Al-Furqaan (The Criterion)

77. “Say (to the disbelievers: ) ‘My Lord would not esteem you at all were it not for your prayer (unto Him), but you: indeed have belied (the Truth), and soon you shall be (in) the grip (of the inevitable).”

The Arabic word /‘iba’/ means weight and heaviness.The Qur’anic sentence /ma ya‘ba’ū bikum rabbi/ means that Allah does not value and weigh you, unless under auspices of your worshipping and prayer.

This verse is the last verse of Surah Furqan. It is in fact the conclusion of all discussions of the Surah as well as the attributes of the servants of the Beneficent which were mentioned in the previous verses.

The Prophet (S) is addressed here, where the Qur’an says:

“Say (to the disbelievers: ) ‘My Lord would not esteem you at all were it not for your prayer (unto Him)...”

Though there are many probabilities about the meaning of the word /du‘a/ (prayer) mentioned here, all of them have approximately one root and source.

Some say that it means to pray. Some say that it means faith. Some say that it means worshipping and monotheism.

Some say that it means thanking. Some say it means to call Allah at the time of difficulties and disasters. However the root of them is faith and paying attention to Allah.

Therefore, the verse implies that what makes one valuable and respected before Allah is having faith in Allah and His servitude.

Then it says:

“...but you: indeed have belied (the Truth), and soon you shall be (in) the grip (of the inevitable).”

It may be considered that there is no coherency and relationship between the beginning and the end of the verse.

But, by some careful study it gets clear that the main purpose is that formerly polytheists and pagans denied the revelations of Allah and His prophets, and if these people do not return to Allah and do not worship Him, no value and respect they will have before Him and the punishments of their denials will be certain.

One of the evidences that confirm this commentary is a tradition by Imam Baqir (as) who was asked whether too much recitation of the Qur’an is preferred or too much praying. He answered that too much praying is best and then Imam (as) recited this verse.¹

We know that praying is much considered important in the verses of the holy Qur’an and Islamic narrations, and one of its examples was the above verse, but praying has got conditions:

A) To know One Whom man calls,

B) To purify heart and soul and to make spirit ready for asking Him, for when man wants to meet someone, man must be ready for someone’s meeting,

C) To make One, Whom man wants to ask something, happy and contented, for without it, fulfilment of demand is unlikely.

D) To use all one’s power and potentiality, to try one’s best, then to ask Allah something beyond it, and to focus one’s heart on Creator for fulfilment of praying.

It is specified in Islamic narrations that if man does not do a job that he can do by himself and he resorts to praying, his praying will not be fulfilled. Thus, praying is a means for both knowing Allah and His glorious and beautiful attributes and repenting of sins and purifying soul, and a factor for doing good deeds and a cause for struggling as much as possible.

Therefore, there are important words about praying, which can not be understood save through what was said.

The Prophet (S) said:

“Praying is the weapon of the believer, the pillar of religion and the light of the earth and the skies.”2

Imam Ali (as) said:

“Praying is the key of victory and success, and the best praying is one that comes from a clean chest and a pious heart.”3

Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Praying is more penetrating than spearhead.”4

Moreover, basically events take place in man’s life, which disappoint him from the viewpoint of apparent means and factors, but praying can be a window to hope and success, and it is an effective means for struggling with disappointment and distress.

Therefore, praying at time of disasters makes man powerful, hopeful and calm. It has such a psychological effect that can not be denied.

Some Traditions On Praying

1. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“No group has prayed to Allah for a matter, unless they have scattered by fulfilment of their praying.”5

2. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Praying is fulfilled in some times: in odd prayer (in midnight), after dawn, and at the time of noon and sunset prayers, after and at the time of wedding and marriage ceremony, at the time of looking at the door of Ka‘bah and parent’s face, at the time of raining and recitation of the Qur’an.”6

3. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Do pray, for praying is the heel of every malady.”7

4. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Allah does not fulfil the praying that comes from a tough and hard heart.”8

5. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Allah knows your need and your demand, and He also knows what you want from Him, but He likes that you retell your needs to Him.”9

6. Imam Sadiq (as) said that Imam Ali (as) said:

“The job that Allah, Glorious and Majestical, likes best on the earth is praying and the best worship is modesty and chastity.”

And Imam Sadiq (as) added:

“Imam Ali (as) was a man who prayed a lot.”10

7. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“There is a position and rank before Allah which can not be achieved save by asking and requesting Allah, and if a servant closes his mouth and does not ask what he needs, nothing will be given to him, then ask Allah, so that you are given what you like.”11

8. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Anyone who wants something from Allah must begin his praying with reciting ‘’Allahumma Sall-i ‘Ala Muhammad wa ’Al-i Muhammad, then one must ask one’s need. Finally one must also end one’s praying with reciting ‘’Allahumma Sall-i ‘Ala Muhammad wa ’Al-i Muhammad’, for Allah, all Mighty, is more generous than accepting two ends of a praying and leaving what is in the middle. Reciting ‘’Allahumma Sall-i ‘Ala Muhammad wa ’Al-i Muhammad’ will not remain unanswered.”12

9. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“There are four persons whose praying will not be rejected and the doors of the heaven are open to them and their praying reaches ‘Arsh, The Throne:

A): Parents’ praying for their issue

B) Praying of the oppressed against the one who has oppressed him

C) Praying of one who is performing greater and lesser pilgrimage until one returns home

D) Praying of one who is fasting until when he breaks fast.”13

10. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Praying turns away divine decree, though it has come down from heaven and is stabilized.”14

O Allah! May set us one of Your special servants and bestow us the grace of achieving the attributes of ‘the servants of the Beneficent’. O Allah! Open the doors of praying to us and make it factor of value before You.

Some Traditions On Patience

1. Imam Baqir (as) said:

“Verily those who are patient enter the Paradise without Reckoning.”15

2. The Prophet (S) said:

“Patience is a treasure out of the treasures of Paradise.”16

3. The Prophet (S) was once asked about faith and he answered:

“Faith is patience and generosity.”17

4. Hisham Ibn Hakam narrates from Imam Sadiq (as) who said:

“When the day of Resurrection comes, a group of people will go unto the door of Paradise and knock at it. They will be told who they are. They say that they are those who are patience. They will be asked with what they had patience.

They say that they had patience with worshipping Allah and abstaining from sins specified by Allah. Allah lets them enter the Paradise, and this is the meaning of Allah’s words:

‘...Verily the steadfast patient will be paid their wages without stint’18 .”19

5. The Prophet (S) in a tradition said:

“One who has patience with disobeying Allah and committing sin is like one who goes to holy war for the sake of Allah.”20

6. Imam Sadiq (as) was asked who the most honored before Allah is, and he said:

“One who thanks Allah when (favour and blessing) is bestowed on him and is patience when he is imposed with disaster.”21

7. Imam Ali (as) said:

“The highest reward is the reward of patience and perseverance.”22

8. Imam Ali (as) said:

“If you are patient with disasters and difficulties, you will achieve the rank and position of the righteous ones. If you have impatience with them, this impatience leads you to the Hell and Fire.”23

9. The Prophet (S) said:

“Success and victory will be achieved by patience, and there will be ease at the end of suffering and difficulty. ‘Verily with difficulty is ease’24 .”25

10. Washsha’ narrated Imam Sadiq (as) who said:

“We are patient and our Shiites are more patient than us.”

Washsha’ said:

“May I be sacrificed for you! How is your Shiites’ patience more than yours?”

Imam said:

“For we have patience with what we know but our Shiites have patience with what they do not know.”26

11. Hassan Ibn Mahbūb said that Hassan Ibn Ali (as) said that Imam Kazim (as) said that Imam Baqir (as) said:

“On the day of Resurrection, a caller cries:

‘Where are the patient?’

Then some people stand up. And he cries again:

‘Where are the bearers of patience?’

Then some people stand up. Then he said may I be sacrificed for you, who those who are patient are.

He said:

“Those who are patient with doing what is obligated. And bearers of patience are those who have patience with abandonment of sins.”27

12. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“Any believer who is imposed with a disaster and he is patient, he will be given the reward which is equal to the reward of one thousand martyrs.”28

13. ’Anas said that the Prophet (S) said that Allah, All-Mighty, said:

“When I impose a disaster on My servant’s body, on his issue or on his property, and he welcomes it with beautiful patience, I will be ashamed to set him a scale for evaluating his deeds or to open a book for retelling his deeds on the Hereafter Day.”29

14. Imam Baqir (as) said:

“Paradise is covered inside difficulties and patience. One who is patient with unlawful low desires and difficulties will enter Paradise. And the Hell is covered inside low desires and lusts. One who is after low desires and lusts will enter the Hell.”30

15. Imam Ali (as) said:

“Patience has got two kinds: patience with difficulty and disaster which is beautiful and good, and patience with unlawful matters which is better than that.”31

16. Imam Ali (as) said that the Prophet (S) said:

“If four attributes are bestowed on a man, he will be given goodness of this world and the other world; a patient body, a tongue that utters Allah's name, a heart that thanks Allah, a good and righteous spouse.”32

17. Imam Ali (as) said:

“Patience has got three kinds: Patience with affliction, patience with worship, patience with sins and wrong action.”33

18. Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“It is likely that one hour patience causes perpetual happiness and one hour pleasure causes long time sorrow.”34