The Moral Vision
Nightly Preparation for a Mighty Task
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NIGHTLY PREPARATION FOR A
MIGHTY TASK
The chapter of the Qur’an entitled”
AI-Muzammil”
(The Mantled One) commences with these verses:
“You who are wrapped up in your mantle,
keep vigil all night, save for a few hours: half
the night, or a little less or a little more: and
with measured tone recite the Qur’an. We are
about to address to you words of surpassing
gravity. It is in the watches of the night that
impressions are strongest and words most
certain; in the day-time you are hard-pressed
with work. Remember the name of your Lord
and dedicate yourself to Him utterly. (71:1-8)
From these verses it is clear that God requires His
servants to be so devoted to divine service that they
rise at night in order to perform their duties to the
Lord. To forgo one’s sleep and spend the night
hours in pursuit of a cause indicates the highest
level of dedication; it shows that one has associated
oneself utterly with the object of one’s dedication,
