سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 79
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِۦ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا ﴿79﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salât (prayer) with it (i.e. recite the Qur’ân in the prayer), as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer - Nawâfil) for you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم). It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqâm Mahmûd (a station of praise and glory, i.e. the honour of intercession on the Day of Resurrection.).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَمِنَ
wamina
And from
ٱلَّيْلِ
al-layli
the night
فَتَهَجَّدْ
fatahajjad
arise from sleep for prayer
بِهِۦ
bihi
with it
نَافِلَةًۭ
nāfilatan
(as) additional
لَّكَ
laka
for you
عَسَىٰٓ
ʿasā
it may be
أَن
an
that
يَبْعَثَكَ
yabʿathaka
will raise you
رَبُّكَ
rabbuka
your Lord
مَقَامًۭا
maqāman
(to) a station
مَّحْمُودًۭا
maḥmūdan
praiseworthy
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
79. 1 Some say that "tahajjud" is among the words with opposite meanings, signifying both sleeping and waking from sleep. And here, the latter meaning applies: to wake up at night after sleeping and perform voluntary prayers. Some say that the original meaning of "hujood" is indeed to sleep at night, but when it enters the "taf'ul" form, it acquires the meaning of abstaining, just as "ta-aththama" means he abstained from sin or avoided it. In this way, the meaning of "tahajjud" becomes to avoid sleeping, that is, to stay awake at night and stand in prayer. In any case, the concept of tahajjud is to wake up in the last part of the night and perform voluntary prayers. To spend the entire night in qiyam al-layl is against the Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ would sleep in the first part of the night and wake up in the last part to perform tahajjud. This is the Sunnah method.
79. 2 Some have interpreted this as an additional obligation that is specific to you, in this way they say that tahajjud was obligatory upon the Prophet ﷺ just as the five prayers were obligatory. However, for the ummah, the tahajjud prayer is not obligatory. Some say that tahajjud was not obligatory upon you nor upon your ummah. It is an additional act of worship whose virtue is certainly great, and at that time Allah is greatly pleased with His worship. However, this prayer was neither obligatory nor mandatory upon the Prophet ﷺ nor is it obligatory upon his ﷺ ummah.
79. 3 This is the station that Allah will grant the Prophet on the Day of Resurrection, and at this station, he will perform the greatest intercession, after which the reckoning of the people will begin.
79. 2 Some have interpreted this as an additional obligation that is specific to you, in this way they say that tahajjud was obligatory upon the Prophet ﷺ just as the five prayers were obligatory. However, for the ummah, the tahajjud prayer is not obligatory. Some say that tahajjud was not obligatory upon you nor upon your ummah. It is an additional act of worship whose virtue is certainly great, and at that time Allah is greatly pleased with His worship. However, this prayer was neither obligatory nor mandatory upon the Prophet ﷺ nor is it obligatory upon his ﷺ ummah.
79. 3 This is the station that Allah will grant the Prophet on the Day of Resurrection, and at this station, he will perform the greatest intercession, after which the reckoning of the people will begin.
