PRAYER AND PATIENCE (VERSE NO. 114 - 115)

      Here reference is made to two important Islamic commandments which are in fact the soul of faith, and the basis of Islam:ِ

      ``Perform the prayer at the two ends of the day, and in the first hours of the night.''

      This refers to the prayers that are incumbent upon all Muslims to perform. There are five canonical prayers for a Muslim to perform which follows:ِ

      1ِ The MORNING PRAYER which is to be performed at down when the light is up but before the sunrise.

      2ِ The NOON PRAYER that is performed immediately after noon
      3ِ The EVENING PRAYER which is usually performed after the noon prayer and before the sun-set:

      4ِ Then there is the, SUNSET PRAYER which is performed just after the sunset.

      5ِ And finally we have to perform the night prayer when the glow of the sunset has disappeared, committing ourselves to God before sleep.

COLLECTING THE PRAYERS

      We usually perform our prayers simultaneously, collecting the noon prayer with the evening prayer, and the sunset prayer with that of the night. We Shiites, perform them together and at once, and we do that with the permission of our prophet. In the famous book, SAHIH TERMAZIِV:1ِP:354. it has been written that the prophet himself was doing the same, without being in danger, fear, or rain. He used to do that, because he didn't want any hardship for his followers. Now-a-days, that our social life, particularly in the plants and factories, have turned to be hard and complex; if some one has bound himself to perform his prayers in proper time and separately, he may not be able to do them all. So to make use of the remissions, will make us more steadfast in our prayers and worship.

      The ending clause of the above verse, refers to the cleansing property of the prayer:ِ

      ``Good does make amend of the evil ones.''

      Here, good deed primarily refers to the prayer, but it includes all kinds of worship such as fasting, alms giving, pilgrimage, strive for the sake of God, and supplications. It is by these precepts that we may keep away from evil deeds. We read elsewhere in the Holy Quränِ S 29:45, that:ِ ``Recite what has been inspired to you of the Book and perform the prayers, that the prayer may restrain you from shameful deeds and bad conducts.''

      Here in this verse, the neutralizing effect of worship is referred to, that may render the evil deeds ineffective, and purify us from our sins.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRAYER

      The Daily Prayer have unquestionable importance in the sight of Islam. Salmän Farsi has narrated:ِ

      ``I saw the prophet shaking a branch of tree on which all the leaves were dry. When he shook the branch, all the leaves fell upon the ground. The prophet said:ِ

O, Salman! Don't you want to ask me why did I do so? I said yes, your holiness! if you don't mind. The prophet then said:ِ When a Muslim performs the ablution (VOZOO) well, and then establishes his daily prayers, his sins will fall down as the dry leaves fell down by my shock on the branch.''

      In another tradition, our prophet has said:ِ

      ``The Daily Prayers are like a stream of water that flows at one's door. If such a person washes himself five times a day, in such a flowing stream, will there remain any dirt or stain upon his body? Such is the case with the prayers, that he who regularly performs them, there will remain no sin with him uncleared and unforgiven.''

      The above verse (NO.114) has been said to be one of the most hopeful verses of Qurän.

      Following the commandment of prayer, there comes the next important order which is: HAVING PATIENCE.

      When man is encountered with something hard and unusual, some may lose control and become nervous, and some other may stand firm and resisting. Then also might be a third group of people who not only resist with perseverance, that they are thankful to their Lord too; for their faith in God, and that, hardship will make man's possibilities productive. In their sight; difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. And the fourth group of believers who are of course rare, are those who eagerly and with love, fight against troubles and try to neutralize the effects of troubles and misfortunes that may have afflicted them. They are promised to have the final success.