Al-Insan (The Human Being): (25) And remember the Name of your Lord...

There are two sayings regarding this verse:

The First Saying: That what is meant is the ritual prayer (Salat). They argue that restricting the remembrance to the bukrah (early morning) and aseel (late afternoon) indicates that the intended meaning of "And remember the Name of your Lord" refers to the prescribed prayers. They further explain:

• Al-Bukrah refers to the Dawn Prayer (Fajr).
• Al-Aseel refers to the Noon and Afternoon Prayers (Dhuhr and Asr).
• "And prostrate to Him during the night" refers to the Maghrib and Isha prayers. Thus, these phrases encompass all five daily prayers. As for "And glorify Him with prolonged night vigil" (wa sabbihhu laylan taweela), it refers to the Tahajjud (night vigil prayer).

Regarding this night vigil, they differed:

1. Some said it was obligatory upon the Messenger (peace be upon him), and then it was abrogated, as mentioned in Surah Al-Muzzammil. They support this by arguing that the command "So prostrate and glorify Him" (fasjud lahu wa sabbihhu) implies obligation, especially when repeated for emphasis.
2. Others said it refers to voluntary worship (tatowwu') and its ruling remains established.

The Second Saying: That what is meant by "And remember the Name of your Lord" until the end of the verse is not the ritual prayer, but rather the remembrance (dhikr) which involves speech and belief. The objective is for him to be one who remembers God at all times, night and day, with his heart and his tongue. This is the meaning intended in the verse: "O you who have believed, remember Allah with frequent remembrance and glorify Him morning and evening" (Al-Ahzab: 41).

Know that there is another subtle point in the verse. Allah Almighty said: "Indeed, We have sent down the Qur'an to you in stages" (Al-Insan: 23), meaning: We guided you to these secrets and expanded your breast with these lights. Since We have done that for you, then be obedient and submissive to Our command, and beware of being obedient and submissive to anyone other than Us.

Then, after commanding him to obey Him and forbidding him from obeying others, He said: "And remember the Name of your Lord." This is an indication that human intellects possess only the knowledge of Names and Attributes, but not the knowledge of the ultimate Reality (Haqiqah).

Therefore, sometimes he is told: "And remember the Name of your Lord," which points to the knowledge of the Names. At other times, he is told: "And remember your Lord within yourself," which points to the station of the Attributes. As for the specific knowledge of the ultimate Reality, which necessitates all subsequent negative and relational implications, no created or contingent being has any way to reach or perceive it. Glory be to Him Who is hidden from intellects due to the intensity of His manifestation and veiled from them by the perfection of His Light.

Know that after addressing His Messenger with glorification, prohibition, and command, Allah Almighty turned to explaining the conditions of the disbelievers and the rebels, saying:

! 7 < { Indeed, these [disbelievers] love the immediate [world] and leave behind them a weighty Day. } 7 ! <