—is not in driving the animals at a hurried pace.” Reported by al-Bukhari; Muslim records part of it.

al-birr means obedience, and al-īḍāʿ—spelled with a dotted ḍād, with its middle radical changed to a yāʾ, and a hamzah bearing a kasrah—denotes quick movement.

[Explanation]
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—said: “Chapter: The recommendation to approach the prayer, the pursuit of knowledge, and similar acts of worship with tranquillity and dignity.”

Prayer, as is well known, is the most emphatic pillar of Islam after the two testimonies of faith, and it is among the greatest symbols of Allah. When a person sets out for the prayer, he is in fact coming to stand before Allah, exalted is He. It is obvious that when someone visits a fellow human being whom he reveres, he approaches him with courtesy, calmness, and respect; how much more appropriate, then, is this when one comes to stand before Allah, exalted is He! For that reason a person should come to the prayer in a state of tranquillity, as will be clarified in the hadith of Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). The author, may Allah have mercy on him, therefore supported this chapter with the Almighty’s words: “That is so; and whoever venerates the symbols of Allah—indeed, such veneration stems from the piety of hearts.”