From a verse of the Qur'an to the proof of the life of Imam Zaman (AS); What is the argument of Surah Qadr?

The fourth verse of Surah Qadr informs about the descent of angels and spirits on this night; An event that, according to the traditions of Ahl al-Bayt (AS), is repeated every year. The same continuity raises a basic question: Who is the annual destinies revealed to, and what is this issue related to the necessity of the existence of a living divine authority?

According to the Missionary Thought and Culture Base, the continuation of the descent of the angels on the night of destiny and the connection of this event with the destiny of affairs, among the Quranic and narrative arguments in Shia thought, is to prove the necessity of the existence of divine living evidence in all eras; An argument based on the verses of Surah Qadr and the traditions of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), explains the position of the Imam of the Age (a.s.) in the Shia belief system.

In the Shia belief system, belief in the life of Imam Zaman (A.S.) is one of the fundamental pillars of Mahdism. One of the topics that have been the focus of scholars and religious researchers in explaining this belief is the connection between the continuity of the night of power, the descent of angels and the necessity of divine proof in every era.

According to the narration of the field, in order to examine the dimensions of this Quranic and narrative argument, the following is a conversation with Hojjatul-Islam wal-Muslimin Seyyed Reza Moadeb, one of the researchers in the field of Quranic and Hadith studies, a description of this view and its narrative documentation.

Why is Surah Qadr cited to prove the existence of Imam al-Zaman (AS)?

Surah Mubarakah Qadr is one of the surahs that have been cited in Shia narrations and interpretations to explain the necessity of the existence of an Imam and divine proof in every era. In the fourth verse of this surah we read:

"The descent of the angels and the spirit in them, with the permission of their Lord, of the whole world"

According to this verse, the angels and the soul descend on the night of destiny, with the permission of the Lord, to carry out divine missions related to the matters of destiny.

In the narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), this verse is related to the theme of the continuation of the night of Qadr and the presentation of divine predestination on God's authority. According to these narrations, on the night of Qadr, the angels present the affairs of the coming year to the imam of each evening; Matters that include various aspects of the life of humans and other creatures.

From this point of view, the descent of angels is not only an event related to the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), but it is repeated every year. The continuation of this event is one of the main axes of the narrative argument about the necessity of the existence of living divine evidence in all eras.

Continuation of Shab al-Qadr in the light of Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) traditions

In Shia narrative sources, there are hadiths that emphasize the continuity of the night of destiny and the necessity of the presence of God's authority on earth. Among these hadiths is a hadith narrated in Kitab al-Kafi, volume one, page 251.

In this narration, Imam Baqir (a.s.) emphasizes the point that God has decreed that there is a night in every year in which interpretation and explanation of matters will be revealed until the night of Qadr of the next year. In the continuation of the narration, the necessity of existence of proof for the people of the earth from the beginning of creation to the end of the world has been raised.

The content of the narrative shows that the night of destiny in the eyes of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) is not only a reminder of a historical event, but a continuous event in the system of divine planning. According to this view, just as the descent of angels and the communication of divine affairs continues, the existence of a proof that these affairs are presented to him is also necessary.

In another part of this narration, the role of the prophets and their guardians is mentioned and it is stated that the previous prophets also received missions in connection with the night of destiny and appointed a guardian after them. This theme, in the framework of Shia beliefs, explains the link between the continuity of divine guidance and the existence of proof in every era.

Is the Night of Qadr only for the time of the Prophets?

In the continuation of this discussion, a narration of Abu Dharr is mentioned, in which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is asked about the continuation of the Night of Qadr. The question is, did the night of Qadr exist only during the lifetime of the prophets and for the revelation to them, or will it continue after the death of the prophets until the Day of Judgment?

According to the mentioned quote, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) emphasizes the continuation of the night of Qadr until the Day of Judgment. This narration, along with the hadiths related to the descent of angels and the existence of divine proof, is another basis for the Shiite argument about the continued presence of proof on earth.

From the continuation of the descent of angels to the necessity of the existence of a living imam

The result of these verses and narrations in the Shia commentary is that the night of Qadr is not an event limited to the beginning of Islam and continues until the end of the world. On the other hand, in the traditions of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), the descent of angels on this night is connected with the existence of divine authority and the presentation of destiny to him.

Based on this, if the night of destiny is repeated every year and God's proof must still be present on earth, then no age can be considered devoid of God's living proof. According to Shia Imamia, this proof is Hazrat Mahdi (AS) in the current era.

Of course, it should be noted that the verses of Surah Qadr alone do not state the name of Imam Zaman (AS) or all the details of this argument; Rather, the mentioned result is obtained from the connection between the verses of the Qur'an, the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) and the fundamentals of Shia belief about the continuity of the Imamate.

From this point of view, Surah Qadr, in addition to expressing the greatness and status of the Night of Qadr, in Shia narrative interpretation, also provides a platform for discussing one of the important topics of Mahdism: that divine guidance and the presence of God's proof are not limited to a specific period, and in every era, there is a living proof for the earth.