*Al-Muzzammil: 20*
"Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] less than two-thirds of the night..."
Adnā (less/closer) is a superlative derived from danā (to approach/be near). Since the distance between two things decreases as they draw near—thereby reducing the space between them—it is a figurative expression (majaz mursal). The proximity necessitates the reduction of space between the two things, so it is used either for its implication or for the concept of paucity itself. Some have permitted interpreting this as a simile, implying a metaphor, though the mursal (non-metaphorical) interpretation is more immediate.
Al-Hasan, Shaybah, Abu Haywah, Ibn al-Sumayqa’, Hisham, and Ibn Mujahid—according to the author of al-Kamil—recited thuluthay (two-thirds) with the lam quiescent (sukūn). This is also reported from Nafi’ and Ibn ‘Amir, according to the author of al-Lawami’. The phrases wa nisfahu (and half of it) and wa thuluthahu (and a third of it) are in the accusative case (nasb), acting as a conjunction to adnā. It is as if it were said: "He knows that you stand for less than two-thirds of the night, and you stand for half of it, and you stand for a third of it."
The two Arabs [Al-Basri and Al-Kufi] and Nafi’ recited nisfihi and thulthihi in the genitive case (jarr), conjoined to thuluthay of the night. This means: you stand for less than two-thirds, less than half, and less than a third. The first [recitation] corresponds to the freedom of choice mentioned earlier—between performing the full half, the remainder (the third), or the excess (the adnā of two-thirds). The second corresponds to the choice between the half (which is less than two-thirds), the third (which is less than half), and the quarter (which is less than a third). This is what many have stated, so take heed.
A difficulty arises: the discrepancy between the two recitations is evident; how, then, is the validity of God’s knowledge of their combined meaning sustained when they cannot coexist? It is answered that this relates to different times; each occurred at a different moment, and thus both were known to Him, Exalted is He.
Another difficulty: if the command was to perform the majority, it would imply either that the Prophet (peace be upon him) disobeyed the command or that his ijtihad (independent reasoning) was in error. Both are invalid. As for the first, it is obvious, especially if the command implies obligation. As for the second, those who allow his (peace be upon him) ijtihad and the possibility of error therein argue that he would not be confirmed in that error. The answer given is to concede that the command was for the minimum, but that they added to it out of fear of falling into disobedience. Since it was burdensome for them and God, Glory be to Him, knew that if they did not undertake the harder path they would fall into shortcoming, He abrogated the command. This is one opinion; contemplate it, for the matter still requires further study.
Ibn Kathir, in the narration of Shibl, recited wa thuluthuhu with the lam quiescent.
"And a group of those with you..." is conjoined to the hidden pronoun in taqūm (you stand). The separation between them is made elegant—that is, "and a group of your companions stands with you."
"And Allah determines the night and the day..." No one knows the precise measures of their hours except Allah, the Exalted. Placing His name at the beginning of the sentence—which serves as the subject for the predicate yuqaddir (He determines)—indicates exclusivity, as held by Jar Allah [Al-Zamakhshari]. This is supported by His words, "He knows that you will not [be able to] count it," for the pronoun refers to the source of the determination, not the prayer implied in the speech. The meaning is: He knows that you will not be able to determine the times and will not be able to precisely measure the hours, and you will not be able to calculate them with precision and balance unless you take the broader path for the sake of caution.
"So He has turned to you in mercy (fā-tāba ‘alaykum)..." i.e., by granting a license to forgo the previously required amount of prayer and by lifting the burden of its omission. The expression is metaphorical; it likens the grant of license to the acceptance of repentance in terms of removing a burden. It uses a term common to the musyabbah bihi (the thing being compared to) in the musyabbah (the thing being compared), just as in His words, "He has turned to you and pardoned you, so now, have relations with them." Some have claimed this implies that there were among them those who neglected some of what they were commanded, but this has no merit.
"So recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’an..." i.e., pray what is easy for you of the night prayer. He expressed the prayer through the word "recitation," just as He expresses it through its other pillars. It is said that the speech is to be taken literally, demanding the actual reading of the Qur’an, but this is far from the context. Those who hold the first view say that Allah, Exalted is He, made a specific amount of the night prayer mandatory in His words, "Stand [the night]," then it was abrogated by the requirement of a portion of it in His words, "So turn to you in mercy, so recite..." Thus, the command in both places is obligatory, except that the obligation was first a specific quantity, and secondly, an absolute portion, and then the obligation of that prayer was entirely abrogated for the Ummah by the five daily prayers.
Those who hold the second view say that Allah, Exalted is He, granted them a license to abandon all night prayer and commanded them to recite some of the Qur’an at night. It is as if it were said: "He has turned to you and granted a license to abandon [the prayer], so recite what is easy of the Qur’an if it is hard for you, for this is not hard, and through this recitation, you will attain the reward of the standing [prayer]." A group has explicitly stated that "so recite" in this case is a command of recommendation (nadb), unlike the first case.
Know that they differed regarding the command of Tahajjud (night prayer). According to Muqatil and Ibn Kaysan, it was obligatory in Makkah before the five prayers were made mandatory, then it was abrogated by them, except for what one performs as a voluntary act. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated this in the hadith of Jabir. Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Darimi, Ibn Majah, and Al-Nasa’i narrated from Sa’d bin Hisham that he asked Aisha, "O Mother of the Believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)." She said, "Do you not read the Qur’an?" He said, "Yes." She said, "The character of the Prophet of Allah was the Qur’an." He continued: "I intended to stand and not ask anyone about anything until I died, but then it occurred to me, and I said, 'Tell me about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah.' She said, 'Do you not read O you who are wrapped in blankets (Al-Muzzammil)?' I said, 'Yes.' She said, 'Allah, Exalted is He, made the night prayer obligatory at the beginning of this Surah. So the Prophet of Allah and his companions stood for a year, and Allah withheld the concluding [verses] of it for twelve months in the heaven, until Allah revealed the lightening [of the burden] at the end of the Surah, and the night prayer became voluntary.'"
In another narration from her, this lasted eight months. According to Qatada, it lasted a year or two. Some say it was obligatory and the choice in quantity was only a trial, then it was abrogated after ten years. A man would stand, as Al-Kalbi said, until morning out of fear that he did not maintain [the balance] between half, a third, and two-thirds. Others say it was always voluntary, based on the choice in quantity and His words, "And from the night, perform Tahajjud with it as an extra (nafilah) for you." Many have cited this, though they have analyzed it. However, the Imam, the author of al-Kashshaf, said that the person who argued this did not mean that the choice contradicts obligation, but rather he inferred from inductive reasoning that obligatory acts have specific, limited times, and the determination was not left to the judgment of the performer. This is a sound proof. As for those who claim it was mandatory, they looked at the wording and ignored the external proof. Each has a perspective. Regarding his words "...and for His words 'And from the night...'," the deduction is that nafilah (extra) means an addition to the obligatory acts for you specifically, and not for others, as it is voluntary for them. This proponent does not deny the obligation upon him (peace be upon him), but only upon others. The verse points to this, so there is no dispute in it.
Furthermore, when He, Exalted is He, mentioned in that Surah "And from the night," He specified a part of the night without timing it, whereas here He set a time, Exalted is He, regarding the participation of the Ummah with him (peace be upon him). His words, "And a group of those with you," descended upon the obligation for him (peace be upon him) specifically, and here upon voluntary action for him and the Ummah. This is a sound view, except that His words "He knows that you will not be able to count it... so He has turned to you in mercy" support the first view.
I mean by "the first" the view of obligation upon him and the Ummah. The outward appearance of many traditions bears witness to this. However, in al-Bahr, it is stated that His words "And a group of those with you" are proof that it was not obligatory for everyone, for if it were, the phrasing would have been "you and those with you." However, I believe that there were those among them who prayed in their homes and those who prayed with him; thus, the obligation is possible for everyone. And you know that "from" (min) does not necessarily denote partiality; it could be explanatory. Those who hold the view of obligation for all at the beginning of Islam interpret it as such, not as partiality regarding the companionship, for that is not entirely clear. And Allah knows best.
The verse, according to the latter opinion regarding "So recite..." indicates the recommendation to recite some of the Qur’an at night. In some traditions, "Whoever recites one hundred verses in a night is recorded among the pious." In others, "Whoever recites an verse is recorded among the devout," and in others, "fifty verses." The relied-upon opinion among the two is the first, and you have heard that the command in it implies obligation and that standing for a portion of the night was obligatory, then its obligation was abrogated for the Ummah by the obligation of the five prayers; thus, it is a Sunnah for the Ummah today. In al-Bahr, after interpreting "so recite" as "so pray," and recounting what was said regarding abrogation, this command is—according to the majority—a command of permission (ibahah). Al-Hasan and Ibn Sirin said the night prayer is mandatory, even if only for the duration of milking a sheep. Ibn Jubayr and a group said it is mandatory, and one must do it, even if only for the duration of fifty verses. This context suggests that these people consider it mandatory even today and that the obligation was not totally abrogated, but only the specific quantity. This is contrary to the well-known view, for it is reported from Ibn Abbas that the night prayer was lifted from the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and became voluntary, remaining mandatory only for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). I think the matter is clear enough without further proof, so let us fold the carpet of gossip and debate. Yes, the righteous predecessors were constant in their night prayer just as they were constant in the obligatory acts of Islam, due to the solitude with the Beloved and the companionship with Him—He who is the Near One without a watcher. We ask Allah, the Exalted, to grant us success as He granted them success, and to bestow upon us as He bestowed upon them.
A discussion remains: Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah be pleased with him) deduced from His words, "So recite what is easy of the Qur’an," that the mandatory requirement in prayer is absolute recitation, not the Fatiha specifically. This is apparent based on the view that the Qur’an refers to the prayer by its pillar—recitation—just as it refers to it by prostration, standing, and bowing in other places. He estimated "what is easy" as one verse, according to what Al-Mawardi narrated from him, or a third, according to what Ibn al-Arabi narrated. The issue is established in the subsidiary rulings (furu’). Al-Shafi’i and Malik restricted "what is easy" to the Fatiha, and they argued for the obligation of its recitation in prayer with many proofs. Among them is what Abu Hamid al-Isfara’ini narrated from Ibn al-Mundhir, with his chain of narration to Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "No prayer is sufficient unless the Fatiha of the Book is recited in it." And among them is what is narrated from Abu Hurayrah from him (peace be upon him): "Every prayer in which the Fatiha of the Book is not recited is deficient, it is deficient," i.e., lacking, for emphasis or as an adjective. It was objected that deficiency does not denote invalidity. It was answered that it does denote it, because the obligation for prayer stands, and the principle regarding that which is established is its continuation; we deviated from this when it is performed in a state of perfection, so upon deficiency, it must remain on the original principle and does not clear the obligation. This is reinforced by Abu Hanifah’s view on the invalidity of fasting on the day of Eid as a make-up for Ramadan, even though fasting is valid on that day according to him, arguing that the obligation upon him is the complete fast, and fasting on that day is deficient, so it does not result in clearing the obligation. Among them is his (peace be upon him) saying, "There is no prayer except with the Fatiha of the Book," which is explicit in the intended meaning, as the estimation is: "There is no valid prayer except with it." It was objected that it could be estimated as "no perfect prayer," for since it is impossible to negate the essence of prayer, as it is established without the Fatiha, there is no choice but to divert it to one of its rulings. Diverting it to validity is not more worthy than diverting it to perfection. It was answered that we do not concede the impossibility of the negation entering into its essence, because if the Fatiha is a part of the essence of prayer, it is negated when not recited; thus, it is valid for the negation to enter its essence. It would only be impossible if it were established that it is not a part of it, which is the beginning of the issue. Even if we concede this, we do not concede that diverting it to validity is not more worthy than perfection; rather, it is more worthy because carrying it to the closer metaphor when the literal meaning is impossible is better—indeed, it is answered by consensus. There is no doubt that an existing thing that is not valid is closer to non-existence than an existing thing that is perfect. Also, the principle is the continuation of what was, which is the obligation as it was, and because the side of caution is more deserving, as it is safer. Among them is that prayer without the Fatiha causes the loss of extra virtue without necessity, due to the consensus that prayer with it is better; thus, resorting to it is not permissible because it is considered ugly by custom, and thus it is ugly in Shariah, according to his (peace be upon him) saying, "What the Muslims see as good, it is good to Allah, and what they see as ugly, it is ugly to Allah." Among them is that its recitation necessitates clearing the obligation with certainty, so it is safer, and thus it is obligatory to say so based on the text: "Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt." And for the rational argument, which is repelling the damage of fear from the self, for it is obligatory, and the belief that obligation brings fear due to the possibility of being mistaken is countered by the belief in its absence, so they balance each other. As for action, recitation does not bring fear, while leaving it does; thus, recitation is safer, and so on.
Our Hanafi masters answered with what they answered, and they argued that what is mandatory is "what is easy of the Qur’an," not the Fatiha specifically, with several matters. Among them is what Abu Uthman al-Nahdi narrated from Abu Hurayrah: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered me to go out and call: 'No prayer except with recitation, even if with the Fatiha of the Book.'" This was countered by what is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that he said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ordered me to go out and call: 'No prayer except with the Fatiha of the Book.'" And because it is permissible that the intention of his saying "even if with the Fatiha of the Book" is that if one restricted himself to the Fatiha, it would suffice. One must reconcile all the evidence, and this has some strain. Perhaps the better answer is the possibility that the meaning is as what comes to mind from the saying: "No life except with sustenance, even if it is bread [at the rate of] one ounce per day," which is that this amount is necessary. Thus, the hadith becomes one of the evidences of obligation. Among them is that if the Fatiha were mandatory, our saying would be true: "Whenever recitation is mandatory, the Fatiha is mandatory." Its meaning is a true premise, which is that if the Fatiha were not mandatory, recitation would be mandatory due to the obligation of absolute recitation by consensus. The two premises would result in: "If the Fatiha is not mandatory, the Fatiha would be mandatory," which is false. It was answered by denying the minor premise—that is, we do not concede the truth of our saying: "If the Fatiha were not mandatory, recitation would be mandatory," because the absence of the Fatiha is impossible, and it is permissible for the impossible to entail the impossible, which is the removal of the obligation of absolute recitation established by consensus. Even if we concede it, we do not concede the impossibility of our saying: "If the Fatiha were not mandatory, it would be mandatory," for what was mentioned earlier. Some made this analogy a proof against the Hanafis because everything whose absence entails its presence is established as existing by necessity. This was refuted by saying that this only follows if the entailment—our saying "if it were not, it would be"—is established in reality, which is not the case; rather, it is established on the assumption of the obligation of reciting the Fatiha. Thus, it does not become a proof against them. The full discussion of this is in its proper place. You know that according to the second view on the verse, the deduction for the obligation of absolute recitation in prayer does not appear, as there is nothing in it beyond the command to recite something of the Qur’an, be it less or more, replacing what was made mandatory for them of the night prayer. So be aware.
His words, "He knows that there will be among you those who are ill..." is a beginning explaining another of Allah’s wisdoms, other than what has passed regarding the difficulty of counting the timing of the hours, requiring license and relief. That is, He knows that there will be among you the sick, and others traveling in the land, traveling therein for trade, seeking of the bounty of Allah, which is profit. Seeking bounty is generalized to include seeking knowledge. The sentence is in the position of a state (hal), and others fighting in the way of Allah, meaning the Mujahideen. Placing the travelers who seek Allah's bounty with them is an indication that they are similar to them in reward. Sa’id bin Mansur, Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman, and others narrated from Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, "There is no state in which death comes to me after Jihad in the way of Allah that I love more than that it comes to me while I am between the two mountain passes of a mountain, seeking the bounty of Allah, the Exalted," and he recited this verse, "and others traveling in the land..." Ibn Marduwayh narrated from Ibn Mas’ud that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "There is no merchant who brings food to the lands of the Muslims and sells it at its daily price except that his standing with Allah is [high]," then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) recited: "and others traveling in the land seeking the bounty of Allah, and others fighting in the way of Allah."
The intended meaning is that He, Almighty and Exalted, knew that there would be among the believers those for whom standing [in prayer] is hard, just as He, Glory be to Him, knew the difficulty of counting the timing of the hours. When the matter is as mentioned, and the requirements for license are reinforced, "So recite what is easy of it," i.e., of the Qur’an, without bearing hardships, "and establish prayer," i.e., the obligatory [five] prayers, "and give Zakah," likewise. This is the view of most commentators. It is apparent that by prayer they meant the five obligatory prayers, and by Zakah, its known obligatory counterpart.
It was objected that the Surah is from the first revealed in Makkah, and the five prayers were not made mandatory until after the Isra’, and Zakah was only made mandatory in Medina. It was answered that those who hold this view consider these verses Medinan. It is also said that Zakah was made mandatory in Makkah without specifying the thresholds, and what was made mandatory in Medina was the specification of thresholds. Thus, it is possible that the obligatory Zakah in a general sense is intended. Therefore, there is no obstacle to the verses being Meccan, but one must commit to them being revealed after the Isra’. Carrying them to the night prayer mentioned earlier, when it was mandatory, contradicts the license. It is also said that it is permissible for the verse to be one whose ruling came later than its revelation, but this is not strong. "And loan Allah a goodly loan," by which is meant spending in the ways of charity or performing Zakah in the best and most beneficial ways for the poor. "And whatever you put forward for yourselves of good..."—whatever good it may be, from what was mentioned and what was not mentioned—"...you will find it with Allah, it is better and greater in reward," i.e., than what you delay to the bequest at death. "Better" (khayran) is the second object of tajiduhu (you will find it), and it is an emphasis for the pronoun hu (it) in tajiduhu, even if it is in the form of a nominative (hu) while the emphasized word is accusative, because hu is used as a metaphor to emphasize the genitive and the accusative, as Al-Radi mentioned. Or, it is a separator pronoun (damir fasl), even if it did not fall between two definite nouns, for the superlative (af’al) is like a definite noun; hence, it prevents the entry of the definite article like a proper noun. Abu al-Baqa’ allowed it to be an appositive to the pronoun in tajiduhu, but Abu Hayyan deemed this an error because it would require [the pronoun] to be iyyahu.
Abu al-Sammal al-’Adawi, Abu al-Sammal al-Ghanawi, and Abu al-Sumayqa’ recited huwa khayrun wa a’zamu (it is better and greater) in the nominative, as a subject and predicate, making the sentence in the position of the second object. Abu Zayd said it is the dialect of Banu Tamim; they put in the nominative what comes after the separator, saying "Zayd was the doer" (Zaydun huwa al-fa’ilu), in the nominative. Based on this is the verse of Qays bin Dharih: "She yearns for Lubna, and you [it was you who] abandoned her... and you were over her, in the assembly, you were the most capable." Abu ‘Amr and Al-Jarmi said that Sibawayh cited it as evidence for the nominative, and the rhymes are in the nominative; it is also narrated as aqdara.
"And seek forgiveness of Allah..." in all your states, for rarely is a human free from what is considered negligence relative to him. The Sufis count among this the worshiper seeing his own worship. It is said that for this allusion, the command for seeking forgiveness came after the previous commands of establishing prayer, giving Zakah, and lending. "Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." He, Glory be to Him, forgives the sin of whoever seeks His forgiveness, and He, Almighty and Exalted, has mercy on him. The omission of the object is an indication of universality. The detailed discussion on this is known. We ask Allah, the Exalted, for His great forgiveness and mercy for us and for all of the believers in His creation, by the sanctity of the master of His creation and the support of the people of His choice, may the blessings of Allah, the Exalted, be upon him, his family, his companions, and his followers.
