The
Promised Massih Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian [1835-1908] writes:
'Allah gives glad tidings to the faithful in Surah Al Qadr that His prophet and His revelation
descended from the heaven during the period of Laila-tul- Qadr (the Night of
Decree).
Every Muhaddath and Mujaddid who
is commissioned by Allah always appears during the Night of Decree.
Do you understand what is meant by the Night of Decree? The Night of
Decree or the Laila-tul- Qadr is the name of
a night when spiritual darkness reaches its ultimate gloom. That gloom,
metaphorically, demands a light from heaven for its dissipation. This night is
symbolically called the Night of Decree. In fact, it is not a night, but a
period, which is referred to as a ‘night’ because of its intense
darkness.
One
thousand months is the approximate life span of a human being. It is also a
period after which normal human senses ceases to function. The elapse of a period of one
thousand months, following the demise of a Prophet or his spiritual successor
also signals the commencement of a ‘night’ of darkness. This ‘night’ triggers
fervour in the heavens and the seeds of the birth of one or more reformers
(Mujaddidin) is stealthily sown. Thus such a Mujaddid or prepare to emerge at
the head of the new century. The following verse is also an indication by Allah
towards this phenomenon:
'The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.' (Surah Al Qadr, 97:4).
It means that anyone who perceives the blessings of this Night of Decree, or anyone who benefits from the company of the Mujaddid of the age, is better than an eighty year old man who failed to behold this blessed time. Even if he witnessed a single moment of this blessed era, it was better than his past one thousand months. Why is that moment better?
Because during that period, in support of the Mujaddid, the angels of
Allah and the Rooh-ul-Qudas (Holy Spirit) descend from the heavens. They
manifest themselves upon the hearts of the faithful for the purpose of
unveiling the path to guidance. They remain fully engaged in this endeavour
until the gloom of delinquency vanishes, ushering in a dawn of piety.
Now, O Muslims, Ponder over these verses and observe how Allah praises that blessed period in which, at the need of the hour, a Mujaddid is sent unto the world. Would you not acknowledge the value of this period? Would you view with ridicule and taunt the covenants of Allah, the Most High?'
---See Hazrat Ahmad, 'Fath-e-Islam':Victory of Islam, pp. 33-35, Qadian: Islam International Publications, (2003).