“Surely Prayer forbids indecency and evil.”
(Al Qur’ān – 29:45)
This is one among the many important attributes of Prayer that is highlighted here. At the time it was revealed, the Muslims of the Makkan period encountered fierce hostility. To be able to withstand this, the Muslims stood in much greater need of moral rather than material strength. Two things were earlier indicated in order to generate moral strength among them and to ensure its growth – reciting the Qur’ān and establishing regular Prayers. The Muslims are now being told that by establishing Prayer they will be able to purge themselves of the evils in which they, as well as the ignorant society of Arabia and the neighbouring lands, were enmeshed before their acceptance of Islam. The establishment of Prayer has the power to help them overcome the evils that mar their lives.
The words faḥshā and munkar used in the Arabic text refer to indecent and evil actions that are instinctively repulsive to human nature and which have always been known to be evil by all nations and societies. Therefore, rather than ask the Muslims to equip themselves with material resources, the Qur’ān urged them to establish Prayer, which would infuse moral excellence in them. This, in turn, would help them win over the hearts and minds of those around them and enable them, ultimately, to prevail over their opponents.
Thus Prayer does indeed restrain man from committing acts of indecency and evil. In fact, there is no scheme of training aimed at dissuading people from evil as effective as Prayer.