إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقومُ أَدنىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيلِ وَنِصفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيلَ وَالنَّهارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَن تُحصوهُ فَتابَ عَلَيكُم ۖ فَاقرَءوا ما تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ القُرآنِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكونُ مِنكُم مَرضىٰ ۙ وَآخَرونَ يَضرِبونَ فِي الأَرضِ يَبتَغونَ مِن فَضلِ اللَّهِ ۙ وَآخَرونَ يُقاتِلونَ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَاقرَءوا ما تَيَسَّرَ مِنهُ ۚ وَأَقيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكاةَ وَأَقرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَما تُقَدِّموا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِن خَيرٍ تَجِدوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيرًا وَأَعظَمَ أَجرًا ۚ وَاستَغفِرُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ
Indeed your Lord knows that you stand vigil nearly two-thirds of the night – or [at times] a half or a third of it – along with a group of those who are with you. Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you cannot bear it [staying up all night], and so He was lenient toward you. So recite as much of the Quran as is feasible. He knows that some of you will be sick, while others will travel in the land seeking Allah’s grace, and yet others will fight in the way of Allah. So recite as much of it as is feasible, and maintain the prayer and pay the zakat and lend Allah a good loan. Whatever good you send ahead for your souls you will find it with Allah [in a form] that is better and greater with respect to reward. And plead to Allah for forgiveness; indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
EXPOSITION
This verse begins by alluding to the order enunciated at the beginning of this surah: O you wrapped up in a mantle! Stand vigil through the night, except a little, a half, or reduce a little from that or add to it, and recite the Quran in a measured tone. Qummī, reporting the exegesis of Imam al-Bāqir (a) for this verse, as transmitted by Abū al-Jārūd, quotes the Imam as saying that the Prophet did comply with this order and had also preached to the people about it. Indeed, this verse confirms that the Prophet did comply with that order and did spend his nights in prayers and the recitation of the Quran according to the measures demanded, Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand vigil nearly two-thirds of the night – or [at times] a half or a third of it. Then it provides an additional piece of information: that the Prophet was not alone in performing this nightly ritual, rather, along with a group of those who are with you tells us that a group of the believers accompanied him in this nocturnal practice. Ṭabrisī cites a report that terminates at Ibn Abbas, who said regarding the phrase along with a group of those who are with you that it refers to Imam Ali (a) and Abū Dharr. Of course, a group mentioned in this verse that followed the example of the Prophet in the performance of the night vigil may not be limited to two people only as others among the earliest Muslims would be expected to have participated in this vigil, but the participation of Imam Ali (a) and Abū Dharr is extremely plausible as they were among the very first to associate themselves with the Prophet’s message.
The narrative continues by saying Allah measures the night and the day, meaning that God knows the measures of the night and the day and so He knows the proportion of the night that you stand vigil for.
Nevertheless, certain traditions indicate that the early Muslims were unable to bear staying awake for well-nigh the whole night due to their feet swelling painfully. This incapacity is reflected in the phrase He knows that you cannot bear it [staying up all night], and hence the response from God in the following phrase towards an attenuation of the former command: so He was lenient towards you, meaning that God decreased the intensity of the hardship in the previous order, So recite as much of the Quran as is feasible, as a substitute for the measured recital and prayers at night.
Thereafter, the narrative provides yet another justification for the attenuation of the earlier onerous command by saying He knows that some of you will be sick, while others will travel in the land seeking Allah’s grace, and yet others will fight in the way of Allah, and hence it reiterates the easing of the earlier order, So recite as much of it as is feasible.
It is suggested that the three excuses mentioned in this verse are but some examples of the difficulties that would render the performance of the night vigil difficult and that they are not limited to these three only. The verse wishes to say: you will face many types of difficulties and problems related to life such as sickness, travel in search of livelihood, and warfare; hence the previous onerous command is lightened.
Then the verse progresses to mention four more commands, wishing thereby to complete the spiritual formation of a human being: and maintain the prayer and pay the zakat and lend Allah a good loan … and plead to Allah for forgiveness. It is reported from Samāʿah who said: ‘I asked him [i.e. the Imam] about the speech of God and lend Allah a good loan. He replied: “It is other than the zakat.”’ Ṭūsī reports the opinion of Ibn Zayd who said: ‘The loan in this verse is the recommended charity, other than the [obligatory] zakat.’ Ṭūsī also writes that the word ḥasan (goodly), which qualifies loan, has the meaning of the absence of any element of repulsiveness or ugly behaviour in giving it. The verse then concludes with Whatever good you send ahead for your souls you will find it with Allah [in a form] that is better and greater with respect to reward. And plead to Allah for forgiveness; indeed Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.
It is worth noting that for any wide ranging reforms or social movement, it is essential that there exist people who possess the strength of character and determination as well as adequate knowledge of the aims and principles of such reforms or movement. This is exactly what the Prophet undertook to do while in Mecca and the contents of this surah are one example of the various practical measures undertaken to strengthen the early Muslims intellectually, spiritually, doctrinally, and personally. If a reformer today wishes to repeat the religious and social successes that were achieved in the era of the Prophet, it would be well worth his while to consider the practical measures enumerated in this surah.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
Aḥmad ibn Ali al-Jaṣṣāṣ records the following three traditions:
- It is reported from Imam Ali (a) who said: ‘The Prophet would perform eight units of prayers until when the first column of dawn would break forth which is when he would recite three more units of prayers. Then he would glorify and extol God till dawn, which is when he would recite the two units of dawn prayers.’
- It is reported from ʿĀʾishah that the Prophet would recite eleven units of prayers at night.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) describes the night vigil of the Prophet in these words: ‘Water would be fetched for him and placed besides his bed, he would cover his head and his toothbrush would be placed under his bed, then he would sleep as much as God willed. When he would wake up he would sit, raise his eyes towards the heavens, and recite the verses of Sūrah Āl ʿImrān, Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day [3:190] … Then he would brush his teeth and purify himself. Then he would stand for prayers. He would recite four units of prayers. The length of his bowing would be proportionate to his prostrations. He would extend his bowing till it would be asked “when will he raise his head?” and he would extend his prostrations till it would be said “when will he raise his head?” Then he would return to his bed and sleep as much as God wished. Then he would wake up a second time, he would sit, recite the verses, turn his gaze skywards, brush his teeth, purify himself, and again recite four units of prayers in the same manner as previously and then return to sleep as much as God willed. Then he would wake up a third time and repeat the same procedure of sitting, recital, gazing at the sky, brushing the teeth, and purification, and then recite the witr prayer, then two units of prayer, [probably the two units of the nāfilah of the fajr (morning) prayers], then he would leave for the congregational prayers in the mosque.’
Note: This tradition may be understood to portray the Prophet’s practice later in Medina when not only had he been urged not to distress himself too much with worship and the recital of the Quran, but also because the attenuation in this surah had given him the opportunity to partake of a less strenuous vigil.
- Burayd al-ʿIjlī says: ‘I asked Imam al-Bāqir (a): “Which of the two is superior in the ritual prayers – excessive recitation of the Quran or lengthening the bowings and the prostrations?” He replied: “Excessive lengthening of the bowing and prostrations is superior. Have you not heard the speech of God, the exalted, the majestic: So recite as much of it as is feasible, and maintain the prayer …? What He meant by the ‘maintaining of prayer’ is lengthening the time spent in bowing and prostrations.” I asked: “Which of the following two is superior, excessive recitation of the Quran or excessive supplication?” He replied: “Excessive supplication is superior. Have you not heard the speech of God, the high, to His Prophet (s): Say: ‘What are you to my Lord without your supplication? [25:77].’
- Traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt indicate that the merit of reciting the Quran does not lie in excessive recitation, but rather in reciting it beautifully and with thought and contemplation. Imam al-Riḍā (a) is reported to have transmitted the following tradition from the Holy Prophet, in the context of the verse So recite as much of the Quran as is feasible: ‘As much of the Quran as is feasible for you, in which there is humbleness and purity of the heart.’
- A report from one of the Imams is recorded which attributes the Imam as saying: ‘Beware, no recital [is useful] without contemplation and thought.’
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘One who recites the Quran whilst looking at its text will have his/her eyes gratified and the punishment inflicted on his parents will be lightened even if they are unbelievers.’
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) narrates from the Prophet who said: ‘There is nothing more severe for Satan than the recital of the Quran when this is being done from the text. And the written copy of the Quran in the house drives away Satan.’
- Isḥāq ibn ʿAmmār narrates that he asked Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘May I be your sacrifice, I have memorised the entire Quran by heart, hence is my recital by heart better then reciting it from the text?’ The Imam replied: ‘The recital from the text is better. Do you not know that a glance cast on the written Quran (muṣḥaf) is akin to worship?’
- Imam al-Husayn (a) said: ‘One who recites a verse from the book of God, the exalted and majestic, in his prayers, God will reward him for every letter 100 good deeds. And if he recited the Quran in a state other than the ritual prayers, he will have God reward him ten deeds for every letter.’
- Saʿīd ibn al-Ṭarīf reports from Imam al-Bāqir (a) who reported from the Prophet as saying: ‘One who recites ten verses of the Quran at night will not be counted among the heedless ones, while one who recites fifty verses will be recorded among those who remember God. The one who recites 100 verses will be considered among the pious and God-fearing, while one who recites 200 verses will be counted among the humble and devout. The one who recites 300 verses will be recorded among the triumphant and successful ones, and the one who recites 500 verses will be counted among those that strive strenuously in the path of God. While one who recites 1,000 verses will be rewarded a qinṭār. A qinṭār is 15,000 mithqāl of gold, while a mithqāl is of 24 carats, the smallest of which will be the size of the mount of Uḥud, while the largest of it will be such as to fill the space between the heavens and earth.’
- Samāʿah ibn Mihrān reports the following speech of Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) who said: ‘God, the exalted and majestic, has imposed a right on the wealth of the rich, which is other than the zakat. God says: And in whose wealth there is a known right, for the beggar and the deprived [70:24-25]. So this known right is other than the zakat. It is that which a person voluntarily makes incumbent on himself to donate from his wealth, based on his ability and the capacity of his wealth. Then he discharges what he had committed himself to, either daily or every Friday, or once a month. God, the exalted and majestic, also says: and lend Allah a good loan [73:20]. This is other than the zakat. And He has also said: they spend from what We have given them, secretly and openly … [14:31]. Moreover, the assistance given in the form of lending household utensils or personal property, as well as the acts of goodness performed, are all good loans that a person makes. Furthermore, that which God had made obligatory on the wealth other than the zakat is [expressed] in His speech those who join together what Allah commands to be joined [13:21]. And whoever discharges that which God had made obligatory has accomplished what was incumbent on him and has duly effectuated the debt of gratitude on him due to God’s material blessings bestowed on him. This act is akin to his praising God for blessing him with prosperity in his wealth, preferring him over another, for granting him success in discharging what was made incumbent on him, and for aiding him.’
- Ṣadūq reports the 400 things that Imam Ali (a) had taught his companions which would set right for a Muslim the matters of the world and the hereafter. Among these are: ‘Seek repentance abundantly and excessively, for that will result in increased sustenance; and send ahead whatever of goodness that you can, you will find it available tomorrow.’
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘The one who strives hard for his family is like a warrior in the path of God.’
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
The phrase or [at times] a half or a third of it in this verse is generally and commonly read in the accusative, however Ṭūsī gives us an alternative reading where this phrase is recited in the genitive. In this case, the beginning part of this verse would be translated as follows: Indeed your Lord knows that you stand vigil nearly two-thirds of the night – or [at times] nearly a half or nearly a third of it. In both cases, however, the difference in meaning is minimal and Ṭabarī writes that both these recitations are well-known and correct in meaning and any two may be recited and the reciter will be rewarded.
Irrespective of the differences in the two recitations, in both cases the pronoun it in the phrase or [at times] a half or a third of it is understood to refer to the night. But Ṭabrisī gives us an alternative interpretation where the pronoun is understood to refer to two-thirds. In this case the meaning of the phrase would become: Indeed your Lord knows that you stand vigil nearly two-thirds of the night or at times nearly a half of two-thirds or nearly a third of two-thirds. This latter interpretation would produce a markedly different time period than the common interpretation.
This verse has evoked considerable debate among the exegetes and these debates are to do with: 1. The reason for its revelation. 2. Whether it abrogates the command in favour of the night vigil mentioned in the first few verses. 3. The geographical location of its descent (whether it was Mecca or Medina). The last question has been dealt with in the Introduction and an attempt to answer the remaining two questions will now be made.
Differing reports have been suggested for the reason of the revelation of this verse and these are as follows:
Sayyid Hāshim Baḥrānī records a report from Imam al-Bāqir (a) and Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) regarding the cause of revelation of this verse in his exegesis al-Burhān, citing from the book Nahj al-Bayān ʿan Kashf Maʿānī al-Qurʾān of Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Shaybānī, a thirteenth-century Shia scholar, as follows: ‘The cause for the revelation of this verse was that the Prophet and his companions used to stand up in prayer the entire night till their feet became swollen due to prolonged standing. This proved onerous for him and them. Consequently, this verse descended, lightening the burden on them by means of the verse Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you cannot bear it [staying up all night], and so He was lenient toward you. So recite as much of the Quran as is feasible.’
This tradition, therefore, identifies the reason that led to the revelation of this verse to be the onerous nature of the vigil: the swelling of the feet and the incapability of the early Muslims to bear that. This was also the opinion of Ḥasan al-Baṣrī.
However, another reason suggested for the lightening of the previous command was the inability of the early Muslims to accurately adhere to the timings of a half, a third, and two-thirds of the night, which forced them to stand vigil until the obligatory prayers, for fear that they would breach the timings mentioned in verses 3 and 4. Ṭabrisī reports a tradition attributed to Imam Ali (a), which says: ‘God, the glorified, gave His Prophet the discretion to choose between these timings of the night vigil. So the Prophet and a group of his companions used to stand vigil during the night according to these timings but it proved difficult for them. A man from among them would not know how much he had prayed and how much of the night remained and so he would stay up the entire night for fear of not fulfilling the obligatory timings until God lightened it for them with the last verse of this surah.’
This was also the understanding attributed to Muqātil, who said that a man would pray throughout the night for fear that he would fall short of what he had been commanded to perform and so God said in sympathy He knows that you cannot calculate it [exactly]. Qummī, narrating from Imam al-Bāqir (a), also writes the same, that a man would remain awake, not knowing when the night had reached its half or two-thirds, and a man would remain awake, fearful that he would not be able to adhere to the stipulated time requirements.
Now these traditions and opinions indicate that the contemporaries of the Prophet who participated in the night vigil considered it to be an obligation and felt obliged to keep to the specified timings. However, it has already been discussed previously that this ritual was obligatory for the Prophet only and not for the generality of the Muslims, for whom it was simply recommended. Furthermore, verses 2-4 of this surah do not demand from the Prophet to remain awake for exactly half, a third, and two-thirds of the night but allows him a choice between these approximate timings; why then would anyone tire or burden himself with exactitude when that was not demanded of him at all? Hence, the reason suggested in these reports and opinions for the attenuation of the earlier onerous command does not concur well with the apparent meaning of the first few verses.
It may be argued that the imperfect verb used in this verse, tuḥṣū, and which is in the second person, plural, subjunctive form, means to calculate, to keep count of, and to enumerate, and therefore should be translated as: He knows that you cannot calculate it [exactly] rather than He knows that you cannot bear it. While this is correct, this verb also has the meaning of to bear, and, as Mudarrisi writes, the latter meaning is more appropriate here due to the context.
The second question is: does this last verse abrogate the order revealed in the earlier verses?
Different opinions have been put forward in response to this question. Some exegetes have understood that this verse abrogates the command in verses 2-4, while others have understood that this verse changes the obligation in verses 2-4 into a recommendation. Yet others have understood both the earlier and later verses to be simple recommendations. Finally, there are those who maintain that this verse does not abrogate the previous command nor transform it into a recommendation, but that it simply attenuates the previous onerous obligation while the obligation itself remains in force.
The principle of abrogation has been defined as: ‘The complete abolition or suspension of a previous religious ruling, which had apparently been of a permanent nature, by a new religious command, in a manner that it replaces the former ruling and the two cannot exist together.’
As for the condition of ‘complete abolition’, it is clear that the tone of the verse and even the wording of the verse are in the style of a merciful easing of a difficult command. It says He knows that you cannot bear it [staying up all night], and so He was lenient toward you. So recite as much of the Quran as is feasible, hence the verse does not seem to be abolishing the previous command but simply easing the onerous nature of the earlier command. The earlier verses consisted of the command to rise and to recite the Quran for certain durations. This verse does not negate the rising at night or the recitation of the Quran; indeed, it reiterates the recitation of the Quran but simply asks the Prophet and those with him to rise and recite the Quran as much as they can rather than strictly adhering to the specific durations of time. Therefore, there does not seem to be ‘a new religious command that supposedly replaced the former ruling such that the two cannot exist together’ for it is perfectly possible for a person who is capable of actualising the earlier more onerous ruling to do so, while another person who is incapable of the same can partake of the concession, and so the contents of both verses can exist simultaneously. Tabatabai inclined to this argument and writes as follows in his explanation of the phrase So recite as much of the Quran as is feasible: ‘This section allows the believers to recite as much of the Quran as is feasible instead of necessarily standing vigil for the specified timings, without abrogating the earlier command for the Prophet and the recommendation for those who could withstand the practice. This is so that those unable to withstand the earlier, original rigour may still participate in this ritual. This ritual was a recommended one for the believers even though the apparent connotation of the opening verses seems to indicate an obligation for the Prophet.’
Saʿīd ibn Jubayr also seemed to incline to the opinion that this verse simply attenuates the earlier difficult command. Suyūṭī reports his opinion as follows: ‘When the verses O you wrapped up in your mantle! Stand vigil through the night … were revealed, the Prophet continued to stand vigil as God had commanded him to do for ten years, and a group of his companions did the same with him. Then God revealed the verse Indeed your Lord knows that you stand vigil nearly two-thirds of the night … until the part so establish the prayers. Thus God lightened the burden on them after ten years.’
Furthermore, the opinion in favour of abrogation does stand in contradiction to the traditions that portray the Prophet continuing to rise at night for prayers, recitation of the Quran, and general worship until his death.
Other scholars such as Jubbāʾī, Ṭūsī, and Ṭabrisī, who understood the initial instruction to be a recommendation, have written that this verse is also in the nature of a recommendation and thus there is no contradiction between the two sets of verses which may require the use of the principle of abrogation to alleviate the supposed contradiction.
However, it has been argued previously that verses 2-4 seem to denote an obligation rather than a recommendation. Now, it is not improbable that this verse transformed the earlier obligation in verses 2-4 into a recommended act, however the most plausible explanation and one which is more pervasive among Shia scholars is that which has been succinctly summarised in a footnote in a legal commentary of the Quran, namely Masālik al-Afhām ilā Āyāt al-Aḥkām. It says: ‘The [first three] verses of this surah may be understood to imply the obligation of the night vigil. As for the evidence that the night vigil was obligatory for the Prophet, that can be understood from the phrase Stand vigil through the night, where the verb is in the imperative form, denoting obligation. There is no evidence from the apparent sense of these verses though, that the obligation encompassed the community of believers as the address is specifically and solely directed at the Prophet. As for the phrase in verse 20 which says along with a group of those who are with you, this does not mean their inclusion in the obligation. Rather, this phrase is in the form of expressing their excellence due to their participation in an obligation imposed on their Prophet and hence God includes them in His address here. But this is only due to them sharing in the act with the Prophet, not in terms of the similarity of the command due to them both, but only because of their engaging in the same measure of night worship. As for the evidence of the recommended nature of this act for the believers, this may be evinced from the phrase along with a group of those who are with you, which occurs here in a particularly favourable light and in terms which obviously expresses the superiority of this act. The change that occurs in this verse is not an abrogation of the initial command but a lightening of the time period necessary to be spent in performing this ritual. Hence, for those for whom this command was obligatory, it remained so with only a lightening of the period of time spent in the vigil; and for those for whom it was recommended, it remained so but once again with a lightening of the amount of time spent in the vigil. Therefore, there is no need to seek recourse to the principle of abrogation here.’
Mudarrisi discusses an interesting point regarding this verse, which is: why did God impose a well-nigh difficult order and then lighten it? He responds that similar other commands can be observed in the Quran such as the order to give charity before seeking the Prophet’s company to ask him a question (58:12) which was abrogated later (58:13), or the prohibition to approach one’s spouse even at night during fasting which was then made permissible (2:187), or the obligation to wage war where one Muslim was considered equal to ten unbelievers which was then lightened to one believer being equal to two unbelievers (8:65-66). He writes that this is because the procedure of reform requires difficult and onerous exercises at the beginning until the reforms are successful. This can be taken as a paradigm even today when initiating reforms.
[1] Tabrisi, 10/576.
[2] Ibn Isḥāq identifies at least fifty men and women in his Sīrah as belonging to the earliest converts to the Prophet’s message; see Mafahim, 7/125.
[3] Regarding Abū Dharr’s conversion, see Mafahim, 7/126, where the citations from the biographical dictionaries place him as either the fourth or fifth convert to Islam.
[4] Tabrisi, 10/576.
[5] Tabrisi, 10/576.
[6] Additional verses which encourage the giving of goodly loans are 2:245, 5:12, 57:11, 57:18, and 64:17.
[7] Additional verses enjoining repentance are 2:199, 11:3, 11:52, 11:90, 71:10, 11:61, and 41:6.
[8] Qummi, 2/393.
[9] Tibyan, 10/170.
[10] Tibyan, 10/170.
[11] This phrase is repeated in the exact same words in 2:110.
[12] Amthal, 19/148-149.
[13] Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 5/367.
[14] This purification very probably refers to the ritual ablution (wuḍūʾ).
[15] Mudarrisi, 17/40.
[16] Wasail, 6/333.
[17] Tabrisi, 10/576.
[18] Qalāʾid al-Durar, 1/157.
[19] Zubdat al-Bayān fī Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1/98.
[20] Zubdat al-Bayān fī Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1/98.
[21] Zubdat al-Bayān fī Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1/98.
[22] Zubdat al-Bayān fī Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 1/98.
[23] Qalāʾid al-Durar, 1/157.
[24] Wasail, 9/46.
[25] Khisal, p. 665.
[26] Mudarrisi, 17/45.
[27] Tibyan, 10/169.
[28] Tabari, 29/83.
[29] Tabrisi, 10/576.
[30] However, al-Shaybānī does not give his source for this tradition. Burhan, 5/520; Nahj al-Bayān ʿan Kashf Maʿānī al-Qurʾān, 5/255.
[31] Tibyan, 10/170; Tabrisi, 10/576.
[32] Tabrisi, 10/569.
[33] Qummi, 2/392.
[34] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 216.
[35] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage, p. 216.
[36] Mudarrisi, 17/42.
[37] Qur’anic Sciences, p. 151.
[38] Mizan, 20/75-76.
[39] Suyuti, 4/277.
[40] Tibyan, 10/170; Tabrisi, 10/569.
[41] Masālik al-Afhām ilā Āyāt al-Aḥkām, 1/219.
[42] Mudarrisi, 17/42-43.