Quran Universe
29:45

ٱتۡلُ مَآ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡكَ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَصۡنَعُونَ

Otlu ma oohiya ilayka mina alkitabi waaqimi alssalata inna alssalata tanha AAani alfahshai waalmunkari walathikru Allahi akbaru waAllahu yaAAlamu ma tasnaAAoona

Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.

Word by word
  1. ٱتۡلُRecite
  2. مَآwhat
  3. أُوحِيَhas been revealed
  4. إِلَيۡكَto you
  5. مِنَof
  6. ٱلۡكِتَٰبِthe Book
  7. وَأَقِمِand establish
  8. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖthe prayer
  9. إِنَّIndeed
  10. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayer
  11. تَنۡهَىٰprevents
  12. عَنِfrom
  13. ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِthe immorality
  14. وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗand evil deeds
  15. وَلَذِكۡرُand surely (the) remembrance
  16. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  17. أَكۡبَرُۗ(is) greatest
  18. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  19. يَعۡلَمُknows
  20. مَاwhat
  21. تَصۡنَعُونَyou do
Al-'Ankabut · 29:45Makkah

Prayer pulls you away from wrong. Remembering Allah is greater.

Recite, pray, and let it change you

What prayer does
recite and praythe command
keeps you from
immorality, evillittle by little
remembrancethe greater aim
If I still sin
prayer is pointlessI am a hypocrite
keep prayingit will stop him

Ibn Kathir cites a man telling the Prophet ﷺ that someone prayed at night but stole by morning. He replied, what you are saying will stop him. Prayer helps a person give up evil, but remembering Allah is the higher goal. Abu Al-'Aliyah named three marks: sincerity, fear of Allah, and remembrance.

You pray five times, and still snap at your spouse or lie at work. A voice says you are a fraud, so why bother. Keep praying. Slowly, prayer done with sincerity and remembrance starts pulling you back from the things you hate in yourself.

If I still sin, my prayer is worthless.

Prayer is what slowly pulls me away from wrong, so I keep it, especially when I am struggling.

Try this

In your next prayer, slow down for one verse and actually think of Allah while you say it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 29:44)

Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth. Verily, therein is surely a sign for those who believe (44)Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, and perform the Salah. Verily, the Salah prevents from Al-Fahsha' (immoral sins) and Al-Munkar (evil deeds) and the remembering (praising) of Allah is greater indeed. And Allah knows what you do.) Allah tells us of His immense power, that He created the heavens and the earth with truth, meaning for a higher purpose than mere pla (45)

 لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ 

(that every person may be rewarded for that which he strives)(20:15).

لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى 

(that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good, with what is best)(53:31).

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(Verily, therein is surely a sign for those who believe.) meaning, there is clear evidence that Allah is alone in creating, controlling, and in His divinity.

The Command to convey the Message, to recite the Qur'an and to pray

Then Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ and the believers to recite the Qur'an, which means both reciting it and conveying it to people.

وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ

(and perform the Salah. Verily, the Salah prevents from Al-Fahsha' and Al-Munkar and the remembrance of Allah is greater indeed.) Prayer includes two things: the first of which is giving up immoral behavior and evil deeds, i.e., praying regularly enables a person to give up these things.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said: "A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'So-and-so prays at night, but when morning comes, he steals.' The Prophet ﷺ said:

إِنَّهُ سَيَنْهَاهُ مَا تَقُولُ

(What you are saying (i.e., the Salah) will stop him from doing that.)" Prayer also includes the remembering of Allah, which is the higher objective, Allah says:

وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ

(and the remembrance of Allah is greater indeed.) more important than the former.

وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ

(And Allah knows what you do.) means, He knows all that you do and say. Abu Al-'Aliyah commented on the Ayah:

إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ ۗ 

(Verily, the Salah prevents from immoral sins and evil wicked deeds) "Prayer has three attributes, and any prayer that contains none of these attributes is not truly prayer: Being done purely and sincerely for Allah alone (Ikhlas), fear of Allah, and remembrance of Allah. Ikhlas makes a person do good deeds, fear prevents him from doing evil deeds, and the remembrance of Allah is the Qur'an which contains commands and prohibitions." Ibn 'Awn Al-Ansari said: "When you are praying, you are doing good, it is keeping you away from immoral sins and evil wicked deeds and what you are doing is part of the remembrance of Allah which is greater."