حَٰفِظُواْ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَوَٰتِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱلۡوُسۡطَىٰ وَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ قَٰنِتِينَ
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:
- 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.
- 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).
Question: What does "stand before Allah in devotion" mean in Al-Baqarah 2:238? How does the verse relate to the ruling on talking during prayer?
Answer: Qunut: silence, reverence, and obedience. Zayd ibn Arqam narrated that talking was once permitted until this verse abrogated it — so intentional speech now invalidates prayer.