“When you are among them and lead them in prayer, let a group of them stand with you and take up their weapons. When they have prostrated, let them be behind you; then let another group who have not yet prayed come and pray with you, taking their precautions and their weapons. Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and belongings so that they might fall upon you in a single assault. There is no blame upon you, if you are troubled by rain or are ill, in laying down your weapons, but take your precautions. Indeed, Allah has prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers.”
“When you are among them and lead them in prayer” means: when you lead them in a prayer that you duly establish, completing everything obligatory and required therein. Allah then teaches them what both you and they should do.
He then explains this by saying, “Let a group of them stand with you,” while another group stands facing the enemy, as indicated by what follows: “When they have prostrated”—that is, those who are with you—meaning when they have completed their prayer. Prayer is expressed here in terms of prostration to indicate the merit of prostration and that it is one of the prayer’s pillars—indeed, its greatest pillar.
“Let them be behind you; then let another group who have not yet prayed come”—namely, the group who had been standing facing the enemy—“and let them pray with you.” This indicates that, after the first group departs, the imam remains waiting for the second group. When they arrive, he prays with them whatever remains of his prayer, then sits and waits for them to complete their prayer, after which he concludes the prayer together with them. This is one of the forms of the fear prayer.
The fear prayer has been authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in many forms, all of which are permissible. This verse indicates in two ways that congregational prayer is an individual obligation.
The first is that Allah Most High commanded it under these severe circumstances, when fear of the enemy is intense and there is danger of attack. If He made it obligatory under such severe circumstances, then its obligation in a state of tranquility and safety is all the more evident and warranted.
The second is that those performing the fear prayer omit many of its conditions and necessary requirements, and they are excused for many actions that would invalidate any other prayer. This is only because the obligation of congregational prayer is so emphatic, for an obligatory act cannot be set aside for a recommended one. Had congregational prayer not been obligatory, these necessary matters would not have been omitted for its sake.
The noble verse also indicates that it is preferable and better for them to pray behind a single imam, even if doing so entails compromising something that would not be compromised if they prayed behind several imams. This is to preserve the Muslims’ unity and concord, prevent their ranks from becoming divided, and inspire greater awe in the hearts of their enemies.
Allah Most High commanded them to carry weapons and remain cautious during the fear prayer. Although this entails movement and some distraction from certain aspects of the prayer, it secures an overriding benefit: combining prayer with jihad and remaining vigilant against enemies who are exceedingly intent on harming the Muslims and launching an assault against them and their belongings. For this reason, Allah Most High says, “Those who disbelieve wish that you would neglect your weapons and belongings so that they might fall upon you in a single assault.”
Allah then granted those who have an excuse because of illness or rain permission to lay down their weapons, while still taking precautions. He says, “There is no blame upon you, if you are troubled by rain or are ill, in laying down your weapons, but take your precautions. Indeed, Allah has prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers.”
Part of that humiliating punishment is what Allah has commanded His believing party and the monotheistic supporters of His religion to do: kill and fight them wherever they encounter them, seize and besiege them, lie in wait for them at every place of ambush, remain wary of them under all circumstances, and never be heedless of them, lest the disbelievers attain some of what they seek against them.
To Allah, then, belong the greatest praise and acclaim for the favor He has bestowed upon the believers and for supporting them with His aid and teachings. Had they followed these perfectly, no banner of theirs would ever have been defeated, nor would any enemy ever have prevailed over them at any time.
His words, “When they have prostrated, let them be behind you,” indicate that this group completes its entire prayer before going to the guards’ position, and that the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, remains in place, waiting for the other group before concluding the prayer. This is because Allah first states that the group stands with him, thus describing them as accompanying him. He then attributes the subsequent action to them alone, rather than to the Messenger, which proves what we have stated.
His words, “Then let another group who have not yet prayed come and pray with you,” provide evidence that the first group has completed its prayer and that the entirety of the second group’s prayer is with the imam—actually during their first unit and, by legal reckoning, during their final unit. This necessarily means that the imam waits for them until they complete their prayer and then concludes it together with them. This is evident to anyone who reflects upon it.