سورة المعارج

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Fudayl said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about this verse: الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلَی صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ [Those who are constant at their prayer]. He said: "What is meant is the recommended (nafilah) prayer."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that this verse is about the nawafil (supererogatory prayers), and the saying of Allah: "وَ الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلی صَلاتِهِمْ یُحافِظُونَ [And those who guard their prayer]" (Ma'arij/34) is about the fara'id (obligatory prayers) and wajibat (obligations).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the narration of Abu al-Jarud it is reported that Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said concerning the verse: "الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلَی صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ [Those who are constant at their prayer]": "If he makes any mustahabb (recommended) act binding upon himself, he will always be constant in performing it."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Whoever performs the prayer knowing its right will be forgiven. A man should not pray a nafilah (supererogatory prayer) at the time of an obligatory prayer, unless he has an excuse, in which case he may make it up afterwards if he is able to do so. Allah the Exalted says: "الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلی صَلاتِهِمْ دائِمُونَ [Those who are constant at their prayer]"; that is, those who always make up during the day what they missed at night, and make up at night what they missed during the day. The nafilah is not to be made up at the time of an obligatory prayer. Begin with the obligatory prayer, then pray whatever other prayer you wish.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurarah said: In the days of my youth I came into the presence of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him). The Imam (peace be upon him) was describing to me the nafilah prayers and the sunnah fasts. When he looked at my face and saw my worry there, he said: "These nafilah prayers and sunnah fasts are not like the obligatory prayer and fast, which whoever abandons falls into ruin. These are voluntary and honorary acts of worship. If you are prevented from performing them, or you leave them off due to the eating and sleep of youth, you make them up at a suitable opportunity. The servants of Allah are not content that one day their worship should go up to Allah's presence complete and perfect, and another day incomplete and defective, because Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: "الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلی صَلاتِهِمْ دائِمُونَ [Those who are constant at their prayer]". And likewise, the servants of Allah are not content to perform the nafilah prayer before the sun's decline, for the gates of the heavens are opened at the time of the sun's decline."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): "الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلَی صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ [Those who are constant at their prayer]", by Allah! These are the companions of the fifty [rak'ahs] from among our Shia.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): This [verse]: الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلی صَلاتِهِمْ دائِمُونَ [Those who are constant at their prayer] is about the recommended [prayer]. Whoever guards it and makes up whatever of it he has missed.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلی صَلاتِهِمْ دائِمُونَ [Those who are constant at their prayer] — they constantly perform the obligatory and recommended [prayers]; if a [prayer] is missed by them at night, they make it up by day, and if it is missed by them by day, they perform it at night. You are the watchers of the sun and the stars, and there is no one apart from you who prays twice [a prayer with the opponents by way of taqiyya and a prayer in secret in the manner of the Shia] and is rewarded twice. You have a reward in secret and a reward in the open.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): إِلَّا المُصَلِّینَ. وَ الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَلی صَلاتِهِمْ یُحافِظُونَ [Except the worshippers. And those who guard their prayer] (Al-Ma'arij/34). That is about the recommended prayers, in which they call upon [their Lord].