"Will you enjoin piety upon mankind, and forget yourselves, while you recite the Book? Do you not understand? Seek help in patience and prayer, and this indeed is difficult except for the humble, who reckon that they shall meet their Lord and that they shall return unto Him."
Quran 2:44-45
The second surah, al-Baqarah, usually rendered as "The Cow," is the longest surah in the Quran by far so by the time we're finished we'll have visited it and revisited it several times (and still only scratched the surface of a complex and important surah). When discussing this passage Nasr in the Study Quran commentary writes, "Depending on context, the term rendered piety (birr) has the sense of goodness, kindness, loyalty, sincerity, or obedience. For piety, see also 2:177, 189; 3:92. The 'pious' (abrar) are often mentioned in connection with heavenly rewards (3:193; 76:5; 82:13). Piety in this verse can mean obedience to God as well as prayer and alms." (p. 26) To me, what draws me to this particular passage is the emphasis on patience and humility, which, in turn, is one of the reasons why I think prayer is so essential. We all like to be thanked, but, truthfully, I think God is so far beyond needing us to thank Him five times a day, except in the sense that you thank God and live a godly life when you try and treat others with love and kindness and compassion. And I don't think any of these virtues are possible without patience and humility, and stopping several times a day to recalibrate yourself is essential.
Quran 2:44-45
The second surah, al-Baqarah, usually rendered as "The Cow," is the longest surah in the Quran by far so by the time we're finished we'll have visited it and revisited it several times (and still only scratched the surface of a complex and important surah). When discussing this passage Nasr in the Study Quran commentary writes, "Depending on context, the term rendered piety (birr) has the sense of goodness, kindness, loyalty, sincerity, or obedience. For piety, see also 2:177, 189; 3:92. The 'pious' (abrar) are often mentioned in connection with heavenly rewards (3:193; 76:5; 82:13). Piety in this verse can mean obedience to God as well as prayer and alms." (p. 26) To me, what draws me to this particular passage is the emphasis on patience and humility, which, in turn, is one of the reasons why I think prayer is so essential. We all like to be thanked, but, truthfully, I think God is so far beyond needing us to thank Him five times a day, except in the sense that you thank God and live a godly life when you try and treat others with love and kindness and compassion. And I don't think any of these virtues are possible without patience and humility, and stopping several times a day to recalibrate yourself is essential.
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