Commentary

فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا (...you are before Our Eyes....) The hostility of the enemies towards, and their opposition to, and rejection of the Holy Prophet ﷺ depressed him. At the conclusion of the chapter, the Qur'an says 'You are before Our eyes', that is, under Our care and We shall protect you from every evil. Do not be anxious about it. On another occasion, the Qur'an says, وَاللَّـهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ 'And Allah shall protect you from the people'.

Then the verse goes on to say, وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَ‌بِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ (And proclaim the purity of your Lord along with His praise when you stand [ in Prayer ]... 48]. To proclaim the purity and praise of Allah is the real purpose of life, and also the real cure of every calamity. Thus the Qur'an enjoins it upon the Holy Prophet ﷺ . 'When you stand' could mean to stand up for the Salah or to arise or get up from sleep or bed. The latter meaning is preferred by Ibn Jarir. This view is supported by the Tradition recorded in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (رح) on the authority of Sayyidna ` Ubadah Ibn Samit ؓ who reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever gets up at night and recites:

لَا اِلٰہَ ِالّا اللہُ وَحدَہُ ، لَا شَرِیکَ لَہُ ، لَہُ المُلک وَ لَہُ الحَمدُ وھُوَ علیٰ کُلِّ شیٔ قَدِیر، سُبحَانَ اللہِ وَالحَمدُ للہِ وَ لا إلہ إلا اللہُ و اللہُ اَکبَر وَلَاحولَ وَلَا قُوَّۃَ اِلَّا بِاللہِ

'There is no God except Allah. He is One without partners. For Him is the kingdom and all praise is due to Him. He has power over all things. Glory be to Allah and all praise is due to Allah, and there is no God except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is neither might nor power except with Allah.' Then, if he intends to pray, and performs prayer after ablution, the prayers will be accepted. (Ibn Kathir)

Kaffarat-ul-Majlis : A recitation at the end of a meeting that expiates sins

Sayyidna Mujahid, Abul Ahwas and other leading authorities on Tafsir have interpreted "when you stand" in this verse to mean that when a person wants to stand from a gathering or a meeting, he should recite: سُبحَانکَ اللَّھُمَّ وَ بِحَمدِکَ 'I proclaim Your Purity, 0 Allah, along with Your praise'. Sayyidna ` Ata' Ibn Abi Rabah, interpreting this verse, has said:

"When you stand from a gathering, proclaim the purity and praise of Allah. If you have done any good work, your good work will be increased and enhanced. If you had done any bad deed, these words of proclamation will serve as an expiation and atonement".

On the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:

"Whoever sits in a gathering in which he speaks idle excessively, but says before he stands up to depart that gathering, سُبحَانَکَ اللَّھُمِّ وَبِحَمدِکَ اَشھَدُ اَن لَّا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اَنتَ اَستَغفِرُکَ وَ اَتُوبُ اِلَیکَ ('I proclaim Your Purity, 0 Allah, along with Your Praise', I testify that there is no God except You, I seek Your forgiveness, I repent to You.' ) Allah will forgive him what he has said in that gathering ".