Tتجافى جنوبهم عن المضاجع (Their sides forsake their beds)

This is an inaugural sentence intended to clarify the remainder of their virtues. It is also permissible for it to be a circumstantial (hal) clause or a second predicate for the subject. Tتجافى (forsake) means to distance and lift oneself. الجنوب (sides) is the plural of جنب (side). Al-Raghib stated that the origin of janb is the limb, then it is used metaphorically for the side adjacent to it, as is the custom in the metaphorical usage of other limbs, such as "right" and "left." المضاجع is the plural of مضجع, meaning places of reclining for sleep. That is: their sides move away and lift from the places of sleep. This is a metonymy for their abandonment of sleep. Similar to this is the statement of Abdullah ibn Rawahah describing the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):

A Prophet whose side forsakes his bed, when the beds of the polytheists are weighed down.

It is well-known that what is intended by this distancing is rising for supererogatory prayers at night. This is the view of al-Hasan, Mujahid, Malik, al-Awza'i, and others. There are authentic reports that attest to this. Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi (who graded it authentic), al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Muhammad ibn Nasr in Kitab al-Salah, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Hakim (who graded it authentic), Ibn Marduyah, and al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman recorded from Mu'adh ibn Jabal, who said: "I was with the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey, and one day I was near him while we were traveling. I said, 'O Prophet of Allah, tell me of an act that will admit me into Paradise and distance me from the Fire.' He said: 'You have asked about a great matter, yet it is easy for him whom Allah the Exalted makes it easy: Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, establish prayer, give zakah, fast Ramadan, and perform Hajj to the House.' Then he said: 'Shall I not guide you to the doors of goodness? Fasting is a shield, charity extinguishes sin, and the prayer of a man in the depths of the night.' Then he recited: 'Their sides forsake their beds' until he reached 'they used to do.'"

Abu al-Darda', Qatadah, and al-Dahhak said: It is that a man prays the Isha and Subh (Fajr) prayers in congregation. From al-Hasan and 'Ata': It is that a man does not sleep until he has prayed Isha. Al-Tirmidhi (who graded it authentic), Ibn Jarir, and others recorded from Anas that he said: "This verse, 'Their sides forsake their beds,' was revealed regarding those who wait for the prayer called the 'Atamah (Isha)." In another narration from him, he said it was revealed regarding us, the Ansar; we would pray Maghrib and would not return to our families until we prayed Isha with the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It is also said: It is that a man prays Maghrib and prays after it until Isha. Abdullah ibn Ahmad recorded in Zawa'id al-Zuhd, as did Ibn 'Adi and Ibn Marduyah, from Malik ibn Dinar, who said: "I asked Anas ibn Malik about this verse, 'Their sides forsake their beds,' and he said: 'A group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), among the first Emigrants (Muhajirun), would pray Maghrib and pray after it until the last Isha, so this verse was revealed regarding them.'" Qatadah and 'Ikrimah said: It is that a man prays between Maghrib and Isha. This is supported by what Muhammad ibn Nasr recorded from Abdullah ibn 'Isa, who said: "Some of the Ansar would pray between Maghrib and Isha, so 'Their sides forsake their beds' was revealed regarding them."

Ibn Jarir recorded from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said regarding the verse: "Their sides forsake their beds for the remembrance of Allah the Exalted. Whenever they wake up, they remember Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, whether in prayer, standing, sitting, or lying on their sides; they are always remembering Allah the Exalted." He, along with Muhammad ibn Nasr, narrated something similar from al-Dahhak. The majority relied upon the well-known view. Regarding the virtue of Tahajjud (night prayer), there are countless reports, and the most excellent of it, as stated by more than one scholar, is that which is performed in the pre-dawn hours (as-sahar).

(They call upon their Lord) is a circumstantial clause referring to the pronoun in جنوبهم (their sides), though the part has been annexed to it. It is also permissible, under the assumption that the sentence 'forsake...' is a circumstantial clause, for it to be a second circumstantial clause from the word which that sentence was a circumstantial clause from. Under the assumption that it is a second predicate for the subject, it is a third predicate. It is also permissible for it to be an inaugural sentence. The apparent meaning of them calling upon their Lord (subhanahu) is the commonly understood meaning. It is also said: What is intended is prayer. خوفا (in fear)—that is, fearing His wrath, may He be exalted, His punishment, and the non-acceptance of their worship. وطمعا (and in hope)—in His mercy, may He be blessed and exalted. The two verbal nouns (masdars) are circumstantial clauses referring to the pronoun in يدعون (they call). It is also permissible for them to be verbal nouns for an implied verb—that is, they fear with a fear and hope with a hope—and in that case, the sentence would be a circumstantial clause, or they could be acting as maf'ul lahu (an object denoting the cause). It is not hidden that the verse is more commendable when interpreted as a circumstantial clause.

(And from what We have provided them)—of wealth—(they spend) on the paths of righteousness.