(20) “Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand in prayer for a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, as does a group of those with you. Allah determines the night and the day. He knew that you would not be able to keep an exact account of it, so He turned to you in mercy. Therefore, recite whatever is easy for you of the Quran. He knew that some of you would be ill, that others would travel through the land seeking Allah’s bounty, and that still others would fight in the way of Allah. So recite whatever is easy from it, establish prayer, give zakah, and lend Allah a goodly loan. Whatever good you send ahead for yourselves, you will find it with Allah—it will be better and greater in reward. And seek Allah’s forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
At the beginning of this surah, Allah mentioned that He commanded His Messenger to stand in prayer for half the night, one-third of it, or two-thirds of it. The basic principle is that his community follows his example in religious rulings. Here Allah mentions that he and a group of the believers with him complied with that command.
Because precisely determining the prescribed time was difficult for people, Allah informed them that He had made the matter as easy as possible for them. He said, “Allah determines the night and the day”—that is, He knows their respective lengths and how much of each has elapsed and remains.
“He knew that you would not be able to keep an exact account of it”—that is, [you would not] know its precise duration without adding to it or falling short, since that would require additional vigilance and effort. Thus, He lightened the burden for you and commanded you to do whatever was easy, whether it exceeded the prescribed duration or fell short of it. “Therefore, recite whatever is easy for you of the Quran”—that is, whatever you know and whatever does not cause you hardship. Accordingly, one who prays at night is instructed to continue praying while he is alert and energetic. If his vigor wanes or he becomes sluggish or drowsy, he should rest so that he may pray with composure and ease.
Allah then mentioned some of the reasons warranting this concession, saying, “He knew that some of you would be ill.” Praying for two-thirds, half, or one-third of the night would be difficult for them, so the sick person should pray as much as is easy for him (1). Nor is he commanded to pray standing when that is difficult. Indeed, if even a voluntary prayer causes him hardship, he may omit it, [and he will receive the reward of what he used to do while healthy].
“That others would travel through the land seeking Allah’s bounty”—that is, He knew that some of you would be travelers journeying for trade so that they might be independent of others rather than hold out their hands to people (2). A traveler’s circumstances therefore warrant a concession. For this reason, the obligatory prayers have been lightened for him: he may combine two prayers within one prayer time and shorten the four-unit prayers.
Likewise, “that still others would fight in the way of Allah. So recite whatever is easy from it.” Thus, Allah Most High mentioned two forms of relief: one for the healthy resident, who takes his vigor into consideration without being burdened with precisely calculating the time. Rather, he strives to pray during the most virtuous period, namely one-third of the night following its first half.
The other is for the sick person or traveler, whether his journey is for trade or an act of worship, such as fighting, jihad, Hajj, Umrah, or the like (3). He likewise confines himself to what causes him no hardship. All praise and commendation belong to Allah, who has placed no hardship upon the community in religion (4). Rather, He has made His revealed law easy and has taken into account His servants’ circumstances and the welfare of their religion, bodies, and worldly lives.
He then commanded His servants to perform two acts of worship that are the foundation and mainstay of all worship: establishing prayer, without which religion cannot remain upright, and giving zakah, which is proof of faith and provides support for the poor and needy. He therefore said:
“Establish prayer” by fulfilling its pillars, conditions, and complementary elements. “And lend Allah a goodly loan”—that is, one given sincerely for Allah’s sake, with genuine intent, firm resolve, and wholesome wealth. This includes both obligatory and voluntary charity. He then encouraged goodness in all its forms and every righteous deed, saying, “Whatever good you send ahead for yourselves, you will find it with Allah—it will be better and greater in reward.” A good deed is rewarded tenfold, up to seven hundredfold, and even many times beyond that.
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Let it be known that an atom’s weight of good in this world will be repaid in the abode of everlasting bliss with many times the whole world and all the pleasures and delights it contains. Goodness and righteousness in this world are the source of goodness and righteousness in the everlasting abode; they are its seed, root, and foundation. Alas for the hours that passed in heedlessness! What sorrow over the times that elapsed without righteous deeds! What anguish over hearts left unaffected by their Creator’s admonition and unmoved by the encouragement of the One who is more merciful to them than they are to themselves (5)!
O Allah, all praise is Yours. To You alone complaint is made, and from You alone help is sought. There is no might and no power except through You.
“And seek Allah’s forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” The command to seek forgiveness after being urged to perform acts of obedience and goodness contains a tremendous benefit. A servant is never free of shortcomings in what he has been commanded to do: he either fails to do it altogether or performs it imperfectly. He was therefore commanded to mend that deficiency by seeking forgiveness. A servant sins throughout the night and day, and unless Allah encompasses him in His mercy and forgiveness, he is ruined. This completes the commentary on Sūrat al-Muzzammil (6).
Commentary on Sūrat al-Muddaththir
[It is] Meccan