Surah Az-Zumar: Verse 9 - أمن هو قانت آناء الليل... - English

Is one who worships devoutly during the hour of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord - (like one who does not)? Say: "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition. (9)

In the first sentence of verse 9, it was said: أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ (Can (such people be equal to) the one who worships during the hours of the night, prostrating and standing, fearing the Hereafter and having hopes in his Lord's mercy?). The first word: أَمَّنْ (amman) is a combination of two words: اَم (am: an interrogative particle) and: مَن (man: relative pronoun). Before this sentence, the disbelievers have told on behalf of Allah Ta’ ala that they can go ahead and enjoy the fruits of their disbelief and sin during this mortal life, but finally they are doomed to stoke the fire of Jahannam. After then, the present sentence takes up the description of an obedient believer that has been initiated with the question word of أَمَّنْ (amman). Scholars of exegesis have said that there is an ellipsis of a sentence that should have appeared earlier, that is, the disbeliever will be told, 'are you better, or is it the obedient believer who has been mentioned later?'. The word: قَانِت (qanit) has been explained variously. That which comprehends all these meanings comes from Sayyidna Ibn Masud ؓ . According to him, it means devotedly obedient, and when this word is used in conjunction with Sala ھ ، as in: قُومُوا لِلَّـهِ قَانِتِينَ (Stand before Allah in total devotion - Al-Baqarah, 2:238), there it means the person who lowers his gaze in salah, does not see right and left, does not play with his body or clothes and does not voluntarily remember anything from his worldly life. Any incidence of forgetfulness or involuntary scruple would not be considered contrary to this. (Qurtubi)

Immediately next in verse 9, it was said: آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ (during the hours of the night). The expression means hours of the night and denotes the early, the middle and the last part of the night. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said that, 'a person who wishes that Allah Ta’ ala would make the reckoning on the plains of Resurrection easy on him should so manage himself that Allah Ta’ ala finds him in the state of Sujud (prostration) and Qiyam (stance of standing) during the darkness of the night in an emotional condition in which he is concerned about his fate in the Hereafter, yet is hoping for the mercy of Allah.' Some early commentators have identified the time between Maghrib and 'Isha' also as included in the expression آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ ('ana'-ul-lail). (Qurtubi)

(9)

The Obedient and the Sinner are not equal

Allah says, `is the one who is like this equal to one who associates others in worship with Allah and sets up rivals to Him' They are not equal before Allah, as He says:

(Not all of them are alike; a party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Ayat of Allah Ana'a Al-Layl, prostrating themselves (in prayer).) (3:113). And Allah says here:

(Is one who is obedient to Allah, Ana'a Al-Layl prostrating and standing) meaning, one who is humble and fears Allah when he prostrates and stands (in prayer). It was reported that Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The obedient one is one who obeys Allah and His Messenger ." Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Al-Hasan, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said, Ana'a Al-Layl means in the depths of the night.

(fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord.) means, in his worship he feels both fear and hope. Both are essential in worship, and fear should be stronger during one's lifetime. Allah says:

(fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord. ) At the time of death, hope is uppermost, as Imam `Abd bin Humayd recorded in his Musnad from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, "The Messenger of Allah entered upon a man who was dying, and said to him,

(How do you feel) He said, `I am both afraid and hopeful.' The Messenger of Allah said:

(These do not co-exist in a person's heart at times such as this, but Allah will give him what he hopes for and protect him from that which he fears.)" This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i in Al-Yawm wal-Laylah, and Ibn Majah from the Hadith of Yasar bin Hatim from Ja`far bin Sulayman. At-Tirmidhi said, "Gharib." Imam Ahmad recorded that Tamim Ad-Dari, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said:

(Whoever recites one hundred Ayat in one night, it will be recorded as if he prayed all night.) This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in Al-Yawm wal-Laylah.

(Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not") means, is this one equal with the one who sets up rivals to Allah to mislead (men) from His path

(It is only men of understanding who will remember. ) means, the only one who will understand the difference between them is the one who has understanding. And Allah knows best.

(9)