Allah (swt) does not hold account the believers with what they cannot endure and He (swt) does not oblige them to do what they cannot bear. So, He (swt) does not command them to spend all the night worshipping and prostrating to Him (swt). Rather, He (swt) says:

(… وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَاسْجُدْ لَهُ ) (And during the night prostrate to Him …): Similarly, He (swt) says:

 وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ

(And from [part of] the night, pray with it as additional [worship] for you;) (Al-Isra: 79)

Even when Allah (swt) addresses the Prophet (saws), He says to him:

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ (1) قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا (2) نِّصْفَهُ أَوِ انقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا (3) أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا

(O you who wraps himself [in clothing], (1) Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little – (2) Half of it – or subtract from it a little (3) Or add to it, and recite the Qur’an with measured recitation.) (Al-Muzzamel: 1-4)

Prostrating is a sign of submission and servitude to Allah (swt) because you put your honourable part, which is your face, on the ground as an act of submission and humiliation to Him (swt). Prostrating to Allah (swt) is an honour to the believer which elevates his position. Doing so, he does not prostrate to                                                        his peer or another creature, rather, he prostrates to the Great Creator, Who has the supreme Greatness.

(  وَسَبِّحْهُ لَيْلًا طَوِيلًا … ) (…and exalt Him a long [part of the] night): Exalting Allah (swt) means to glorify Him from what does not befit Him (swt). Thus, you should exalt Allah (swt) continuously, for glorification should be a permanent action that never ceases. In this verse we find something wonderful; in the beginning, Allah (swt) says: (And during the night prostrate to Him) meaning, you should prostrate and pray for Allah (swt) only a part of the night, not all of it. But when Allah (swt) refers to exaltation, He (swt) says: (and exalt Him a long [part of the] night.). Therefore, exalting Allah (swt) should not cease. In fact, all the universe is exalting Allah (swt), so you should not lag behind the glorifiers. This Surah, in fact, in accordance to its name (The human), clarifies to human the way to success in the Hereafter. In another verse, Allah (swt) says:

 وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا ۖ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ (48) وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَإِدْبَارَ النُّجُومِ

(And be patient, [O Muhammad], for the decision of your Lord, for indeed, you are in Our eyes. And exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord when you arise. (48) And in a part of the night exalt Him and after [the setting of] the stars.) (At-Tur: 48-49)

This verse also includes a command to keep exalting Allah (swt) continuously until one rises to pray at night.

‘Asim ibn Humayd said: I asked ‘Aisha: By what words the Messenger of Allah (saws) would begin his supererogatory prayer at night? She replied: “You ask me about a thing of which no one asked me before you. When he stood up, be uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) ten times, and uttered “Praise be to Allah” ten times, and uttered “Glory be to Allah ” ten times, and uttered “There is no god but Allah” ten times, and sought forgiveness ten times, and said: O Allah, forgive me, and guide me, and give me sustenance, and keep me well, and he sought refuge in Allah from the hardship of standing before Allah on the Day of Judgment.”[1]

So, the above-mentioned verse of Surah (At-Tur) states that is should be a lasting and continuous exaltation uttered by tongue until the stars disappears and the night ends and the sign of the dawn comes. Afterwards, you pray the dawn prayer then mention and praise Allah (swt) until sunrises.

 

[1] Sunan abi Dawuud: Book of Prayer, Chapter of The Supplication With Which The Prayer Should Be Started, Hadith No. 766.