سُوْرَةُ السَّجْدَةِ
Surah As-Sajda (32) — Ayah 16
تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿16﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (in charity in Allâh’s Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
تَتَجَافَىٰ
tatajāfā
Forsake
جُنُوبُهُمْ
junūbuhum
their sides
عَنِ
ʿani
from
ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ
l-maḍājiʿi
(their) beds
يَدْعُونَ
yadʿūna
they call
رَبَّهُمْ
rabbahum
their Lord
خَوْفًۭا
khawfan
(in) fear
وَطَمَعًۭا
waṭamaʿan
and hope
وَمِمَّا
wamimmā
and out of what
رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ
razaqnāhum
We have provided them
يُنفِقُونَ
yunfiqūna
they spend
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
16. Their sides forsake their beds [18]; they call upon their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend from what We have provided them [19].
[18]
The Command to Maintain Good Expectations of Allah Despite Fearing Him:
This does not mean that they do not sleep at all during the night. Rather, it is that just as worldly people work hard all day and then spend the night in enjoyment, organizing gatherings of dance and music, indulging in drinking, heading to cinemas and clubs, or at the very least, entertaining themselves with television—servants of Allah, on the contrary, spend their time in the remembrance of Allah. This is their recreation. They stand in worship of Allah during the nights, and the amount of time that worldly people spend in disobedience to Allah, the servants of Allah spend in His obedience and worship. They call upon Allah out of fear of the punishment of Hell and hope for Paradise, or they worship Allah hoping for His mercy and kindness. Yet, at the same time, they remain fearful that there may be some shortcoming in their actions, and that their deeds may not be accepted by Allah. However, the aspect of having good expectations of Allah or hope in His mercy and kindness always prevails in them, and this aspect remains dominant throughout their lives. As the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "None of you should die except while having good expectations of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." [مسلم۔ کتاب الجنۃ۔ باب الامر بحسن الظن باللہ تعالیٰ عند الموت]
Although it appears from this verse that what is meant by staying away from beds and calling upon Allah is the Tahajjud prayer, which is mentioned with great virtue in the hadiths, some scholars have interpreted it as referring to the Fajr prayer, some to the Isha prayer, and some to the voluntary prayers between Maghrib and Isha. However, the preferred opinion seems to be the one mentioned first.
[19]
It is Necessary for Poor and Destitute People to Give Charity as Well:
This refers only to lawful wealth, because Allah Almighty has never attributed unlawful wealth to Himself, nor does He accept charity from such wealth. Spending here does not mean spending on luxuries, but rather spending in lawful ways, whether it is on oneself, on one's family, on fulfilling the needs and necessities of relatives and other needy people. And if one does not have the means to spend on others from lawful wealth, one must still avoid unlawful earnings, be content with what one has, and be grateful to Allah. And from that, even if it is very little, one must spend something, because the poor also need purification of the soul. Their hearts too must be cleansed from the disease of miserliness. That is why the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Protect yourselves from the Fire, even if it is with half a date." [بخاری۔ کتاب الزکوٰۃ۔ باب اتقو النار و لو بشق تمرۃ]
[18]
The Command to Maintain Good Expectations of Allah Despite Fearing Him:
This does not mean that they do not sleep at all during the night. Rather, it is that just as worldly people work hard all day and then spend the night in enjoyment, organizing gatherings of dance and music, indulging in drinking, heading to cinemas and clubs, or at the very least, entertaining themselves with television—servants of Allah, on the contrary, spend their time in the remembrance of Allah. This is their recreation. They stand in worship of Allah during the nights, and the amount of time that worldly people spend in disobedience to Allah, the servants of Allah spend in His obedience and worship. They call upon Allah out of fear of the punishment of Hell and hope for Paradise, or they worship Allah hoping for His mercy and kindness. Yet, at the same time, they remain fearful that there may be some shortcoming in their actions, and that their deeds may not be accepted by Allah. However, the aspect of having good expectations of Allah or hope in His mercy and kindness always prevails in them, and this aspect remains dominant throughout their lives. As the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "None of you should die except while having good expectations of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic." [مسلم۔ کتاب الجنۃ۔ باب الامر بحسن الظن باللہ تعالیٰ عند الموت]
Although it appears from this verse that what is meant by staying away from beds and calling upon Allah is the Tahajjud prayer, which is mentioned with great virtue in the hadiths, some scholars have interpreted it as referring to the Fajr prayer, some to the Isha prayer, and some to the voluntary prayers between Maghrib and Isha. However, the preferred opinion seems to be the one mentioned first.
[19]
It is Necessary for Poor and Destitute People to Give Charity as Well:
This refers only to lawful wealth, because Allah Almighty has never attributed unlawful wealth to Himself, nor does He accept charity from such wealth. Spending here does not mean spending on luxuries, but rather spending in lawful ways, whether it is on oneself, on one's family, on fulfilling the needs and necessities of relatives and other needy people. And if one does not have the means to spend on others from lawful wealth, one must still avoid unlawful earnings, be content with what one has, and be grateful to Allah. And from that, even if it is very little, one must spend something, because the poor also need purification of the soul. Their hearts too must be cleansed from the disease of miserliness. That is why the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Protect yourselves from the Fire, even if it is with half a date." [بخاری۔ کتاب الزکوٰۃ۔ باب اتقو النار و لو بشق تمرۃ]
