Quran Universe
39:9

أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ سَاجِدٗا وَقَآئِمٗا يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُواْ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِۦۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

Amman huwa qanitun anaa allayli sajidan waqaiman yahtharu alakhirata wayarjoo rahmata rabbihi qul hal yastawee allatheena yaAAlamoona waallatheena la yaAAlamoona innama yatathakkaru oloo alalbabi

Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.

Word by word
  1. أَمَّنۡIs (one) who
  2. هُوَ[he]
  3. قَٰنِتٌ(is) devoutly obedient
  4. ءَانَآءَ(during) hours
  5. ٱلَّيۡلِ(of) the night
  6. سَاجِدٗاprostrating
  7. وَقَآئِمٗاand standing
  8. يَحۡذَرُfearing
  9. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَthe Hereafter
  10. وَيَرۡجُواْand hoping
  11. رَحۡمَةَ(for the) Mercy
  12. رَبِّهِۦۗ(of) his Lord
  13. قُلۡSay
  14. هَلۡAre
  15. يَسۡتَوِيequal
  16. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  17. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
  18. وَٱلَّذِينَand those who
  19. لَا(do) not
  20. يَعۡلَمُونَۗknow
  21. إِنَّمَاOnly
  22. يَتَذَكَّرُwill take heed
  23. أُوْلُواْthose of understanding
  24. ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِthose of understanding
Az-Zumar · 39:9Makkah

Standing at night, between fear and hope.

Those who know are not like those who do not

The one in the night
the worshipperstanding, prostratingdeep in the night
fearsthe Hereafter
hopesfor his Lord's mercy
Not equal
those who knowfear and hope together
versus
those who forgetrivals in the calm

After the forgetful one of the last verse comes the one who prays in the depths of the night, with both fear and hope. Ibn Kathir notes the Prophet ﷺ said when both meet in a dying heart, Allah gives what it hopes for.

Two in the morning. Everyone is asleep, the phone is face down. You stand for two short rakahs, not sure if you are doing it right. Afraid and hopeful at once. That mix is what knowing looks like.

Either I am scared of Allah or I am at peace with Him.

Real knowledge holds fear and hope together, like two wings.

Try this

Set an alarm ten minutes before Fajr tonight and pray two rakahs before it.

Related3:113
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Is one who is obedient to Allah, Ana'a Al-Layl prostrating and standing fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (9)

The Obedient and the Sinner are not equal

Allah says, 'is the one who is like this equal to one who associates others in worship with Allah and sets up rivals to Him?' They are not equal before Allah, as He says:

لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً ۗ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ 

(Not all of them are alike; a party of the People of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Ayat of Allah Ana'a Al-Layl, prostrating themselves (in prayer).)(3:113). And Allah says here:

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا

(Is one who is obedient to Allah, Ana'a Al-Layl prostrating and standing) meaning, one who is humble and fears Allah when he prostrates and stands (in prayer). It was reported that Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The obedient one is one who obeys Allah and His Messenger ﷺ." Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Al-Hasan, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said, Ana'a Al-Layl means in the depths of the night.

يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ

(fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord.) means, in his worship he feels both fear and hope. Both are essential in worship, and fear should be stronger during one's lifetime. Allah says:

يَحْذَرُ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُواْ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ

(fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord.) At the time of death, hope is uppermost, as Imam 'Abd bin Humayd recorded in his Musnad from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon a man who was dying, and said to him,

كَيْفَ تَجِدُكَ؟

(How do you feel?) He said, 'I am both afraid and hopeful.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

لَا يَجْتَمِعَانِ فِي قَلْبِ عَبْدٍ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْمَوْطِنِ إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّذِي يَرْجُو، وَأَمَّنَهُ الَّذِي يَخَافُهُ

(These do not co-exist in a person's heart at times such as this, but Allah will give him what he hopes for and protect him from that which he fears.)"

This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i in Al-Yawm wal-Laylah, and Ibn Majah from the Hadith of Yasar bin Hatim from Ja'far bin Sulayman. At-Tirmidhi said, "Gharib."

Imam Ahmad recorded that Tamim Ad-Dari, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ قَرَأَ بِمِائَةِ آيَةٍ فِي لَيْلَةٍ كُتِبَ لَهُ قُنُوتُ لَيْلَةٍ

(Whoever recites one hundred Ayat in one night, it will be recorded as if he prayed all night.) This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in Al-Yawm wal-Laylah.

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ 

(Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?") means, is this one equal with the one who sets up rivals to Allah to mislead (men) from His path?

إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

(It is only men of understanding who will remember.) means, the only one who will understand the difference between them is the one who has understanding. And Allah knows best.