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Ayah
Word by Word
ٱتۡلُ
Recite
مَآ
what
أُوحِيَ
has been revealed
إِلَيۡكَ
to you
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ
the Book
وَأَقِمِ
and establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖ
the prayer
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
the prayer
تَنۡهَىٰ
prevents
عَنِ
from
ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ
the immorality
وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ
and evil deeds
وَلَذِكۡرُ
and surely (the) remembrance
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
أَكۡبَرُۗ
(is) greatest
وَٱللَّهُ
And Allah
يَعۡلَمُ
knows
مَا
what
تَصۡنَعُونَ
you do
ٱتۡلُ
Recite
مَآ
what
أُوحِيَ
has been revealed
إِلَيۡكَ
to you
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ
the Book
وَأَقِمِ
and establish
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖ
the prayer
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ
the prayer
تَنۡهَىٰ
prevents
عَنِ
from
ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ
the immorality
وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ
and evil deeds
وَلَذِكۡرُ
and surely (the) remembrance
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
أَكۡبَرُۗ
(is) greatest
وَٱللَّهُ
And Allah
يَعۡلَمُ
knows
مَا
what
تَصۡنَعُونَ
you do
Translation
Recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allāh is greater. And Allāh knows that which you do.
Tafsir
Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, Al-Qur'an, and maintain prayer; truly prayer prohibits lewd acts and indecency, [defined as such] according to the Law. In other words, that is its purpose provided that the person adheres to [observance of] it. And the remembrance of God is surely greater, than other acts of obedience, and God knows what you do, and He will requite you for them.
Likening the gods of the Idolators to the House of a Spider
Allah tells:
مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَاء كَمَثَلِ الْعَنكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنكَبُوتِ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
The parable of those who seek protectors from other than Allah is that of a spider who builds a house; but indeed, the weakest of houses is the spider's house -- if they but knew.
Verily, Allah knows what things they invoke instead of Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.
This is how Allah described the idolators in their reverence of gods besides Him, hoping that they would help them and provide for them, and turning to them in times of difficulties. In this regard, they were like the house of a spider, which is so weak and frail, because by clinging to these gods they were like a person who holds on to a spider's web, who does not gain any benefit from that. If they knew this, they would not take any protectors besides Allah. This is unlike the Muslim believer, whose heart is devoted to Allah, yet he still does righteous deeds and follows the Laws of Allah, for he has grasped the most trustworthy handle that will never break because it is so strong and firm.
Then Allah warns those who worship others besides Him and associate others with Him that He knows what they do and the rivals they associate with Him. He will punish them for their attribution, for He is All-Wise and All-Knowing.
Then He says:
وَتِلْكَ الاَْمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَا إِلاَّ الْعَالِمُونَ
And these are the examples We give for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge.
meaning, no one understands them or ponders them except those who are possessed of deep knowledge.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Amr bin Murrah said,
I never came across an Ayah of the Book of Allah that I did not know, but it grieved me, because I heard that Allah says:
وَتِلْكَ الاَْمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَا إِلاَّ الْعَالِمُونَ
And these are the examples We give for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge.
Allah says:
خَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ
Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth.
Allah tells us of His immense power, that He created the heavens and the earth with truth, meaning for a higher purpose than mere play,
لِتُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَى
that every person may be rewarded for that which he strives. (20:15)
لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيِجْزِى الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ بِالْحُسْنَى
that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good, with what is best. (53:31)
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَايَةً لِّلْمُوْمِنِينَ
Verily, therein is surely a sign for those who believe.
meaning, there is clear evidence that Allah is alone in creating, controlling, and in His divinity.
The Command to convey the Message, to recite the Qur'an and to pray
Allah says
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ
Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book,
Allah commands His Messenger and the believers to recite the Qur'an, which means both reciting it and conveying it to people.
وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَأةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَأةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ
and perform the Salah. Verily, the Salah prevents from Al-Fahsha' and Al-Munkar and the remembrance of Allah is greater indeed.
Prayer includes two things:
the first of which is giving up immoral behavior and evil deeds, i.e., praying regularly enables a person to give up these things.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said:
A man came to the Prophet and said, `So-and-so prays at night, but when morning comes, he steals.'
The Prophet said:
إِنَّهُ سَيَنْهَاهُ مَا تَقُول
What you are saying (i.e., the Salah) will stop him from doing that.
Prayer also includes the remembering of Allah, which is the higher objective, Allah says:
وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ
(and the remembrance of Allah is greater indeed), more important than the former.
وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
And Allah knows what you do.
means, He knows all that you do and say.
Abu Al-`Aliyah commented on the Ayah:
إِنَّ الصَّلَةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاء وَالْمُنكَرِ
(Verily, the Salah prevents from immoral sins and evil wicked deeds),
Prayer has three attributes, and any prayer that contains none of these attributes is not truly prayer:
Being done purely and sincerely for Allah alone (Ikhlas),
fear of Allah, and remembrance of Allah. Ikhlas makes a person do good deeds, fear prevents him from doing evil deeds,
and the remembrance of Allah is the Qur'an which contains commands and prohibitions.
Ibn Awn Al-Ansari said:
When you are praying, you are doing good, it is keeping you away from immoral sins and evil wicked deeds and what you are doing is part of the remembrance of Allah which is greater.
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