His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

﴿Guard strictly the prayers, and the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in devotion﴾

The address is to the entire nation. The verse is a command to maintain the establishment of the prayers at their times and with all their conditions.

And He mentioned the middle prayer a second time. It had already been included in the general statement of "the prayers" because it aims to honor it and entice the worshippers towards it. Abu Ja'far al-Ruhasi read "and the middle prayer" in the accusative case as a means of encouragement. Al-Halwani also read it similarly.

People have differed regarding which prayer this description refers to.

One group holds that it is the Fajr (dawn) prayer, and that the term "middle" refers to its arrangement, as it comes after two prayers of the night in which one recites aloud, and before two prayers of the day in which one recites quietly. This statement was made by Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Ibn Abbas. He led the people in prayer one day for Fajr and stood in qunut before bowing. When he finished, he said: "This is the middle prayer which Allah commanded us to stand in devotion for." This was also said by Abu al-Aliya, and narrated from a group of the Companions. Jabir ibn Abdullah, Ata ibn Abi Rabah, Ikrimah, Mujahid, Abdullah ibn Shaddad ibn al-Hadi, al-Rabi' and Malik ibn Anas also said this. Malik reinforced this by stating that the Fajr prayer is not combined with any other prayer, while the two Jum'ah prayers are before it and the two Jum'ah prayers are after it. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "If they knew what was in the night prayer and the Fajr prayer, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. He said: Indeed, they are the most difficult prayers upon the hypocrites," and "the Fajr prayer is preferred because it is like standing in prayer for a night for whoever witnesses it, and the night prayer is half a night." Allah said: ﴿Indeed, the recitation of the Fajr is witnessed﴾ [Al-Isra: 78], so all of this strengthens the matter of the Fajr prayer.

Another group says it is the Dhuhr (noon) prayer. This was said by Zayd ibn Thabit, who raised a hadith from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri and Abdullah ibn Umar also said this. The proponents of this view argue that it was the first prayer established in Islam, thus it is middle by that virtue, meaning it is the best. This middle does not refer to arrangement. It has also been narrated that it was the most difficult prayer for the companions of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, because it would come during the heat of the day, while their work was beneficial to them in their wealth. Additionally, what Hafsa and Aisha said when they narrated "Guard strictly the prayers, and the middle prayer, and the 'Asr prayer" indicates the conjunction of Dhuhr and 'Asr.

A group said: "The middle prayer" is the prayer of 'Asr, because before it are the prayers of the day and after it are the prayers of the night. This saying has also been narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ibn Abbas, Abu Huraira, Ibn Umar, and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri. In the Mus'haf of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: ﴿And the middle prayer﴾ "and it is 'Asr" is her saying reported from her. Al-Hasan al-Basri and Ibrahim al-Nakha'i also said this. In the dictation of Hafsa, it is also: ﴿And the middle prayer﴾ [and it is the prayer of 'Asr]. And whoever narrated, "and the prayer of 'Asr," interprets that he is combining one of the two descriptions with the other, and they are for one thing, as you say: "Zayd the generous and the wise came to me." It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas that he recited: "Guard strictly the prayers and the middle prayer 'the prayer of 'Asr'" on the alternative, and this saying was narrated by Samura ibn Jundub from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him. The hadith has been transmitted from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said on the day of the Confederates: "They distracted us from the middle prayer, the prayer of 'Asr. May Allah fill their houses and graves with fire." Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "We used to think that it was the morning prayer until the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said on the day of the Confederates: 'They distracted us from the middle prayer, the prayer of 'Asr,' so we knew that it was 'Asr.'"

And Al-Bara' ibn Azib said: "We used to recite during the time of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: 'Guard strictly the prayers and the prayer of 'Asr,' then Allah abrogated it, so we recited: ﴿Guard strictly the prayers and the middle prayer﴾. A man said to him: 'So it is 'Asr?' He said: 'I have informed you how we recited it and how it was abrogated,' and Allah knows best.

Abu Malik al-Ash'ari narrated that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "The middle prayer is the prayer of 'Asr.'"

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And on this saying is the majority of the people, and there are other sayings, and Allah knows best.

And Qubaissa ibn Zu'ayb said: "The middle prayer is the prayer of Maghrib because it is in the middle in the number of rak'ahs; it is neither two nor four. Also, before it are two silent prayers, and after it are two loud prayers.

Abu Umar Yusuf ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul Barr narrated in the explanation of the chapter of the comprehensive timings and others, from a group, that "the middle prayer" is the last prayer of 'Isha, because it comes at a time of sleep, and it is the most difficult of the prayers upon the hypocrites. It is recommended to delay it, and that is difficult, so the emphasis is placed on preserving it, and also before it are two prayers and after it are two prayers.

And a group said: "The middle prayer" has not been specified by Allah, the Exalted, for us, so it is among the five unspecified like the Night of Decree in the ten nights. Allah did this so that the preservation would be upon all, as stated by Nafi' from Ibn Umar, and as stated by Al-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym.

And a group said: "The middle prayer" is the Friday prayer, for it is middle in virtue due to what it has been specified with of gathering and the sermon, and it has been made a feast, as mentioned by Ibn Habib and Makki.

Some of the scholars said: "The 'middle prayer' is the five obligatory prayers. His saying first: 'on the prayers' includes both the voluntary and obligatory, then he specified the obligatory by mentioning it. This interpretation aligns with his saying, blessings and peace be upon him: 'They distracted us from the middle prayer.'

And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: ﴿And stand before Allah in devotion﴾ means: in your prayers. The people differed in the meaning of 'devotion.' Al-Sha'bi said: Its meaning is: obedient. This was also said by Jabir ibn Zayd, and 'Ata and Sa'id ibn Jubair. Al-Dahhak said: 'Every act of devotion in the Qur'an refers to obedience, and this was said by Abu Sa'id about the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him.' And indeed, the people of every religion today stand before Allah in devotion, so it was said to this nation: 'And stand before Allah in obedience.' Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan and Tawus said something similar. Al-Suddi said: 'Devotion' means: silence.

This verse was revealed to prohibit speaking during prayer, which was permissible in the early days of Islam. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: 'We used to speak during prayer and respond to greetings, and a man would ask his companion about his needs. He said: I entered one day while the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, was praying with the people, and I greeted them, but no one responded to me, and that troubled me. When the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, finished, he said: 'The only reason I did not respond to you is that we were commanded to stand in devotion and not to speak during prayer.'

And devotion means: silence, as said by Zayd ibn Arqam, who said: 'We used to speak during prayer until the verse: ﴿And stand before Allah in devotion﴾ was revealed, and we were commanded to be silent.' Mujahid said: 'Devotion' means: humility. Devotion is the length of bowing and humility, lowering the gaze, and being humble, bringing forth reverence and contemplation while standing before Allah, glorified and exalted is He.

Al-Rabi' said: Devotion is the length of standing and the length of bowing and being upright for it. Some said: Devotion is supplication. And 'devotion' means: calling upon. This meaning was narrated from Ibn Abbas.

In the hadith: 'The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, devoted himself for a month, calling upon Allah against Raal and Dhakwan.' Some said: Its meaning is that he prayed, and some said: Its meaning is that he prolonged his standing. There is no evidence in this hadith for the meaning of supplication.