Verse 109 of Surah Al-Baqarah, as one of the pivotal verses of the Holy Quran, elucidates the foundational religious, social, and ethical principles of Islam through the emphasis on establishing prayer, giving zakat, and preferring good. This verse transcends the historical conditions of early Islam and offers universal lessons applicable to contemporary societies. By linking individual morality, spiritual worship, and social responsibilities, it serves as a guide for attaining spiritual and social perfection. In this treatise, the content of the lecture has been rewritten with a scientific and specialised approach, incorporating detailed analyses while maintaining strict fidelity to the original text to suit educated audiences and researchers.
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
Translation: And establish prayer and give zakat, and whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of what you do.
Key Point: Verse 109 of Surah Al-Baqarah refers back to the preceding verse (فَاعْفُوا وَاصْفَحُوا حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ), indicating a connection between forgiveness and pardoning with the establishment of prayer and giving zakat. This reference reveals the necessity of ethical preparation for worship.
The preceding verse invites the believers to forgive and pardon until Allahs command arrives. Such forgiveness and pardon act as a key to unlocking inner tranquillity, thus paving the way for acts of worship such as prayer and zakat. A person who remains captive to grudges, envy, and greed cannot achieve accepted worship. This linkage illustrates the Quranic wisdom in harmonising individual ethics with social worship.
Key Point: Tranquillity and composure, attained through forgiveness and pardon, are necessary conditions for acceptable worship. Without such tranquillity, worship devolves into mere outward ritual.
An individual beset by greed, envy, or covetousness cannot attain heartfelt presence in worship. Forgiveness and pardon lighten the heart from the burden of enmities and prepare it for spiritual communion with God. This viewpoint aligns with modern psychology, which emphasises the influence of emotional states on focus and cognitive performance.
Key Point: Forgiveness and pardon cleanse the heart from rancour and hostility, creating a foundation of peace for worship.
Forgiveness and pardon act like a breeze that removes dust from the mirror of the heart, liberating the individual from the bonds of Satan and enmities. This psychological purification prepares the believer for sincere worship, consistent with positive psychology's emphasis on forgiveness in stress reduction and enhancement of mental health.
Verse 109 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by linking forgiveness and pardon with acts of worship, underscores the necessity of ethical and psychological preparation for worship. This connection reflects the comprehensiveness of Islam in harmonising individual morality with social worship.
Key Point: Establishing prayer, as a weighty act, depends upon the tranquillity attained through forgiveness, pardon, and purity. Without these prerequisites, prayer reduces to an external ritual.
Prayer, like a towering mountain, requires stability and spiritual readiness. Without the tranquillity that forgiveness and pardon bring, one cannot bear this heavy responsibility. The Holy Quran, by emphasising these prerequisites, transforms worship into a profound and spiritual process that transcends mere outward form.
Key Point: Purity (ablution, ritual bath, or dry ablution) cleanses the heart from rancour and envy and prepares one to enter into worship.
Purity, like a clear stream, cleanses the heart from psychological impurities. This process not only holds jurisprudential significance but also creates focus and tranquillity, readying the believer for communion with God. This preparation parallels ritual preparations in other religious traditions.
Key Point: The call to prayer (Adhan), the second call (Iqamah), and pre-Takbir supplications serve as prerequisites that ready the mind and heart for prayer.
These preliminaries, like gateways to the sacred space of worship, separate the mind from worldly concerns and prepare it for communion with God. The Adhan and Iqamah, as heavenly melodies, invite the believer to spiritual solitude.
Key Point: Prayer devoid of presence of heart lacks spiritual efficacy and is reduced to a ritual without ascent or nearness.
Prayer is akin to a bridge to the heavens, reaching its destination only through heartfelt presence. Without this presence, worship becomes a mechanical act, devoid of the true essence of Salat.
Key Point: Establishing prayer, due to its gravity and weight, requires firmness and strong resolve, as the Quran states: وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ (Translation: And seek help through patience and prayer; indeed, it is heavy except for the humble.)
Prayer, like a heavy weight, demands a steadfast will and profound humility. Unlike fasting, which is abstention, establishing prayer requires concentration and presence of heart, making it a more demanding act.
Key Point: Salat denotes the reality and outcome of prayer (communion with God), whereas ritualistic prayer is its outward form devoid of result.
Salat is like a radiant gemthe ultimate result of worship and divine proximitywhile ritualistic prayer is an empty shell lacking meaning and effect. This distinction emphasises the importance of quality in worship.
Key Point: Establishing prayer signifies actualising the reality of prayer, not merely performing the external act.
Establishing prayer is like creating a work of art; it brings the reality of prayer into manifestation. This process demands pure intention and firm resolve to uphold a weighty matter.
Establishing prayer, as the axis of worship, necessitates prerequisites such as forgiveness, pardon, and purity. These prerequisites prepare the heart for spiritual connection, transforming prayer from a superficial ritual to an ascendant Salat.
Key Point: Zakat is the consequence of purification of the self and wealth and must be given with gentleness and dignity, not reluctance.
Zakat, like a stream that irrigates the land, cleanses the self and wealth and strengthens social cohesion. Giving zakat willingly is a sign of faith and reliance upon God.
Key Point: Establishing prayer is a necessary act requiring firmness, whereas giving zakat is a voluntary act requiring gentleness.
Establishing prayer, like erecting a mighty mountain, requires firmness and resolve, while giving zakat is akin to a soft and natural breath performed with grace and dignity. These two acts complement each other within the Islamic religious system.
Key Point: Zakat given grudgingly or under compulsion is reduced to a tax and loses its spiritual effect.
Zakat, like a gift from love, should be given willingly. Reluctant payment, like pouring muddy water, not only fails to benefit but also weakens the spirit of altruism.
Key Point: Establishing prayer and giving zakat find their meaning within the social context, not in isolation or asceticism.
Islam, like a mighty tree rooted in the heart of society, gives meaning to worship through interaction with people. Asceticism is incompatible with the social spirit of this religion and deprives worship of its efficacy.
(The text ends here; continuation would elaborate on the social dimension of prayer.)
Prayer, like a mihrab for struggle against the self and Satan, results in social transformation within the context of society. This prayer, unlike isolated ritual purification, is a dynamic and effective movement.
Prayer without impact on behaviour and society, akin to a lifeless shadow, lacks the essence of genuine prayer. This critique emphasises the necessity of quality in worship.
Zakat, like a remedy for the heart, reduces hardness and selfishness. Islamic narrations, such as If the prayer is accepted, then all other deeds are accepted, underscore the pivotal role of worship in purifying the soul.
Generous payment, like a flower offered with love, signifies faith and generosity. Bargaining over zakat weakens the spirit of sacrifice and social responsibility.
Unprincipled compromise, akin to an unfair transaction, not only reduces the spiritual effect of zakat but also fosters distrust within society.
Giving zakat, as a complement to establishing prayer, purifies both the self and society. This act of worship, emphasising softness and dignity, contributes to social cohesion and alleviation of heart hardness.
The phrase And whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you shall find it with Allah acts as an invitation to eternal investment, encouraging believers to send forth goodness. Charitable acts performed with pure intention are preserved with God.
Goodness, like a guiding light leading towards God, is everlasting; evil, akin to darkness, draws one towards Hell. This distinction exemplifies the divine system of justice.
Worldly wealth is a transient bridge that perishes. Accumulating for others is like planting seeds in barren soilfruitless. Goodness must be sent forth to God.
God, like an impeccable trustee, preserves the charity of believers. This promise motivates sincerity and benevolence.
Rationality, like a guiding lamp, directs one towards deeds leading to eternal felicity. This is achievable solely with the intention of closeness to God.
Benevolence, like roots that stabilise the tree of faith, is a prerequisite for nearness to God. Good deeds must benefit society and its people.
Offering goodness, as eternal capital, directs believers towards ultimate felicity. This goodness, carried out with pure intention and benevolence for society, is preserved by God.
Prayer, like a pure spring, purifies society from moral contamination through individual reformation. This aligns with the narration If the prayer is accepted, then all other deeds are accepted.
Compulsion, like a cage imprisoning the bird of sincerity, transforms worship into mechanical action. Worship must be performed voluntarily with pure intention.
Islam, like a tree rooted in God and branched in service to people, unites these two principles. Weakness in either leads to deficiency in religion.
Benevolence towards people is like a bridge reaching God. Severing this bridge results in deviation.
The Islamic system is like a garden where people flourish. Any concept apart from God and people is distant from the essence of the system.
The Godly scholar, like a fish that thrives in water, attains the truth of religion within society and through service to people.
Divine insight, like a light illuminating the darkness of the heart, calls believers to sincerity and benevolence.
Islamic worship, by reforming the individual and society, reduces moral deviations and strengthens social cohesion. This renders Islamic religion a comprehensive and dynamic system.
The morning nafl, like a long step on the path of worship, requires energy and focus. Sometimes believers skip it to maintain the quality of obligatory prayer.
The morning prayer, like a gentle breeze, matches human capacity at dawn. This design reflects divine wisdom in the legislation of rulings.
Sahar, like a sacred time, prepares the heart and mind for worship. This time holds a special place in mystical tradition.
Misunderstanding, like dust on the mirror of prayer, obstructs access to the truth of worship. Correct education is essential to remedy this defect.
Divine wisdom in legislation aligns with human physical and psychological conditions. Nafl and sahar strengthen worship quality, yet incomplete understanding may diminish their effect.
The exegesis of verse 109 of Surah Al-Baqarah, emphasising establishing prayer, giving zakat, and offering goodness, provides profound lessons in worship, social, and ethical domains. This verse, linking forgiveness and pardon, purity, and worship, highlights the comprehensiveness of Islamic religion. Establishing prayer, as a weighty act, requires steadfastness and heartfelt presence, whereas giving zakat, with softness and dignity, fosters social cohesion. Offering goodness, as eternal capital, invites believers to prioritise ultimate felicity. Critiques of superficial ritual, compulsion in worship, and separation of God and people underscore the necessity of deep understanding of Quranic injunctions. This exegesis introduces Islam as a comprehensive system intertwining worship and social responsibility. These lessons serve as guidance for religious scholars, policymakers, and sociologists in wisely confronting contemporary challenges.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi
