Transliteration:( Qumil laila illaa qaleelaa )
“Stand (to pray) during the night, except for a little.”
This verse commands the Beloved Prophet ﷺ to engage in night prayer (Qiyam al-Lail) — a deep and sincere form of worship done when the world is asleep.
It means:
Spend most of the night in devotion and standing before Allah (اللَّهُ ).
But also take a little time to rest — Islam encourages balance, not hardship.
✨ This also sets a beautiful example:
Even the most beloved to Allah (اللَّهُ ), the Prophet ﷺ, was guided to maintain a harmonious rhythm of worship and rest.
The tafsir of Surah Muzzammil verse 2 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Muzzammil ayat 1 which provides the complete commentary from verse 1 through 9.
(73:2) Stand up in Prayer by night, all but a small part of it;[2]
2. This can have two meanings:
(1) Pass the night standing up in the Prayer and spend only a little of it in sleep.
(2) There is no demand from you to pass the whole night in the Prayer, but have rest as well and spend a little part of the night in worship too.
But in view of the theme that follows the first meaning seems to be more relevant, and the same is supported by (Surah Ad-Dahr, Ayat 26), in which it has been said: Prostrate yourself before Him in the night and glorify Him during the long hours of night.
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