Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:205

The sentence, based on what their words indicate, may be considered part of the speech that was commanded [in the preceding verse], and it is possible that it is an initiation of speech from His side, Exalted be He. As for the first [view], His saying—Exalted and Majestic be He—"And remember your Lord in your own self" is a conjunction connected to "Say," and as for the second, it involves an abstracting of the address to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), though it is general for every form of remembrance (dhikr); for concealment is more conducive to sincerity and closer to acceptance. In some traditions, it is said: "Allah, Exalted be He, says: 'Whoever remembers Me within himself, I remember him within Myself, and whoever remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a gathering better than them.'"

The Imam said: The intended meaning of remembering Him within one's self is to be cognizant of the meanings of the dhikr one utters with the tongue, while being mindful of the attributes of perfection, might, greatness, and majesty. This is because dhikr by the tongue alone, stripped of the dhikr of the heart, is as if it were of no benefit; rather, a group has stated that purely verbal dhikr has no reward at all. Whoever utters the "good word" without contemplating its meaning, or while being ignorant of it, is not considered a believer in the sight of Allah, Exalted be He.

It has been said: The address is directed to the one listening to the Quran, and the "remembrance" refers to the Quran itself, and the intent is to command the follower (ma'mum) to recite silently after the Imam finishes his recitation—though there is remoteness in this, even if one adheres to the opinion of the Imam.

His saying—Exalted and Majestic be He—"humbly and with fear" is in the position of a state (hal), interpreted through the active participle, meaning: "being humble and fearful," or by estimating an added possessor, meaning: "possessing humility and fear." To consider it as a maf'ul lahu (an object for the sake of which the action is done) is not appropriate. Some permitted it to be a verbal noun (masdar) for a verb other than the one mentioned, but that is of no substance. The root of khifa (fear) is khawfa.

"And without loudness of speech" in His saying—Exalted be He—is an attribute of a state-governed object that is elided; meaning: "and while speaking a speech that is without loudness," because duna (without/below) does not inflect according to the famous view. The conjunction is to "humbly." It is also said: There is no need for what was mentioned, and the conjunction is to its state (hal), and the meaning is to remember Him while being humble and moderate. It is also said: The conjunction is to His saying—Exalted be He—"in your own self," but according to the meaning: "Remember Him a remembrance in your own self, and a remembrance with your tongue without loudness."

The intended meaning of "loudness" is excessive raising of the voice, and what is "below it" is another type of loudness. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) said: "It is that he makes himself hear it." The Imam said: The intended meaning is that the remembrance occurs midway between loudness and silence, as He—Exalted be He—said: "And do not recite your prayer too loudly, nor whisper it." The words of Ibn Zayd suggest that what is intended by "loudness" is the opposite of remembrance "in one’s self," and the verse according to him is an address to the follower commanded to observe silence, meaning: "Remember your Lord, O silent one, in your own self, and do not raise your voice in remembrance."

"In the morning" (al-ghudu): It is the plural of ghudwa, as stated in the Qamus. In the Sihah, al-ghudu is the opposite of al-rawah (evening). It is said ghada yaghdu ghuduwan. His saying—Exalted be He—"in the morning" means in the mornings, which is the plural of ghudwa, namely the time between the dawn prayer and the rising of the sun. He expressed the time with the action, just as one says: "I came to you at the rising of the sun," meaning the time of the rising. It is an explicit text that al-ghudu is a verbal noun, not a plural; accordingly, a collective noun might be estimated with it—meaning "times of the morning"—so that it corresponds to His saying—Exalted and Majestic be He—"and the afternoon" (al-asal).

This, as al-Azhari said, is the plural of asal, and asal is the plural of asil—meaning that which is between the afternoon (asr) and the setting of the sun. Thus, it is a plural of the plural and not [a plural] for paucity, nor is it a plural of asil [directly], because fa'il is not pluralized as af'al. It has been said: It is a plural of it, as it is sometimes pluralized as such, like yamin (oath) and ayman. It is also said: It is a plural of asal as a singular, like unuq (neck), and it is also pluralized as asalan.

The prepositional phrase is connected to "remember." These two times were singled out for remembrance, it is said, because in the morning, the living being transitions from sleep—which is like death—to wakefulness, which is like life; and the world transitions from darkness, which is a privative nature, to light, which is an existential nature; and in the afternoon, the matter is the reverse. Or, it is because they are times of leisure, so remembrance in them is more firmly attached to the heart. It is also said: It is because they are the times when the angels take turns upon the son of Adam. It is also said: The intention is not specification, but rather the continuity and connection of remembrance, meaning: "Remember Him at all times."

Abu Mujazz Lahiq bin Humayd al-Sadusi recited "and al-isal," which is the verbal noun of asala when one enters the afternoon; this corresponds to ghudu based on the opinion of its singularity and its being a verbal noun. "And do not be among the heedless," of the remembrance of Allah, Exalted be He.