The sun has set: it has disappeared. It is said: it has declined. It is narrated from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that "Gabriel came to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, when the sun had set—meaning when it had declined—and said: 'Stand and pray.' So he stood and prayed the noon prayer." Ishaq said in his Musnad: "Bishr bin Umar narrated to us, Suleiman bin Bilal narrated to us, Yahya bin Said narrated to me, Abu Bakr bin Hazm narrated from Ibn Mas'ud who said: 'Gabriel came to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and said to him: 'Stand and pray.' This was at the decline of the sun when it had tilted. So he stood and prayed the noon prayer four units." This narration is also reported by Ibn Mardawayh. This is an interrupted chain. Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to me at the decline of the sun when it had set, and he prayed the noon prayer with me. Its derivation is from 'dalk' (to rub), because a person rubs his eyes when looking at it. If the decline refers to the setting, then the verse encompasses the five prayers. If it refers to the sunset, then the noon and afternoon prayers are excluded from it. 'Al-ghasq' means darkness, and it is the time of the evening prayer. 'And the recitation of the dawn' refers to the dawn prayer, which is called recitation because it is a pillar, just as it is called bowing, prostration, and supplication. It serves as evidence against Ibn Aliah and Al-Asamm in their claim that recitation is not a witnessed pillar, which is witnessed by the angels of night and day. These angels descend, and those ascend, so it is at the end of the record of night and the beginning of the record of day. Or it is witnessed by many worshippers as is customary. Or it is right for it to be witnessed by a large congregation. It is permissible that 'And the recitation of the dawn' encourages lengthy recitation in the dawn prayer, due to its abundance, so that people may hear the Qur'an and the reward increases. Therefore, the dawn prayer is the longest in recitation. 'And from the night, and during part of the night, so pray with it' refers to the night prayer. 'Tahajjud' means to leave sleep for prayer, and similarly, it means to feel a sense of obligation and caution. It is also said regarding sleep: 'Tahajjud' is an additional act of worship for you beyond the five obligatory prayers. Place the voluntary prayer in the place of tahajjud, because tahajjud is an additional act of worship. Thus, tahajjud and the voluntary prayer share the same meaning. The meaning is that tahajjud is added for you beyond the obligatory prayers, a duty upon you specifically and not upon others, because it is a voluntary act for them. 'A praiseworthy station' is established in the context, meaning: perhaps He will raise you on the Day of Resurrection and establish you in a praiseworthy station. Or it is implied that He will raise you, meaning He will establish you. It may also be an adjective meaning that He will raise you with a praiseworthy station. The meaning of the praiseworthy station is the station that is praised by the one standing in it and by all who see and recognize it. It is general in all that deserves praise from various types of honors. It is said that the intended meaning is intercession, which is one type of what is encompassed. And from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, it is a station in which the early and later generations praise you, and in which you are honored above all creation.

You ask and you are given, and you intercede and you are interceded for. There is no one except under your banner. And from Abu Huraira from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: It is the station in which I intercede for my nation. [Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Abi Shaybah, and al-Tirmidhi through the chain of Dawood ibn Yazid al-Awdi from his father from Abu Huraira who said the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said regarding the saying of Allah, the Most High: 'Perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praised station.' He was asked about it and said: It is intercession.] And there is also a narration from Anas in al-Bukhari in the chapter on Tawheed and from Ibn Umar in it regarding Zakat. And from Ibn Mas'ud in al-Nasa'i and al-Hakim, and there is another lengthy narration from Ahmad and al-Hakim. And from Ka'b ibn Malik in al-Hakim. Its origin is in Muslim and from Jabir in Ahmad and al-Hakim, and there is a difference in its connection and disconnection on al-Zuhri. From Ali ibn al-Husayn. And from Abu Sa'id in al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah and from Amr ibn Shu'ayb from his father from his grandfather in Ibn Mardawayh, lengthy. And from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas in Ibn Mardawayh from the narration of Muhammad ibn al-Hasan from Abu Hanifah from Abdul Aziz ibn Rabi' from Mus'ab ibn Sa'd from his father who said: 'The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, was asked about the praised station and said: It is intercession.' ] And from Hudhayfah, the people are gathered in one place, and no soul speaks. The first one to be called is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, who says: 'Here I am, and I am pleased, and evil is not towards You, and the guided one is whom You have guided, and Your servant is before You, and with You and to You, there is no refuge nor escape from You except to You. Blessed and exalted are You, O Lord of the House.' He said: This is His saying: 'Perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praised station.' [Reported by al-Nasa'i, al-Hakim, Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Tabari, Abu Ya'la, al-Bazzar, and Abu Nu'aym in the biography of Hudhayfah in al-Hilya, all from the path of Shu'bah and Israel, both from Abu Ishaq. I heard 'Utbah ibn Zafar say I heard Hudhayfah say: 'The people are gathered,' and he mentioned it.]