ভূমিকা

“Perform the prayer (rituals) from the declension of the sun till the darkness of the night, and the recitation (of prayer) at the morn, verily the recitation (of prayer) at the morn is witnessed (by the angels).” Pursuing the previous verses which concentrated on the issues of monotheism and paganism and, later, discussed the conspiracies, plots and temptations of the pagans, in this verse the Qur’an deals with such issues as prayers and the focusing of one’s attention on the Lord, which serves as an effective means for campaigning against paganism, as well as a means for expelling the satanical temptations from one’s heart and soul.

Undoubtedly, it is the prayer which makes man remember the Lord, wiping away the dust of sin from him all over and expelling the satanical temptations from him.

The verse, at first, says: “Perform the prayer (rituals) from the declension of the sun till the darkness of the night, and the recitation (of prayer) at the morn, verily the recitation (of prayer) at the morn is witnessed (by the angels).” The declining time of the sun signifies the declining or fading away of the sunshine from the meridian circle which is the noon-time on.

The Arabic term /dulūk/ is derived originally from the term /dalaka/, meaning ‘rubbing’, for, at that time, and in sunny lands in particular, man usually tends to rub his eyes because of the strength of the sunshine. Or, it might be derived from the Arabic term /dalk/, meaning becoming inclined, for the sun, at this time, becomes inclined from the meridian circle towards the west.

It might also signify the fact that man tends to guard off against the sunshine by keeping his hand between his eyes and the sunshine as if he removes its lights from his eyes, thus reclining it. Anyway, according to the quotations received from the sources of Ahl-ul-Bayt (as), the Qur’anic term /dulūk/, mentioned in this verse, has been commented upon as signifying the ‘declining of the sun’.