سورة المدثر

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): قالُوا لَمْ نَکُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّینَ [They shall say: We were not of those who prayed] — the meaning is: "We did not follow those Imams (peace be upon them) about whom Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: 'And [the third group] the foremost are the foremost; those are the ones brought near!' (al-Waqiʿah 10-11)." Do you not see that people call the horse that comes behind the leading one in a race muṣallī? That is the meaning intended, where He says: لَمْ نَکُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّینَ, that is, we were not followers of the foremost.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Fudayl said: I asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) about the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: لَمْ نَکُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّینَ [We were not of those who prayed]. He said: "That is, we did not take as our friend the wasi (successor) of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the awsiya (peace be upon them) after him, and they did not send salawat upon them."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): قالُوا لَمْ نَکُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّینَ [They shall say: We were not of those who prayed], that is, they were not of the Shia of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): From his sayings, in which he counselled his companions: "Take upon yourselves the matter of the prayer and preserve it, and perform it often, and draw near [to Allah] by it. For indeed the prayer is upon the believers a prescribed duty at its appointed times. Do you not listen to the answer of the people of the Fire, when they were asked: ما سَلَکَکُمْ فِی سَقَرَ [What has brought you into Saqar (Hell)?], قالُوا لَمْ نَکُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّینَ [they said: We were not of those who prayed]? And indeed the prayer scrubs away sins as leaves are scrubbed from a tree, and releases them [from the sinner] as a rope is untied from someone. And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) likened the prayer to a hot spring at the door of a man's house, in which he bathes five times a day and night — no filth will remain on his body. Indeed, some of the believers recognised its right, whom neither the adornment of the world distracted from their prayer to any other concern, nor whatever is a delight to the eye of wealth or child. Allah the Glorified says: 'Men whom neither trade nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah, the establishment of prayer, and the giving of zakat.' (al-Nur/37). And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) wore himself out in performing the prayer, even though he had been given the glad tidings of Paradise, because Allah the Glorified said to him: 'And enjoin the prayer on your family and be patient in observing it!' (Taha/132). So he would command his family to the prayer, and would himself endure the performance of it. Furthermore, zakat, together with prayer, has been made a means of nearness [to Allah] for the Muslims."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Salman said: "Does every person who establishes the prayer establish your wilayah (guardianship)?" He said: "Yes. The proof of this matter is the verse of the Quran: وَ اسْتَعِینُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَ الصَّلاةِ وَ إِنَّها لَکَبِیرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَی الْخاشِعِینَ [Seek help through patience and prayer, and gain strength through perseverance, controlling inner desires, and turning to the Lord; and this is a heavy matter except for the humble.] (al-Baqarah/45) Patience is the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and prayer is the establishment of my wilayah. That is why Allah says: 'this is heavy,' and did not say إنهما لَکَبِیرَةٌ [the two of them are heavy], because bearing the wilayah is heavy."