حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ ابْنِ شَبُّوَيْهِ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ النَّحْوِيِّ عَنْ عِکْرِمَةَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ فِي الْمُزَّمِّلِ قُمْ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا نِصْفَهُ نَسَخَتْهَا الْآيَةُ الَّتِي فِيهَا عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْکُمْ فَاقْرَئُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ وَنَاشِئَةُ اللَّيْلِ أَوَّلُهُ وَکَانَتْ صَلَاتُهُمْ لِأَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ يَقُولُ هُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ تُحْصُوا مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْکُمْ مِنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ وَذَلِکَ أَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ إِذَا نَامَ لَمْ يَدْرِ مَتَی يَسْتَيْقِظُ وَقَوْلُهُ أَقْوَمُ قِيلًا هُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يَفْقَهَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَقَوْلُهُ إِنَّ لَکَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا يَقُولُ فَرَاغًا طَوِيلًا
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 1304
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas: In Surat al-Muzzammil (73), the verse: "Keep vigil at night but a little, a half thereof" (2-3) has been abrogated by the following verse: "He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite then of the Quran that which is easy for you" (v. 20). The phrase "the vigil of the night" (nashi'at al-layl) means the early hours of the night. They (the companions) would pray (the tahajjud prayer) in the early hours of the night. He (Ibn Abbas) says: It is advisable to offer the prayer at night (tahajjud), prescribed by Allah for you (in the early hours of the night). This is because when a person sleeps, he does not know when he will awake. The words "speech more certain" (aqwamu qilan) means that this time is more suitable for the understanding of the Quran. He says: The verse: "Lo, thou hast by day a chain of business" (v. 7) means engagement for long periods (in the day's work).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020