The first two verses of Surah Al-Qadr (97:1-2) in Arabic, which refer to the revelation of the Qur’an during Laylat al-Qadr, are as follows:

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ ٱلْقَدْرِ

“Indeed, We sent it [the Qur’an] down during the Night of Decree.”

“And what can make you know what the Night of Decree is?”

The timing of the Qur’an’s first revelation is quite special, offering a key to understanding the Qur’an in detail. In Shaa Allah here we will explore a simple and contemporary, science-friendly analogy. We can also learn it in an easy way.

Imagine the moment the Qur’an first arrived as a doorway. On one side of this doorway is our world, where time is constantly changing—seconds become minutes, minutes turn into hours, days pass, and years go by. On the other side is the time of the Qur’an, which never changes and remains constant.

Our time moves in a large circle around this doorway, attempting to connect with the Qur’an’s time. However, no matter how hard it tries, it cannot fully join with it or completely separate from it. This is akin to trying to close a loop but always having a tiny gap left, no matter how small the circle is made. This small gap is why we cannot precisely determine Laylatul Qadr, or The Night of Decree. It is a very important time linked to something beyond our usual understanding of time, reminding us there is so much we do not know and that some things are beyond our grasp.

We can relate this to the current digital age, as the Qur’an is always new and perfectly suited for the time. Consider this analogy, which draws on modern science to describe the unique timing of the Qur’an’s revelation.

The initial revelation of the Qur’an acts as a portal where our dynamic, ever-changing time intersects with the unalterable, eternal timeframe of the Qur’an. Our conventional understanding of time, progressing in cycles—from minutes to hours, days to weeks, and years—revolves around this juncture. Yet, in its rotation, it never achieves a perfect cycle, hindered by its inability to fully merge with or detach from the Qur’an’s infinite timeline. This leaves a minuscule, barely perceptible gap between our temporal reality and the enduring essence of the Qur’an.

Allah SWT knows best, this persistent gap may shed light on why Laylatul Qadr, known as The Night of Decree, eludes precise determination. This night is intricately connected to the infinite, highlighting the finite nature of our understanding against the backdrop of divine omniscience.