If such a knowledge is concerned with some frightening affair...

If such a knowledge is concerned with some frightening affair, then his worry and disquiet will begin as soon as he reaches the third stage when he is only inclined to accept it - is only "thinking" that probably it may be true. This Qur’ânic expres­sion, in other words, says that man, for showing humbleness before Allâh, needs only to be aware of the idea that there is a Lord Whom he may return to after his death.

In this context only a strong supposition should be enough to make him desist from disobeying his Lord; it would not be necessary, for this purpose, to reach the stage of firm knowledge. From this point of view, the verse looks almost similar to the verse: . . . there­fore, whoever hopes to meet his Lord, he should do good deeds, and not join any one in the worship of his Lord (18:110). The above discourse is based on the assumption that the words, "they shall meet their Lord . .

.", refer to the Day of Resurrection. But if they are interpreted in, another way (as we shall describe in Chapter 7), there should be no difficulty at all in its explanation. TRADITIONS as-Sâdiq (a.

s.) said: "Whenever ‘Alî (a.s.) faced a difficulty, he used to stand up for the prayer and then recite this verse: and seek assistance through patience and prayer." (al-Kâfî) The same Imâm said about this verse: "The patience means fasting." Also he said: "When a man is confronted by a hard misfortune, he should fast. Surely Allâh says: and seek assistance through patience, that is, fast." (ibid.) The author says: al-‘Ayyâshî too has narrated the theme of these two traditions in his at-Tafsîr.

Interpretation of "patience" as fast is based on the "flow" of the Qur’ân. Abu 'l-Hasan (a.s.) said about this verse: "The patience means fast; when a man is visited by a hardship or misfortune, he should fast; surely Allâh says: And seek assistance through patience and prayer; and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones.

And the humble one is he who shows humility in his prayer, turning all his attention to it; and it means the Messenger of Allâh (s.a.w.a.) and the Leader of the faithful (a.s.)." (al-‘Ayyâshî) The author says: The Imâm has inferred from this verse the desirability of fasting and praying when one is facing any hardship or turmoil; and likewise, the desirability of seeking the divine help through the medium of the Prophet and ‘Alî (a.s.) at that time.

In this way, the tradition interprets the fast and the prayer as the Prophet and ‘Alî (a.s.).