while you know that he is a Prophet sent by Allah.
“Establish the prayer,” meaning the five daily prayers, observing their appointed times and prescribed requirements; “and give zakah,” that is, pay the obligatory zakah due on your wealth. Zakah is derived from the expression, “The crop grew,” when it increases and becomes abundant. It is also said to derive from tazakkā, meaning “to become purified.” Both meanings are found in zakah, for it purifies and increases one’s wealth.
“And bow with those who bow,” that is, pray with those who pray: Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his Companions. Bowing is specifically mentioned because it is a pillar of the prayer, and because Jewish prayer did not include bowing. It is as though He were saying: Perform a prayer that includes bowing. It was said that its repetition after His saying, “Establish the prayer,” is for this reason: pray with those whose prayer includes bowing. The first command is unrestricted with respect to everyone, whereas this one concerns particular people.
It was also said that this encourages performing the prayer in congregation, as though He were saying to them: Pray with those worshippers who preceded you in faith.
“Do you command people to righteousness, yet forget yourselves, while you recite the Book? Will you not then understand? Seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, it is burdensome except for the humble—those who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that to Him they will return. Children of Israel, remember My favour which I bestowed upon you and that I favoured you above all peoples. And fear a Day when no soul will avail another anything, no intercession will be accepted from it, no compensation will be taken from it, and they will not be helped.”
“Do you command people to righteousness,” that is, obedience? This was revealed concerning the Jewish scholars. When one of them was asked by his Muslim relative or ally about the matter of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, he would say: “Remain steadfast in his religion, for his cause is true and his words are truthful.”
It was also said that this addresses their rabbis, who commanded their followers to adhere to the Torah, yet then acted contrary to it and altered Muhammad’s description, peace and blessings be upon him. “Yet forget yourselves,” meaning that you neglect yourselves and do not follow him. “While you recite the Book,” that is, you read the Torah, in which his description and characteristics are found. “Will you not then understand”—that it is true, and thus follow him?
The word ʿaql (intellect) is derived from the hobble of an animal: that which is tied around a camel’s knee and prevents it from straying. Likewise, the intellect prevents its possessor from disbelief and denial.
Ahmad ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Salihi informed us; Abu ʿAmr Bakr ibn Muhammad al-Muzani informed us; Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah, the grandson of al-ʿAbbas ibn Hamzah, informed us; al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl al-Bajali informed us; ʿAffan informed us; Hammad ibn Salamah informed us; ʿAli ibn Zayd informed us, from Anas ibn Malik, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “On the night when I was taken on the Night Journey, I saw men whose lips were being cut with shears of fire. I said, ‘Who are these, O Gabriel?’ He said, ‘These are preachers from your community who command people to righteousness but forget themselves, while they recite—’