“205, 206” “Remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and fearfully, and without raising your voice, morning and evening. And do not be among the heedless. Surely those who are near your Lord are not too proud to worship Him. They glorify Him, and to Him they prostrate.”
Remembrance of Allah Most High may be with the heart, with the tongue, or with both together—the last being the most complete form and state of remembrance. Allah therefore commanded His servant and Messenger Muhammad in the first instance, and others by extension, to remember his Lord within himself—that is, with sincere devotion and in solitude.
“Humbly”—that is, humbly imploring Him with your tongue and repeating the various forms of remembrance—“and fearfully” in your heart, being afraid of Allah and apprehensive before Him, lest your deed not be accepted. The sign of such fear is that one strives diligently to perfect and rectify the deed and perform it with utmost sincerity.
“And without raising your voice”—that is, take a middle course: do not recite your prayer too loudly or too quietly, but seek a way between the two. “In the morning,” at the beginning of the day, “and the evening,” at its end. These two times possess a special merit and excellence for the remembrance of Allah beyond other times.
“And do not be among the heedless,” who forgot Allah, so He caused them to forget themselves. They have been deprived of the good of this world and the Hereafter. They turned away from the One in whose remembrance and worship lie all happiness and success, and turned instead to things preoccupation with which brings every form of misery and disappointment.
This is one of the proper manners that a servant should observe with the utmost care: frequently remembering Allah throughout the night and day, particularly at both ends of the day, with sincerity, humility, earnest supplication, self-abasement, and calmness; with his heart and tongue in accord; with proper decorum and dignity; and with attentiveness to supplication and remembrance, keeping his heart fully present and free of heedlessness. Allah does not answer a supplication issuing from a heedless, distracted heart.
Allah Most High then mentioned that He has servants who worship Him continually and remain constant in His service: the angels. Know, then, that Allah does not seek your worship because He lacks numbers, nor to acquire might after abasement. Rather, He seeks only to benefit you, so that you may gain from Him many times over what you have done. He said: “Surely those who are near your Lord are not too proud to worship Him. They glorify Him, and to Him they prostrate.”
“Surely those who are near your Lord”—the angels brought near, the Bearers of the Throne, and the cherubim.
“They are not too proud to worship Him.” Rather, they submit to His worship and comply with their Lord’s commands. “They glorify Him” throughout the night and day without growing weary.
“And to Him”—alone, with no partner—“they prostrate.” Let all servants follow the example of these noble angels and remain constant [in] worshipping the All-Knowing Sovereign.
The commentary on Surah al-Arāf is complete.
To Allah belong all praise, thanks, and commendation. May Allah send blessings and peace upon Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.