The Book of Stations

1. Mawqif 216 · The last two verses of al-Baqara

   In brief✦AI

   Starting from a ḥadīth that the last two verses of al-Baqara suffice whoever recites them in a night, the Emir takes “suffice” to mean in place of night prayer. He explains this through the ḥadīth of the Lord descending to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night to answer, accept repentance and forgive. The two verses combine those three things: repentance in “We hear and we obey”, asking forgiveness in “Your forgiveness, our Lord”, and supplication in “do not take us to task if we forget”.

   See the print: Damascus 1966, p. 481, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 447, Cairo, vol. 1, PDF p. 448 (archive.org)

   وَرَدَ فِي صَحِيحِ الْبُخَارِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْهُ– صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ– الْآيَتَانِ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ، مَنْ قَرَأَهُمَا فِي لَيْلَةٍ كَفَتَاهُ.

   It is reported in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī and elsewhere from him (God bless him and grant him peace): "The two verses at the end of Sūrat al-Baqara: whoever recites them in a night, they suffice him."✦

   ¶ 3715

2. يَعْنِي عَنْ قِيَامِ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ، وَالتَّهَجُّدِ فِيهَا.

   He means: they suffice him in place of standing in prayer that night and keeping vigil in it.✦

   ¶ 3716

3. وَاِنَّمَا كَانَتْ لَهُمَا هَذِهِ الْفَضِيلَةُ الْعُظْمَى وَالْمَزِيَّةُ الْكُبْرَى لِأَنَّهُ وَرَدَ فِي صَحِيحِ الْبُخَارِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ أَيْضاً: «يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ اِلَى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ، فَيَقُولُ، هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَاَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ تَائِبٍ فَاَقْبَلَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَاَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟». اِلَى طُلُوعِ الْفَجْرِ.

   These two verses have this supreme merit and this greatest distinction only because it is also reported in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī and elsewhere: "Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and He says: Is there anyone calling, that I may answer him? Is there anyone repenting, that I may accept him? Is there anyone asking forgiveness, that I may forgive him?" until the break of dawn.✦

   ¶ 3717

4. وَهَاتَانِ الْآيَتَانِ؟ جَامِعَتَانِ لِهَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ الثَّلَاثَةِ: التَّوْبَةُ، فِي قَوْلِهِ: «سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا».

   These two verses combine these three things: repentance, in His words: "We hear and we obey" (Q 2:285).✦

   ¶ 3718

5. وَالِاسْتِغْفَارُ فِي قَوْلِهِ: «غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا».

   Asking forgiveness, in His words: "Your forgiveness, our Lord" (Q 2:285).✦

   ¶ 3719

6. وَالدُّعَاءُ فِي قَوْلِهِ: «رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا». اِلَى آخِرِ السُّورَةِ.

   And supplication, in His words: "Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget" (Q 2:286), to the end of the sūra.✦

   ¶ 3720

Translations, word glosses and term notes are AI-generated (Claude) and marked as such; no published translation is reproduced.Word analysis is automatic (CAMeL Tools), guided by the text's vowelling. How this text was established.