وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ فِى نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ ٱلْجَهْرِ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْلِ بِٱلْغُدُوِّ وَٱلْـَٔاصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْغَـٰفِلِينَ 205
Translations
And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in fear without being apparent in speech - in the mornings and the evenings. And do not be among the heedless.
Transliteration
Wadhkur rabbaka fee nafsika tadarru'an wa khifatan wa duna al-jahri min al-qawli bil-ghuduwwi wa al-asali wa la takun min al-ghafileen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the remembrance (dhikr) of Allah in one's heart with humility, fear, and reverence—not through loud proclamation but in a low voice, particularly during the early morning and evening hours. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this teaches that sincere dhikr is an internal act of the heart expressed with appropriate modesty, distinct from ostentation or carelessness. The emphasis on specific times (morning and evening) indicates consistency in worship, while the prohibition against being among the heedless warns against spiritual negligence and forgetfulness of the Divine.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-A'raf within a section addressing believers about proper conduct and obedience to Allah. It follows general commandments to the faithful and emphasizes the inward dimensions of worship during a period when Muslims faced persecution and needed spiritual fortitude through private devotion rather than public display.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of supplications is the supplication made in private' (related to this theme in various hadith collections). Additionally, Uthman ibn Affan reported that the Prophet said regarding the best actions: 'The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it,' which relates to remembrance and reflection.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that genuine worship is an intimate conversation between the servant and their Lord, requiring sincerity of heart rather than outward display, and that consistent, humble remembrance—particularly in solitude—strengthens one's connection to Allah and protects against spiritual heedlessness in daily life.
Related Ayahs
وَإِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱسْكُنُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ وَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَقُولُوا۟ حِطَّةٌ وَٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيٓـَٔـٰتِكُمْ ۚ سَنَزِيدُ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when it was said to them, "Dwell in this city [i.e., Jerusalem] and eat from it wherever you will and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens [i.e., sins],' and enter the gate bowing humbly; We will [then] forgive you your sins. We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]."
وَمَا تَنقِمُ مِنَّآ إِلَّآ أَنْ ءَامَنَّا بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّنَا لَمَّا جَآءَتْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَتَوَفَّنَا مُسْلِمِينَ
And you do not resent us except because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they came to us. Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You]."
وَنَادَىٰٓ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالًا يَعْرِفُونَهُم بِسِيمَىٰهُمْ قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
And the companions of the Elevations will call to men [within Hell] whom they recognize by their mark, saying, "Of no avail to you was your gathering and [the fact] that you were arrogant."
وَٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَكُمْ وَلَآ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَنصُرُونَ
And those you call upon besides Him are unable to help you, nor can they help themselves."