His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "They are not equal among the People of the Book. A community standing, reciting the verses of Allah during the hours of the night while they prostrate." "They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and they hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous."

When the inclinations towards disbelief, killing, disobedience, and transgression were prevalent among all the People of the Book, He, the Exalted, followed that with a specification of those who are upon goodness and faith. This is because there has always been among the People of the Book those who are upright. Some of them died before they could grasp the laws, and they are among the righteous. And some of them reached Islam and entered into it.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This view is challenged by the fact that all the Jews have been in deviation since the time of Jesus, and the verse refers only to those who have embraced Islam. Or it could mean that the Jews are in the meaning of the standing community until the time of Jesus, then the ruling shifts to the Christians. The term "People of the Book" encompasses all. The pronoun in "They are not equal" refers to those mentioned earlier in His saying: "Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient" [Al-Imran: 110]. And what Abu Ubaidah said about the verse being analogous to the Arabs' saying: "The locusts have eaten me" is an incorrect assertion. Likewise, what has been reported from Al-Farra' that "community" is elevated with "equal" as if he said: The community of such and such is not equal, and that there is something omitted at the end of the statement equivalent to: And a disbelieving community, so the first part suffices for mentioning it and indicates it, as Abu Dhueyb said:

I have disobeyed my heart for I am attentive to its command, so I do not know if its seekers are guided or misguided?

The meaning is: Or is it deviation? So he relied on the indication of what was mentioned.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The correct interpretation is that the pronoun in "They are not equal" refers to those mentioned earlier, and "equal" is the news of "is not". And "among the People of the Book" is a genitive phrase with a preceding news, and "a community" is raised by being the subject.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When Abdullah ibn Salam, Thalabah ibn Sa'yah, Usaid ibn Sa'yah, Asad ibn Ubaid, and those who embraced Islam from the Jews were with them, the disbelievers among the Jewish scholars said: No one has believed in Muhammad except our worst ones. If they were the best, they would not have abandoned the religion of their forefathers. So Allah, the Exalted, revealed regarding that: "They are not equal"... the verse. And similar was said by Qatadah and Ibn Jurayj.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is the most correct of interpretations. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The meaning of the verse is: The Jews and the community of Muhammad are not equal, and this was also said by Al-Suddi.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: From the context of this community mentioned in His saying: "You are the best community" [Al-Imran: 110] and also the mention of the Jews, Allah said to His Prophet: "They are not equal", and the Book in this context refers to the genre of the Books of Allah, and not only to the Torah and the Gospel. The meaning is: Among the People of the Book, and they are the people of the Qur'an, is a standing community.

The statements of the interpreters differ regarding His saying "Qaimah". Mujahid said: Its meaning is: just. Qatadah, Al-Rabi', and Ibn Abbas said: Its meaning is: standing firm upon the Book of Allah and His limits, guided. Al-Suddi said: the obedient and submissive one.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: All of this returns to one meaning of being upright in the command of Allah. From this, it is said that the dinars or the weighing dirhams are called Qaimah. This verse can bear this meaning, and the wording should not be looked at concerning the state of the people at the time of reciting the verses of Allah. It is possible that "Qaimah" refers to the description of the state of the reciters during the hours of the night. Whoever has this state, it is inevitable that he is upright in the command of Allah. This verse in these two possibilities is similar to what has preceded in His saying: "Except what you are upon, standing firm" [Al-Imran: 75].

And "Yatloon" means: they recite. And "Ayat of Allah" in this verse refers to His books. And "Al-Anā'" means: the hours, one of which is "Iny" with the hamzah broken and the noon silent. It is said that it can be "Anyi" with the hamzah opened, and it is said "Inni" with the hamzah broken and the noon opened and shortened. It is said: "Anni" with the hamzah opened, and it is said: "Inwu" with the hamzah broken and the noon silent and with a rounded waw. From this is the saying of Al-Hudhaili:

Sweet and bitter like the turning of the cup, in every Iny that the night has passed through.

And the ruling of this verse does not agree on a person that every one prays all the hours of the night. Rather, this ruling applies to the community of the nation, as some people stand at the beginning of the night, some at its end, and some after sleeping, then return to their sleep. Thus, from the total of that in the cities and communities, the expression of the hours of the night is through standing. And thus was the beginning of this nation. People recognized standing in the first third of the last part of the night or a little before it, and at that time most would stand. Standing throughout the night is little, and there were among the righteous those who adhered to it. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, mentioned the intention behind that in Surah Al-Muzzammil. And standing at night for the reading of knowledge sought for the sake of Allah is included in this verse, and it is better than voluntary prayers for one whose knowledge is hoped to benefit the Muslims.

As for the statement of the interpreters regarding "Al-Anā' of the night", Al-Rabi' and Qatadah and others said: Al-Anā' of the night means the hours of the night. Abdullah Ibn Kathir said: We heard the Arabs say: Al-Anā' of the night means the hours of the night. Al-Suddi said: Al-Anā' of the night means the depth of the night.

The judge Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is problematic. Indeed, the depth of the night is a part of Al-Anā'.

Ibn Mas'ud said: This verse was revealed because "the Prophet ﷺ delayed us one night from the 'Isha prayer while he was with some of his wives. He did not come until a night had passed. Then he came, and among us were those praying and those lying down. He said: 'Rejoice, for there is no one from the people of the Book who prays this prayer'" (p-326). Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed: ﴿They are not equal﴾.... the verse." The meaning of his saying: ﴿They recite the verses of Allah during the night﴾ is the 'Isha prayer. Sufyan al-Thawri narrated from Mansur that he said: It has reached me that this verse was revealed about those who pray between the two 'Isha prayers.

And His saying, the Exalted: ﴿And they prostrate﴾, some people have gone to the view that prostration here refers to prayer, calling it by a noble part of it, just as it is often referred to as bowing in many places. Thus, it is in this context a phrase indicating the state, as if he said: They recite the verses of Allah during the night while praying. Al-Tabari and others went to the view that it is a phrase disconnected from the first speech, informing that they are also people of prostration.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This is good in that the recitation during the night may lead the listener to believe that it is outside of prayer. Also, the standing in the pursuit of knowledge is derived from the first interpretation, and it is established in this second one. So "they prostrate" in this context describes a number with the conjunction 'and', just as you say: Zayd the generous and the wise came to me.

And "they believe" means: they affirm. And believing in the Last Day includes belief in the Prophets. Because it is one of the rational possibilities that has been confirmed by the hearing from the Prophets.

And His saying, the Exalted: ﴿And they hasten to good deeds﴾ describes that whenever they are called to a good deed, such as aiding the oppressed, relieving the distressed, supporting the weak, and worshiping Allah, they respond. Among them is the action of Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, in the two rak'ahs of the mosque, when he said: 'You called me to good, and I responded to it.' And what falls under His saying, the Exalted: ﴿And they hasten to good deeds﴾ is that a person should seize the five before the five, as the Prophet ﷺ said: "Seize five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your free time before your occupation, your life before your death, and your wealth before your poverty." So whenever he intends (p-327) to do good, he should hasten to it and not procrastinate with hope. This is also hastening to good deeds. And some people mentioned that they entered with some righteous people into a vessel, and I said to him: What do you say, may Allah rectify you, about fasting while traveling? He said to me: It is the promptness, O son of my brother. The narrator said: By Allah, he brought me an answer that is not among the answers of the jurists.

Then Allah, the Exalted, described those who possess these attributes as being among the righteous. And "from" is good to be for a partitive meaning, and it is good to be for indicating the type.