This verse was revealed when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was preaching secretly in Makkah: ʿ And offer your Salah neither aloud nor in a low voiceʿ [Al Isra' 17:110]. He said: When he led the companions in prayer, he raised his voice reciting the Qur'an, and when the mushrikeen heard that, they reviled the Qur'an, the one who revealed it and the one to whom it was sent. Then Allah said to his Prophet: ʿ And offer your Salah (prayer) neither aloudʿ i.e, when reciting, lest the mushrikeen hear and revile the Qur'an,ʿnor in a low voiceʿ that your companions cannot hear the Qur'an, so that they can learn it from you; ʿbut follow a way betweenʿ
نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ وَرَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مُتَوَارٍ بِمَكَّةَ {وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا} [الإسراء 110] قَالَ كَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى بِأَصْحَابِهِ رَفَعَ صَوْتَهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ قَالَ فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ ذَلِكَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ سَبُّوا الْقُرْآنَ وَمَنْ أَنْزَلَهُ وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِهِ فَقَالَ اللهُ ﷻ لِنَبِيِّهِ ﷺ {وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ} أَيْ بِقِرَاءَتِكَ فَيَسْمَعَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ فَيَسُبُّوا الْقُرْآنَ {وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا} عَنْ أَصْحَابِكَ فَلا تُسْمِعُهُمُ الْقُرْآنَ حَتَّى يَأْخُذُوهُ عَنْكَ {وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلًا}