Lesson # 545 - Curtailing Worship at the Time of Fear

Lesson # 545 From Holy Qur’an

Curtailing Worship at the Time of Fear

Surah Nisaaa’ (Women) – Chapter – 4)

Verses –101 of 176, Section – 15/24 (Part – 5)

And when ye go forth in the land, it is no sin for you to curtail (your) worship if ye fear that those who disbelieve may attack you. In truth the disbelievers are an open enemy to you.

Wa  ‘izaa  zarab-tum  fil- ‘arzi  falaysa  ‘alaykum  junaa-hun  ‘an-taq-suruu  minas-Salaa-ti  ‘in  khif-tum  ‘any-yaf-tina-kumul-laziina  kafaruu.  ‘Innal-kaafiriina  kaanuu  lakum  ‘aduw-wam-mubiinaa.

                                                       

      

Lesson

Taq-suruu – {Curtail (your worship)}, this word is from qasar. Some other words have also come out from it like qusuur, qaasir, taq-siir. Qasar means ‘to curtail, to lessen, to reduce, to subtract and to diminish’. To curtail the worship means, “The prayer which has four rak-‘aat that will become two during journey”.  

Yaf-tina-kum  - {(they) will trouble you)}. It has been derived from fitnah, which means ‘mischief, quarrel and disturbance. Here it aims that the disbelievers will attack you.

There was description about strive and migration in the previous verses. It is clear that the journey is necessary during above both acts. Therefore form of offering prayer during journey has been illustrated in this section and permitted to curtail worship in the condition of journey. If there is a threat from the enemy, who has not embraced your religion and they remain ready every time to hurt you, they will attack in the journey, then you are allowed to curtail some prayer during journey, because the infidels are your exposed enemies.

Messenger of Allaah Almighty (grace, glory, blessings and peace be upon Him) caused to understand this matter in the manner that this concession is for all kinds of journeys, whether there is danger in it or not. The mention of fear has been stated in the verse for the purpose that when this verse was revealed, in those days the Tribe Bani Najaar asked, “What is the order for us about the prayer while we people remain frequently on journey”. Then Holy Prophet (grace, glory, blessings and peace be upon Him) told them, “Allaah Almighty has produced for you this facility with His Mercy and Kindness and permitted to curtail the Rak-‘aat of prayers in case of journey”.

Confirmation of Hanafii sect regarding the journey is that the travel should not be less than three stages (destinations, manzil). There will be no relaxation in the complete prayer for the travel less than three stages. The definition of the stage is that in which either a man or a camel travels with normal speed in a day. After that, whenever Messenger of Allaah Almighty (grace, glory, blessings and peace be upon Him) used to go on journey, then He used to offer two Rak-‘aat of the prayer instead of the prayer of four Rak-‘aat. But even then while the enemies intended to attack for getting benefit of the condition of worship by Muslims, then another method of worship was ordered, which will be discussed in the next lesson. Now it is known from these verses that the prayer is such incumbent, which can never be left without offering besides entirely helplessness. However some relaxation and reductions have been permitted.   

Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’an published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English  by Muhammad Sharif).