Tafsir of Ta-Ha 20:132

He (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded to order his family to perform prayer after he himself had been commanded to do so, in order that they might assist one another in seeking help for their needs, that they might not be concerned with the affairs of worldly livelihood, and that they might not turn their attention towards the attractions of the wealthy.

Regarding the meaning of his family (peace and blessings be upon him), it is said: his wives, his daughters, and his son-in-law—may Allah be pleased with them all. It is also said: it includes them and all the believers of the Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib. It is also said: it refers to all those from his nation who follow him (peace and blessings be upon him). It is most probable that the intended meaning is his household (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and this is supported by what was recorded by Ibn Marduyah, Ibn ‘Asakir, and Ibn al-Najjar from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, who said: "When the verse, 'And order your family to pray...' was revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to go to the door of Ali (may Allah honor his countenance) at the time of the morning prayer for eight months, saying, 'Prayer, may Allah have mercy upon you! Allah only intends to remove from you the impurity, O people of the household, and to purify you with a thorough purification.'" The Imamiyyah have reported something similar through many chains of narration.

The manifest meaning is that "prayer" refers to the obligatory prayers. A child is to be ordered to perform them, even if it is not yet mandatory for him, so that he may become accustomed to it. Abu Dawud recorded with a sound chain, attributed to the Prophet: "Command your children to pray when they are seven years old, and beat them for it when they are ten, and separate them in their beds."

{وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا} That is, be constant and persistent in performing it. Patience (sabr) here is a figurative expression (metonymy) for persistence, because patience is a necessary implication of its meaning. It contains an indication that worship, in terms of observing it as it ought to be observed, entails difficulty for the soul. The address is general and inclusive of the family, even if it appears in the form of something specific, as is the case with what follows. It is not hidden that the expression of "tasbih" (glorification) first and "prayer" second—while directing the command of persistence to him (peace and blessings be upon him)—contains an indication of the exaltation of his status (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

His saying, Exalted is He: {لا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ} is a rebuttal to what might cross someone's mind: that persistence in prayer might harm one's livelihood. It is as if it were said: "Persist in prayer without being preoccupied with the affairs of livelihood, for We do not charge you with the provision of your own selves, since it is We who provide for you." The fronting of the subject (the pronoun 'We') serves to signify exclusivity or to indicate piety.

Some have claimed that the address is specific, as is the ruling, arguing that if it were general, it would be permissible for every Muslim to persist in prayer and abandon earning a living, which is not the case. The response to this is that the furthest requirement of the generalization—whether the "family" is specific or refers to all believers—is that the one who prays is permitted to abandon only that earning which prevents him from performing the prayer. And what is the hindrance in that? Indeed, abandoning earning to perform the obligatory prayer is itself a duty. The intention of "persistence" in it is nothing more than performing it constantly at its appointed times, not occupying the entire night and day with it. The one who made this claim likely assumed that "prayer" includes obligatory and non-obligatory types, and that "persistence" in it means performing it in a way that prevents one from earning a living, but that is not the case. From what we have mentioned, it is known that there is no need, in refuting that claim, to restrict the generalization by limiting the Prophet’s command to his family alone, as is clear.

Yes, it may be sensed from the verse that prayer, in an absolute sense, is a cause for the abundance of provision and the removal of distress. It is upon this that the narrations are understood. Abu ‘Ubayd, Sa’id ibn Mansur, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Tabarani (in al-Awsat), Abu Nu’aym (in al-Hilyah), and al-Bayhaqi (in Shu’ab al-Iman) recorded with a sound chain from ‘Abdullah ibn Salam, who said: "When hardship or distress would befall the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he would order them to pray and recite: 'And order your family to pray...'" Ahmad also recorded in al-Zuhd and others from Thabit, who said: "When the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would suffer from scarcity, he would call out to his family to pray, 'Pray, pray!'" Thabit said: "The Prophets (peace be upon them) used to rush to prayer whenever a matter befell them." Malik and al-Bayhaqi recorded from Aslam, who said: "Umar ibn al-Khattab used to pray at night for as long as Allah willed him to pray, and when it was the end of the night, he would wake his family for prayer and say to them, 'Prayer, prayer!' and recite this verse, 'And order your family...' etc." Given the manifest nature of these reports, it is permissible that "prayer" is intended in its absolute sense; contemplate this.

Ibn Wathab and a group read {نَرْزُقُكَ} by assimilating the qaf into the kaf, and this is also reported from Ya’qub.

{وَالْعَاقِبَةُ} The praiseworthy end is more general than Paradise and other things. Al-Suddi interpreted it as Paradise.

{لِلتَّقْوَى} Meaning, for its people, as in His saying, Exalted is He: "And the [best] outcome is for the righteous." Even if one were not to assume an implicit noun, the meaning remains correct. In what has been mentioned is a warning that the essence of the matter is piety.