Surah Al-Muzzammil (73) — Ayah 20

Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand (in prayer) nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half the night, or (sometimes) a third of the night, and so does a group among your companions. And Allah alone determines the measure of night and day. He knows that you will not be able to keep count of it, so He has turned to you in mercy [18]. So recite, then, as much of the Quran as is easy (for you). He knows that some of you will be ill, and others will be traveling throughout the land seeking Allah’s bounty, and others will be fighting in Allah’s cause. So recite as much of it as is easy (for you) [19]. And establish prayer [20], and give zakat, and lend to Allah a good loan [21]. And whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah, better [22] and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness from Allah [23]. Surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[18] This verse of Surah Muzammil comprises an entire ruku. According to one narration, it was revealed eight months after the Hijrah; according to another, one year after; and according to a third narration, ten years after. In our opinion, the third narration is preferable because in this ruku there is mention of fighting in the way of Allah and of zakat, and both of these were made obligatory during the Madinan period. According to the first command, it was necessary for you ﷺ and, in your ﷺ following, for the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to stand in prayer for at least a third of the night. But in those days, there were no clocks, so you ﷺ and likewise the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would sometimes stand for most of the night, merely out of caution lest the time be less than a third of the night, and thus, at times, their feet would become swollen from standing. Later, through this command, considerable alleviation was granted in the previous command.

[19] From this verse, it is self-evident that after this command, standing in prayer at night (qiyam al-layl) was no longer obligatory, nor is there any restriction on a fixed amount of Quran to be recited in it. However, for you ﷺ, the tahajjud prayer was obligatory—not by virtue of this verse, but by virtue of the verse in Surah Bani Isra'il: ﴿وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهٖ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ﴾ [79:17]. In this verse, Allah Almighty has also considered traveling for the sake of earning lawful sustenance as a valid excuse, equal to fighting in the way of Allah, from which the great virtue of earning lawful sustenance is evident.

[20]
Avoiding Lengthy Recitation in Congregational Prayer:

In the matter of congregational prayer, it should be kept in mind that the recitation should not be too lengthy, as is clear from the following hadith: Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari ؓ says that Mu'adh bin Jabal ؓ would perform the obligatory prayer with you ﷺ, then go and lead his own people in prayer. One day, he led the 'Isha prayer and began Surah Baqarah. A man (who used to fetch water) broke off from the prayer and left. Mu'adh began to speak ill of him. This matter reached the Prophet ﷺ (the man went and complained to you ﷺ about Mu'adh), so you ﷺ said to Mu'adh three times, "Fattan" or "Faatin" (one who causes trouble), then ordered Mu'adh to "recite two surahs from the middle-length surahs (Awsat Mufassal)." Another narrator of this incident, Abu Mas'ud, says, "I have never seen you ﷺ more angry in admonition and advice than on that day." You ﷺ said, "Some of you want to drive people away. Look! Whoever among you leads the people in prayer should make it light, for among them are the weak, the elderly, and those with needs. But when one prays alone, he may make it as long as he wishes." [بخاری۔ کتاب الاذان۔ باب اذا طوّل الامام۔۔]

However, when a person is praying alone, he may recite as much as he wishes.

[21]
Qard Hasan is Separate from Zakat:

Allah Almighty has mentioned zakat separately and qard hasan (a goodly loan) separately. From this, it is understood that Muslims should continue to give other voluntary charities in addition to the obligatory charity, i.e., zakat. For details and rulings regarding qard hasan, see the footnote to verse 11 of Surah Hadid.

[22] The only wealth that benefits a person is that which he spends in the way of Allah. Once, you ﷺ said that a person says, "This is my wealth, this is my wealth," whereas his wealth is only that which he has consumed or worn or spent in the way of Allah. And the wealth he leaves behind after death is not his; it belongs to his heirs. In this blessed statement, you ﷺ have also considered the wealth that is eaten and worn as one's own wealth—it is certainly his, and perhaps there will be no questioning about it before Allah. But the only wealth that will benefit a person is that which he spent in the way of Allah or used to relieve the needs of the needy. This is the wealth regarding which Allah Almighty has promised a great reward.

[23] The benefit of seeking forgiveness (istighfar) is not limited to Allah Almighty, out of His grace, forgiving the sins of the one who seeks forgiveness; rather, many worldly benefits are also obtained from it. For details, see footnote number 5 of Surah Nuh.