as revelation came upon him on a bitterly cold day; then it would leave him while sweat streamed from his brow. (1)

“Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective and more conducive to upright speech.” (6)

Concerning His saying, exalted is He, “Indeed, the hours of the night”: that is, all of its hours. Every hour of it is a nightly occurrence, so called because it arises—that is, it appears. Thus one says that a cloud has arisen when it appears. Whatever occurs and appears during the night has arisen; it is termed nāshiʾ (something that arises), the plural being nāshiʾah.

Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: “I asked Ibn Abbas and Ibn al-Zubayr about it, and they both said: ‘The entire night is nāshiʾah.’” (2) Saʿid ibn Jubayr and Ibn Zayd said: “Whenever a person rises during the night, he has arisen.” In the Ethiopian language, standing is expressed by saying, “So-and-so nashaʾa,” meaning that he stood. (3) (4)

Aishah said: “Nāshiʾah is rising in prayer after sleep.”

Ibn Kaysan said: “It is rising in prayer during the latter part of the night.”

Ikrimah said: “It is rising in prayer during the first part of the night.”

It is related from Ali ibn al-Husayn that he would pray between Maghrib and Isha and say: “This is nāshiʾat al-layl, the night vigil.” Al-Hasan said: “Every prayer after the final Isha prayer is nāshiʾah of the night.”

Al-Azhari said: “Nāshiʾat al-layl means night prayer. It is a verbal noun formed on the fāʿilah pattern, like ʿāfiyah, used in the sense of ʿafw (pardon).”

“More effective”: Ibn Amir and Abu Amr (5) recited it as wiṭāʾan (accord), with an i-vowel on the initial letter and a long final vowel, meaning correspondence and agreement. One says, “I wāṭaʾtu so-and-so,” meaning, “I agreed with him.” This is because the concurrence of the heart, hearing, sight, and tongue is greater at night than it is during the day.

The other reciters read it as waṭʾan (6), with an a-vowel on the initial letter and a silent second letter; that is, it is more difficult and burdensome for the worshipper than prayer by day, because the night is for sleep and rest. This is also reflected in the Prophet’s supplication, peace and blessings be upon him: “O Allah, inflict Your punishment severely upon Mudar.” (7)