Surah 73. Al-Muzzammil

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Verses [Section]: 1-18[1], 19-20 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 19-20اِنَّIndeedهٰذِهٖthisتَذْكِرَةٌ ۚ(is) a Reminderفَمَنْthen whoeverشَآءَwillsاتَّخَذَlet him takeاِلٰیtoرَبِّهٖhis Lordسَبِیْلًا۠a way 73. Al-Muzzammil Page 575اِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordیَعْلَمُknowsاَنَّكَthat youتَقُوْمُstandاَدْنٰیa little lessمِنْthanثُلُثَیِtwo thirdsالَّیْلِ(of) the nightوَ نِصْفَهٗand half of itوَ ثُلُثَهٗand a third of itوَ طَآىِٕفَةٌand (so do) a groupمِّنَofالَّذِیْنَthose whoمَعَكَ ؕ(are) with youوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahیُقَدِّرُdeterminesالَّیْلَthe nightوَ النَّهَارَ ؕand the dayعَلِمَHe knowsاَنْthatلَّنْnotتُحْصُوْهُyou count itفَتَابَso He has turnedعَلَیْكُمْto youفَاقْرَءُوْاso reciteمَاwhatتَیَسَّرَis easyمِنَofالْقُرْاٰنِ ؕthe QuranعَلِمَHe knowsاَنْthatسَیَكُوْنُthere will beمِنْكُمْamong youمَّرْضٰی ۙsickوَ اٰخَرُوْنَand othersیَضْرِبُوْنَtravelingفِیinالْاَرْضِthe landیَبْتَغُوْنَseekingمِنْofفَضْلِ(the) Bountyاللّٰهِ ۙ(of) Allahوَ اٰخَرُوْنَand othersیُقَاتِلُوْنَfightingفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ ۖؗ(of) AllahفَاقْرَءُوْاSo reciteمَاwhatتَیَسَّرَis easyمِنْهُ ۙof itوَ اَقِیْمُواand establishالصَّلٰوةَthe prayerوَ اٰتُواand giveالزَّكٰوةَthe zakahوَ اَقْرِضُواand loanاللّٰهَAllahقَرْضًاa loanحَسَنًا ؕgoodlyوَ مَاAnd whateverتُقَدِّمُوْاyou send forthلِاَنْفُسِكُمْfor yourselvesمِّنْofخَیْرٍgoodتَجِدُوْهُyou will find itعِنْدَwithاللّٰهِAllahهُوَItخَیْرًا(is) betterوَّ اَعْظَمَand greaterاَجْرًا ؕ(in) rewardوَ اسْتَغْفِرُواAnd seek forgivenessاللّٰهَ ؕ(of) AllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahغَفُوْرٌ(is) Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ۠Most Merciful

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Translation of Verse 19-20

(73:19) Indeed this is nothing but a Good Counsel; so let him who will take a way leading to his Lord.

(73:20) (O Prophet),¹⁸ your Lord knows that you sometimes stand up in Prayer nearly two-thirds of the night, and sometimes half or one-third of it, ¹⁹ and so does a party of those with you;²⁰ Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you cannot keep an accurate count of it, so He has shown mercy to you. So now recite as much of the Qur'an as you can.²¹ He knows that there are among you those who are sick and others who are journeying in the land in quest of Allah's bounty,²² and still others who are fighting in the cause of Allah.²³ So recite as much of the Qur'an as you easily can, and establish Prayer, and pay Zakah,²⁴ and give Allah a goodly loan.²⁵ Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you shall find it with Allah. That is better and its reward is greater.²⁶ And ask for Allah's forgiveness; surely He is Most Forgiving, Most Compassionate.

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Commentary

18. There are divergent reports about the date of this verse which contains the revised command about the Tahajjud prayer. The following report is cited by Ahmad, Muslim, and Abu Dawud on ‘A’ishah’s authority that the revised command was laid down only one year after the original command, changing the status of this prayer from obligatory (fard) to voluntary (nafl). Another report by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim (Tafsir, 10,3379), however, credits ‘A’ishah with the view that there was an interval of eight months between the two commands. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, (Tafsir, 23, 359). Yet another report attributed to her by Ibn Abi Hatim, however, speaks of the difference of sixteen months between the two. Abu Dawud (K. al-Tatawwu'’, ‘Bab Naskh Qiyam al-Layl), Ibn Jarir (23, 359) and Ibn Abi Hatim, state, on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, the period of one year. However, Sa’id ibn Jubayr insists that these verses were revealed ten years later (Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, 23, 361 and Ibn Abi Hatim). In our opinion, this last view seems most credible, for the first section of the Surah is patently Makkan in origin, and was sent down in the very early days of Islam, at most four years after the Prophet (peace be upon him) assumed his office. In contrast, on the basis of its internal evidence, the second section appears to have been revealed in Madinah when the fighting had commenced with the disbelievers and the command for paying Zakah had also come into force. So, there must be a gap of at least ten years between the revelation of the two sections.

19. Although the command for standing in prayer was up to midnight or a bit more or less than it, one engaged in prayer could not keep an exact court of time, especially when there were no clocks around. So, at times, _ the prayer went up to two-thirds or was reduced to one-third of the night.

20. The command was initially directed at the Prophet (peace be upon him), advising him to stand up in prayer at night. However, since the early Muslims were very keen on emulating the Prophet (peace be upon him) and earning reward, most of the Companions too made it a point to offer the Tahajjud prayer regularly.

21. Since the length of a prayer depends on the amount of the Qur’an recitation in it, the directive was to recite as much of the Qur’an as the Prophet (peace be upon him) could do. By shortening the recitations, the length of the prayer would also be automatically reduced. Although - the command appears to be imperative, the consensus view is that the Tahajjud prayer is not a fard but a nafl prayer. This is further clarified in a hadith that when someone enquired of the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the obligatory prayer, he replied: “The five daily prayers are obligatory on you.” When he further queried whether he was obliged to offer anything else, he replied: “No, unless you desire to offer something else besides it.” Bukhari (K. al-Iman, Bab al-Zakah), and Muslim (K. al-Iman, Bab Bayan al-Salawiat).

Another point emerging from the above verse is that like ruku’ (bowing) and sujud (prostration), the Qur’an recitation is also an essential component of the prayer. As at other places, God has used the words ruku’ and sujud to mean the prayer, here He mentions the recitation of the Qur’an as a synonym for the prayer. Were one to raise the question that since the Tahajjud prayer itself is nafl, how can the Qur’an recitation as part of it be obligatory? The answer is that all the requisites of a prayer are to be fulfilled, even if itis a nafl prayer. No one can say that in the nafl prayer, purity of the clothes and body, ablution, and covering the body are not obligatory, and the recitation of the Qur’an, making ruku’ and prostration are just voluntary.

22. “Travelling in the land in quest of God’s bounty” is the Qur’anic phrase for seeking lawful means of livelihood.

23. Seeking lawful sustenance and fighting in the cause of God are mentioned together in the above. Those engaged in these as well as those disabled by sickness are offered a concession for Tahajjud prayer. This underscores the importance of earning lawful sustenance in Islam. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘iid relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “One who brings grain in a town of Muslims and sells it at the price of the day will attain proximity with Allah”. After making this observation, he recited the Qur’anic verse under discussion. (Ibn Marduwayh in al- Kashshaf, 6, 249) ‘Umar remarked: “Next to the fighting in the cause of God, I would love to die while journeying through a mountain valley in search of my livelihood.” Then he recited the above verse. (Bayhaqi, Fi Shu’‘ab al-Iman as well as in al-Kashshaf, 6, 249)

24. Commentators on the Qur’an agree that “prayer” here denotes the five daily prayers which are obligatory. Likewise, Zakah denotes the obligatory alms.

25. According to Ibn Zayd, reference here is to spend one’s wealth in the way of God, apart from paying Zakah, whether it is in the cause of fighting in the path of God, helping the servants of God, or acts of public welfare or any philanthropic work. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, (Tafsir, 23, 398). We have already explained the meaning of “giving God a goodly loan” at several places. (See for example Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. 1, Surah al-Baqarah 2: n. 267, p. 187; vol. I, Surah al-Ma'idah 5: n. 33, p. 142 and Surah al-Hadid 57: n. 16.)

26. Whatever good things man sends forth for the Hereafter is much better than his wealth which he hoards in this life, refusing to spend it for winning God’s pleasure. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud reports that once the ‘Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: “Who among you holds his heir‘s belongings dearer than his own?” Those present replied: “No one among us holds his heir’s belongings dearer than his own”. He remarked: “Weigh carefully what you are saying: Your real belongings are those good acts _ of yours which you send forth for the Hereafter. Whatever you hold back actually belongs to your heir.” Bukhari (K. al-Riqaq), Nasa’i (K. al-Wasaya, Bab al-Karahiyah fi Ta’khir al-Wasiyah) and Musnad of Abi lya‘la.