Shortening of the Daily prayers while in Travel, Prayer while in the battle.

An-Nisa’ Verses 101 – 104

وَإِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَنْ تَقْصُرُوا مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ إِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنَكُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنَّ الْكَافِرِينَ كَانُوا لَكُمْ عَدُوًّا مُبِينًا

“When ye travel in the earth, it shall be no blame1on you if ye shorten the prayers if ye fear that those who disbelieve will cause you distress. Verily, the infidels to you are open enemies.” (4:101)

وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَلْتَقُمْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا أَسْلِحَتَهُمْ فَإِذَا سَجَدُوا فَلْيَكُونُوا مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ وَلْتَأْتِ طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَىٰ لَمْ يُصَلُّوا فَلْيُصَلُّوا مَعَكَ وَلْيَأْخُذُوا حِذْرَهُمْ وَأَسْلِحَتَهُمْ وَدَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ تَغْفُلُونَ عَنْ أَسْلِحَتِكُمْ وَأَمْتِعَتِكُمْ فَيَمِيلُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَيْلَةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِنْ كَانَ بِكُمْ أَذًى مِنْ مَطَرٍ أَوْ كُنْتُمْ مَرْضَىٰ أَنْ تَضَعُوا أَسْلِحَتَكُمْ وَخُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا

“When thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) art among them (when a battle rages) and thou establishest2prayer for them, then let a party of them stand up with thee and let them take their arms; then when they have prostrated3(themselves) let them take their position in your rear, and let the other party come up, which hath not prayed, then let them pray with thee, but let them take their precautions and their arms; for, desire those who disbelieve that if ye be negligent of your arms and your baggages, that they may turn upon you all at once; But it shall be no blame on you, if ye be inconvenienced by rain or be ill that ye put away your arms; but take your precaution; Verily God hath prepared for the infidels, a disgraceful torment4.” (4:102)

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنْتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَوْقُوتًا

“And when ye have finished the prayer remember God standing, and sitting, and reclining, and when ye are secure (from danger), establish5prayer; Verily Prayer is, (imposed) upon the believers as (a) timed Ordinance.” (4:103)

وَلَا تَهِنُوا فِي ابْتِغَاءِ الْقَوْمِ إِنْ تَكُونُوا تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمُونَ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَرْجُونَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

“And slacken not in pursuit of the (enemy) people; If ye suffer pain, assuredly they also suffer as ye suffer; but ye hope from God what they hope not6; And God is All-Knowing and All-Wise.” (4:104)

Commentary

Verse 101

Shortening the prayer means cutting short the Four ‘Rakat’ prayers viz. Zuhr, Asr and Isha by two rakats. This has to be done when facing an enemy in a battle as well as during travel. It must also be remembered that if anyone, during travel, intentionally offers the full prayer, the prayer is null and void. It is a matter of discipline which must never be molested. In the matter of ‘Salaat-ul-Qasr’ i.e., Namaz or prayer during travel, the journey must not be less than about 27 miles, nor is the concession available if a man halts at any place for ten days or more. The journey must be for a lawful purpose. This concession is not allowed to a man who is practically always on tour. Giving up this concession is the defiance, or the rejection of the grace granted by God. (F.A.)

This verse refers to the ‘Namaz al-Khauf’ and ‘Namaz al-Qsr.’ For details refer to ‘Fiqh’.

The term ‘La-junaha’ or ‘Laisa alaikum junah’ has been used in the Qur’an in several places apparently. It signifies the negation of obligation, but in practice the Holy Prophet acted in a manner which meant obligation as in 2:158 even expressed by word to the effect that when a person is on journey, he has no order to pray in its complete form, on the contrary, he has been ordered to offer it in its shortened form7.

The conditional clause does not restrict the order for ‘shortened prayer’ to the circumstances of fear for there was fear already at that time. It is like in Verses 5:3 and 2:184-185, which does not restrict the prohibition. The justification for the use of this term is that, usually a step-daughter is in the guardianship of a step farther and usually there was fear. Hence the first part of the passage is complete in dealing with the form of prayer for a traveller. The conditional clause is a preparatory for the prescription of the form of prayer for those under the fear of the enemies’ attack. (A.P.)

Verse 102

When the Holy Prophet marched from Madina to meet the offensive of the enemy from Mecca an advance party of the Quraishite infidels, under Khalid Ibn Walid clashed with the Muslim army at the mountains near Hudaibiyah. When the time for the noon (Zuhr) prayers arrived during the conflict the Holy Prophet ordered Bilal to give (Azan) the call for prayer. The infidels saw it and when the Muslim army had finished the prayer (Namaz) under the Holy Prophet, Khalid told his men that they committed a mistake in not attacking the Muslims while they were engrossed in the prayer (Namaz), Salat, i.e., for prayer seemed to be their first concern and they would not have given up the prayers. However, the enemy had decided not to lose the next opportunity, God informed the Holy Prophet of the device of the enemy and conveyed the method of prayer under such situations, given in this verse.

This verse and the previous one clearly indicate the position of the prescribed prayers (Namaz) in Islam. It makes it quite obvious beyond all doubts that the first and the foremost concern or the object of Islam is, man’s being always mindful of his supplication to the Lord, which should not be lost sight of. or even neglected even when facing the enemy. The primary occupation of the Muslims even when engaged in a defensive battle, is not mere fighting. The one and the most important concern of a Muslim should be to be in communion with God particularly at the prescribed times. The best and the most perfect of such an instance was given by the Holy Imam Husayn at Karbala on the 10th day of Muharram 61. A.H. When the Holy Imam offered the prayer in the most miserable and dangerous situation translating the ordinance in this verse into action, and since then none else could present any such devotion to the Lord.

It was the third day of thirst and hunger, since the access to water had been cut off. The Bank of the river was closely guarded by the Yazidian forces. Yet at the dawn of the memorable day of the 10th of Muharram 61 A.H. Husayn the Holy Imam asked his son ‘Ali al-Akbar to give the call for prayer. The Holy Imam and his devotees instead of ‘Wazoo’, (the ablution with water) prepared themselves for the prayer with ‘Tayammum’, (wiping the dust of plain on their faces). When Husayn stood leading the prayer, a band of his devotees stood in front of him and when a shower of arrows started falling on the holy supplicants, from the enemy, the devotees in front of the Holy Imam, received the arrows on their breasts and by the time the prayer was completed, thirty of the devotees fell killed by the arrows they had received. An Urdu poet has presented a picture of the holy supplicants to the Lord, in a beautiful verse:

Chand sharmae chehre mutajalli aisay - Even the Moon be ashamed their faces were so radiant.

Na Imam aisa hmra aur na mualli aisay - Neither an Imam (Guide) of the kind did ever appear nor the supplicants of the kind.

Completing one ‘Rak’at’ (unit) and to complete the other ‘Rak’at’ individually. For details refer to Fiqh. This prescription is for congregational prayer when offered under fear.

Both the groups have been ordered to carry their arms observing precaution while in prayer. The exception of rain or sickness is only for the individuals not the parties, but they also have to be cautious. (A.P.)

Verse 103

‘Kitaban Mauqoota’, i.e., an ordinance to be punctually executed at the prescribed times. This indicates how careful a Muslim has to be about the prescribed communion with the Lord strictly at the regulated times. It speaks of the prescribed prayers being unavoidably compulsory until consciousness lasts in a man or a woman.

Some commentators take the expression signifying prayer being obligatory on all times and in all circumstances with different regulations implying the saying of the Holy Prophet.

‘Prayer is not to be given up under any circumstances.’

This is an assurance which demands every believer not to be discouraged in the worst of circumstances. For details refer to ‘Fiqh’. (A.P.)

Verse 104

The warning refers to the conduct of the hypocrites at Uhud when they had left the battle field giving a false excuse saying that the enemy would not return to attack again8

• 1. Sin. Refer to Verse 2:158.
• 2. Lead.
• 3. Completing one ‘Rak’at’ (unit) and complete the other ‘Rak’at’ individually.
• 4. This method is for a Congregational prayer when offered under fear. Both the first and the second groups have been ordained to carry their arms and observe precaution while in praying. The exception of rain or sickness is only for the individuals, not for the parties-- For details Refer to ‘Fiqh’ A.P.
• 5. As usual.
• 6. This is the assurance which made every believer not to be dejected.
• 7. Refer to ‘Fiqh’.
• 8. Refer to Verse 3:167.