And if you fear [an enemy, then pray] on foot or riding. But when you are secure, then remember Allāh [in prayer], as He has taught you that which you did not [previously] know.
Allah commands that the prayer should be performed properly and on time. It is reported in the Two Sahihs that Ibn Mas`ud said, "I asked the Prophet , `Which deed is the dearest (to Allah)' He replied:
«الصَّلَاةُ عَلى وَقْتِها»
(To offer the prayers at their fixed times.) I asked, `What is the next (in goodness)' He replied:
«الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ الله»
(To participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in Allah's cause.)" I again asked, `What is the next (in goodness)' He replied:
«بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْن»
(To be good and dutiful to your parents.) `Abdullah then added, "The Prophet told me these words, and had I asked more, the Prophet would have told me more."
Based on the authority of some ahadith, a very large number of ` ulama', have said that al-salat al-wusta َالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ or the middle salah is the salah of ` Asr because there are before it, two Salahs during the day, that of Fajr and Zuhr; and after these come two evening Salahs, that of Maghrib and ` Isha'. Special emphasis has been placed on it because this is a time in which most of the people are busy in their professional work.
Incidentally, the Qur'anic word, Qanitin قَانِتِينَ meaning obedient or submitting, rendered here as 'stand before Allah in total devotion', has been explained in Hadith as denoting sukut سکوت or motion-less silence.
It was through this very verse that talking in salah was forbidden. Earlier, talking was permissible. The verse 239 has allowed a special way of offering prayers in the state of 'fear' i.e. the state of war. In such a state, one can offer salah نماز (prayer) while standing, with a condition that he can stand in one place without moving, and can make the gesture of sajdah سجدہ in a lower position than he makes in ruku' رکوع . However, salah cannot be performed while walking. If it is not possible to perform the prayer in the said manner, such as at the time of actual fighting, then, it is permissible to delay the prayer and to offer it later as qada' قضاء .
Tazkirul Quran
Maulana Wahiduddin KhanOn ayahs 237–239
If the bride-gift is fixed at the time of marriage, but separation takes place before the consummation of the marriage, according to the Islamic law, half the dower fixed shall be paid by the man to the woman. But the spirit of goodwill calls for both husband and wife to adopt a liberal rather than a legal attitude. The woman should feel that, when the marriage has not been consummated she should, as the law requires, remit half the amount of the bride-gift due to her. While the man should feel, that although he is legally entitled to deduct half of the amount, he should rather hand over all of it as a gesture of goodwill. This attitude of liberality and goodwill is required in all matters of life. A truly Muslim society is that in which its members are more interested in giving to one another, rather than in taking from one another. Furthermore, this attitude of liberality should be evinced in times of enmity as well as in friendship.
Uthmani text of the Madinah mushaf (King Fahd Complex). Translation: Saheeh International. Tafsir via Quran.com.
![Surah Al-Baqarah 2:239 in Arabic with its translation: “And if you fear [an enemy, then pray] on foot or riding. But when you are secure, then remember Allāh [in…”](/surah/al-baqarah/239/image.jpg)