وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿۲۰۴﴾ وَاذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعًا وَخِيفَةً وَدُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ وَلَا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ﴿۲۰۵﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُ وَلَهُ يَسْجُدُونَ۩ ࣛ ﴿۲۰۶﴾

﴾204﴿ Wa izaa quri'al Quraanu fastami'oo lahoo wa ansitoo la 'allakum turhamoon
﴾205﴿ Wazkur Rabbaka fee nafsika tadarru'anw wa kheefatanw wa doonal jahri minal qawli bilghuduwwi wal aasali wa laa takum minal ghaafileen
﴾206﴿ Innal lazeena 'inda Rabbika laa yastakbiroona 'an 'ibaadatihee wa yusabbihoonahoo wa lahoo yasjudoon

﴾204﴿ When the Quran is recited, then listen to it attentively and remain silent, so that mercy may be shown to you.
﴾205﴿ And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear, and in a voice lower than loud speech, in the mornings and evenings. And do not be among the heedless.
﴾206﴿ Surely, those who are near your Lord do not disdain worshipping Him; they glorify Him, and prostrate to Him alone.

[204] In these two verses, the seventh and eighth etiquettes are mentioned, specifically related to the recitation of the Qur’an. These etiquettes are:
1. Listening attentively when the Qur’an is recited.
2. Remaining silent in respect and reflection.
The correct opinion is that this verse is general (ʿāmm) in its application— It applies not only to formal contexts like prayers (ṣalāh) and Friday sermons (khuṭbah), but also to any time and place where the Qur’an is being recited. Therefore, it is obligatory (wājib) for listeners to observe these etiquettes, out of reverence for the speech of Allah. The reciter (qārī) should also educate the listeners about these etiquettes so that the Qur’an is received with proper respect and reflection.
Note: Listening is done with intention and will, while sama‘ (hearing) is general, whether intentional or not, and insat means abandoning other occupations.
There are two discussions in the verse.
The first discussion is about the context of revelation and the address of the verse.
Imam Razi has mentioned many opinions on this.
The first is that the verse applies generally—whenever someone recites the Quran, everyone must listen to it, whether it is during prayer, a sermon, or Quran teaching.
As Shami has written: it is disliked to recite the Quran all together in one voice—meaning when many people recite the Quran loudly together (as in communal completions), this practice is disliked.
The second opinion is that it was revealed to prohibit talking during prayer.
The third is that it was revealed to prevent greeting each other during prayer.
The fourth is that it was revealed concerning the sermon.
The fifth is that it was revealed regarding recitation behind the imam.
These opinions are also mentioned by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir.
The sixth opinion is that the address is to the disbelievers, and the intended meaning of "mercy" is the attainment of guidance, and Imam Razi preferred this view.
Question: Did Imam Ahmad say it is established by consensus that this verse concerns prayer?
Answer: Imam Zayla'i did not mention any chain of transmission for it, nor did Imam Bayhaqi refer to any book for it.
Another reason is that Ibn Kathir has brought many opinions with chains (as mentioned earlier), so how can consensus be established on just one view?
Indeed, consideration is based on the general wording, not on the specific cause, and when verses are revealed concerning disbelievers, they can still be used to infer rulings for believers.
For example, the verse "Indeed, those who conceal..." was about Jewish disbelievers but also includes Muslim scholars who hide certain truths.
The second discussion: Is it valid to use this verse to prohibit reciting behind the imam?
Answer: This reasoning is weak for many reasons.
The first is that the verse's intent is that behind the imam, one should not recite loudly, as it contradicts listening and attentiveness.
But silent recitation does not contradict listening and attentiveness.
Supporting this is the fact that the author of Hidayah in the chapter on the Friday sermon says that listening and being silent are obligatory for the sermon.
However, when the preacher recites "O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace," the listeners should silently recite blessings.
Kifayah states it should be said quietly.
Thus, quiet verbal recitation does not contradict listening and attentiveness; otherwise, jurists would not have permitted it.
The second reason is that the follower recites during the pauses of the imam, as Imam Tirmidhi mentioned among the people of hadith, and Imam Bukhari in Juz’ al-Qira’ah said that one should recite during the first pause.
The third reason is that although the verse includes Surah al-Fatihah generally, it is specifically qualified by the hadith “There is no prayer without the Opening Chapter (Al-Fatiha).”
[205] In this verse, two etiquettes of remembrance (dhikr) are mentioned—the ninth and the tenth—and two methods for remembering the Lord are described:
First: (FĪ NAFSIKA / Within yourself) Remembering in the heart without moving the tongue; this is the most hidden form of remembrance (dhikr akhfa). Al-Razi and Al-Alusi have stated that fi nafsika implies understanding the meaning of the remembrance. Therefore, verbal remembrance without knowing its meaning carries no spiritual reward.
Second: (WA DŪNA-L-JAHR / Below loud speech) Remembering with the tongue softly. It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that one should recite it in a way that they can hear themselves.
Key Takeaway: This verse serves as evidence that the fundamental principle of remembrance is for it to be hidden/silent, unless there is a specific, valid textual evidence to the contrary. Therefore, raising one's voice during remembrance is considered an innovation (bid'ah).
The Significance of Morning and Evening (BI-L-GHUDUWWI WA-L-ĀṢĀL) While this refers to remembering Allah at all times, these two specific times have been singled out for several reasons:
1. The Transition of Consciousness: The morning (ghadah) is the time of waking up, and the evening (asal) is the time when sleep approaches. Thus, it indicates that the beginning of both wakefulness and sleep should be dedicated to the remembrance of Allah Almighty.
2. The Ascent of Deeds:
These are the two times when the deeds of the day and night ascend to Heaven. Therefore, an abundance of remembrance is highly encouraged during these specific periods.
[206] In this verse, the purpose is to encourage the preacher by describing the state of those who are close (to Allah), who possess three qualities: The first is a quality of the heart, The second is of the tongue, And the third is of the limbs.