• Times when to pray mentioned, and to pray at Midnight commended with the promise of exaltation to a glorious position

• Prayer for goodness and truthfulness

• The Qur’an, a Healing and Mercy for the Believers but adds to the perdition of the disbelievers

Al-Israa (Bani-Israel) Verses 78 – 84

أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

Establish prayer (regularly) from the declension of the sun till the darkness of the night, and the recital at the morn; verily the recital at the morn is witnessed. (17:78)1

وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَكَ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا

And (in a part) of the night, forsake sleep for prayer, in addition to (what is incumbent on) thee; Maybe that exalteth thee thy Lord unto a position praised.2(17:79)3

وَقُلْ رَبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَاجْعَلْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ سُلْطَانًا نَصِيرًا

And say4thou (praying): “O’ My Lord! cause me to enter a goodly entrance and cause me to go out (of) a goodly exit, and grant me from unto Thee an authority to assist (me)” (17:80)

وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا

And say thou “The truth hath come and the falsehood hath vanished; Verily falsehood is (a thing by nature) vanishing.” (17:81)5

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا

And We sent down of the Qur’an which is a healing6and a mercy unto the believers, but it addeth not to the unjust but perdition. (17:82)

وَإِذَا أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأَىٰ بِجَانِبِهِ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ كَانَ يَئُوسًا

And when bestow We our bounties on man, he turneth aside and goeth away (on the reverse) and when toucheth him any evil, he is despondent. (17:83)7

قُلْ كُلٌّ يَعْمَلُ عَلَىٰ شَاكِلَتِهِ فَرَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ سَبِيلًا

Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad! unto the people): 8“Every one acteth after his own 9mould; thus your Lord best knoweth (as to) who (among you) is the best guide of the right path.” (17:84)10

Commentary

Verse 78

This verse comprehends all five daily prayers prescribed by Islam.

From the declining of the Sun to Sunset - there are two prayers. (1) ‘Zuhr’ - the noon prayer. (2) ‘Asr’ - the afternoon prayer.

And from the Sunset to the full darkness there are two prayers. (1) ‘Maghrib’ - the evening prayer (2) ‘Isha’ - the night prayer.

At the break of the dawn one prayer (1) ‘Fajr’ - the morning prayer.

Verse 79

‘Tahajjud’ or getting wakeful in the night. This prayer is to be offered after midnight but before dawn. This is not compulsory but very strongly commended. The glorious position mentioned is the highest exaltation to which a mortal could rise. The Holy Prophet said that on the Day of Judgment he would be in the ‘Maqam al-Maḥmud’ (the position of the great Praise and Glory) and from there he would seek intercession for the sinners and the Lord will grant whatever he would command.

‘Asa’ means ‘May’ or ‘Might’ but when the nominative of this verb is God, it means certainty. The praised position means such distinction which no other creation shares - and all the commentators are unanimous that it is the status of intercession wherein the Holy Prophet is given the Standard of Praise (Liwa’ al-Hamd) under which all the prophets and angels will gather. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal says that the Holy Prophet said: “O’ Ali! The first person who would be honoured to be addressed would be I and you. Thou art the carrier of my standard under which Adam and the other prophets will gather.” Thus, the Holy Prophet will be the foremost intercessor and the first whose intercession will be accepted by God. (A.P.).

Verse 80

This is the declaration of the establishment of Islam and the subjection of falsehood and a prophecy also to say that one day falsehood shall be wiped out forever. The fulfilment of this, will be only at the appearance of the Last Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi when Jesus also will return to earthly life.

The most appropriate interpretation is to take it in a very wide sense to mean to ask help in all movements, physical and mental to and fro, between God and the creatures. Besides him every believer should also pray to God. Similarly, it is commanded by the Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt. (A.P.).

• 1. Refer to verse 52:49.
• 2. All-Glorious.
• 3. Refer to verse 73:2.
• 4. Or pray, saying.
• 5. Refer to verse 34:49.
• 6. Refer to verses 10:57 & 41:44.
• 7. Refer to note on action and re-action on Spirit of Islam – Amir Ali.
• 8. Refer to verse 2:256.
• 9. The manner or the bent of mind.
• 10. Having revealed the truth every individual human being is left to act using his individual discretion, Refer to verse 2:256.