Az-Zumar · Makki · ayah 9 of 75

Az-Zumar 39:9

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَـٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَآئِمًا يَحْذَرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُوا۟ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِۦ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ

“Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Set the night worshipper, fearing and hoping, beside the man who forgets his Lord once rescued: are those who know equal to those who do not?

A reflection

The hours with no audience

The previous ayah described a man who prays only when the plane drops. This one sets beside him another person, without naming him: one who is qānit through the hours of the night, prostrating and standing.

Ānāʾ al-layl are the night's hours. One classical view ties the word to things reaching their full point. A pot is left on the fire until its contents are done, and each stretch of the night ripens into the next. The commentaries disagree on which hours are meant. Some say the depth of the night, some the time between sunset and the late evening prayer. Others say its beginning, middle and end, all of it.

One commentary gives reasons why night worship weighs more. It is more hidden from eyes, so further from showing off. Darkness stops the eyes and other people's sleep stops the ears. Then the heart, emptied of what is outside, comes back to what it was made for. And leaving sleep is harder, so the reward is greater.

Picture a long-distance lorry driver parked in a lay-by at three in the morning. The motorway hums past. He lays a small mat on the floor of the cab and prays two units in the dark. Nobody will ever know. He climbs back into the seat oddly rested.

Allah needs none of this; the ayah before said He is free of need of us. The night prayer is for the one who stands in it. Many people today are never alone with anything: a screen fills every silence. The night offers the one hour when no one is watching and no one is asking. Then the heart can finally hear itself turn towards its Lord.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.