أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ وَيَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الدَّوْرَقِيُّ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بِشْرٍ جَعْفَرُ بْنُ أَبِي وَحْشِيَّةَ وَهُوَ ابْنُ إِيَاسٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِکَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا قَالَ نَزَلَتْ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُخْتَفٍ بِمَکَّةَ فَکَانَ إِذَا صَلَّی بِأَصْحَابِهِ رَفَعَ صَوْتَهُ وَقَالَ ابْنُ مَنِيعٍ يَجْهَرُ بِالْقُرْآنِ وَکَانَ الْمُشْرِکُونَ إِذَا سَمِعُوا صَوْتَهُ سَبُّوا الْقُرْآنَ وَمَنْ أَنْزَلَهُ وَمَنْ جَائَ بِهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لِنَبِيِّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِکَ أَيْ بِقِرَائَتِکَ فَيَسْمَعَ الْمُشْرِکُونَ فَيَسُبُّوا الْقُرْآنَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا عَنْ أَصْحَابِکَ فَلَا يَسْمَعُوا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِکَ سَبِيلًا
سنن نسائی · Hadith 1016
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said concerning the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime:And offer your alah (prayer) neither aloud nor in a low voice— “It was revealed when the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم was still (preaching) in secret in Makkah. When he led his Companions in prayer he would raise his voice” — (One of the narrators) Ibn Manl’ said: “He would recite the Qur’an out loud” — “And when the idolators heard his voice they would insult the Qur’an, and the One Who revealed it, and the one who brought it. So Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said to His Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم And offer your alah (prayer) neither aloud that is, such that the idolators can hear your recitation and insult the Qur’an; nor in a low voice, so that your Companions cannot hear; but follow a way between.” (Sahih).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020