فَوَيلٌ لِلمُصَلّينَ

الَّذينَ هُم عَن صَلاتِهِم ساهونَ

Woe to them who pray,

those who are heedless of their prayers.

EXEGESIS

Wayl is referred to as God’s punishment and torment,‎‎^{‎‎‎[1]Mizan, 1/325.} or it is said to be an invocation for destruction and punishment.‎‎^{‎‎‎[2]Ṭanṭāwī, al-Tafsīr al-Wasīṭ, 15/519.} It has also been mentioned that wayl is a valley in hell.‎‎^{‎‎‎[3]Tabrisi, 1/231.} In this verse the first two meanings seem to be more suitable as the verse is referring to a group of people.

Sāhūn is derived from the root word sahw which means negligence, heedlessness, and absent-mindedness. Sometimes this negligence is not purposeful and the person who has this type of negligence is referred to as qāṣir (someone who has fallen short). But at times the negligence occurs because the necessary measures to avoid it have not been taken, and this is the type of negligence to which this verse is referring.‎‎^{‎‎‎[4]Raghib, under s-h-w.} This person is referred to as muqaṣṣir (someone who is responsible for his negligence). Additionally, it has been mentioned that when the term sahw is used with the particle fī (in), it means to be negligent while doing something, whereas when it is used with the particle ʿan (of) – as in this verse – it means abandoning something wholly or partially.‎‎^{‎‎‎[5]Lisan, 14/407.}

EXPOSITION

The characteristic discussed in this verse is related to those who pray, but are heedless of their prayers. As discussed earlier, this heedlessness is one that is purposeful, not one that is a mistake and beyond the control of the individual. Additionally, the Quran says those who are heedless of their prayers and not in their prayers. The difference is that most people are heedless and absent-minded to some extent in their prayers; for example, at times their attention may shift to things outside the prayers. But this verse is not referring to these types of people; rather, it is describing being heedless of one’s prayers, which means to take prayers lightly or to delay them without good reason.‎‎^{‎‎‎[6]Mizan, 20/426; Qummi, 2/444.} Hence, this heedlessness could refer to the time of prayer, its conditions, its etiquettes, or its principles, all or some of which may be taken lightly.

The Quran in other places mentions that being languid in prayers is a quality of the hypocrites: The hypocrites indeed seek to deceive Allah, but it is He who outwits them. When they stand up for prayer, they stand up lazily, showing off to the people and not remembering Allah except a little (4:142). This is opposed to being fully present in prayers which is considered as one of the signs of the faithful: Those who are humble in their prayers (23:2).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

Imam Ali (a) is reported to have said: ‘No action is more loved by God than prayers, so let it not be the case that anything stops you from praying on time. God reprimanded a group because of doing so, as the Quran states: Woe to them who pray, those who are heedless of their prayers, which means those who take prayers and the time of prayers lightly.’‎‎^{‎‎‎[7]Khisal, 2/621.}

Imam al-Kāẓim (a) is reported to have said: ‘This verse refers to those who belittle or ignore the rights and significance of prayers.’‎‎^{‎‎‎[8]Furūʿ al-Kāfī, 3/268.}

In a similar tradition, Imam Ali (a) is reported to have said: ‘The one who does not observe the rights of prayers is not from me.’‎‎^{‎‎‎[9]Mustadrak.W, 3/98.}

Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) is reported to have said: ‘There is no action more beloved to God than prayers, so let it not be the case that worldly affairs distract you from the times of prayers. My Lord has reprimanded the people who take prayers lightly and are not vigilant about the times of prayers.’ Then he recited those who are heedless of their prayers.‎‎^{‎‎‎[10]Tafsīr Jāmiʿ, 7/506.}

Yūnus ibn ʿAmmār asked Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) about whether this verse refers to the whispers of Satan, upon which he replied: ‘No, everyone is affected by that, but it means to ignore and delay praying on time.’^{‎‎‎[11]Burhan, 5/769.}

Ibn Abbas is reported to have said: ‘Those who are heedless of their prayers refers to the hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private.’‎‎^{‎‎‎[12]Ibn Kathir, 8/468.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Although the majority of the exegetes interpret this verse to mean those who take prayers lightly and do not observe the etiquettes and times of prayers, there are some who maintain that this verse refers to abandoning prayers altogether.‎‎^{‎‎‎[12]Burhan, 5/769; Qummi, 2/444.}

[1] Mizan, 1/325.
[2] Ṭanṭāwī, al-Tafsīr al-Wasīṭ, 15/519.
[3] Tabrisi, 1/231.
[4] Raghib, under s-h-w.
[5] Lisan, 14/407.
[6] Mizan, 20/426; Qummi, 2/444.
[7] Khisal, 2/621.
[8] Furūʿ al-Kāfī, 3/268.
[9] Mustadrak.W, 3/98.
[10] Tafsīr Jāmiʿ, 7/506.
[11] Burhan, 5/769.
[12] Ibn Kathir, 8/468.
[13] Burhan, 5/769; Qummi, 2/444.