تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
On that night the angels and the Spirit descend, by their Lord's permission, for every matter
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تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ
On that night the angels and the Spirit descend, by their Lord's permission, for every matter
The previous verse described the Night of Decree as better than a thousand months. Now another of its extraordinary features is revealed: the descent of the angels and the Spirit by their Lord's command in connection with divine affairs and decrees.
In the Quran, the angels carry out God's commands. This verse, however, names the Spirit separately alongside the angels. Who or what is meant by the Spirit here?
Some commentators understand it to mean Gabriel, the angel entrusted with revelation, who is mentioned separately because of his special position. Another interpretation connects the Spirit with a reality related to God's amr, or command. This is linked with the Quran's answer to a question about the Spirit, where the Spirit is described as belonging to the command of the Lord وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًاThey ask you about the Spirit. Say: 'The Spirit belongs to my Lord's command; you have been given only a little knowledge.'. This verse alone does not establish the Spirit's precise identity or every aspect of its nature. What the wording clearly conveys is its special place in the event.
The expression bi-idhni rabbihim, “by their Lord's permission”, is also significant. The angels and the Spirit do not descend through power independent of God. Their descent takes place with His permission, and whatever tasks they perform belong within His command and governance.
What, then, does min kulli amr mean? One important explanation connects the angels' descent with the ordering of matters that God has decreed. Another understands the descent as being brought about by divine commands. On either view, the phrase connects the angels' activity with God's will and command.
This also relates to the interpretation of the Night of Decree as the time when matters for the coming year are determined. Ad-Dukhan speaks of the blessed night in which every wise matter is distinguished فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍOn that night every wise and firmly determined matter is distinguished.. The verb tanazzalu, “they descend”, is in the present tense and, along with other indications, can support the view that the descent continues on Nights of Decree in later years. On that interpretation, the night recurs annually, and the angels' descent is connected with the determination of affairs ahead. The verse does not explain exactly how this determination occurs, where the angels descend, or how they carry out their tasks.
The scene invites us to look beyond what is visible. In the Quran's picture of the world, reality is not limited to material events that our senses can observe. Divine command and governance are also at work. Recognising this can foster humility, trust in God and awareness of our responsibility before Him.
The last verse describes another quality of the night: peace continuing until dawn. Taken together, the angels' descent, God's governance and this peace offer a fuller picture of the Night of Decree.