Tafseer of The Enshrouded One · Al-Muzzammil · 73:20
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِنْ ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ عَلِمَ أَنْ سَيَكُونُ مِنْكُمْ مَرْضَى وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ (20).
He — exalted is His mention — means by His saying: indeed, these verses in which the matter of the Resurrection and its terrors are mentioned, and what He will do therein to the people of unbelief, are an admonition — He says: a lesson and a warning for whoever takes instruction from it and lets himself be admonished فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلا ("so whoever wills, let him take a way to his Lord"). He says: so whoever of the creatures wills, let him take a way to his Lord by believing in Him and acting in obedience to Him.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of the tafsīr (exegesis) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ ("Indeed, this is an admonition"), that is: the Qurʾān, فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلا ("so whoever wills, let him take a way to his Lord") through obedience to Allah.
And His saying: إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِنْ ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ ("Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] nearly two-thirds of the night, and half of it and a third of it"). He says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: indeed, your Lord, O Muḥammad, knows that you rise to pray close to two-thirds of the night, and half of it and a third of it.
The reciters differed over the reading of this: most of the reciters of Medina and Basra read it with kasra (genitive): "wa-niṣfihi wa-thuluthihi" ("and half of it and a third of it"), in the sense of: and less than half of it and a third of it; indeed, you were not able to act according to what was obligatory upon you of rising in the night, so rise for less than two-thirds of the night, and less than half of it and a third of it. And some of the reciters of Mecca and most of the reciters of Kufa read it with fatḥa (accusative), in the sense of: indeed, you rise for less than two-thirds of the night, and you rise for half of it and a third of it.
And the correct view about this is that they are two well-known readings with a sound meaning; with whichever of the two the reciter recites, he is correct. And His saying: وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ("and a group of those who are with you"), that is: of the Companions (ṣaḥāba) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who were believers in Allah when rising in the night was imposed upon them.
And His saying: وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ("and Allah determines the night and the day"), with the hours and the times.
And His saying: عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ("He knows that you cannot perform it"). He says: your Lord knew, O community upon whom rising in the night was imposed, that you would not be able to carry it out, فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ("so He turned to you in forgiveness") when you were incapable and too weak for it, and He brought you back to a relief for you.
And in accordance with what we have said about the meaning of His saying: أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ("that you cannot perform it"), the people of the tafsīr (exegesis) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Hushaym related to us, on the authority of ʿAbbād ibn Rāshid, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ("He knows that you cannot perform it"): that you cannot carry it out.
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: ʿAbbād ibn Rāshid gave me the report, saying: I heard al-Ḥasan say concerning His saying: أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ("that you cannot perform it"), he said: you cannot carry it out.
It was related to us on the authority of Ibn Ḥumayd, saying: Yaʿqūb related to us, on the authority of Jaʿfar, on the authority of Saʿīd: عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ("He knows that you cannot perform it"). He says: that you cannot carry it out.
He said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān: عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ("He knows that you cannot perform it"), he said: that you cannot carry it out.
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, saying: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Two qualities which no Muslim man observes but they cause him to enter Paradise; they are easy, but those who act upon them are few: he glorifies Allah after every prayer ten times, and praises Him ten times, and declares Him great ten times." He said: and I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ counting them on his hand. He said: "That is a hundred and fifty with the tongue, and a thousand five hundred on the scale; and when he betakes himself to his sleeping place, he glorifies and praises and declares great a hundred times; that is a hundred with the tongue, and a thousand on the scale. So which of you performs in one day two thousand five hundred evil deeds?" They said: how could we not observe them? He said: "The devil comes to one of you while he is in his prayer and says: remember this, remember that, until he ends his prayer, and perhaps he no longer realizes it; and he comes to him while he is lying on his resting place and keeps lulling him to sleep until he sleeps."
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Abū Nuʿaym related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, on the authority of his father, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, something similar.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ ("He knows that you cannot perform it"): rising in the night had been prescribed for you, فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ("so recite what is easy of the Qurʾān").
And His saying: فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ("so recite what is easy of the Qurʾān"). He says: so recite in the night what is easy for you of the Qurʾān in your prayer. And this is a relief from Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, for His servants, from His obligation which He had imposed upon them with His saying: قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلا قَلِيلا * نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلا ("Stand in the night, except for a little, half of it, or diminish from it a little").
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Abū Rajāʾ Muḥammad, saying: I said to al-Ḥasan: O Abū Saʿīd, what do you say about a man who has memorized the entire Qurʾān, but does not rise with it in the night, he performs only the obligatory prayer? He said: he makes the Qurʾān a pillow — may Allah curse such a one! Allah said about the righteous servant: وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ ("and indeed, he possessed knowledge of what We had taught him"), وَعُلِّمْتُمْ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنْتُمْ وَلا آبَاؤُكُمْ ("and you were taught what you did not know, neither you nor your forefathers"). I said: O Abū Saʿīd, Allah said: فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ("so recite what is easy of the Qurʾān"). He said: yes, even if it were fifty verses.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of ʿUthmān al-Hamdānī, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His saying: فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ("so recite what is easy of the Qurʾān"), he said: a hundred verses.
He said: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Rabīʿ, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, who said: whoever recites a hundred verses in a night, the Qurʾān will not dispute with him.
He said: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ, on the authority of Kaʿb, who said: whoever recites a hundred verses in a night is recorded among the devout worshippers.
And His saying: عَلِمَ أَنْ سَيَكُونُ مِنْكُمْ مَرْضَى وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الأرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ ("He knows that there will be among you those who are sick and others who travel through the land seeking the bounty of Allah"). He — exalted is His mention — says: your Lord knew, O believers, that there will be among you those who are sick whom illness has made too weak for rising in the night, وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الأرْضِ ("and others who travel through the land") on a journey, يَبْتَغُونَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ ("seeking the bounty of Allah") in trade, who have set out seeking livelihood, which has exhausted them and likewise made them too weak for rising in the night, وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ("and others who fight (qitāl) in the way of Allah"). He says: and likewise others among you who wage jihād against the enemy and fight them in support of the religion of Allah; so Allah has had mercy upon you and granted you relief and removed from you the obligation of rising in the night, فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ("so recite what is easy of it"). He says: recite now, since He has lightened that for you, in the night in your prayer what is easy of the Qurʾān. And the "hā" in His saying "minhu" ("of it") refers to the mention of the Qurʾān.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of the tafsīr (exegesis) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: then He announced the qualities of the believers, and said: عَلِمَ أَنْ سَيَكُونُ مِنْكُمْ مَرْضَى وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الأرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ("He knows that there will be among you those who are sick and others who travel through the land seeking the bounty of Allah, and others who fight in the way of Allah; so recite what is easy of it"). He said: Allah imposed the rising at the beginning of this surah, and the Prophet of Allah ﷺ and his companions rose for a year until their feet swelled, and Allah withheld its conclusion in the heaven for twelve months, and then He revealed the relief at the end of it, so that rising in the night became a voluntary act after an obligation, وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ ("and establish the prayer"). He says: and establish the obligatory prayer, and those are the five prayers in the day and the night, وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ("and give the zakāh"). He says: and give the obligatory alms (zakāh) on your wealth to its rightful recipients.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of the tafsīr (exegesis) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to me, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ("and establish the prayer and give the zakāh"): these are two obligatory ordinances, in which there is no exemption for anyone; so fulfill them for Allah — exalted is His mention.
And His saying: وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ("and lend Allah a goodly loan"). He says: and spend in the way of Allah of your wealth.
And Ibn Zayd used to say about this what Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb gave us the report, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: وَأَقْرَضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ("and lend Allah a goodly loan"), he said: the loan: the voluntary offerings besides the zakāh.
And His saying: وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لأنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا ("and whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah, better and greater in reward"). He says: and whatever good you, O believers, send forth for yourselves in the worldly life of alms or expenditure that you spend in the way of Allah, or anything else of expenditure in the avenues of good, or an act in obedience to Allah of prayer or fasting or pilgrimage (ḥajj), or anything else of good deeds in seeking what is with Allah, that you will find with Allah on the Day of Resurrection at your return, better for you than what you sent forth in the worldly life, and greater in reward for it: that is, its reward is greater than that which you sent forth, [greater than it would have been] had you not sent it forth, وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ ("and seek forgiveness of Allah"). He — exalted is His mention — says: and ask Allah for the forgiveness of your sins, that He may pardon them for you, إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ("indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"). He says: indeed, Allah possesses forgiveness for the sins of whoever of His servants repents of his sins, and possesses mercy not to punish them for it after their repentance from it.
