Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah . So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah . It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah . Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Tafseer
{ إن ربك يعلم أنك تقوم أَدنى } أقل { من ثلثي الليل ونصفِه وثلثِه } بالجر عطف على ثلثي وبالنصب على أدنى وقيامه كذلك نحو ما أمر به أول السورة { وطائفة من الذين معك } عطف على ضمير تقوم وجاز من غير تأكيد للفصل وقيام طائفة من أصحابه كذلك للتأسي به ومنهم من كان لا يدري كم صلّى من الليل وكم بقي منه فكان يقوم الليل كله احتياطا فقاموا حتى انتفخت أقدامهم سنة أو أكثر فخفف عنهم قال تعالى: { والله يقدر } يحصي { الليل والنهار علم أن } مخففة من الثقيلة واسمها محذوف، أي أنه { لن تحصوه } أي الليل لتقوموا فيما يجب القيام فيه إلا بقيام جميعه وذلك يشق عليكم { فتاب عليكم } رجع بكم إلى التخفيف { فاقرؤوا ما تيسر من القرآن } في الصلاة بأن تصلوا ما تيسر { علم أن } مخففة من الثقيلة، أي أنه { سيكون منكم مرضى وآخرون يضربون في الأرض } يسافرون { يبتغون من فضل الله } يطلبون من رزقه بالتجارة وغيرها { وآخرون يقاتلون في سبيل الله } وكل من الفرق الثلاثة يشق عليهم ما ذكر في قيام الليل فخفف عنهم بقيام ما تيسر منه ثم نسخ ذلك بالصلوات الخمس { فاقرؤوا ما تيسر منه } كما تقدم { وأقيموا الصلاة } المفروضة { وآتوا الزكاة وأقرضوا الله } بأن تنفقوا ما سوى المفروض من المال في سبيل الخير { قرضا حسنا } عن طيب قلب { وما تقدموا لأنفسكم من خير تجدوه عند الله هو خيرا } مما خلفتم وهو فصل وما بعده وإن لم يكن معرفة يشبهها لامتناعه من التعريف { وأعظم أجرا واستغفروا الله إن الله غفور رحيم } للمؤمنين.
{Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand in prayer for less than two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or a third of it.} The word "thirds" is in the genitive case, connected to "two-thirds," and the word "less" is in the accusative case, connected to "nearest." His standing in prayer is similar to what was commanded at the beginning of the chapter. {And a group of those with you.} This is connected to the pronoun in "stand," and it is permissible without emphasis due to the separation. A group of his companions stood in prayer in this way to emulate him. Some of them did not know how much of the night they had prayed and how much remained, so they would stand the entire night as a precaution. They stood until their feet swelled for a year or more, so God made it easier for them. God Almighty said: {And God measures} He counts {the night and the day. He knew that} (the emphatic particle is lightened, and its subject is omitted), meaning that {you will not be able to count it} (i.e., the night) to perform what is required of you except by praying the entire night, and that would be difficult for you. {So He turned to you in forgiveness} He returned you to the ease. {So recite what is easy for you of the Qur'an} in prayer, by praying what is easy for you. {He knew that} (the emphatic particle is lightened), meaning that {there will be among you those who are ill and others who travel throughout the land} seeking God's bounty. They seek His provision through trade and other means, and others fight in the cause of God. Each of the three groups finds it difficult to perform what was mentioned regarding standing in prayer at night, so it was made easier for them by performing what was easy for them. Then that was abrogated by the five daily prayers. So recite what is easy for you of it, as mentioned previously, and establish prayer, the obligatory prayer, and give zakat and lend to God, by spending what is other than the obligatory amount of money in the cause of good, a good loan with a willing heart. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with God. It is better than what you left behind. This is a separate point, and what follows it, even though it is not a definite noun, resembles it because it is impossible to define it. And greater in reward. And seek forgiveness from God. Indeed, God is Forgiving and Merciful to the believers.
