Commentary
These are the last verses of Surah Bani Isra'il (Al-'Isra' ). The Surah began with a declaration of the purity and oneness of Allah Ta’ ala, and this is how it is being concluded. The revelation of these verses was based on some events. The first one came to pass on a certain day when the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، during his supplication, said 'Ya Allah' and 'Ya Rahman.' The Mushriks thought that he was calling two Gods. They said, 'he forbids us to call anyone else other than the One while he himself calls two deities.' The answer to this comment was given in the first part of the verse by saying that the most exalted Allah does not have a mere two names. He has many more names and all of them are the best of names. Call Him by any of these and it means the One and Only Allah. So, it was made clear that their apprehensions on that count were wrong.
As for the second incident, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ would recite the Qur'an loudly during Salah, the Mushriks made fun of him and passed audacious remarks berating the Qur’ an, archangel Jibra'il, even Allah Ta` ala. In response to that, the last part of this very verse was revealed where he has been advised to take to a middle course between the loud and the low, as the average voice took care of the functional necessity. And as for the opportunity the Mushriks had to cause pain to them over the loud pitch of the voice, they would be relieved of that too.
The third problem was that the Jews and Christians proposed children for Allah Ta` ala and the pagan Arabs said that idols were partners of Allah. The Sabians and the Magians used to hold that not being particularly close to Allah amounted to a personal loss of worth and honor. In answer to these three religious groups, the last verse was revealed where their three notions have been refuted.
It will be noted that, in this world, the one from whom strength and support is received is sometimes younger than one, like children, and sometimes an equal, like a partner, and sometimes older than one, like a supporter and helper. Here, in this verse, Allah Ta’ ala has refuted all three in the same order.
Ruling
The etiquette of recitation in Salah as given in verse no is that it should not be in a voice raised very high, nor should it be in a voice so lowered that those standing behind in the congregation cannot hear it. This injunction, as obvious, is particular with prayers wherein the recitation is voiced. As for the prayers of Zuhr and ` Asr, the recitation therein is totally unvoiced as proved from uninterrupted Sunnah.
In prayers with voiced recitation, included there are the Fard of Maghrib, ` Isha' and Fajr, as well as the prayer of Tahajjud - as in a Hadith which says: Once the Holy Prophet ﷺ passed by Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ at the time of Tahajjud. Sayyidna Abu Bakr was reciting in a lowered voice while Sayyidna ` Umar was reciting in a loud voice. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said to Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ ، 'why would you recite in such a lowered voice?' Sayyidna Abu Bakr said, 'the One I wanted to talk to in secret, Him I have made to hear, because Allah Ta` ala hears every voice, even the lowest of the low.' The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, 'recite somewhat loudly.' Then he said to Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ ، 'why do you recite in such a loud voice?' Sayyidna ` Umar (رح) said, 'I recite loudly to wake up the drowsy, and shaitan.' He ordered him too, 'you should recite in a voice somewhat lowered.' (Tirmidhi as quoted Mazhari)
Problems and their solutions relating to the loud or lowered rendering of the recitation of the Qur'an in Salah, or on occasions other than it, have been already explained in Surah al-A` raf (see commentary under Verse 55, Volume III). About the last verse beginning with: قُلِ الحَمدُ للہِ (say, 'alhamdulillah: praise belongs to Allah' ), the Hadith says that this is the 'ayah' (verse) of 'izzah' (power and glory). [ The reference is to the efficacy of the verse in seeking the help of Allah to overcome weaknesses and difficulties ]. (Reported by Abmad and at-Tabarani on the authority of Sayyidna Mu۔ adh al-Juhaniyy as in Mazhari) This verse also provides an essential guidance. The drive of the meaning is that it does not matter how much one devotes to the worship of Allah, one is still obligated to take his or her deed to be deficient as compared with His due right and confess to the likely shortfall in performing it. (Mazhari)