سُوْرَةُ الْمُزَّمِّلِ
Surah Al-Muzzammil (73) — Ayah 6
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيْلِ هِىَ أَشَدُّ وَطْـًٔا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا ﴿6﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, the rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and good for governing oneself, and most suitable for (understanding) the Word (of Allâh).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
نَاشِئَةَ
nāshi-ata
(the) rising
ٱلَّيْلِ
al-layli
(at) the night
هِىَ
hiya
it
أَشَدُّ
ashaddu
(is) very hard
وَطْـًۭٔا
waṭan
and most potent
وَأَقْوَمُ
wa-aqwamu
and more suitable
قِيلًا
qīlan
(for) Word
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.
6. Surely, rising at night [6] is most effective for subduing the self [7] and most suitable [8] for reciting the Qur’an.
[6]
The Literal Meaning of Tahajjud:
The obligation of the five prayers was established at the time of Mi'raj. Before this, both youﷺ and the other noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to perform only this night prayer. There was no arrangement or command for congregational prayer either. The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to perform this prayer individually in their own homes. When the five daily prayers were made obligatory during Mi'raj, this prayer remained obligatory only for the Messenger of Allahﷺ, and its obligation was lifted from the rest of the Muslims. However, encouragement to perform it was certainly given. Now, for the general Muslims, the status of this prayer is that of a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnat Mu’akkadah). Its timings were also different. Many Muslims used to perform it in the early part of the night, while some others used to perform this prayer in the latter part of the night. One form of yourﷺ night vigil (Qiyam al-Layl) is that which is mentioned above in the narration of Sayyidah Umm Salamahؓ. And from a linguistic perspective, this is the very meaning of the word Tahajjud or Hujood: that is, to sleep and wake up several times during the night. Then, even after the five prayers were made obligatory, this prayer remained obligatory for youﷺ, and its time was fixed from midnight until the break of dawn. That is, this prayer can be performed at any time during this period. From these verses, it is also incidentally understood that before the revelation of Surah Al-Muzzammil, such a portion of the Quran had already been revealed that could be recited with measured recitation (tarteel) in this lengthy prayer.
[7] وَطَأ means to trample, to tread, to subdue completely. That is, staying awake at night and preparing one's self for the worship of Allah is a very effective remedy for removing the rebelliousness of the self and subduing its strength. However, the self finds this very burdensome. And the second meaning of ﴿وَطَأ عَلَي الاَمْرِ﴾ is to make a task easy according to one's own will. Thus, although staying awake at night is very burdensome for the self, it will be very suitable and beneficial for the reformation of the self and for the purpose for which we want to train youﷺ.
[8] ﴿أقْوَمُ قِيْلاً﴾ means that which makes speech more correct. That is, the second benefit of staying awake at night is that at this time the heart and mind are fresh. There is no noise or commotion. Therefore, the Quran that is recited at this time one's temperament will ponder upon it with full attention. Thus, this time is suitable for understanding the meanings of the Quran and for being affected by it.
[6]
The Literal Meaning of Tahajjud:
The obligation of the five prayers was established at the time of Mi'raj. Before this, both youﷺ and the other noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to perform only this night prayer. There was no arrangement or command for congregational prayer either. The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to perform this prayer individually in their own homes. When the five daily prayers were made obligatory during Mi'raj, this prayer remained obligatory only for the Messenger of Allahﷺ, and its obligation was lifted from the rest of the Muslims. However, encouragement to perform it was certainly given. Now, for the general Muslims, the status of this prayer is that of a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnat Mu’akkadah). Its timings were also different. Many Muslims used to perform it in the early part of the night, while some others used to perform this prayer in the latter part of the night. One form of yourﷺ night vigil (Qiyam al-Layl) is that which is mentioned above in the narration of Sayyidah Umm Salamahؓ. And from a linguistic perspective, this is the very meaning of the word Tahajjud or Hujood: that is, to sleep and wake up several times during the night. Then, even after the five prayers were made obligatory, this prayer remained obligatory for youﷺ, and its time was fixed from midnight until the break of dawn. That is, this prayer can be performed at any time during this period. From these verses, it is also incidentally understood that before the revelation of Surah Al-Muzzammil, such a portion of the Quran had already been revealed that could be recited with measured recitation (tarteel) in this lengthy prayer.
[7] وَطَأ means to trample, to tread, to subdue completely. That is, staying awake at night and preparing one's self for the worship of Allah is a very effective remedy for removing the rebelliousness of the self and subduing its strength. However, the self finds this very burdensome. And the second meaning of ﴿وَطَأ عَلَي الاَمْرِ﴾ is to make a task easy according to one's own will. Thus, although staying awake at night is very burdensome for the self, it will be very suitable and beneficial for the reformation of the self and for the purpose for which we want to train youﷺ.
[8] ﴿أقْوَمُ قِيْلاً﴾ means that which makes speech more correct. That is, the second benefit of staying awake at night is that at this time the heart and mind are fresh. There is no noise or commotion. Therefore, the Quran that is recited at this time one's temperament will ponder upon it with full attention. Thus, this time is suitable for understanding the meanings of the Quran and for being affected by it.
