Islam, Qor-aan, 002:046, Comment by Abid Ali

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                          002:046

وَاسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ ‌ؕ وَاِنَّهَا لَكَبِيۡرَةٌ اِلَّا عَلَى الۡخٰشِعِيۡنَۙ‏

Wus-ta-ee-noo-bis-sub-ray-wus-sua-laat                                                                                   Wa-in-na-haa-la-ka-be-ra-toon-il-laa-alul-khaa-shay-een.

And you seek help with the perseverance and the prayer.                                           And that definitely is a big thing except for the fearful.

• وَ — Wa…(us) — And (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; also; but; additionally; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا -Ta-ee-noo — Seek help (= Ask, beseech, beg, desire, pray, pursue or request for assistance, guidance, succor, fortification or protection against all real or perceived dangers, hazards and risks)
• بِ — B…(is) — With the (= This word in Arabic literally means ‘with’. a/t/a ‘in’)
• الصَّبۡرِ — Sub-ray — Perseverance (= Consistency; constancy; continuity; endurance; fortitude; patience; patiently persevering; persistence; regularity; repetition; steadfastness without failing,  flailing falling or faltering; unwavering )
• وَ — Wa…(us) — And (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; also; but; additionally; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
•  الصَّلٰوةِ– Sua-laa-tay — The prayer (= Ask, beseech, beg, desire, pray, pursue or request for assistance, guidance, succor, fortification or protection against all real or perceived dangers, hazards and risks)
• وَ — Wa  — And (= Conj., Connects words, phrases or clauses; also; but; additionally; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
• اِنَّ — In-na — Definitely (= Absolutely; certainly; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed; in all seriousness; positively; really; surely; truly; verily)
• هَا — Haa — That (= s., f., 3rd person. Refers to the ‘act of seeking help’)’)
• لَ — La — Definitely (= Absolutely; certainly; positively; surely; truly; verily)
• كَبِيۡرَةٌ — Ka-be-ra-toon — Big thing (= Quite an uphill task; exacting discipline; extremely heavy and hard. Used for both good and bad things)
• اِلَّا — Il-laa — Except (= Apart from; besides; excluding; save; unless; but not to)
• عَلٰى — Al…(ul) — For (= Above; against; before; on; on top of; over; upon. Also incurs, obligates, subjects himself to, or takes on)
• الۡخٰشِعِيۡنَ — Khaa-shay-een — The fearful (= n., pl., Afraid to anger Allah; devotees; humble-minded; humble in spirit; those obeying Allah submissively)

* Note 002:046.  The verse 002:046 shows that the Command اسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ (Seek God’s help with perseverance and prayer) was mandated for the Children of Israel.   Later exactly those words came down for Moslems (002:154).   Obligating Moslems to five daily prayers can be inferred from 002:154, but not as some translators have extrapolated from 002:046 as it is a part of an historical account that started by addressing the Children of Israel (002:041 to 002:097).   Some of those 56 verses did tell Moslems to avoid specified malpractices by earlier nations but primarily they were addressed to the Children of Israel by reminding them of the facts summarized in  Commentary ‘Are Jews and Moslems alike- 002:046?’

Are Jews and Moslems alike? 002:046

Prayers of universal application initially taught to the Children of Israel

• God’s forgiveness because He accepts repentance – 002:055
• God’s forgiveness on entering places submissively and seeking forgiveness – 002:059
• God’s reward for believing in Him and doing good deeds – 002:063
• God’s protection against being ignorant – 002:068
• God’s guidance by saying “God-willing” – 002:071
• God’s giving life to the dead – 002:074

Good tides for the Children of Israel

• Preference given to them over all others in the Universe – 002:048
• Parting of the sea to save them from the Pharaoh’s army – 002:051
• Forgiving them despite the taking calf for God – 002:054, 002:055
• Revival after their stupor, a real near-death experience – 002:057
• Manna / Salwa specially sent down for them as food – 002:058
• Guiding them to enter towns with plenteous foods – 002:059
• Sprouting springs of water for all 12 of their tribes – 002:061
• Granting their requests for foods that earth grows – 002:062
• Grace of God to save them from becoming losers – 002:065

Bad times for the Children of Israel

• Transgression regarding their Sabbath – 002:066
• Their developing into a hard-hearted nation – 002:075
• Slaying of their sons and sparing their women – 002:050
• Worshiping a calf made of their golden jewelry – 002:052
• Struck by lightning as they demanded to see God – 002:056
• Punishment for their twisting the words of prayers – 002:060
• Their flouting God’s signs and persecuting prophets – 002:062
• Killing their own brethren contrary to their Covenant – 002:086
• Raising issues in the command to sacrifice a heifer – 002:068/ 072
• Their writing down materials they tried selling as Scriptures – 002:080

Other honorable mentions relating to the Children of Israel 

• 9 times glorified their prophet Moses in 002-052, 054, 055, 056, 061, 062, 068, 088, 093
• 2 times referred to their book (Torah) given near the Mount, in 002:064 and 002:094
• 3 times addressed the Children of Israel by name in 002:041, 002:048 and 002:084
• 5 times talked of their Covenant in 002:041, 002:064, 002:084, 002:085 and 002:094

So it is logical to conclude that the Commandment to “Seek help with prayer and perseverance” was for the Jews, and later with a refinement of “five daily prayers” for the Moslems as well.   Could “Seeking God’s help with prayer and perseverance” be a reason why Jewish communities flourished fantastically in medieval Moslem empires – unlike what they suffered under Russian Czars and Adolf Hitler?   Could that methodology be the sole reason of their regaining economic power and medical superiority repeatedly in their history?   Could Moslems have been warned that with this strategy that they too could be blessed like the precedent of their Jewish brethren, but if they repeated the earlier wrongs paying no attention to the history then the history would repeat itself?