“Establish the prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the dawn recitation. Indeed, the dawn recitation is ever witnessed.” (78)

His saying, “Establish the prayer from the decline of the sun”: the scholars differed concerning the decline of the sun. It is reported from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud that he said: “It means sunset.” This was also the view of Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, Muqatil ibn Hayyan, al-Dahhak, and al-Suddi.

Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, and Jabir said: “It means the sun’s passing its zenith.” This was also the view of Ata', Qatada, Mujahid, al-Hasan, and most of the Successors.

The lexical meaning encompasses both views, for the basic meaning of decline is inclination, and the sun inclines when it passes its zenith and when it sets.

The interpretation as the sun’s passing its zenith is the stronger of the two views, because of the greater number who held it and because, if it is understood in this way, the verse encompasses all the prescribed prayer times: “the decline of the sun” includes the Dhuhr and Asr prayers; “until the darkness of the night” includes the Maghrib and Isha prayers; and “the dawn recitation” means the Fajr prayer. (1)

His saying, exalted is He, “until the darkness of the night,” means: when its darkness appears. Ibn Abbas said: the onset of night. Qatada said: the time of the Maghrib prayer. Mujahid said: sunset.

“And the dawn recitation” means the Fajr prayer. The Fajr prayer is called a recitation because it is not valid without Quranic recitation. The word “recitation” is in the accusative in one of two ways: first, it is coordinated with “the prayer,” meaning, “And establish the dawn recitation.” This was stated by al-Farra'. The scholars of Basra said that it is an accusative of exhortation, meaning, “Adhere to the dawn recitation.”

“Indeed, the dawn recitation is ever witnessed”: that is, it is attended by the angels of the night and the angels of the day.

Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abdullah al-Nu'aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il related to us; Abu al-Yaman related to us; Shu'ayb informed us from al-Zuhri, who said: Said ibn al-Musayyib and Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman informed me that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: “The congregational prayer surpasses the prayer of one of you offered alone by twenty-five portions, and the angels of the night and the angels of the day gather at the Fajr prayer.” Abu Hurayrah then said: “Recite, if you wish: ‘Indeed, the dawn recitation is ever witnessed.’” (2)