Now, we share the 9th verse of Sur ah 23. Al-Muminun الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَۙ which focuses on guarding one's prayers. That is Allah began and ended this list (verses 2-9) of praiseworthy qualities with Salah, which is indicative of its virtue. Let us now read the 9th verse and its explanation by eminent Muslim scholars and exegetes:
وَالَّذِيۡنَ هُمۡ عَلٰى صَلَوٰتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُوۡنَۘ
(23:9) and who guard their Prayers
Salawat is plural of Salat. In verse 2 the act of Salat itself was implied, but here the plural number implies the individual Prayers offered in their own times. "They strictly guard their Prayers": they strictly adhere to the prescribed times of the Prayers: they perform them with due regard for their pre-requisites, conditions and articles with clean body and dress and necessary ablutions: they do not regard their Prayers as an unnecessary burden, which has to be cast off somehow: they do not recite mechanically but understand what they recite and are conscious that they are supplicating their Lord like humble servants.
Tafsir Ibn-Kathir:
(And those who strictly guard their Salawat.) means, they persistently offer their prayers at their appointed times.
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, which deed is best?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Prayer in its proper time.” (as-salaatu ‘alaa waqtihaa) I asked, “What is next?” The Prophet said, “Good treatment of your parents.” (birr ul waalidayn) I said, “What is next?” The Prophet said, “Jihad in the way of Allah.” (al jihaadu fee sabeelillah) I became silent and if I had asked him more, he would have told me. [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2630, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 85]
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has also been reported as saying: (اسْتَقِيمُوا وَلَنْ تُحْصُوا، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ خَيْرَ أَعْمَالِكُمُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَلَا يُحَافِظُ عَلَى الْوُضُوءِ إِلَّا مُؤْمِن Adhere to righteousness, you will never be able encompass it all. Know that the best of your deeds is Salah. None will preserve his Wuddu' except the believer.)
Yusuf Ali Explanation:
In verse 2 we were directed to the spirit of humility and earnestness in our prayers. Here we are told how necessary the habit of regular prayer is to our spiritual well-being and development, as it brings us closer to Allah, and thus sums up the light of the seven jewels of our Faith, viz.: (1) humility, (2) avoidance of vanity, (3) charity, (4) sex purity, (5) fidelity to trusts, and (6) to covenants, and (7) an earnest desire to get closer to Allah.
Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:
It was with the prayer with which the attributes of the believers began earlier and it is with the prayer with which it has ended now. This shows the significance of prayer in religion: it guards all the high morals needed in religion and as such is a guarantee for a person to adhere to religion. No doubt, even after that, the onslaughts of Satan continue but he cannot remain permanently lodged in the heart, if a person is regular in the prayer. The prayer continues to ward it off and like a wall protects his heart and mind from the attacks of Satan. It is for this reason that even in times of danger it has been directed that if a person is on foot or on a conveyance, he must offer it.
Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī has pointed to some other aspects as well. He writes: ... The prayer has been mentioned at the beginning with regard to its essence: humility before God and at the end with regards to punctuality, vigilance and diligence in offering it. This is because the blessings found in the prayer can only be reaped when it has the essence of humility in it and is also continuously guarded. This is the plant of paradise which does not grow unless it is fully nourished. A little negligence leaves it barren and fruitless. In fact, there is a danger that it might completely wither away. If we want to gain real benefit from it, we must save it from the onslaughts of Satan and nurture it very punctually in a very diligent way. It is then when we will get some idea of the comfort of the eyes God has concealed in it. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 5, 299)
Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
They do not neglect their prayers or miss them through laziness. Nor do they fail to attend to them as prayer should be attended to. They offer them on time, attending to obligatory and recommended parts, making them complete, omitting nothing essential. Their prayer is alive, filling their hearts and interacting with their consciences. Prayer maintains a bond between God and human hearts. Therefore, a person who does not attend regularly to his prayer is unlikely to attend diligently and conscientiously to his bonds with other people. The qualities of believers outlined in this sūrah start with prayer and finish with prayer, so as to stress its unrivalled importance in the structure of faith. After all, prayer is the most perfect form of worship addressed to God.
When so much stress is on guarding one's prayers and offering them in complete humility, no room is left for a believer to neglect one's prayers to the least. In addition to ensuring punctuality of five prayers daily, true believers also get up before the dawn prayer to offer additional Tahajjud prayers. DO take a time out to read our earlier posts on Tahajjud prayers;
- What is Salat-ut-Tahajjud - The Night Prayer (صلاة التهجد / قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ)
- The virtue of the Night Prayer (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: Hadith 1145)
- Sleep Early to Wake up for Night Prayer (Tahajjad) (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: Hadith 1146)
You may also refer to our reference page on As Salat for many questions that may harbouring in the minds of our readers.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources:
- Tafsir Ibn Khatir
- Muhammad Asad Translation
- Yusuf Ali Translation
- Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
- Qur'an Wiki
- Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
- Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.
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