Verse 187 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a steadfast pillar, elucidates the position of worship in the life of a believer. This verse, emphasising the preservation of prayersparticularly the middle prayerand standing with humility (Qunoot), directs man towards knowledge, action, and faith. Like a pure spring that nourishes spiritual life, this verse is an invitation to reassess lifestyle and prioritise affairs amid the multitude of daily engagements. In this discourse, adopting a scientific and specialised approach, the content of this verse alongside its related lessons is analysed and elucidated. The verses coherent structure and profound content, coupled with incisive critiques of the challenges of worship in the modern world, are systematically presented to serve as a guide for the audience on the path of spiritual elevation.
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ
Maintain the prayers and especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah with humility and devotion.
This verse, with a concise structure and rich content, is among the verses of determination in the Holy Quran. The minimal use of conjunctions (only two instances of the conjunction "wa") demonstrates the firmness and coherence of the Divine speech. This structure is akin to a building that, with minimal materials, exhibits stability and beauty.
Key Point: The redundancy in the verse refers to non-essential elements such as the conjunction "wa," which plays a minor role compared to the main content (maintaining prayers, the middle prayer, and standing with Qunoot). This characteristic manifests the linguistic precision of the Holy Quran in conveying profound concepts within a coherent structure.
In literature and logic, redundancy denotes elements without fundamental necessity. Yet, in this verse, even such redundancy contributes to the cohesion of the discourse. Like screws and bolts that connect the parts of a structure, the conjunction "wa" in this verse fortifies the link between knowledge, action, and faith.
The emphasis on the "middle prayer" indicates the special importance of this prayer within the Islamic worship system. This emphasis, like a jewel in the ring of prayers, highlights its central position. The middle prayer, often interpreted in exegeses as the Zuhr or Asr prayer, requires special vigilance since it occurs amid the day's peak activities, making it susceptible to neglect.
Verse 187 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by inviting the preservation of prayers and standing with humility, calls man to reconstruct his relationship with the Lord. This verse is not merely a worship command but a roadmap for balancing the worldly life and the Hereafter. Its coherent structure and rich content demonstrate the necessity of profound attention to worship amidst the abundance of daily affairs.
Key Point: The multitude of daily activities, sometimes amounting to two thousand actions within 24 hours, reduces prayer to a marginal and redundant matter in a believers life. This challenge necessitates a reconsideration of priorities.
The modern human finds himself caught in a whirlpool of duties and responsibilities. This abundance, like a storm steering the ship of concentration toward the cliffs of neglect, diminishes the quality of worship. Psychologically, task multiplicity disrupts presence of heart and focus in worship to the extent that even scholars and devout believers sometimes fall prey to this trap.
The lecture, by mentioning a simple examplesuch as confusing shoes and slippers due to mental busynesshighlights the impact of multiplicity on disorder and reduced quality of worship. This metaphor acts like a mirror reflecting the internal turmoil before ones eyes. Psychologically, such mental disorder, even in everyday matters, signals a lack of concentration in worship.
Key Point: The abundance of occupations and activities has transformed prayer among believers into a compulsory act devoid of spirit, effectively leading to its spiritual extinction.
This extinction does not mean the complete abandonment of prayer but rather the diminution of its quality and spiritual efficacy. Like a tree whose branches and leaves have withered, while the root is half-alive, prayer in many believers' lives has become a routine and soulless act. Sociologically, this condition threatens the spiritual health of the community.
Many individuals approach prayer due to legal obligation or fear of sin, not out of knowledge or volition. This compulsion is like a seed sown in unsuitable soil, producing inferior fruit. Psychologically, voluntary worship driven by spiritual motivation exerts a deeper impact on the human soul.
The multitude of daily affairs and lack of prioritisation have formed a dam against the pure flow of worship. This section demonstrated how mental clutter and compulsion in worship reduce the quality of prayer. To reconstruct the position of prayer, man must transition from multiplicity to unity and place worship at the centre of life with focus and knowledge.
وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ
And stand before Allah with humility and devotion.
Qunoot is a state of deep humility and devotion before the Lord that manifests during the standing position in prayer. This concept is like a breeze that elevates the believers spirit towards the heavens of knowledge. Jurisprudentially, Qunoot is recommended during standing and with prolongation, reflecting its importance in deepening the connection with God.
Key Point: The narration "If accepted, it accepts all other deeds; if rejected, it rejects all other deeds" indicates that acceptance of prayer is the key to acceptance of other deeds. Qunoot, by deepening the quality of prayer, doubles the value of acts.
This narration acts like a key that opens the doors to Divine acceptance. Qunoot, by creating a state of presence of heart and knowledge, enhances the spiritual worth of prayer and illuminates other human deeds. Philosophically, Qunoot is a bridge between man and the Lord that guides deeds towards perfection.
أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا
Is one who devoutly bows and prostrates during the night...
This verse indicates that Qunoot requires nocturnal practice. Like an athlete who trains in solitude for competition, the believer prepares his soul for daytime Qunoot through night worship.
Qunoot, like a jewel within prayer, guides man towards humility and knowledge. This section showed that Qunoot is not merely a part of prayer but a factor for deepening the relationship between man and the Lord. Nightly practice and prolongation in Qunoot are means to attain this exalted station.
Key Point: Designating a part of the home as a mosque contributes to the sanctity of the place of worship, and the earth will testify in favour of the person on the Day of Judgment.
Religious scholars, in texts such as "Lumaah," have recommended that believers designate a portion of their home as a mosque. This act, like creating a garden within the home, sanctifies the worship space and aids concentration in prayer.
Some consider recommendations such as designating a mosque in the home to be naive, whereas these rulings have roots in Divine wisdom. Like stars guiding in the night sky, these rulings illuminate the path of worship. Religious knowledge must, through scientific elucidation, prevent superficial interpretations.
Key Point: Improper nutrition, such as heavy meals, disrupts concentration and quality of worship. Light and multiple meals promote physical and psychological health and enhance worship.
Scientifically, balanced nutrition is akin to clean fuel for the bodys engine, improving brain and soul function. Light and frequent meals, unlike heavy meals, increase focus in worship.
This section demonstrated that religious rulings, such as designating a place of worship and paying attention to nutrition, are rooted in Divine wisdom. Religious knowledge should clarify these rulings scientifically, prevent their oversimplification, and offer practical solutions to improve worship quality.
Key Point: Humanitarian services, without the spiritual foundation of prayer, lack positive effectiveness and sometimes lead to increased poverty and misery.
The lecture, referring to the spread of poverty and global issues, stresses that charitable deeds without a spiritual foundation are like a tree without roots, bearing no lasting fruit. Philosophically, the link between spirituality and social efficacy is essential for achieving sustainable good.
Prayer, like a complete exercise, strengthens both body and soul. The movements of standing, sitting, bowing, and prostration are coordinated exercises that guide the limbs and organs towards perfection. This feature renders prayer the most comprehensive religious exercise.
This section illustrated that without the spiritual backing of prayer, charitable deeds do not achieve desired outcomes. Prayer, as a factor for strengthening body and soul, must be central in the believers life to enhance the efficacy of their deeds.
Verse 187 of Surah Al-Baqarah, like a lamp in darkness, illuminates the path of worship and spiritual elevation. This verse, emphasising the maintenance of prayers, the middle prayer, and standing with Qunoot, guides man towards knowledge and humility. The presented lessons, with critiques of multiplicity of affairs, neglect of prayer, and misguided prayer, underscore the necessity of lifestyle reform. Psychologically, sociologically, and philosophically, prayer is not merely individual worship but a factor for mental and social health. Religious knowledge must, through scientific clarification of rulings and practical solutions, reconstruct the position of prayer in Islamic society. Like a river joining the sea, man connects to the infinite Divine ocean through prayer and Qunoot.
Supervised by Sadegh Khademi