Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:79

"And from the night, perform tahajjud (prayer) with it..."

It is said that this means: "Part of the night is incumbent upon you." Its literal form suggests it is an expression of incitement (ighra'), as reported from al-Zajjaj and Abu al-Baqa' regarding the saying of the Exalted: "And the recitation of the dawn." Abu Hayyan countered this by stating that the object of incitement cannot be a particle, nor is it of any use to say that min (from) indicates partiality, as this does not render it a noun. Do you not see the consensus of the grammarians that wa (and) is a particle, even if it is interpreted as ma‘a (with)? It has been replied that the one who says this may hold that min is being treated as a noun in such instances, just as they said the kaf is treated as a noun in phrases like "making them like eaten straw" (ka-‘asfin ma’kul), and ‘an (from/about) in phrases like min ‘an yamini (from my right) and ‘ala nahwi min ‘alayhi. Likewise, those who hold that this is in the accusative case due to it being an adverb of time (zarfiyya) with an implied verb, meaning: "Stand for part of the night." Al-Hufi chose the view that min is connected to a verb indicated by the discourse, meaning: "Stay awake part of the night." Thus, the fa (so) in His saying: fatahajad bihi (so perform tahajjud with it) is either a coordinating particle connected to that implied verb, or it is explanatory, based on the style of "And fear Me" (wa-iyyaya farhabun).

In al-Kashf, it is stated that incitement is the apparent meaning here, contrary to what preceded, because the accusative case based on interpretation and varying connections is not entirely clear. The meaning of incitement is understood from what precedes and what follows, and the proofs for it support one another—though there is a manifest objection to this.

Tahajjud, according to what is reported from al-Layth, is waking up from sleep for prayer. It is also applied to the prayer itself after rising from sleep at night. It is said: "He performed tahajjud", i.e., he prayed at night after waking up; likewise, he hajada. This necessitates that sleep must precede the fulfillment of tahajjud. If one does not sleep and prays whatever one wishes, it is not called tahajjud. This is what is narrated from Mujahid, al-Aswad, ‘Alqama, and others. Al-Mubarrad said: It is staying awake for prayer or for the remembrance of Allah the Exalted. It is also said: It is staying awake for acts of obedience. Its literal form suggests that prior sleep is not a condition for its fulfillment. The popular view is that such prayer is called qiyam (standing/night vigil), and what occurs after sleep is called tahajjud.

Al-Hajjaj ibn ‘Amr al-Mazini expressed a strange view; it is narrated from him that he said: "Does one of you think that if he stands at night and prays until morning, he has performed tahajjud? Tahajjud is only prayer after sleep, then another prayer after a nap, then another prayer after a nap. This is how the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was." I say: The intercalation of sleep between prayers is mentioned in Sahih Muslim from the narration of Husayn from Habib ibn Abi Thabit. It is among those narrations that al-Daraqutni considered corrected from Muslim due to its inconsistency, for he said that ‘Ali narrated it from him in seven ways, and the majority disagreed with it—meaning the report in which sleep occurred. Many of the narrations do not contain this, so let this be guarded. It is stipulated that the prayer must not be one of the five [obligatory] prayers. If one sleeps past ‘Isha and then rises to pray it, it is not called tahajjud. There is no harm if it is an obligatory prayer—for example, if one sleeps past the Witr and then rises for it.

In al-Qamus, al-hujud is sleep, like tahajjud. Tahajjada and istayqaza (he woke up) are like hajada (antonyms). Ibn al-A‘rabi said: Hajada al-rajulu (the man prayed at night), and hajada (he slept at night). Abu ‘Ubayda said: Al-hajid is the sleeper and the one praying. In Majma’ al-Bayan, it is said that hajadtuhu means "I put him to sleep," and upon this is the saying of Labid: "I said 'we slept' (hajadna), he said 'the journey was long'." It is reported from Ibn Barzakh that it is said: Hajadtuhu means "I woke him up." The infinitive of this tahjid is also explicitly mentioned in al-Qamus as being among the antonyms. Some mention that the well-known usage in the language of the Arabs is that al-hujud means sleep, and tahajjud is interpreted as the abandonment of al-hujud (sleep), on the basis that the tafa‘‘ul form indicates removal, like ta’athum (abandoning sin) and tahannuth (abandoning false worship). This is the source for those who interpret it as waking up. It is possible to say that tafa‘‘ul is for striving/cost (takalluf), meaning: "Striving for al-hujud," meaning wakefulness. This is preferred because the tafa‘‘ul form coming for takalluf is more frequent than its coming for removal. This is countered by the fact that the use of al-hujud for wakefulness is disputed in its establishment, and even if established, it is rarer than its use for sleep.

The pronoun in bihi (with it) refers to the Quran in its generic sense, not restricted to its addition to the dawn. This has been used as evidence for lengthening the recitation in the tahajjud prayer, and the scholars have explicitly declared this to be recommended. In Sahih Muslim, from the hadith of Hudhayfah: "I prayed behind the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) one night, and he opened with al-Baqarah. I said: 'He will bow at the hundred.' But he continued. I said: 'He will pray it in one *rak’ah.' But he continued. Then he opened al-Nisa’ and recited it, then opened Al ‘Imran and recited it, reciting with measured pace (tarrasulan). If he passed by a verse of glorification, he glorified..." The report continues. It is also possible that it refers to the "part" understood from His saying: "from the night," and the ba (in/with) is for the adverbial sense, meaning: "Perform tahajjud in that part."

Ibn ‘Atiyyah said: It refers to the time implied in the noble arrangement, meaning: "Stand for a time of the night, and perform tahajjud with it as nafilah (a supererogatory act) for you—an obligatory act exceeding the five daily prayers, specific to you and not the Ummah." Perhaps this is the reason for delaying its mention after the mention of the dawn prayer, despite its time preceding the time of the dawn prayer. It is used as evidence that what the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was commanded to do, his Ummah is also commanded to do, unless there is evidence indicating specification, as is the case here. Evidence for this is what Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Ibn Marduyah extracted from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said regarding this: "It is specific to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace); he was commanded to stand at night and it was written upon him." However, al-Nun (al-Nawawi) corrected that the obligation of tahajjud was abrogated for him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Abu Hamid from the Shafi’is reported this and said it is the correct view.

It is said that the address in laka (for you) is to him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but the meaning is him and his Ummah, on the pattern of the address in "Establish the prayer" mentioned earlier, meaning: "A supererogatory act exceeding the five prayers for your benefit." Thus, there is evidence for the obligation of tahajjud upon him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and upon his Ummah, but it was abrogated for the Ummah and remained for him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), based on what Ibn Abi Hatim extracted from al-Dahhak, who said: "Night standing was abrogated except for the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." Or, it was also abrogated for him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) based on the correct view—though this is very contrary to the apparent meaning.

It is permissible that nafilah means "virtue," either because he (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was favored over his Ummah by its obligation (even if abrogated later), or because it is a virtue for him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and an increase in his degrees, and it is not, in relation to him, an expiation for sins or a filler for defects occurring in the obligatory prayers, as it and other supererogatory acts are for the Ummah, because he (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has had his past and future sins forgiven, and his obligatory prayers and all his acts of worship occur in the most perfect way. This latter view was extracted by al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala'il, Ibn Jarir, and others from Mujahid, and by Ibn Abi Hatim from Qatadah, and by Ibn al-Mundhir from al-Hasan. The Imam deemed it good, while al-Tabari weakened it. Ibn ‘Atiyyah allowed the general address as you heard earlier, but he interpreted nafilah as "voluntary," which is also not substantial.

Perhaps it might occur to some minds, based on what preceded from Abu al-Baqa' regarding the saying of the Exalted: "The practice of those whom We sent before you of Our messengers," that it implies "follow the practice," just as the Exalted said: "Then follow their guidance." There is a possibility that His saying: "Establish the prayer," etc., is an explanation of the "following" that was commanded, and it contains the order for the five daily prayers. The prophets (upon them be peace) used to pray them, as indicated by the saying of Gabriel (peace be upon him) in the report of his teaching him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) the manner of prayer after his five prayers: "This is the time of the prophets before you." This is apparent in that they (upon them be peace) used to pray them. The utmost that can be said is that, according to the view that they were not gathered for any but our Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)—which is the correct view—it is possible that it means it is their time in general, even if some of them were specified to a time, as it is reported that the morning was for Adam, the noon for David (or in one narration for Abraham), the afternoon for Solomon (or in one narration for Jonah), the evening for Jacob (or in one narration for Jesus), and the night for Jonah (or in one narration for Moses) (upon them be peace). However, this does not cause harm; rather, it is more fitting for the command to follow the practice of all of them.

The Imam used as evidence that he (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is superior to all other prophets (upon them be peace) the saying of the Exalted: "Then follow their guidance," from the aspect that he (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was commanded to follow the guidance of all of them, and whoever fulfills that, then he possesses—in his view—the guidance that everyone possesses; thus he is superior to each one of them. In that case, it is said that the meaning of this being nafilah for him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is that it is additional to the five prayers, specific to him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and not to the rest of the prophets (upon them be peace) whose practice he was commanded to follow. This is something that one should not turn to or rely upon. What is worthy of it is to place it in the category of "self-talk," and imagining it to be a sea of musk with golden waves. Its corruption, in root and branch, is something not hidden from anyone who has the slightest sense and minimal knowledge. And Allah is the Protector from slips and the Guardian against error and foolishness.

The accusative case of nafilah is either based on it being an infinitive with the implication of tanaffal (performing a supererogatory act), and al-Hufi estimated it as nafalnaka (We granted you extra), or by making tahajjud mean tanaffal, or by making nafilah mean tahajjud (as this is an additional act of worship). Or, it is an accusative of state (hal) with the pronoun returning to the Quran, meaning: "While it is a supererogatory prayer," as Abu al-Baqa' said. Or, it is an object of tahajjud, as al-Hufi allowed if it means "pray," and making the pronoun refer to the part understood or the time implied, meaning: "And pray in it as a nafilah for you."

"Perhaps your Lord will raise you..."

...The One who brings you to your excellence befitting you after the Greater Death, after you have risen from the Lesser Death through prayer and worship. The meaning is based on causality and easing the difficulty of standing at night, until some claimed that ‘asa (perhaps) means "so that" (kay), which is an illusion. Rather, it is—as the scholars of meanings said—for hope (tama’). And since a Noble One hoping a person for something and then depriving him of it is deception—and Allah the Almighty and Glorious is too Exalted and Noble to deceive anyone by giving him hope in something and then not giving it—they said it denotes necessity from Him, may His glory be exalted, in the sense that what is hoped for will inevitably occur as a promise. It is said that it is on its original meaning of hope, but redirected to the addressee, i.e., "Be in a state of hope that your Lord will raise you..."

"...to a Praised Station."

It is a complete sentence. An yab’athaka is its subject, Rabbuka is its [logical] agent, and maqaman—as a group said—is in the accusative as an adverb of time, either with an implied verb of "establishing," or by incorporating the aforementioned verb. That is: "Perhaps He will raise you and establish you in a station," i.e., "in a station," or "He will establish you in a praised station as one who raises," since it is not correct for such an adverb to be governed unless it is a verb that carries the meaning of stability, contrary to al-Kisa'i. In al-Bahr, it is considered more likely that it is governed by yab’athuka (raise), and it is an infinitive from a root other than the verb, since nab’athu means nuqimu (We establish). You say: "He was raised from his grave" (uqima min qabrihi) and "He was sent from his grave" (bu‘itha min qabrihi).

Abu al-Baqa' and others allowed it to be a state (hal) with the assumption of an added noun, meaning: "We will raise you as one possessing a station." It is said that it is permissible for it to be an object of yab’athuka by incorporating the meaning of "We will grant you." Abu Hayyan allowed that ‘asa is an incomplete verb and Rabbuka is the subject, with the assumption that maqaman is in the accusative governed by an omitted [verb] "He will not raise" so that a separation between the agent and the governed by an alien element does not occur. The indefiniteness of maqaman is for glorification. What is intended by that station is the station of the Great Intercession in the separation of judgment, where no one exists except that he is under his banner (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Al-Bukhari and others extracted from Ibn ‘Umar, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: "The sun will draw near until the sweat reaches half the ear. While they are like that, they will seek help from Adam; he will say, 'I am not the one for that.' Then Moses; he will say likewise. Then Muhammad; he will intercede, and Allah the Exalted will judge between the creatures. He will walk until he takes the ring of the door of Paradise, and on that day Allah the Exalted will raise him to a Praised Station, which all the people of the gathering will praise him for."

Al-Tirmidhi—and he graded it hasan—extracted from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri who said: The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "I am the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection, and no boast. In my hand is the Banner of Praise, and no boast. There is no prophet on that day—Adam and those after him—except that he is under my banner. And I am the first for whom the earth will split open, and no boast." The people will be terrified by three terrors. They will come to Adam and say: "You are our father, intercede for us with your Lord." He will say: "I committed a sin for which I was brought down to the earth, but go to Noah." They will come to Noah, and he will say: "I invoked an invocation against the people of the earth, and they were destroyed, but go to Abraham." He will say: "Go to Moses." He will say: "I killed a soul, but go to Jesus." He will say: "I was worshipped besides Allah the Exalted, but go to Muhammad." They will come to me, and I will go with them and take the ring of the door of Paradise, and rattle it. It will be said: "Who is this?" I will say: "Muhammad." They will open for me and say: "Welcome." I will fall down prostrate, and Allah the Exalted will inspire me with praise and glorification such as He has never inspired anyone before me. Then it will be said: "Raise your head, ask and you shall be given, intercede and your intercession will be accepted, speak and your word will be heard." This is the Praised Station which Allah the Exalted said: "Perhaps your Lord will raise you to a Praised Station."

In some narrations, it is mentioned that he (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will prostrate four prostrations—i.e., like the prostrations of prayer, as is apparent—under the Throne, and what they feared will be answered. Al-Ghazali mentioned in al-Durra al-Fakhira that between their coming to one prophet and their coming to the next is a thousand years, but this has no basis, as the Hafiz Ibn Hajar said.

It is said that it is the station of intercession for his Ummah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), according to what was extracted by Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala'il from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he was asked about the Praised Station in the verse, and he said: "It is the station where I will intercede for my Ummah." Those who hold the first view replied that it is possible that what is meant is the station where I first intercede for my Ummah. The two Shaykhs [Bukhari and Muslim] and others extracted from Abu Hurayrah also, in a long hadith regarding intercession, which contains the people's panic to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (upon them be peace), and the excuse of each of them, except Jesus (upon them be peace), due to a sin. He (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "They will come to me"—meaning the people after the prophets (upon them be peace) I have mentioned—and they will say: "O Muhammad, you are the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets, and Allah the Exalted has forgiven you your past and future sins. Intercede for us with your Lord, do you not see what we are in?" I will depart and come under the Throne and fall prostrate to my Lord, then Allah the Exalted will open for me of His praises and beautiful eulogies something He has not opened for anyone before me. Then it will be said: "O Muhammad, raise your head, ask and you shall be given, intercede and your intercession will be accepted." I will raise my head and say: "My Ummah, O Lord." It will be said: "O Muhammad, admit those of your Ummah who have no account from the right door of the doors of Paradise; they are partners of the people in what is other than that of the doors."

Some people interpreted it as the station of intercession in the place of the Gathering where everyone acknowledges incapacity, which is more general than being common, like the intercession for the separation of judgment, or specific, like the intercession for some of the sinners of his Ummah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) regarding their pardon. Limiting it to one of the two matters in some reports is for a subtlety the situation demanded; for every station there is a discourse. Interpreting this intercession for the Ummah in the aforementioned hadith of Abu Hurayrah as the intercession for some of their sinners in the place of standing before they enter the Fire—otherwise, if intercession for them was intended after the Reckoning and the entry of the people of Paradise into Paradise and the people of the Fire into the Fire, as narrated from Abu Sa‘id, it would not be possible to reconcile the narrations except by saying: The Praised Station is the station of intercession, general whether in the place of standing, and specific, or whether after that, and the limitation is for a subtlety.

It has been interpreted as the station of intercession absolutely. Ibn Marduyah extracted from Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, who said: The Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about the Praised Station, and he said: "It is intercession." Ibn Jarir extracted from Wahb from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The Praised Station is intercession." Ibn Jarir, al-Tabarani, and Ibn Marduyah extracted from paths from Ibn ‘Abbas that he interpreted it as such. Then, intercession, as it is, even if others—the angels, prophets (upon them be peace), and some believers—share in it with him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the complete intercession and the virtuous types are not proven for anyone other than him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Some have brought the intercessions specific to him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) up to ten, and some commentators of Bukhari mentioned it, so let it be consulted. The station is described as "praised," according to what was mentioned, in consideration that the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is praised therein for his bounty that reaches the special and the general of the types of creatures.

Al-Nasa'i and al-Hakim—and a group graded it authentic—extracted from Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "People will be gathered on one level plain; the caller will make them hear, and the sight will penetrate them, barefoot, naked, as they were created, standing, no soul will speak except by His permission. Then it will be called: 'O Muhammad.' He will say: 'Labbayk wa sa’dayk (I am here to serve and obey), all good is in Your hands, and evil is not attributed to You. The guided is whom You guided, and Your servant is before You. In You there is no refuge and no salvation from You except to You. Blessed and Exalted are You, glory be to You, Lord of the House.' This is the Praised Station."

Al-Tabarani extracted from Ibn ‘Abbas that he said regarding the verse: "He will seat him between Himself and Gabriel (peace be upon him) and he will intercede for his Ummah; that is the Praised Station." Ibn Jarir extracted from Mujahid that he said: "The Praised Station is that He will seat him with Him on His Throne." You know that praise in most of these narrations is metaphorical according to those who say that it is specific to praising bounty. As for those who say it is not specific, then there is no metaphor. Al-Wahidi countered the statement that the Praised Station is seating him with Him—the Almighty and Glorious—on the Throne, after mentioning his narration from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), by saying that it is a vile, frightening, and monstrous saying; such a thing cannot be correctly attributed to Ibn ‘Abbas, and the text of the Book cries out against its corruption from several aspects: First, "raising" (ba‘th) is the opposite of "seating." It is said: "Allah the Exalted raised the dead" if He stood him up from his grave. "I raised the sleeping and the sitting," so he rose (inba‘atha). Thus, interpreting it as [seating] is interpreting the opposite with the opposite. Second, if He—the Exalted—were seated on the Throne, He would be limited and finite, and thus He would be created—the Exalted is far above that with great exaltation. Third, He—the Exalted—said "a station" (maqaman) and did not say "a seat" (maq’adan), and the station is the place of standing, not sitting. Fourth, the fools and the ignorant say that all the people of Paradise will sit with Him—the Exalted—and He will ask them about their worldly affairs, so there is no distinction for him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in sitting with Him—the Almighty and Glorious. Fifth, if it is said: "The Sultan raised so-and-so," it is understood that he sent him to a people to fix their affairs, and it is not understood that he seated him with himself. End quote.

Abu ‘Umar did not come across this except in the narration of that from Mujahid, so he said: "Even if Mujahid is one of the Imams in the interpretation of the Quran—until it was said: 'If the interpretation comes to you from Mujahid, it is sufficient for you'—he has two statements abandoned by the scholars of knowledge: one is the interpretation of the Praised Station as this 'seating,' and the second is the interpretation of 'Looking at its Lord' as 'awaiting reward'."

Al-Naqqash mentioned from Abu Dawud al-Sijistani that he said: "Whoever denies this hadith is, in our view, suspicious. The people of knowledge have always narrated it." Ibn ‘Atiyyah said: "He meant whoever denies it while holding his interpretation is suspicious." His (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, "He seats me with Him," is sometimes interpreted as the elevation of his station and his honoring over His creation, like the saying of the Exalted: "Those who are with your Lord," and His saying—narrating—"Build for me a house with You," and His saying: "And Allah is with the doers of good," and other things that are a metonymy for rank, not for a place.

You know that it is not appropriate for Mujahid or others to interpret the Praised Station as "seating on the Throne," as you have heard, without that seating being established for him in a report like the report of al-Daylami from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said regarding His saying—the Exalted—"Perhaps He will raise you," etc.: "He will seat me with Him on the couch." If the interpreter clings to this or the like, he cannot be argued against except by challenging its authenticity. Once authenticity is proven, there is no room for the believer except submission. What al-Wahidi mentioned does not necessitate the lack of authenticity. How many hadiths have they affirmed the authenticity of, while their literal meanings necessitate the impossible? Like the hadith of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri containing the believers' seeing Allah—the Almighty and Glorious—and then His coming to them in a form lower than the one in which they saw Him, and His saying to them: "I am your Lord," and their saying: "We seek refuge in Allah the Exalted from you," until He reveals His leg, so they prostrate, then raise their heads while He has transformed into the form in which they saw Him the first time—and this is in the two Sahihs. And the hadith of Laqit ibn ‘Amir containing his (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying: "You will remain as long as you remained, then your Prophet will die, then you will remain as long as you remained, then the Shout will be raised, by the life of your Lord, it will leave nothing on its surface except that it dies, and the angels who are with your Lord—the Almighty and Glorious—then your Lord will begin to roam the earth, and the lands will be empty for Him," the hadith. The Imams of the Sunnah have narrated it in their books, received it with acceptance, and met it with submission and yielding, along with countless examples of this type. The schools of the hadith scholars and the thinkers among the scholars in discussing these are not hidden. Whenever you apply the method there, apply it here, for everything is close to something close.

The Sufis say: Allah—the Almighty and Glorious—has manifestation in whatever He wills, upon whatever He wills, and He—the Exalted—in the state of His manifestation remains upon His absoluteness, even from the constraint of absoluteness, for He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. Whenever He—the Glorious and Exalted—manifests in a form, the rulings of that form are applied to Him—the Exalted—from the perspective of manifestation. Thus, He is described—the Almighty and Glorious—according to them, as sitting and the like from that perspective. Through this, many things are resolved. However, this is built upon that the proof of which is [impossible/difficult], and al-Wahidi's objection in the third aspect is met by the fact that even if "station" (maqam) is in origin the place of standing, it became common for the absolute place, and it is applied to rank and honor. As to what he mentioned in the first aspect, there is nothing there except the interpretation of the Praised Station as "seating," not the interpretation of "raising" as "seating." Yes, there is leniency, and what is meant is that putting him in the praised place is seating him on the Throne. This meaning is achieved by keeping "raising" on its meaning and estimating "establish you" in the sense of "put you in a place," and by interpreting it as "establishing" in the sense of "placing." It is sometimes said: There is no leniency, and what is intended by the station is the rank, and "raising" contains the meaning of "giving," i.e., "Perhaps your Lord will give you a praised rank, which is seating you on His Throne as one being raised." What he mentioned in the second aspect is true if what is intended by sitting on the Throne is its literal sense; if another meaning is intended, we do not concede the necessary consequence, and the door of interpretation is wide. The "seating with Him" has been interpreted as the elevation of rank and honor, and it is a term spoken with ambiguity (tashkik). Whenever it is proven that all the people of Paradise sit with Him, we believe in it while affirming the distinction for the Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and thus what he mentioned in the fourth aspect is repelled. It is replied to what is in the fifth aspect that "seating with Him" was not understood from the mere "raising," and no one claimed that, so "the Sultan raised so-and-so" being understood as "he sent him to a people to fix their affairs" and not understood as "he seated him with himself" does not harm us, as is not hidden from a fair person.

In sum, as it is said or will be said, no attention is paid to it if the interpretation is proven from the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). But in that case, the contradiction between the apparent meanings of the narrations remains. Hence, some said: The Praised Station is what encompasses every station that contains honor for him (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the limitation in some narrations to some of them is for a subtlety, like what passed. Describing it as being "praised" is either in consideration that he (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) praises Allah the Exalted for it with the most extreme praise, or in consideration that everyone who witnesses it praises him, and it is not a condition that the praise be in response to a favor. This includes every station he (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has that is praised in Paradise.

Likewise, it includes what the Mufti of the Sufis, my master Shihab al-Din al-Suhrawardi, allowed: that the Praised Station is his (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) being granted a rank of knowledge not given to any other of the creation at all. For he mentioned in a treatise of his on beliefs that the knowledge of the common believers will be on the Day of Resurrection like the knowledge of their scholars in the world, and the knowledge of the scholars will be at that time like the knowledge of the prophets (upon them be peace), and the knowledge of the prophets will be like the knowledge of our Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and our Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will be granted of knowledge what no one from the worlds has been granted. Perhaps this is the Praised Station. I have not seen this for anyone other than him—may mercy be upon him. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

Then, this disagreement regarding the Praised Station here did not occur in the Adhan prayer; rather, the scholar Ibn Hajar al-Haytami claimed that it refers to the station of the Great Intercession for the separation of judgment by consensus, so reflect on this station, and Allah the Exalted is the Guardian of bounty and understanding.