The Quran

130

Preface

فَاصبِر عَلىٰ ما يَقولونَ وَسَبِّح بِحَمدِ رَبِّكَ قَبلَ طُلوعِ الشَّمسِ وَقَبلَ غُروبِها ۖ وَمِن آناءِ اللَّيلِ فَسَبِّح وَأَطرافَ النَّهارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرضىٰ

Yusuf Ali

Therefore be patient with what they say, and celebrate (constantly)¹ the praises of thy Lord, before the rising of the sun, and before its setting; yea, celebrate them for part of the hours of the night, and at the sides² of the day: that thou mayest have (spiritual) joy.

All good men must be patient with what seems to them evil around them. That does not mean that they should sit still and do nothing to destroy evil; for the fight against evil is one of the cardinal points of Islam. What they are told is that they must not be impatient: they must pray to God and commune with Him, so that their patience and faith may be strengthened, and they may be able the better to grapple with evil. For they thus not only get strength but inward spiritual joy.
Taraf, plural atraf, may mean sides, ends, extremities. If the day be compared to a tubular figure standing erect, the top and bottom are clearly marked, but the sides are not so clearly marked: they would be atraf (plural), not tarafayn (dual). Now the prayer before sunrise is clearly Fajr t that before sunset is 'Asr: “part of the hours of the night” would indicate Maghrib (early night, just after sunset), and 'Isha, before going to bed. There is left Zuhr, which is the indefinite side or middle of the day; it may be soon after the sun’s decline from noon, but there is considerable latitude about the precise hour. The majority of Commentators interpret in favour of the five Canonical prayers, and some include optional prayers. But I think the words are even more comprehensive. A good man’s life is all one sweet Song of Praise to God (Cf. 3521)-