Taking what their Lord has given them, accepting all that He has granted them, pleased with it. This means that there is nothing in what He has given them except that which is received with acceptance and is pleasing, not discontented, because all of it is good and pure. And from it is His saying, 'And He takes the alms,' meaning He accepts and is pleased with them. They are doers of good, having done good deeds. The interpretation of their goodness is what follows, which is an addition. The meaning is: they would lie down for a short time at night. If you consider 'short' as an adverb, you may also consider it as a description of the source, meaning: they would lie down for a short sleep. It is permissible that 'what' is either a source or a relative pronoun, as in: they were a little at night in their sleeping, or what they lie down in. Its elevation with 'a little' is based on the subjectivity. Al-Zamakhshari mentioned two possibilities: that 'what' is an addition and 'a little' is an adverb in the accusative case with 'they lie down,' meaning: they would lie down for a short time at night. Or that 'what' is a source or a relative pronoun, as in: they were a little at night in their sleeping, or what they lie down in. Its elevation with 'a little' is based on the subjectivity. Ahmad said: There are correct interpretations except for considering 'what' as a source, for then 'a little' would apply to the sleeping, as it is its subject. And the phrase 'from the night' cannot correctly be a description of 'the little' nor an explanation of it, nor can it be a connection to the source because it precedes it, nor likewise if it is considered as a relative pronoun, for then 'a little' would apply to 'the night,' as if he said: the little amount that they would lie down in from the night. There is no objection to 'from the night' being an explanation of 'the little' in this manner, and what he mentioned follows in this from Al-Zajjaj. Al-Zamakhshari rejected the idea that 'what' is negation and 'a little' is in the accusative case with 'they lie down,' based on the assumption: they would not lie down a little from the night, and he attributed his rejection to the impossibility of 'what' preceding in the context of negation. I said: There is a flaw in terms of meaning, for the request to remain awake all night, excluding lying down even if little, is not established in the law nor is it customary. Then he said: He described them as those who revive the night in prayer, and when dawn breaks, they begin to seek forgiveness. As if they had committed sins during their night. He said: And His saying 'they' means: they are more deserving of seeking forgiveness than those who persist in sin. He said: And in the verse are exaggerations, including the word 'sleeping,' which is the light fleeing from sleep. He said: And His saying 'a little' and His saying 'from the night' because it is the time of slumber. He said: And among them is the addition of 'what' in some interpretations. I said: And in counting it among the exaggerations, there is a consideration, for it confirms the sleeping and establishes it, except that it may be taken to mean 'the little' which is possible. And in it are exaggerations in the word 'sleeping,' which is the fleeing from sleep. He said: I have been overwhelmed by the helmet on my head, so I do not eat sleep except for a little. I strive for the sake of all the sons of Malik, every person is engaged in his own affair. This is attributed to Qays ibn al-Aslat. 'I have been overwhelmed' means: I have been destroyed or shaved, the helmet that is worn on the head in war, meaning: it has shaved my head's hair from the constant wearing of it in war. And he likened sleep to food due to the pleasure of its beginnings in a metaphorical manner, and 'I eat' means: I take, imagining that, and 'the little sleep' means: being slightly inattentive to drive away sleep, thus the exception is disconnected. And 'all of them' refers to their important matters and most of them, like raids, which he defends against them. And it has been narrated: 'on the rope of the sons of Malik,' and on this, he likened the covenant to the rope for the sake of security and connection with all in a declarative manner, meaning: I strive in my affair, holding on to their covenant. And on the first interpretation, his saying 'every person is engaged in his own affair' indicates his commitment to their affair, and that it is his affair.

And His saying 'a little' and 'from the night' is because the night is a time for sleep and rest. The emphasis on this is described by them as they spend the night in prayer. When they reach dawn, they begin to seek forgiveness, as if they have committed sins during their night. And His saying 'they seek forgiveness' indicates that they are the ones who truly deserve to seek forgiveness, unlike those who persist in sin. It is as if they are specifically devoted to it due to their continuous practice and their elaboration in it. If you say: Is it permissible for 'a little' to be negating as some have said, and that the meaning is: they do not sleep at all from the night, and they spend it all? I say: No, because the negating 'ma' does not cause what follows it to act upon what precedes it. You say: 'I did not strike Zayd,' and you do not say: 'I did not strike Zayd.' The beggar is the one who is in need, and the deprived is the one who thinks he is wealthy and thus refrains from charity due to his self-respect. And from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: 'The poor person is not the one who is turned away by a morsel or two morsels or a date or two dates.' They said: What then is he? He said: 'The one who does not find anything and is not given charity.' It was narrated by Muslim from the hadith of Abu Huraira. And it was said: The one who does not have wealth that increases. And it was said: The one who is limited, meaning deprived, contrary to what you say: blessed.