Tafsir of Al-Ma'aarij 70:19

"Indeed, mankind was created..." The term "mankind" (al-insan) refers to people in general; therefore, He made an exception from them: "Except for the observers of prayer."

**"Anxious" (al-hala‘):** It is the swiftness of panic when touched by evil, and the swiftness of withholding when touched by good. It is derived from the saying: "A hala‘ she-camel," meaning one that is swift in its gait.

Ahmad ibn Yahya narrated: Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Tahir asked me, "What is al-hala‘?" I replied, "God has already interpreted it, and there is no interpretation clearer than His: it is the one who, when touched by evil, displays intense panic, and when touched by good, is stingy with it and withholds it from people."

"Good" refers to wealth and prosperity; "evil" refers to poverty. Or, it may refer to health and sickness: when the wealthy person is healthy, he withholds charity and is stingy with his wealth; when he is sick, he panics and begins to dictate his will.

The meaning is that because man prefers panic and withholding, and because they are so deeply rooted and established in him, it is as if he were molded and imprinted with them. It is as if it were a natural, necessary, and involuntary state, similar to His saying: "Mankind was created of haste" (Al-Anbiya: 37).

The proof that this is not an essential, involuntary nature is that when he was in the womb or the cradle, he did not possess this anxiety. Furthermore, it is a condemnation, and God does not condemn His own creation. The proof of this is the exception of the believers who struggled against their own souls, compelled them toward hardships, and restrained them from desires until they were neither panic-stricken nor withholding.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The worst thing given to the son of Adam is a stingy anxiety and a cowardly fear."

"Constant in their prayer" vs. "Maintaining their prayer" If you ask: How can He say "constant in their prayer" (da’imun) and then "maintaining their prayer" (yuhafizun)?

I say: Their "constancy" (dawam) means they are persistent in performing it, not neglecting it nor being distracted from it by any worldly preoccupations, as narrated from the Prophet (ﷺ): "The best of deeds is the most constant, even if it be small," and the saying of ‘Aisha: "His deed was a constant habit."

Their "maintaining" (muhafaza) of it means they observe the perfection of their ablution, its appointed times, the establishment of its pillars, the completion of its Sunnahs and etiquettes, and they protect it from being nullified by committing sins. Thus, "constancy" refers to the prayers themselves, while "maintaining" refers to their conditions.

"A known right" This is Zakat, because it is a measured, known amount; or it is a charity a person imposes upon himself to perform at known times.

"The seeker" and "the deprived" The "seeker" is the one who asks. The "deprived" is the one who refrains from asking, so he is thought to be wealthy and is thus deprived.

"Those who believe in the Day of Judgment" They believe through their deeds and their preparation for it.

"They fear the punishment of their Lord" The parenthetical clause, "Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not to be felt secure from," means that no one—even if they have reached the peak of obedience and exertion—should feel secure from it. One should remain balanced between fear and hope.

"Their testimonies" It is read as bi-shahadatihim (singular) and bi-shahadatihim (plural). Testimony is among the trusts. It is singled out from among them to demonstrate its merit, for in upholding it lies the revival and validation of rights, while in its neglect lies their loss and invalidation.

"So what is the matter with those who disbelieve, hastening toward you..." (The verses continue through the end of the Surah, describing the disbelievers rushing toward the Prophet, their false hopes of entering the Garden of Bliss, and the reminder that God is capable of replacing them with better people, concluding with the command to leave them to their play until they meet the day they are promised—the day they emerge from the graves, eyes humbled, overwhelmed by humiliation.)