه علي ثم ذهبوا فحدثوا به عني أو كما قال وقد أجاد ابن جرير في هذا الحديث ههنا فإنه موضوع بهذا السند وقد أكثر ابن جرير من سياقه في أماكن من هذا التفسير وفيه منكرات كثيرة جدا ولا سيما في أول سورة بني إسرائيل في ذكر المسجد الأقصى والله أعلم وقال ابن جرير أيضا حدثني محمد بن عوف حدثنا محمد بن إسماعيل بن عياش حدثني أبي حدثني ضمضم بن زرعة عن شريح بن عبيد عن أبي مالك الأشعري رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "إن ربكم أنذركم ثلاثا الدخان يأخذ المؤمن كالزكمة ويأخذ الكافر فينتفخ حتى يخرج من كل مسمع منه والثانية الدابة والثالثة الدجال" ورواه الطبراني عن هاشم بن يزيد عن محمد بن إسماعيل بن عياش به وهذا إسناد جيد وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبو زرعة حدثنا صفوان حدثنا الوليد حدثنا خليل عن الحسن عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "يهيج الدخان بالناس فأما المؤمن فيأخذه كالزكمة وأما الكافر فينفخه حتى يخرج من كل مسمع منه" ورواه سعيد بن أبي عروبة عن قتادة عن الحسن عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه موقوفا وروى سعيد بن عوف عن الحسن مثله. وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا عبدالله بن صالح بن مسلم حدثنا إسرائيل عن أبي إسحاق عن الحارث عن علي رضي الله عنه قال: لم تمض آية الدخان بعد يأخذ المؤمن كهيئة الزكام وتنفخ الكافر حتى ينفذ. وروى ابن جرير من حديث الوليد بن جميع عن عبدالملك بن المغيرة عن عبدالرحمن بن السليماني عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: يخرج الدخان فيأخذ المؤمن كهيئة الزكام ويدخل مسامع الكافر والمنافق حتى يكون كالرأس الحنيذ أي المشوي على الرضف ثم قال ابن جرير حدثني يعقوب حدثنا ابن علية عن ابن جريج عن عبدالله بن أبي مليكة قال غدوت على ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ذات يوم فقال ما نمت الليلة حتى أصبحت قلت لم؟ قال: قالوا طلع الكوكب ذو الذنب فخشيت أن يكون الدخان قد طرق فما نمت حتى أصبحت وهكذا رواه ابن أبي حاتم عن أبيه عن ابن عمر عن سفيان عن عبدالله بن أبي يزيد عن عبدالله بن أبي مليكة عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما فذكره وهذا إسناد صحيح إلى ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما حبر الأمة وترجمان القرآن وهكذا قول من وافقه من الصحابة والتابعين رضي الله عنهم أجمعين مع الأحاديث المرفوعة من الصحاح والحسان وغيرهما التي أوردوها مما فيه مقنع ودلالة ظاهرة على أن الدخان من الآيات المنتظرة مع أنه ظاهر القرآن قال الله تبارك وتعالى "فارتقب يوم تأتي السماء بدخان مبين" أي بين واضح يراه كل أحد وعلى ما فسر به ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه إنما هو خيال رأوه في أعينهم من شدة الجوع والجهد.

Alarming the Idolators with News of the Day when the Sky will bring forth a visible Smoke

Allah says, these idolaters are playing about in doubt, i.e., the certain truth has come to them, but they doubt it and do not believe in it. Then Allah says, warning and threatening them:

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

(Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke.) It was narrated that Masruq said, "We entered the Masjid -- i.e., the Masjid of Kufah at the gates of Kindah -- and a man was reciting to his companions,

يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

(the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke.) He asked them; `Do you know what that is' That is the smoke that will come on the Day of Resurrection. It will take away the hearing and sight of the hypocrites, but for the believers it will be like having a cold."' He said, "We came to Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, and told him about that. He was lying down, and he sat up with a start and said, `Allah said to your Prophet

قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَآ أَنَآ مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ

(Say: "No wage do I ask of you for this, nor am I one of the pretenders.") (38:86). And it is part of knowledge that when a man does not know something, he should say, `Allah knows best.' I will tell you a Hadith about that. When the Quraysh did not respond to Islam and they grew stubborn, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ invoked Allah against them that they would have years like the years (of drought and famine) of Yusuf. They became so exhausted and hungry that they ate bones and dead meat. They looked at the sky, but they saw nothing but smoke."' According to another report: "A man would look at the sky and he would see nothing between him and the sky except a smoky haze, because of his exhaustion."

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ - يَغْشَى النَّاسَ هَـذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke, covering the people, this is a painful torment) A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah to send rain to Mudar, for they are dying. So the Prophet prayed for rain for them, and they got rain. Then the Ayah was revealed:

إِنَّا كَاشِفُواْ الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلاً إِنَّكُمْ عَآئِدُونَ

(Verily, We shall remove the torment for a while. Verily, you will revert.) Ibn Mas`ud said, "Do you think that the torment will be removed for them on the Day of Resurrection When they were granted ease, they reverted to their former state. Then Allah revealed:

يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَى إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ

(On the Day when We shall strike you with the Great Batshah. Verily, We will exact retribution.)" He said, "This means the day of Badr." Ibn Mas`ud said, "Five things have come to pass: the smoke, the (defeat of the) Romans, the (splitting of the) moon, the Batshah, and the torment." This Hadith was narrated in the Two Sahihs. It was also recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, and by At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i in their (Books of) Tafsir, and by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim with a number of chains of narration. A number of the Salaf, such as Mujahid, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak and `Atiyah Al-`Awfi concurred with Ibn Mas`ud's interpretation of this Ayah and his view that the smoke already happened. This was also the view of Ibn Jarir. According to the Hadith of Abu Sarihah, Hudhayfah bin Asid Al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked out upon us from a room while we were discussing the Hour. He said:

«لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتْى تَرَوْا عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ: طُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا، وَالدُّخَانَ، وَالدَّابَّةَ، وَخُرُوجَ يَأْجُوجَ وَمَأْجُوجَ، وَخُرُوجَ عِيْسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَالدَّجَّالَ، وَثَلَاثَةَ خُسُوفٍ: خَسْفٌ بِالْمَشْرِقِ، وَخَسْفٌ بِالْمَغْرِبِ، وَخَسْفٌ بِجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِ، وَنَارًا تَخْرُجُ مِنْ قَعْرِ عَدَنَ تَسُوقُ النَّاسَ أَوْ تَحْشُرُ النَّاسَ تَبِيتُ مَعَهُمْ حَيْثُ بَاتُوا، وَتَقِيلُ مَعَهُمْ حَيْثُ قَالُوا»

(The Hour will not come until you see ten signs. The rising of the sun from the west; the smoke; the beast; the emergence of Ya'juj and Ma'juj; the appearance of `Isa bin Maryam; the Dajjal; three cases of the earth collapsing -- one in the east, one in the west, and one in the Arabian Peninsula; and a fire which will emerge from the bottom of Aden and will drive the people -- or gather the people -- stopping with them when they stop to sleep at night or rest during the day.)" This was recorded only by Muslim in his Sahih In the Two Sahihs it was recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Ibn Sayyad:

«إِنِّي خَبَأْتُ لَكَ خَبْأ»

(I am concealing something for you.) He said, It is Ad-Dukh. The Prophet said,

«اخْسَأْ فَلَنْ تَعْدُوَ قَدْرَك»

(Be off with you! You cannot get further than your rank.) He said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was concealing from him the words,

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

(Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke.)"This indicates that the smoke is yet to appear. Ibn Sayyad was a fortune-teller who heard things through the Jinn, whose speech is unclear, therefore he said, "It is Ad-Dukh," meaning Ad-Dukhan (the smoke). When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sure what was happening, that the source of his information was the Shayatin, he said:

«اخْسَأْ فَلَنْ تَعْدُوَ قَدْرَك»

(Be off with you! You cannot get further than your rank.) There are numerous Marfu` and Mawquf Hadiths, Sahih, Hasan and others, which indicate that the smoke is one of the awaited signs (of the Hour). This is also the apparent meaning of Ayat in the Qur'an. Allah says:

فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

(Then wait you for the Day when the sky will bring forth a visible smoke.) meaning, clearly visible, such that all people will see it. According to Ibn Mas`ud's interpretation, this was a vision which they saw because of their intense hunger and exhaustion. He also interprets the Ayah

يَغْشَى النَّاسَ

(Covering mankind,) meaning, it covered them and overwhelmed them. But if it was only an illusion which happened to the idolators of Makkah, Allah would not have said "covering mankind."

هَـذَا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(this is a painful torment.) means, this will be said to them by way of rebuke. This is like the Ayah:

يَوْمَ يُدَعُّونَ إِلَى نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ دَعًّا - هَـذِهِ النَّارُ الَّتِى كُنتُم بِهَا تُكَذِّبُونَ

(The Day when they will be pushed down by force to the fire of Hell, with a horrible, forceful pushing. This is the Fire which you used to deny.) (52:13-14). Or some of them will say that to others.

رَّبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مْؤْمِنُونَ

((They will say): "Our Lord! Remove the torment from us, really we shall become believers!") means, when the disbelievers witness the punishment of Allah, they will ask for it to be taken away from them. This is like the Ayat:

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(If you could but see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!") (6:27)

وَأَنذِرِ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمُ الْعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَخِّرْنَآ إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُّجِبْ دَعْوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعِ الرُّسُلَ أَوَلَمْ تَكُونُواْ أَقْسَمْتُمْ مِّن قَبْلُ مَا لَكُمْ مِّن زَوَالٍ

(And warn mankind of the Day when the torment will come unto them; then the wrongdoers will say: "Our Lord! Respite us for a little while, we will answer Your Call and follow the Messengers!" (It will be said): "Had you not sworn aforetime that you would not leave (the world for the Hereafter).) (14:44) Allah says here:

أَنَّى لَهُمُ الذِّكْرَى وَقَدْ جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ - ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوْاْ عَنْهُ وَقَالُواْ مُعَلَّمٌ مَّجْنُونٌ

(How can there be for them an admonition, when a Messenger explaining things clearly has already come to them. Then they had turned away from him and said: "(He is) one taught, a madman!") meaning, `what further admonition do they need when We have sent them a Messenger with a clear Message and warning Yet despite that, they turned away from him, opposed him and rejected him, and they said: (He is) one taught (by a human being), a madman.' This is like the Ayah:

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَتَذَكَّرُ الإِنسَـنُ وَأَنَّى لَهُ الذِّكْرَى

(On that Day will man remember, but how will that remembrance (then) avail him) (89:23)

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ فَزِعُواْ فَلاَ فَوْتَ وَأُخِذُواْ مِن مَّكَانٍ قَرِيبٍ - وَقَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ وَأَنَّى لَهُمُ التَّنَاوُشُ مِن مَّكَانِ بَعِيدٍ

(And if you could but see, when they will be terrified with no escape, and they will be seized from a near place. And they will say (in the Hereafter): "We do believe (now);" but how could they receive (faith and its acceptance by Allah) from a place so far off...) (34:51-52)

إِنَّا كَاشِفُواْ الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلاً إِنَّكُمْ عَآئِدُونَ

(Verily, We shall remove the torment for a while. Verily, you will revert.) means, `if We were to remove the torment from you for a while, and send you back to the world, you would go back to your former state of disbelief and denial.' This is like the Ayat:

وَلَوْ رَحِمْنَـهُمْ وَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِمْ مِّن ضُرٍّ لَّلَجُّواْ فِى طُغْيَـنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

(And though We had mercy on them and removed the distress which is on them, still they would obstinately persist in their transgression, wandering blindly.) (23:75)

وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ

(But if they were returned (to the world), they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars) (6:28)

The Meaning of the "Great Batshah"

يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبْرَى إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ

(On the Day when We shall strike you with the great Batshah. Verily, We will exact retribution.) Ibn Mas`ud interpreted this to mean the day of Badr. This is also the view of a group who agreed with Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, about the meaning of the smoke, as discussed above. It was also narrated from Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, in a report related to him from Al-`Awfi and from Ubayy bin Ka`b, may Allah be pleased with him. This is possible, but the apparent meaning is that it refers to the Day of Resurrection, although the day of Badr was also a day of vengeance. Ibn Jarir said, "Ya`qub narrated to me; Ibn `Ulayyah narrated to me, Khalid Al-Hadhdha' narrated to us, from `Ikrimah who said, `Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said that "the great Batshah" is the day of Badr, and I say that it is the Day of Resurrection." This chain of narration is Sahih to him. This is also the view of Al-Hasan Al-Basri and of `Ikrimah according to the more authentic of the two reports narrated from him. And Allah knows best.

God exalted be He says So watch out for the day when the heaven will produce a visible smoke. Thus the earth became barren and famine became so severe that they began to see what looked like smoke rising between the heaven and the earth

لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَ‌كَةٍ 'blessed night', in verse 2 according to majority of the Commentators, refers to 'laylatul Qadr' or the 'Night of Power' which occurs in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. During this night Allah sends down countless blessings for his slaves/servants. It has been explicitly mentioned in Surah Al-Qadr, thus:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ‌

"We sent it (the Qur'an) down in the Night of Qadr". (97:1)

This clearly indicates that the phrase 'laylah mubarakah' (blessed night) occurring in the verse refers to the 'Night of Power'. It is narrated in a Tradition of the Prophet ﷺ that all Prophets (علیہم السلام) since the inception of man till the end, received their respective Books in the month of Ramadan on different dates. Sayyidna Qatadah ؓ reports on the authority of Sayyidna Wathilah ؓ that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) received his Scriptures on 1st Ramadan, Torah was revealed on 6th Ramadan, Zabur was revealed on 12th Ramadan, Injil was revealed on 18th Ramadan and the Holy Qur'an was revealed on the night of 24th, that is, on 25th Ramadan. (Qurtubi).

The statement that the Qur’ an was revealed in the Night of Power’ means that it was revealed in its entirety from the Preserved Tablet to the lowest Firmament in one night of the month of Ramadan. But, it was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ gradually over a period of twenty-three years. Some scholars have expressed the opinion that the installment of the Qur'an that was destined to be revealed in a given year used to be sent down on the Night of Power from the Preserved Tablet to the Firmament of the Earth. (Qurtubi).

Some other scholars of Tafsir, like ` Ikrimah ؓ ، interpret the phrase 'laylah mubarakah' (blessed night) as referring to 'laylat-ul-bara'ah' (the Night of Immunity), that is, the 15th night of Sha` ban. But to say that the Qur'an was revealed during this night goes against the clear texts of the Qur'an: In شَهْرُ‌ رَ‌مَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْ‌آنُ ! and in إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ‌ we come across "The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was revealed...(2:185) " and "We have sent it (the Qur'an) in the Night of Qadr - (97:1) ". In the presence of such clear texts, it cannot be accepted, without any strong evidence, that the Qur'an was revealed in the Night of Immunity. There are, however, certain Traditions that speak highly of this night - that it is a night of blessings and that it is a night during which Allah showers His mercy. Some versions of the Tradition use exactly the same words as the Qur'an uses in the verse to describe 'laylah mubarakah' فِيهَا يُفْرَ‌قُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ‌ حَكِيمٍ أَمْرً‌ا مِّنْ عِندِنَا . "In that (night), every wise thing is decided (4) through a command from Us...(5) ". In interpreting this verse Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that it refers to the Night of Power, in which the Qur'an was revealed. In it all matters are decreed to happen from the present Night of Power to the next, relating to all creation, their births, their deaths, their provisions and other details. Other leading authorities on Tafsir, like Sayyidna Hasan, Qatadah, Mujahid and others ؓ concur with Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Mahdawi says that all matters decreed by Allah are, on this night, transferred to the angelic scribes who record the decrees of the coming year. Other texts of Qur'an and Sunnah bear testimony to the fact that Allah had decreed all matters in pre-eternity (azal) even before the creation of man. Therefore, the statement that man's destiny is decreed in this night simply means that the decrees for the whole year are handed over, in this night, to the relevant angels for implementation. (Qurtubi).

Because some versions of the Tradition state that births, deaths and sustenance are decreed in the night of immunity or 15th night of Sha'ban, some of the scholars have interpreted the phrase 'laylah mubarakah' in the current verse as referring to 'laylat-ul-bara'ah' or 'the Night of Immunity'. But this is not correct, because here the revelation of the Qur'an is mentioned first; and its revelation in the month of Ramadan is confirmed by the clear texts of the Qur'an. Some versions state that sustenance and other things are decreed in the Night of Immunity. Ibn Kathir, first of all, says this Tradition is mursal and such Tradition cannot be reliable in the presence of clear/express texts. Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn ` Arabi asserts that no authentic Tradition relating to mid-Sha'ban is available which may show that sustenance, births and deaths are determined and decreed in that night. He further rejects the idea that there is any reliable Tradition on the merit of this night. Ruh-ul-Ma` ani, however, cites a Tradition, without a chain of transmitters, narrated by Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ in which he says that sustenance, life and death are determined in the mid-Sha'ban night, and in the Night of Power the decrees are handed over to the angels. If this Tradition is confirmed, then the two interpretations can be reconciled and synchronized. Otherwise, the express words of Qur'an and authentic Traditions relating to 'laylah mubarakah' and 'fiha yufraqu...' in the verse of Surah Dukhan فِيهَا يُفْرَ‌قُ clearly show that they refer to the 'Night of Power'. As far as the merit of the night of mid-Sha'ban is concerned, it is a separate issue. Some Traditions do speak about it but they are weak. Therefore, Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn ` Arabi denied any merit of this night. Chains of Transmission of Traditions concerning mid-Sha'ban are all weak but, it may be suggested that, if the various ways of transmission are put together, they gain strength. Therefore, many great scholars have accepted the Traditions about mid-Sha'ban because there is room to act upon weak Traditions relating to meritorious actions. Allah knows best!