Their backs do not rest on their beds, and they pray to their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of what We have given them (in charity).
16
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (who forsake their beds) after sleeping a little at night (to cry unto their lord) to worship their lord by means of the five daily prayers; it is also said that they forsake their beds in order to pray the last night prayer ('isha'); it is also said that this means: they leave their beds after sleeping a little at night to perform supererogatory prayers (in fear) of him and his chastisement (and hope) in him and his mercy, (and spend) in charity (of what we have bestowed on them) of wealth.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : their sides withdraw, they rise, from their lying places, the places for lying down [to sleep] together with the bedding, in order to spend the night in prayer (tahajjud), to supplicate to their lord in fear, of his punishment, and in hope, of his mercy, and they expend of what we have provided them, they give voluntary alms.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (who forsake their beds to cry unto their lord in fear and hope…) [32:16].
said malik ibn dinar: “i asked malik ibn anas about whom this verse was revealed and he said: 'some of the companions of the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, used to stand in prayer from after the prayer of maghrib until the time of the prayer of 'isha', and so this verse was revealed about them' ”.
abu ishaq al-muqri' informed us> abu'l-husayn ibn muhammad al-daynuri> musa ibn muhammad> al-husayn ibn 'alawiyah> isma'il ibn 'isa> al-musayyib> sa'id>> qatadah> anas ibn malik who said: “this verse (who forsake their beds to cry unto their lord in fear and hope) was revealed about us, the helpers. we used to perform the maghrib prayer and did not return to our homes until we performed the 'isha' prayer with the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace”.
al-hasan and mujahid said: “this was revealed about those who keep the prayer of the night vigil”. this is substantiated by the report with which abu bakr muhammad ibn 'umar al-khashshab informed us> ibrahim ibn 'abd allah al-asfahani> muhammad ibn ishaq al-sarraj> qutaybah ibn sa'id> jarir> al-a'mash> al-hakam> maymun> ibn abi shabib> mu'adh ibn jabal who said: “while we were with the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, at the battle of tabuk, suffering from the heat, people dispersed. i looked around and found that the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, was the closest person to me. i drew closer to him and asked: 'o messenger of allah, tell me about a deed which will cause me to enter the garden and distance me from hellfire'. he said: 'you have asked about a great matter which is easy to do for whoever allah, exalted is he, makes it easy: it is that you worship allah, exalted is he, and not associate anything with him, perform the prescribed prayers, pay the obligated poor-due, and fast the month of ramadan. but if you will, i will inform you about all the doors of goodness'. i said: 'do inform me, o messenger of allah!' he said: 'fasting is a shield; almsgiving expiates sins, and the standing of a man in prayer in the middle of the night, seeking the countenance of allah, exalted is he'. then he read this verse: (who forsake their beds to cry unto their lord in fear and hope)”.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : their sides withdraw from their beds…verily, god, exalted is he, bestowed on a people a gift (hiba), which is that he brought them close to him to call upon him [in intimate proximity] (munājātihi). then he made them the people who are a means (wasīla) and connection (ṣila) [to] him, and then he praised them ⸢for this,⸣ as a manifestation of [his] generosity, in that he granted them success in what he assisted them in doing. so he said, their sides withdraw from their beds.his words, exalted is he:
…[while] they supplicate their lord in fear and in hope…he said:that is, in fear of being separated (hijrān) from him, and in the hope of meeting (liqāʾ) him.his words, mighty and majestic is he:
