4:103

فَإِذَا قَضَيۡتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمٗا وَقُعُودٗا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمۡۚ فَإِذَا ٱطۡمَأۡنَنتُمۡ فَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۚ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتۡ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ كِتَٰبٗا مَّوۡقُوتٗا

Faitha qadaytumu alssalata faothkuroo Allaha qiyaman waquAAoodan waAAala junoobikum faitha itmanantum faaqeemoo alssalata inna alssalata kanat AAala almumineena kitaban mawqootan

And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.

Word by word
  1. فَإِذَاThen when
  2. قَضَيۡتُمُyou (have) finished
  3. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayer
  4. فَٱذۡكُرُواْthen remember
  5. ٱللَّهَAllah
  6. قِيَٰمٗاstanding
  7. وَقُعُودٗاand sitting
  8. وَعَلَىٰand (lying) on
  9. جُنُوبِكُمۡۚyour sides
  10. فَإِذَاBut when
  11. ٱطۡمَأۡنَنتُمۡyou are secure
  12. فَأَقِيمُواْthen establish
  13. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۚthe (regular) prayer
  14. إِنَّIndeed
  15. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayer
  16. كَانَتۡis
  17. عَلَىon
  18. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believers
  19. كِتَٰبٗاprescribed
  20. مَّوۡقُوتٗا(at) fixed times
An-Nisa · 4:103Madinah

Standing, sitting, lying down, keep remembering Him.

Prayer has its times; remembrance has none


After the prayer
standing
sitting
on your sides
prayer at its timesfixed, like Hajj
When Allah is remembered
only on the matthen back to life
in every stateand the prayer on time

After the prayer in fear, Allah tells the believers to remember Him standing, sitting and lying down, in every condition. When safe, they should pray fully and humbly. Ibn Abbas said prayer has a fixed time, just as Hajj does.

You fold the prayer mat and pick up your phone, and Allah is out of your mind until the next adhan. The bus ride, the queue, the moment before sleep are all empty. The verse fills those gaps. A quiet subhanallah fits in any posture.

I remember Allah when I pray.

Prayer is at its times, and remembrance fills everything in between.

Try this

Pick one daily wait, like the bus or the kettle, and make it your moment for dhikr today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

When you have finished the Salah, remember Allah standing, sitting down, and on your sides, but when you are free from danger, perform the Salah. Verily, Salah is kitaban on the believers at fixed hours (103)And don't be weak in the pursuit of the enemy; if you are suffering (hardships) then surely they (too) are suffering (hardships) as you are suffering, but you have a hope from Allah (for the reward, i.e. Paradise) that for which they hope not; and Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise (104)

The Order for Ample Remembrance After the Fear Prayer

Allah commands Dhikr after finishing the Fear prayer, in particular, even though such Dhikr is encouraged after finishing other types of prayer in general. In the case of Fear prayer, Dhikr is encouraged even more because the pillars of the prayer are diminished since they move about while performing it, etc., unlike other prayers. Allah said about the Sacred Months,

فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ

(so wrong not yourselves therein)[9:36], even though injustice is prohibited all year long. However, injustice is particularly outlawed during the Sacred Months due to their sanctity and honor. So Allah's statement,

فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ فَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ

(When you have finished Salah, remember Allah standing, sitting down, and on your sides,) means, in all conditions,

 فَإِذَا اطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ

(But when you are free from danger perform the Salah.) when you are safe, tranquil and fear subsides,

فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ

(perform the Salah) by performing it as you were commanded; fulfilling its obligations, with humbleness, completing the bowing and prostration positions etc. Allah's statement,

إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَابًا مَّوْقُوتًا

(Verily, the Salah is Kitaban on the believers at fixed hours.) means, enjoined, as Ibn 'Abbas stated. Ibn 'Abbas also said, "The prayer has a fixed time, just as the case with Hajj." Similar is reported from Mujahid, Salim bin 'Abdullah, 'Ali bin Al-Husayn, Muhammad bin 'Ali, Al-Hasan, Muqatil. As-Suddi and 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi.

The Encouragement to Pursue the Enemy Despite Injuries

Allah's statement,

وَلَا تَهِنُوا فِي ابْتِغَاءِ الْقَوْمِ

(And don't be weak in the pursuit of the enemy;) means, do not weaken your resolve in pursuit of your enemy. Rather, pursue them vigorously, fight them and be wary of them.

 إِن تَكُونُوا تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمُونَ

(if you are suffering then surely they are suffering as you are suffering,) meaning, just as you suffer from injuries and death, the same happens to the enemy. In another Ayah, Allah said,

إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ الْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُ

(If you suffer a harm, be sure a similar harm has struck the others). [3:140] Allah then said,

وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَرْجُونَ

(but you have a hope from Allah that for which they hope not;) meaning, you and they are equal regarding the injuries and pain that you suffer from. However, you hope for Allah's reward, victory and aid, just as He has promised you in His Book and by the words of his Messenger ﷺ. Surely, Allah's promise is true. On the other hand, your enemies do not have hope for any of this. So, it is you, not they, who should be eager to fight so that you establish the Word of Allah and raise it high.

وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

(And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.) means, He is most knowledgeable and wise in all what He decides, decrees, wills and acts on concerning various worldly and religious ordainments, and He is worthy of praise in all conditions.