Verse 109 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a resplendent jewel in the Divine Scripture, constitutes a profound invitation to establish Salah, pay Zakat, and send forth good deeds for the Hereafter. This verse not only alludes to the foundational rituals of Islam but also delineates an inseparable connection between individual conduct and social responsibilities. Salah, akin to a steadfast pillar, forms the axis of the Islamic faith, and alongside Zakat and Sawm, constitutes a comprehensive set of acts of worship fulfilling the human spiritual, psychological, and social needs. This exegesis, employing a scientific and systematic approach, elucidates the position of these acts of worship within the epistemological and practical system of Islam and explores their spiritual, psychological, and social dimensions through elevated metaphors.
Salah, like a radiant sun in the sky of Islamic faith, is the supreme spiritual act which holds an unparalleled position in the Holy Quran and the conduct of the Infallibles (peace be upon them). This worship, mentioned approximately ninety-six times in the Quran, surpasses other acts of worship and is introduced as the central axis of spiritual conduct and Divine knowledge. Salah is not merely a ritualistic act, but a bridge towards Divine proximity that guides the human being from worldly multiplicity to Divine unity.
In previous religions, Salah, following the Prophets, was diverted and, among the Jews and Christians, transformed into rites resembling musical psychology. This distortion relegated the spiritual essence of Salah to the margins and reduced it to a mere outward and emotional act. In Islam, Salah retains its original purity, like a clear spring, untainted by distortion, serving as a path for connection to the Essence of the Almighty.
Salah, like a luminous road, is the primary path of conduct and faith. This worship not only strengthens faith but, through soul purification, leads the human being to Divine knowledge. From a mystical perspective, Salah is like a mirror reflecting the Divine face of man.
Salah, as the axis of Islamic faith, is not merely a ritualistic act but a path to attaining Divine proximity. The deviation of this worship in previous religions emphasises the necessity of preserving its authenticity in Islam. Salah, with its unparalleled position, guides man from worldly multiplicities to Divine unity and strengthens his faith.
Salah, like a sturdy pillar, together with Zakat (a social act of worship) and Sawm (a spiritual act of worship), forms a comprehensive collection of rituals. These three, like three wings of flight, assist the human being on the path to spiritual and social perfection. Zakat, linking the individual to society, and Sawm, purifying the soul, complement Salah and satisfy the multidimensional needs of man.
A person who perfects these three acts of worship will be like a robust tree, endowed with purity and spirituality. This collection, by establishing balance among the individual, society, and God, protects man from spiritual maladies and leads him to felicity.
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
"And establish prayer and give zakah and whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of what you do."
The term Salah is mentioned approximately ninety-six times in the Quran, surpassing Zakat (fifty times) and Sawm (thirteen times), with nearly sixty instances accompanied by the word Iqamah (establishment). This frequency, like a resounding proclamation, indicates the central importance of Salah and the difficulty of its proper establishment.
Salah appears in the Quran as a verbal noun, highlighting emphasis on its outcome and content (closeness and ascension), rather than merely its external form. This feature transforms Salah, like a precious gem, into a means of reaching God.
The repetition of Iqamah alongside Salah, like a heavy weight, indicates the difficulty of this act of worship and the need for a steadfast will. Iqamah, meaning to establish Salah with quality and presence of heart, requires the believer to have a calm heart reliant on God.
Salah, Zakat, and Sawm, like three strands in one rope, form a comprehensive set of worships that guide man from worldly multiplicity to Divine unity. These acts of worship, by guaranteeing purity and spirituality, meet the multidimensional needs of man and protect him from spiritual maladies.
Establishing Salah, like a journey towards lofty summits, requires a tranquil and serene heart. A heart entangled in self-centeredness and multiplicity, like a bird in a storm, cannot soar towards God. Tranquillity and trust are essential prerequisites for establishing Salah.
Even the outward movements of Salah, such as standing and sitting, depend on Divine power and support. A person without reliance is like an anchorless ship lost amidst the waves of multiplicity.
Salah, like a steel shield, insures the individual against adversities, hardships, and worldly multiplicities. This worship, by creating peace and purity, protects man from anxiety and psychological ailments.
Many psychological and physical illnesses, like bitter fruits of a diseased tree, result from neglect or abandonment of Salah. Salah, by regulating emotions and strengthening connection with God, preserves man from anxiety and hardship.
وَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
"Woe to those who pray but are heedless of their prayer."
Salah without presence of heart is like an empty shell; it not only lacks spiritual effect but leads to hardness of the heart. This critique stresses the necessity of sincerity and quality in worship.
Envy, like a burning fire, grew among the People of the Book due to absence of Salah. Believers, too, without establishing Salah, are susceptible to this spiritual trait.
وَدَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَوْ يَرُدُّونَكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِكُمْ كُفَّارًا حَسَدًا مِنْ عِنْدِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
"Many of the People of the Book wish that you would disbelieve after your belief out of envy from themselves."
This verse indicates the link between lack of worship and the growth of envy. Salah, through soul purification, protects man from this negative trait.
The elites among the People of the Book, due to lack of piety and Salah, succumbed to envy, whereas the monks and ascetics, due to their worship (albeit imperfect), were immune to this trait. This distinction underscores the pivotal role of worship in soul purification.
Establishing Salah, like pure water, cleanses envy from the heart and replaces it with purity and tranquillity. A sign of healthy prayer is distancing oneself from envy and approaching love.
Salah, as a remedy for spiritual ailments, protects man from envy, malice, and anxiety. This worship, by creating tranquillity and trust, connects the heart to God and liberates it from worldly multiplicities. The critique of prayer without content highlights the necessity of sincerity and presence of heart and demonstrates that only high-quality Salah can lead to soul purification.
Salah, Zakat, and Sawm, without the intention of Divine proximity, are like a rootless tree lacking spiritual effect. Proximity is the essence of worship, and without it, acts are reduced to mechanical deeds.
The difference in the frequency of the mention of Salah (96 times), Zakat (50 times), and Sawm (13 times) in the Holy Quran signifies the variance in the nature of these acts. Salah, as the axis of connection with God, receives the greatest emphasis, while Zakat, with a social role, and Sawm, with a spiritual nature, complement it.
Sawm, as a form of ritual abstinence, is mentioned less frequently than Salah and Zakat because abstinence is not an exclusively human characteristic and is observed in animals as well. Nevertheless, ritual fasting, with the intention of proximity, purifies the soul.
Modern society, like a disease addicted to consumption, has normalised extravagance. This extravagance not only wastes resources but also leads to physical and psychological illnesses.
وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ
"And do not be extravagant. Indeed, He does not like the extravagant."
Many physical and psychological ailments, like poisonous fruits, are the outcome of unnecessary and unhealthy consumption. Observance of hygienic and religious standards can prevent these diseases.
Exorbitant expenses on treatment and security in societies are the result of unhealthy living and extravagance. Reforming culture and lifestyle, like a refreshing breeze, can reduce these costs.
Zakat, akin to a generous stream, reinforces social cohesion through its social role. This worship, mentioned fifty times in the Holy Quran, indicates the importance of charity within the Islamic system.
Salh is like a strong fortress that protects a person from envy, hatred, and hostility, planting purity and affection in their heart. This act of worship strengthens human inner power.
Salh, zakat, and fasting, as a complete set, save humans from spiritual and social maladies. The critique of extravagance and consumerism in modern society emphasises the necessity of returning to these acts of worship. This set, by reinforcing the connection with God and society, guides humans towards perfection and felicity.
Addiction to external salh, like a reflection on water, is insufficient and cannot lead a person to perfection. Salh without heartfelt presence is like a soulless body, lacking spiritual effect.
The emphasis of religious knowledge on the removal of obligation in salh is limited to its external aspect and is insufficient to attain the truth of salh. Salh must lead to divine proximity and nearness.
Managers and politicians without salh, like travellers in darkness, suffer from insomnia, anxiety, and inability to perform the dawn prayer. These issues result from estrangement from spirituality.
Managers in Islamic society, like guardians atop the tower of faith, require continuous observance of salh, zakat, and fasting to succeed in their responsibilities.
The scholars of the past, although limited in rational sciences, reached ascension and nearness like shining stars on the prayer rug. The prayer rug was the axis of their lives.
The prayer rug, like a sacred mihrab, was the place of book, pen, and worship for past scholars. Through reliance on salh, they freed themselves from worldly multiplicities.
Mechanical salh, like a meaningless poem, lacks spiritual effect. This type of salh results from haste and inattention to heartfelt presence.
Salh, as the core of scholars and managers lives, must be performed with heartfelt presence and sincerity. The critique of external and mechanical salh underscores the necessity of returning to the essence of worship. Managers and scholars, by observing this set of worship, can attain success and perfection.
A believer who correctly performs salh, zakat, and fasting, like a clear spring, remains immune from resentment and hostility, behaving with generosity.
The Infallible Imams (A), like lofty peaks of dignity, treated friends and foes with generosity and magnanimity. This behaviour was the result of salh and worship that connected their hearts to the celestial realm.
The notion that taqiyya indicates weakness in the Imams (A) is as erroneous as a fault in the mirror of truth. Their generosity and tolerance stemmed from authority and wisdom.
The salh of the Imams (A), like a divine breeze, cleansed their hearts from rancour and hatred, bringing them to purity and dignity.
The Imams (A), even towards their enemies, behaved with chivalry like a sea of dignity. There is no historical evidence of their resentment or hostility.
Ashiddu al al-kuffri ruamu baynahum
Translation: Severe against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves.
This verse emphasises severity in battle and kindness in ordinary life, corresponding with the generous behaviour of the Imams (A).
The phrase Ashiddu al al-kuffr is like a sharp sword limited to the battlefield and does not conflict with forgiveness and pardon in daily life.
Combatants in war, through performing salh, shone like stars in the night, demonstrating purity and dignity in their behaviour and even treating prisoners considerately.
The decrease in salh towards the end of the war was like the extinguishing of a lamp in darkness, leading to diminished divine proximity and defeat.
Extravagance in society, like a devastating flood, is the consequence of neglecting prayer and distancing from spirituality. Excessive spending on unnecessary matters is a sign of lack of salh and spirituality.
Salh, by purifying the heart from resentment and enhancing human dignity, guides a person towards generous and magnanimous behaviour. The conduct of the Imams (A) and combatants was the result of deep salh that connected their hearts to purity and the celestial realm. The critique of neglecting prayer and extravagance emphasises the necessity of returning to this worship.
In the past, performing salh, reciting the Quran, and voluntary prayers flowed like clear streams in society, bringing purity and tranquillity.
Todays salh, due to lack of content, is like an empty vessel, transforming into a plastic and ineffective act. This salh cannot lead to individual or social transformation.
Great figures, such as Ibn Sina, upon encountering difficulties, attained solutions through performing salh. Salh is like a golden key that unlocks knots of problems.
Nfila, like a free breeze, aids obligatory salh without requiring qiblah or special conditions.
Fainnam tawallaw fa-thamma wajhu llh
Translation: Wherever you turn, there is the face of God.
This verse stresses the flexibility of nfila and easy access to worship.
The friends of God, through salh and constant self-remembrance, are like flowing streams in a state of perpetual worship.
Al-muminu f al-masjidi ka al-samaki f al-mi wa al-munfiqu f al-masjidi ka al-ayri f al-qafas.
Translation: The believer in the mosque is like a fish in water, and the hypocrite in the mosque is like a bird in a cage.
Abandoning salh, zakat, and fasting, like a poisonous root, is the source of all spiritual and social evils and problems.
Sajdah, like a flower in the garden of salh, is the essence of this worship. Standing with pride and bowing with flattery lose their value before sajdah.
The past, enriched with salh and nfila, fostered a society full of purity and tranquillity. Todays plastic salh results from lack of sincerity. Returning to quality salh, nfila, and self-remembrance leads humanity to perfection and felicity.
The interpretation of verse 109 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a radiant lamp, elucidates the pivotal role of salh, zakat, and fasting in Islamic faith. These three acts of worship, as three firm pillars, fulfil human spiritual, psychological, and social needs. Salh, by establishing connection with God, guides a person from worldly multiplicities to divine unity. Zakat, by strengthening social cohesion, and fasting, by purifying the soul, complete this set. The critique of external salh, extravagance, and neglect of prayer stresses the necessity of returning to the true essence of worship. The generous conduct of the Imams (A) and combatants was the fruit of profound salh that cleansed their hearts from rancour and connected them to purity. This interpretation offers lessons for scholars, managers, and sociologists, emphasising the role of salh in reforming the individual and society. Continuous observance of this set of worship, like a golden key, paves the way towards human perfection and social cohesion.
