Basic Prayer Surah: Al-Baqarah (238)

The verse: "Maintain your prayers and the middle prayer, and stand before Allah in devotion (qanitin)." (Al-Baqarah 2:238)

Meaning of "qanitin" (devout ones): "Qunut" carries multiple meanings in the Quran: complete obedience, silence, supplication, and standing. Interpreters favored two here:

1. Silence: Zayd ibn Arqam narrated: "We used to talk during prayer until this verse was revealed, and we were commanded to be silent" (agreed upon) — it abrogated talking during prayer.
2. Khushu (reverence) and obedience: Qunut means sustained obedience with humility.

Rulings on silence in prayer:

• Intentional speech invalidates prayer (majority view).
• Speech out of forgetfulness: does not invalidate according to Maliki and Hanbali; does according to Hanafi.
• Remembrance and recitation do not contradict qunut — they are its very core.

The middle prayer: Disputed in identification: the strongest view is that it is Asr prayer (Muslim, from Ali).

Source: Al-Tabari, Tafsir (5/164); Al-Jassas, Ahkam al-Quran (1/418); Al-Mughni (1/726); Al-Qurtubi, Tafsir (3/209)

Tags: القنوتالسكوت في الصلاةالبقرةالصلاة الوسطىالخشوع