Quran Speaks to You

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent


And when you have performed your prayers, remember Allah standing, sitting and lying down. When you are secure, attend regularly to your prayers. Indeed, prayer is a time-related duty, binding on all believers.


Do not slacken in your pursuit of the enemy. If you happen to suffer pain, they also suffer pain as you do; while you hope to receive from Allah what they can never hope for. Allah is indeed all-knowing, wise. (Women. “ An-Nisaa”: 4: 103-104)


In our commentary last month, we explained that prayer in the battlefield is the most natural thing to do from the Islamic point of view. It is the most important weapon believers have in their fight against their enemies. We proceed to explain how prayer is conducted in a state of fear as in the case, of battle. There are different views suggested by different scholars, but they are all based on this text. Generally speaking, however, the verse suggests that when the Prophet leads the believers in prayer in battle, a section of them join him in the first rak’ah, while the other section stand behind them, weapons in hand, to protect them. When the first group complete the first rak’ah, they step back to take over the guarding duty, while the other group who were guarding them, step forward to join the Prophet in praying one rak’ah as well. When the imam finishes his two rak’ahs, he concludes his prayers. Then the first group complete their prayer with a second rak’ah, guarded by the second group. When they have finished, the second group completes their second rak’ah, while they are guarded by the first group. In this way, both groups have joined the Prophet in prayer, and the same applies to those who succeed him as heads of state or with the commanders of the Muslim armies.


Great emphasis is placed on the fact that Muslims need always to be on their guard: “Let these be on their guard, holding on to their weapons. The disbelievers would love to see you oblivious of your weapons and your equipment so that they might swoop on you with one assault”. This statement speaks of a wish always entertained by the disbelievers. This has been confirmed across the centuries. It is for this reason that Allah takes care to explain it to the first Muslim generation as He defines their general plan of the battle and occasionally lays down their operational plan, as we have seen in the detailed instructions, outlining how the Muslims should offer their prayers when they are in a state of fear.


The extra care required to be taken by the believers and their total psychological mobilization need not over-afflict the believers. They implement it as they can do best: “It is no offence for you to lay down your arms if you are bothered by heavy rain or suffering from illness”. In such cases, taking up one’s arms may place an extra bother.


It may be sufficient only to be on one’s guard, praying for Allah’s help and the eventual victory: “But you must always be on your guard. Allah has prepared humiliating suffering for the disbelievers”. It may be that through the continuous vigil and care taken by the believers that Allah brings about the humiliation and suffering which the believers are certain to endure. Thus the believers may be the means through which Allah’s will is done. That .gives them more reassurance and confidence that victory is theirs.


“And when you have performed your prayers, remember Allah standing, sitting and lying down. When you are secure, attend regularly to your prayers. Indeed, prayer is a time-related duty, binding on all believers”. This is a directive which aims at maintaining through prayer a relationship with Allah in all situations. Such a relationship is the most effective weapon with which the believers equip themselves. When security replaces fear: “Attend regularly to your prayers”. This means that prayers are to be then offered complete, without any reduction. It is a duty which must be offered at particular times. When the reasons for reducing it are removed, prayers must be offered in full.


It is on the basis of the Quranic statement: Indeed prayer is a time-related duty, that the scholars of the Thahiri school of thought advocate their view that no prayer may be offered when its time has lapsed. A certain prayer is valid only in the time appointed for it. Once it is over, there can be no way for that prayer to be offered. Other scholars, disagree with them and maintain that prayers may be offered in compensations after their time has lapsed, i.e. Qadaa. All of them, however, encourage attending to prayer early in the time range allowed for them.


There is an encouragement to the believers to continue their jihad despite the sacrifices they are called upon to offer. An inspiring touch is added which penetrates into the hearts of the believers, explaining that the ends of the believers and disbelievers are widely different: “Do not slacken in your pursuit of the enemy. If yon happen to suffer pain, they also suffer pain as you do, while you hope to receive from Allah what they can never hope for. Allah is indeed all knowing, wise”. These are simple words which draw the distinctive lines and reveal the great gulf that separates the two parties. The believers endure pain in the battlefield, but they are not alone in that. Their enemies also suffer pain and hardship. But their states are different. The believers seek Allah’s pleasure and await His reward. The disbelievers suffer complete loss. They have nothing to expect from Allah either in this life or in the life to come. If the disbelievers remain steadfast in the battle, the believers have all the more reason to do so. They can endure the pain more willingly and with determined perseverance. They need never stop pursuing the enemy until they have achieved complete victory. Thus, they can ensure that they live in a world where all submission is offered to Allah alone.


In every campaign of struggle, faith plays this highly important role. There are moments when the hardship and pain are overpowering. It is then that a man needs to tap an additional source of strength. It is from faith that he can easily derive such strength.


This directive is given to the believers when they are engaged in an open battle, when the two sides are at parity: Both have their weapons with which to fight, and both are liable to suffer pain. It may have happened that the believers may have to engage in a secret battle in which their enemies enjoy superiority. This rule, however, holds true in all situations. Evil never enjoys security even when it triumphs. It suffers pain brought about by its internal conflict and by its clash with the very nature of things. The only way open to the believers is to remain steadfast. They must realise that their enemies also suffer pain, which may be of a different nature. Moreover, while you hope to receive from Allah what they can never hope for. To remember this, provides real consolation. Allah is indeed all knowing wise. He knows what and how human beings feel, and He prescribes for the believers what helps them to overcome their pain and sufferings.