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
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
And thus do We detail the verses, and [thus] the way of the criminals will become evident.
وَهَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُّصَدِّقُ ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنذِرَ أُمَّ ٱلْقُرَىٰ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ ۖ وَهُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
And this is a Book which We have sent down, blessed and confirming what was before it, that you may warn the Mother of Cities [i.e., Makkah] and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and they are maintaining their prayers.
بَلْ إِيَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِن شَآءَ وَتَنسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ
No, it is Him [alone] you would invoke, and He would remove that for which you invoked Him if He willed, and you would forget what you associate [with Him].
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۚ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ كُلَّ ءَايَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوكَ يُجَـٰدِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
And among them are those who listen to you, but We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. Even when they come to you arguing with you, those who disbelieve say, "This is not but legends of the former peoples."