سورة النور

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Ibn Abbas said: One day the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) gave Ali (peace be upon him) three hundred dinars which had been gifted to him. Ali (peace be upon him) said: "I took those dinars and said [to myself], 'By Allah, tonight I shall give from these dinars a charity that Allah will accept from me.' When I had performed the Isha prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), I took a hundred dinars and went out of the mosque, and a woman came face to face with me and I gave her those dinars." The next morning the people were saying: "Ali (peace be upon him) last night gave a hundred dinars in charity to an adulterous woman"; [on hearing this] I became very grieved. When on the following night I performed the Isha prayer, I took a hundred dinars and went out of the mosque and said [to myself]: "By Allah, tonight I shall give from these dinars a charity that Allah will accept from me." Then I met a man and gave him the dinars in charity. In the morning the people of Madinah were saying: "Last night Ali (peace be upon him) gave a hundred dinars in charity to a thief"; [on hearing this] I became very grieved and said: "By Allah, tonight I shall give a charity that Allah will accept from me." I performed the Isha prayer with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and with the hundred dinars I had with me I went out of the mosque and met a man, and I gave him those dinars. In the morning the people of Madinah were saying: "Last night Ali (peace be upon him) gave a hundred dinars in charity to a wealthy man"; [on hearing this] I became very grieved and went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and informed him of what had happened. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to me: "O Ali (peace be upon him)! This is Jibra'il, who tells you: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has accepted your acts of charity and has increased [the reward of] your deed. The hundred dinars you gave in charity on the first night fell into the hands of a corrupt woman, and she returned to her house and repented to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, from corruption and immorality, and she made those dinars her capital [for a trade], and she is now seeking a husband to marry. The second charity you gave fell into the hands of a thief, and he returned to his house and repented before Allah from his thefts, and he made the dinars his capital to trade with. And the third charity you gave fell into the hands of a wealthy man who for several years had not paid the zakat on his wealth"; he returned to his house and rebuked himself, saying: "O soul! Woe to you for your miserliness! This is Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), who — although he has no wealth — has given me a hundred dinars in charity, while Allah has made zakat obligatory upon my wealth for many years and I have not paid its zakat." So he calculated his wealth and its zakat and paid such-and-such a number of dinars as zakat; "and for this reason Allah revealed concerning you this verse: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah]."

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): Dihyah al-Kalbi came on Friday from Sham with provisions and dismounted near Ahjar al-Zayt, and he beat the drum to inform the people of his arrival. When the people learned of it, they hurried towards him except for Ali, Hasan, Husayn, and Fatimah (peace be upon them), and Salman, Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him), Miqdad, and Suhayb. The people left the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) while he was delivering the sermon on the pulpit. So the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Allah looked upon my mosque on Friday, and had these eight persons who are seated in the mosque not been present, Medina would have burned with its people in fire, and its people would have been pelted with stones like the people of Lut. And concerning these few, the verse was revealed: رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah].'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Asbat ibn Salim said: I came to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), and he asked us about Umar ibn Muslim, what he was doing. I said: 'He is well and does good deeds, but he has abandoned trade.' Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said three times: 'It is the work of Satan. Does he not know that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) bought a caravan that was coming from Sham, and with part of it he paid off his debt and distributed the remainder among his relatives? Allah the Exalted says: رِجَالٌ لَّا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَ لَا بَیْعٌ عَن ذِکْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ وَ إِیتَاء الزَّکَاةِ یَخَافُونَ یَوْمًا تَتَقَلَّبُ فِیهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَ الْأَبْصَارُ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate; they fear a day in which the hearts and eyes shall turn about]. The storytellers say that this group did not trade — they have lied. Rather, they did not abandon the prayer at its appointed time, and this is better than one who is present at the prayer but does not trade.'

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): These people were traders, and when the time of prayer came they would leave the trade and set out for the prayer, stepping towards it; and indeed their reward is greater than that of those who are not engaged in any work and attend the prayer.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): They are a group who, when the time of prayer arrives, leave trade and go towards the prayer; and their reward is greater than those who do trade.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): When you are engaged in earning and the time of prayer arrives, the work of trade should not distract you from prayer, for Allah has described a people and praised them thus: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah]. They were a people who used to earn, and when the time of prayer arrived, they would leave their earning and stand for prayer; and their reward will be greater than the reward of one who is not engaged in any occupation and stands for prayer at its time.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: ... By the One who raised me [as a Prophet], whoever abandons the world and turns to the trade of the hereafter, Allah will trade for him, as He says: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقامِ الصَّلاةِ وَ إِیتاءِ الزَّکاةِ یَخافُونَ یَوْماً تَتَقَلَّبُ فِیهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَ الْأَبْصارُ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of the poor-rate; they fear a day in which the hearts and eyes shall turn about]. Ibn Mas'ud said: 'O Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! How shall I turn to the trade of the hereafter?' He said: 'Do not let your tongue rest from the remembrance of Allah — in this manner, always say: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ وَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَ اللهُ أَکْبَرُ [Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Allah, and there is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest]. This is the profitable trade. Allah the Exalted says: They hope for a trade that will never suffer loss, for Allah gives them their reward in full and increases them from His bounty. (Fatir/29-30) O son of Mas'ud! Strive so that whatever you see with your eye and whatever passes through your heart may be for Allah, for that is the trade of the hereafter, and Allah says: What is with you perishes, and what is with Allah remains. (Nahl/96) O son of Mas'ud! When you utter la ilaha illa Allah and do not recognize its right, that remembrance is returned upon you [and is not accepted by Allah], and la ilaha illa Allah continues to turn away the wrath of Allah from the servants, until, when they no longer care about what is diminished from their religion so long as their worldly life remains safe, Allah the Exalted says: You have lied, you have lied, you are not truthful in it. For Allah the Exalted says: To Him ascends the good word, and the righteous deed raises it. (Fatir/10)'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Aqil al-Khuza'i narrates: Whenever the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (peace be upon him), took part in a battle, he would exhort the Muslims with these words: 'Hold fast to prayer and safeguard it, perform it abundantly, and seek nearness [to Allah] through it, for indeed prayer is a fixed and prescribed duty upon the believers! (Nisa/103) And the disbelievers come to understand this truth when they are asked: What has brought you into Hellfire?! They say: We were not among those who prayed. (Muddaththir/42-43) And the true nature of prayer is known only by one who is intimate with it through the nights, and those believers are honored through prayer whom the beauty of worldly goods and the delight of their eyes — that is, wealth and children — do not divert from prayer. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقامِ الصَّلاةِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer]; and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), even though he had received the glad tidings of Paradise from his Lord, continually exerted himself [in performing prayer].'

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In Nahj al-Balagha it is reported that he would constantly advise his companions: O people! Take upon yourselves [the reading and establishing of] the prayer, and guard it, pray much, and draw yourselves near to Allah through prayer. Prayer is a command that has been made obligatory upon the believers at specific times; do you not listen to the answer of the people of the Fire, when they were asked: what has brought you into Hell? They say: 'We were not of those who prayed.' (Muddaththir/42-43) Indeed, prayer sheds sins as autumn leaves fall, and it unfastens the chains of sins from the necks. The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) likened prayer to a hot spring of water flowing at the door of a man's house; if he washes himself in it five times a day, no dirt or filth will ever remain on his body. Indeed, those among the believers have truly known the right of prayer whom the adornment of the world does not divert from prayer, and the coolness of whose eyes — meaning wealth and children — does not prevent them from prayer. Allah the Glorified says: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقامِ الصَّلاةِ وَ إِیتاءِ الزَّکاةِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate]. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), after being given the glad tidings of Paradise, would exert himself in offering the prayer.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah has connected obedience to His representative with obedience to His Messenger, and whoever abandons obedience to those in authority does not obey Allah or His Messenger either. So now confess to what has been sent down from Allah, and when entering the mosques adorn yourselves and be pure. (A'raf/31) Seek out those houses which Allah has raised up and in which His name is constantly on the tongues. Allah Himself has informed that: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقامِ الصَّلاةِ وَ إِیتاءِ الزَّکاةِ یَخافُونَ یَوْماً تَتَقَلَّبُ فِیهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَ الْأَبْصارُ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate; they fear a day in which the hearts and eyes shall turn about].

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): The intellect is the guide to good, and the desires of the self are the mount of sins. Understanding is the vessel of action, the world is the marketplace of the hereafter, and the self is the trader of this marketplace. Night and day are the capital. The profit of this trade is Paradise, and its loss is the Fire. This, by Allah, is the trade that will not perish and the merchandise in the transaction of which there is no loss. And the like of this statement has come from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). And in it, it is mentioned that the world is the marketplace of the successful ones from among the Shia who follow their Imams. Indeed, the sum of all these statements is this noble verse: 'O you who believe! Let not your wealth or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, those are the losers.' (Munafiqun/9) And رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah].

Fiqh al-Rida (peace be upon him): When you are engaged in earning and the time of prayer arrives, your business must not keep you from the prayer, for Allah has described a people and praised them thus: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah]. They were a people who engaged in trade, and when the time of prayer arrived they would leave their business and stand for prayer; and their reward is greater than the reward of one who is not occupied with any work and stands for prayer at its time.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah] — if you bring the people of remembrance to your mind and behold their praiseworthy stations and their well-known gatherings, you will see that they have opened up the records of their deeds and stand ready for the reckoning, so that they may make amends for everything, pondering in which of the small and great acts they were commanded to perform they have fallen short, or what acts they have committed of which they were forbidden. They have placed the heavy load of their sins upon their backs and grown too weak to carry it; weeping has been stifled in their throats, and with lamentation and cries they weep, conversing with one another, confessing regret before their Lord. They are the signs of guidance and the lamps that illumine the darknesses; the angels have surrounded them, tranquility descends upon them, the gates of heaven are opened for them, and a place of honor has been prepared for them — a station upon which Allah looks with the eye of mercy, well pleased with their striving, praising their rank. They raise their hands in supplication and seek divine forgiveness. They are pledged to the neediness of Allah's grace and are captives of His greatness; prolonged grief and sorrow have wounded their hearts, and continuous weeping has injured their eyes. Their hands are stretched out to every door of hope in Allah, asking of One whose bounty knows no diminution and whose petitioners face no despair. So now, for your own sake, examine your own account, for others have a reckoner other than you.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah] — Allah has made remembrance a polish for hearts; by it the hearts hear after deafness, see by it after blindness, and yield by it after enmity.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): فِی بُیُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَ یُذْکَرَ فِیهَا اسْمُهُ یُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِیها بِالْغُدُوِّ وَ الْآصالِ رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقامِ الصَّلاةِ وَ إِیتاءِ الزَّکاةِ [In houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name be remembered in them; there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings, men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate]; what is meant by them is the awsiya (successors).

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Fudayl said: I asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) about the verse: فِی بُیُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَ یُذْکَرَ فِیهَا اسْمُهُ یُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِیها بِالْغُدُوِّ وَ الْآصالِ رِجالٌ [In houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name be remembered in them; there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings, men]. He said: "The houses of the family of Muhammad; the house of Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn (peace be upon them), Hamza and Ja'far (may Allah have mercy on them)." I said: "What is بِالْغُدُوِّ وَ الْآصالِ [in the mornings and the evenings]?" He said: "It means the prayer at its times; then Allah has designated them with this description: رِجالٌ لا تُلْهِیهِمْ تِجارَةٌ وَ لا بَیْعٌ عَنْ ذِکْرِ اللهِ وَ إِقامِ الصَّلاةِ وَ إِیتاءِ الزَّکاةِ [Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of poor-rate]."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): يَخافُونَ يَوْماً تَتَقَلَّبُ فِيهِ الْقُلُوبُ وَ الْأَبْصارُ [They fear a day in which the hearts and eyes shall turn about]; they are men with whom no one else is mixed.