Al-Muzzammil: 20
{Less than two-thirds of the night}
Meaning: less than both. The term adna (less/nearer) is used metaphorically for "less" because when the distance between two things decreases, the space between them diminishes; when it increases, the space grows.
It is recited as (wa-nisfahu wa-thuluthahu) in the accusative case, meaning you stand for less than two-thirds, or you stand for half or a third. This corresponds to the choice given at the beginning of the surah: between standing for the full half, the lesser portion (a third), or the portion exceeding it (that which is less than two-thirds).
It is also recited as (wa-nisfihi wa-thuluthihi) in the genitive case, meaning you stand for less than two-thirds, and less than half, and less than a third. This corresponds to the choice between half (which is less than two-thirds), a third (which is less than half), and a quarter (which is less than a third). This is the final interpretation.
{And a group of those with you}
A group of your companions will also stand.
{And Allah determines the night and the day}
No one can determine the night and the day and know the measure of their hours except Allah alone. Placing His name—Exalted is He—at the beginning as the subject, upon which yuqaddir (determines) is predicated, indicates exclusive attribution of this determination to Him. The meaning is: you are unable to determine it.
The pronoun in {you will not be able to count it} refers to the source of yuqaddir (the determination). It means: He knew that you cannot accurately track the times or calculate them through adjustment and equalization, unless you take the broader approach for the sake of precaution, which is burdensome for you.
{So He has turned to you in forgiveness}
This is an expression of leniency regarding the abandonment of the determined standing, similar to His saying: “So He has turned to you in forgiveness and pardoned you; so now, have relations with them” (Al-Baqarah: 187). The meaning is that He has lifted the burden of leaving it from you, just as the burden is lifted from one who repents.
He expressed prayer as "recitation" because it is one of its pillars, just as it is expressed as "standing," "bowing," and "prostrating." He means: pray what is easy for you and what is not difficult from the night prayer. This is a repeal of the first command, and then both were repealed by the five daily prayers.
It is said that it refers to the recitation of the Quran itself. It is said: one should recite one hundred verses; whoever recites one hundred verses in a night will not have the Quran argue against him. It is also said: whoever recites one hundred verses is recorded among the devout. Others say fifty verses.
He has explained the wisdom behind the repeal: the difficulty of standing for the sick, those traveling in the land for trade, and those striving in the path of Allah. It is said that Allah equated the strivers (mujahidin) with those traveling to earn a lawful living.
From Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him): "Any man who brings goods to a city of the Muslims, patient and seeking reward, and sells them at the current price, will be among the martyrs before Allah."
From Abdullah ibn Umar: "There is no death I die after being killed in the path of Allah that is more beloved to me than dying between the two paths of a man traveling in the land, seeking the bounty of Allah."
{And He knows}
This is a new sentence in response to an implied question regarding the reason for the repeal.
{And establish prayer}
Meaning the obligatory prayer.
{And give zakah}
The obligatory charity. Some say it refers to zakat al-fitr, because there was no zakah in Makkah; it was only made obligatory later. Those who interpret it as the obligatory zakah consider the end of the surah to be Medinan.
{And loan Allah a goodly loan}
It may mean all forms of charity, or performing zakah in the best manner: by giving from the best of one's wealth, being most beneficial to the poor, observing sincerity, seeking the Face of Allah, and distributing it to those who deserve it. It may also mean every good deed related to the soul and wealth.
{Better}
The second object of wajada (found). It is a separator (fasl), and it is permissible even if it does not fall between two definite nouns, because af’al min (the superlative) resembles the definite noun in its refusal of the definite article. Abu al-Summal recited it as huwa khayrun wa-a’zamu ajran in the nominative case as a subject and predicate.
From the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
"Whoever recites Surah al-Muzzammil, Allah will remove hardship from him in this world and the Hereafter."
