Verse:12 Commentary - - - Verse:13 Commentary - - - Verse:14 Commentary - - - Verse:15 Commentary - - - Verse:16 Commentary Before approaching verse 16: تَـتَجَافٰى جُنُوْبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَّطَمَعًا (Their sides remain apart from their beds. They call their Lord with fear and hope - 16), it should be borne in mind that disbelievers, Mushriks and the deniers of the day of Qiyamah were warned in the verses previous to it. After that, starting from: اِنَّمَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاٰيٰتِنَا ! (Only those people believe in Our verses - 15) mentioned there are special attributes of sincere believers and the high ranks reserved for them. Pointed to in the cited verse is one such attribute of these believers: They leave the comfort of their beds, rise and get busy with the remembrance of Allah in submission and supplication - because, they are apprehensive of His displeasure and punishment while remaining hopeful of His mercy and reward. This very combination of fear and hope keeps them returning to Dhikr and Du'a' repeatedly, anxiously and animated at the same time.

The Salah of Tahajjud

The majority of commentators takes the expression denoting the leaving of beds and getting busy with Dhikr and Du'a' to mean the Salah of Tahajjud and Nawafil that are offered after rising from sleep (which is the saying of al-Hasan, Mujahid, Malik and al-Awza'i رحمۃ اللہ علیہم). And it is supported by narrations of Hadith as well.

According to a report in the Musnad of Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and others, Sayyidna Mu` adh Ibn Jabal v narrates: 'Once I was in the company of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on a journey. One morning during the course of the journey when I was near him, I requested: "Y Rasulallah, tell me to do something which helps me enter Paradise and keeps me away from Hell." He said, "You asked for something very difficult. But, for whomsoever Allah Ta' ala makes it easy, for him it becomes easy." Then he said, "This is what you should do: Worship Allah and associate no one with Him, and establish Salah, and pay Zakah, and keep the fasts of Ramadan, and perform the Hajj of Baytullah." And then he said, "Here, now let me tell you about the gateways of righteousness: Fasting is a shield (that saves you from punishment). Sadaqah puts off the fire of one's sins - so does one's Salah in the middle of the night." And after having said that, he recited the cited verse of the Holy Qur'an: تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ (Their sides remain apart from their beds - 16).

Sayyidna Abu ad-Darda', Qatadah and Dahhak ؓ have said that this attribute of sides remaining apart from beds also applies to those who make their Salah of ` Isha' with Jama` ah and then go on to make their Salah of Fajr with Jama` ah. And according to a narration of Sayyidna Anas ؓ appearing in Tirmidhi with sound chains of authority, this verse: تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ (Their sides remain apart) was revealed about people who do not sleep before the Salah of 'Isha' and keep waiting for the Jama' ah of ` Isha'.

And according to some other reports, this verse is about people who offer nawafil between Maghrib and ` Isha' (reported by Muhammad Ibn Nasr). And about this verse, Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said: People who would, on waking up, remember Allah - lying, sitting and on sides - are also included therein.

Ibn Kathir and other Tafsir authorities have said that there is no contradiction in all these sayings. It is correct to say that this verse is inclusive of all - while the late night Salah remains the superior most. Bayan ul-Qur'an has also opted for this approach.

And Sayyidah Asma' bint Yazid ؓ narrates: The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'when Allah Ta' ala will gather everyone from the first to the last, a proclaimer whose call will be heard by the entire creation will call: 'This day everyone on the plains of Resurrection will find out as to who is really deserving of honor and compliment.' Then, the proclaiming angel will proclaim: '0 people assembled on the plains of Resurrection, let those rise from among you, those whose attribute was: تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ (Their sides remain apart from their beds - 16) '. At this call, these people will stand up, though their number will be small. (Ibn Kathir) And some words of the same narration say that these people will be sent to Paradise without reckoning. After that, all others will stand and face reckoning. (Mazhari) Verse:17 Commentary - - - Verse:18 Commentary - - - Verse:19 Commentary - - - Verse:20 Commentary - - - Verse:21 Commentary In verse 21:

وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَىٰ دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ‌ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْ‌جِعُونَ

(And We will certainly make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, so that they may return),

the word: أَدْنَىٰ (adna) has been used in the sense of 'nearer' and الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَىٰ (al adhab-ul-adna) denotes diseases, sufferings and calamities of the world that are made to befall a lot of people by Allah Ta'ala in order to warn them against their sins. The purpose is to chasten and alert them enough so that they leave off their sins and thus earn their deliverance from the Great Punishment of the Hereafter.

Hence, this verse seems to tell us that all these sufferings, accidents, diseases and pains that inflict sinners in the world are nothing but a sort of mercy for them in as much as they help them get out of their heedlessness and save themselves from the punishment of the 'Akhirah. However, for people who take no lesson even from such unwelcome happenings and fail to turn to Allah, for them, this punishment becomes twofold - first, the cash punishment right here in this world and then, the other being the Great Punishment of the Hereafter. As for the hardships of many kinds that come upon prophets and men of Allah, that is a separate matter. These hardships are a trial for them and trials are the source through which their ranks are raised. At is the hallmark of this trial? How do you recognize the quality of their response? If one were to observe such people even under the stress of calamities and hardships, it will be noticed that they have a kind of peace and tranquility emanating from their trust in Allah Ta' ala. And it is Allah who knows best. Verse:22 Commentary There are some crimes the punishment of which comes even within the mortal world much before the Hereafter.

The last sentence of the set of verses cited above reads:إِنَّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِ‌مِينَ مُنتَقِمُونَ (We have to take vengeance upon the sinners - 22). Obviously, the word: الْمُجْرِ‌مِينَ (al-mujrimin: the criminals) includes all kinds of criminals. Then, the word: اِنتِقَام (intiqam: revenge, retribution, return) is also general. It may be in the mortal world or in the Hereafter or in both. But, from some Hadith accounts it appears that there are three sins the punishment of which is experienced - before the Hereafter - right here in this world too. They are: (1) To strive against what is Right and True publicly with flags and slogans; (2) To disobey parents; (3) To help someone unjust or oppressive. (Reported by Ibn Jarir from Sayyidna Mu'dh Ibn Jabal ؓ .