وَاذكُرِ اسمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّل إِلَيهِ تَبتيلًا

So celebrate the name of your Lord and dedicate yourself to Him with total dedication.

EXEGESIS

The root letters of the imperative verb tabattal and the verbal noun tabtīla are b-t-l, which means to cut off, to separate, to stay away from others, to give up pleasures, and to be celibate.‎‎^{‎‎‎[1]Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 164; Tibyan, 10/164.} Hence the verbal noun tabattul means the complete orientation of the heart towards God and dissociation from everything in devotion and dedication to God, and to accomplish and achieve that by means of acts performed in sincerity to God.‎‎^{‎‎‎[2]Amthal, 19/135.}

EXPOSITION

Having gently and affectionately wakened the Prophet, and having asked him to stand vigil at night in preparation for a momentous responsibility, and having shared the rationale behind choosing the night rather than the daytime for such a ritual, this narrative concludes with the encouragement to celebrate the name of Your Lord and dedicate yourself to Him with total dedication.

Tabatabai writes that this verse is a conjunction to and recite the Quran in a measured tone. But the latter verse has itself been identified previously to be a conjunction to Stand vigil through the night. Therefore, all the three conjoined verses when taken together would seem to exhort as follows: Stand vigil through the night … and recite the Quran in a measured tone … [and] celebrate the name of Your Lord and dedicate yourself to Him with total dedication. He also writes that this verse may be taken to be a general encouragement after the specific order to stand vigil during the night and to recite the Quran therein. Thus this verse encourages the perpetual remembrance of God during the day and night by means of glorifications, prayers, and recitation of the Quran.‎‎^{‎‎‎[3]Mizan, 20/64.}

Although this verse may be concluding a narrative, started in the first verse, it also seems to be starting a new one. Beginning from this verse the surah mentions five commands as a completion to the above teachings. The first two commands are in this verse, where the first one is celebrate the name of Your Lord. The intent here is not the mere regurgitation of the name of God but directing the attention to its meaning and concept. This is because the verbal remembrance is a prelude to the remembrance by the heart and it is the latter which prompts and spurs towards the purity of the heart and the soul and nourishes the fount of knowledge and piety in the heart.

Mudarrisi writes that the verse uses the word name in the singular, which is evidence of generalisation, meaning a person can use any name from the beautiful names of God to remember Him by, as God Himself says in 17:110: Say: ‘Invoke ‘‘Allah’’ or invoke ‘‘the All-Beneficent’’. Whichever [of His names] you may invoke, to Him belong the best names.’‎‎^{‎‎‎[4]Mudarrisi, 17/26-27.}

The second command is: dedicate yourself to Him with total dedication. The word tabattul, which is derived from b-t-l, and has been defined earlier, means dissociation, separateness, and severance; a total separation from all else in favour of God and His worship, hoping for the best from Him above all else.‎‎^{‎‎‎[5]Tibyan, 10/164.} Mudarrisi reports the interpretation of tabattul attributed to al-Farrāʾ. He said that when a worshipper leaves everything and proceeds towards worship (of God) then it is said qad tabattala, i.e. he has disengaged himself from everything towards the command and obedience of God.‎‎^{‎‎‎[6]Mudarrisi, 17/27-28.}

Imam al-Bāqir (a) is reported by Abū al-Jārūd to have explained the phrase and dedicate yourself to Him with total dedication as: devote/dedicate yourself to Him with sincere and complete devotion.‎‎^{‎‎‎[7]Qummi, 2/392.} Ṭabrisī reports that this was also the understanding of Ibn Abbas, ʿAṭāʾ, and Ibn Zayd, while Shaqīq said it means ‘to rely in and trust God with total faith’.‎‎^{‎‎‎[8]Tabrisi, 10/571.}

The theme of complete and absolute dedication to God is an authentic, oft-repeated, and highly encouraged concept of the Quran.^{‎‎‎[9]See the following verses: 7:29, 40:65, 4:146, 98:5, 39:14, 39:2, 40:14, and 6:162.} The Imams of the Prophet’s household have also mentioned some physical manifestations of tabattul such as that found in the transmission of Muhammad ibn Muslim, Zurārah, and Ḥumrān regarding the meaning of and dedicate yourself to Him with total dedication, all of whom reported from Imam al-Bāqir (a) and Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) as saying: ‘The word tabattul in this verse means raising the hands during the prayers.’‎‎^{‎‎‎[10]Tabrisi, 10/571.} He also narrates from Abū Baṣīr who said: ‘It means raising your hands to God and your humbleness to Him.’‎‎^{‎‎‎[11]Tabrisi, 10/571.}

Imam al-Kāẓim (a) is reported to have said that it means: ‘To turn the palms over when supplicating.’^{‎‎‎[12]Al-Aṣfā fī al-Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 2/1367.}

It is obvious that the acts described in these traditions are some, from among many physical manifestations or expressions of sincerity and devotion to God.

[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 164; Tibyan, 10/164.
[2] Amthal, 19/135.
[3] Mizan, 20/64.
[4] Mudarrisi, 17/26-27.
[5] Tibyan, 10/164.
[6] Mudarrisi, 17/27-28.
[7] Qummi, 2/392.
[8] Tabrisi, 10/571.
[9] See the following verses: 7:29, 40:65, 4:146, 98:5, 39:14, 39:2, 40:14, and 6:162.
[10] Tabrisi, 10/571.
[11] Tabrisi, 10/571.
[12] Al-Aṣfā fī al-Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, 2/1367.