from Ibn 'Abbas regarding Allah's saying: "And offer your Salat neither aloud nor in a low voice but follow a way between." He said: "It was revealed when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was hiding himself in Makkah, and when he led his Companions in Salat, he would raise his voice with the Qur'an. So when the idolaters heard it they would insult the Qur'an, the One Who revealed it, and the one who came with it. So Allah, Most High, said to His Prophet: 'And offer your Salat neither aloud' that is: Your recitation, so that the idolaters would not hear it and insult the Qur'an. 'Nor in a low voice (too low)' for your Companions, 'but follow a way between.'"
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بِشْرٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، فِي قَوْلِهِ : (وَلاَ تَجْهَرْ بِصَلاَتِكَ وَلاَ تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلاً ) قَالَ نَزَلَتْ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُخْتَفٍ بِمَكَّةَ وَكَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى بِأَصْحَابِهِ رَفَعَ صَوْتَهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ فَكَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ إِذَا سَمِعُوهُ شَتَمُوا الْقُرْآنَ وَمَنْ أَنْزَلَهُ وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ لِنَبِيِّهِ : (وَلاَ تَجْهَرْ بِصَلاَتِكَ ) أَىْ بِقِرَاءَتِكَ فَيَسْمَعَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ فَيَسُبُّوا الْقُرْآنَ : (وَلاَ تُخَافِتْ بِهَا ) عَنْ أَصْحَابِكَ : ( وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلاً ) . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Tirmizi
Chapters on Tafsir • Hadith 3327