وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ 72
Translations
And to establish prayer and fear Him." And it is He to whom you will be gathered.
Transliteration
Wa an aqīmū as-salāta wat-taqūh. Wa huwa alladhī ilayhi tuhsharūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the establishment of prayer and taqwa (God-consciousness/fear of Allah) as essential acts of obedience. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that these two pillars form the foundation of a righteous life, with the reminder that all humanity will ultimately be gathered before Allah on the Day of Judgment, making accountability a motivating factor for obedience in this life.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-An'am, which addresses fundamental Islamic principles and monotheism. The verse comes within a passage where Prophet Ibrahim is presented as an exemplar of faith, instructing his people to worship Allah alone and establish prayer. The context emphasizes that belief in Allah must manifest through practical obedience and preparation for the final gathering.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The first deed for which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Judgment is prayer. If it is good, the rest of his deeds will be good; and if it is defective, the rest of his deeds will be defective.' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'Taqwa is here' - pointing to the heart - emphasizing that true God-consciousness originates from sincere hearts (Sunan At-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
Prayer and God-consciousness are not merely ritual obligations but intertwined spiritual practices that shape one's entire moral character and prepare the soul for divine accountability. Remembering that all human beings will be gathered before Allah should inspire believers to cultivate sincere devotion and mindful obedience in their daily lives.
Related Ayahs
قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِۦ لَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Say, "If I had that for which you are impatient, the matter would have been decided between me and you, but Allāh is most knowing of the wrongdoers."
سَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا۟ بَأْسَنَا ۗ قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ ۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ
Those who associated [others] with Allāh will say, "If Allāh had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything." Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our punishment. Say, "Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but misjudging."
وَلَقَدِ ٱسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا۟ مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
And already were messengers ridiculed before you, but those who mocked them were enveloped by that which they used to ridicule.
۞ إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ ۘ وَٱلْمَوْتَىٰ يَبْعَثُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
Only those who hear will respond. But the dead - Allāh will resurrect them; then to Him they will be returned.