سورة المزمل

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا [or lessen it a little] — reduce from the small amount.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): A man's death approached, and at the time of his death he said: "So-and-so has with me a thousand dirhams, except a little." How much is "a little"? "A little" means half, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا نِصْفَهُ [O you who have wrapped up in your garments! Rise to pray in the night except a little — half of it] — meaning half the night.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah gave His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) the choice regarding the hours of rising in the night, and left it to his own discretion [to rise and pray at whichever hours he wished]. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and a group of the believers with him, out of fear that the obligatory measure [the amount Allah intended] would be missed by them, used to stand [in worship] the entire night, until Allah granted them a reduction by [revealing] the final verses of this Surah.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِیلًا [Or lessen a little of it] — reduce from the small amount; أَوْ زِدْ عَلَیْهِ [Or add to it] — meaning, add a little to the small amount.