Recently I came across an article, the topic was As-salaat.

So I had a read of it, reading through it the person was arguing that Salawat in the Quran does not mean prayer (worship , according to him it means! a set of guidelines or instructions. "he pro#lem he has is, he didn$t pro%ide any source to #ac& his e%idence up. 'e interpreted the word Salawat with his own understanding. Another thing people need to &now is, he does not &now the Ara#ic language. 'e attac&ed the Ara#s for translating the word Salawat to prayer, so according to this self made illiterate scholar, the Ara# Scholars are all wrong for nearly ()** years and he is right. +hat I will do to refute this fool is use mostly ,on--uslim sources to de#un& his fallacious claims, .od willing.

/dward 0ane elucidates what Salawat means!

/dward 0ane 0e1icon2(3 As you ha%e read from a#o%e 0e1icon, 'e (/dward e1plains that Salaat means prayer (worship .

"he author of the article for As-Salaat goes to say that this %erse #elow ma&es no sense if we use prayer. I dont li&e shaming the person (author , I wont name him, #ut I will use the letter 4 as his name.

Q((!56 "hey said, 7 Shu$ay#, does your salaat (salaatu-&a command you (ta8muru-&a that we should lea%e what our fathers ser%ed or not do with our wealth what we please9 Indeed, you are the for#earing, the discerning:

Actually it ma&es perfect sense if you ;ust read the commentary on the a#o%e %erse. <irst the word ser%ed is not e%en the proper translation. Instead of ser%ed the poor translator should of put worshipped.

=>?@A "afsir al-4alalayn commentator for the Quran says the following!

"hey said, to him moc&ingly! B7 ShuBay#, does your 2way of3 prayer command you, with the o#ligation 2to ma&e sure3, that we should lea%e what our fathers 2used to3 worship, of idols, or, that we should cease, to do as we will with our goods9, meaning that such a command is an a#surdity which no person calling to good would commend. Cou are indeed the for#earing, the right-guided$! they said this in moc&ery.2D3

So you see ha%e read, it ma&es perfect sense now, what the story is a#out.

4 -istranslates the word Salawata in the following %erse!

Q(E!FE Gut there came after them successors who neglected to follow instructions (as-Salaat and pursued desiresH so they are going to meet e%il

'ere is a num#er of Ara#ic spea&ing translators of the Quran, who ha%e translated (E!FE. let$s see if one of them agree with his interpretation!

(. Sahih International Gut there came after them successors who neglected prayer and pursued desiresH so they are going to meet e%il -

D. -uhsin Ihan "hen, there has succeeded them a posterity who ha%e gi%en up As-Salat (the prayers 2i.e. made their Salat (prayers to #e lost, either #y not offering them or #y not offering them perfectly or #y not offering them in their proper fi1ed times, etc.3 and ha%e followed lusts. So they will #e thrown in 'ell.

J. Kic&thall ,ow there hath succeeded them a later generation whom ha%e ruined worship and ha%e followed lusts. Gut they will meet deception.

). Cusuf Ali Gut after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts soon, then, will they face Lestruction,-

F. Sha&ir Gut there came after them an e%il generation, who neglected prayers and followed and sensual desires, so they win meet perdition,

M. Lr. .hali "hen there succeeded e%en after them a succession who wasted the prayer and closely followed lustsH so they will e%entually meet misguidance.

All of them agree with each other that (E!FE is to do with prayer (worship . Question to him is which source has he pro%ided that this %erse is not tal&ing a#out prayer (worship , #ut something else9

"his is the last %erse I will respond to from his article, I will pro%ide all the ,on--uslim sources that agree with -uslim scholars that salawat means prayer.

-r 4$s translation for D)!)(

QD)!)( Lo you not see that he who is in the hea%ens and in the earth goes a#out performing tas&s for Allah, and e%en the #irds with wings spread9 /ach has its own set of instructions (salaata-hu and its own wor& which it performs for Allah, and Allah is Inowing of what they do.

4 is %ery ignorant, he has ne%er studied the Ara#ic language, yet he is translating the a#o%e %erse as if he is a scholar. Nhec& the following translators of the Quran and how e%ery one of them agree with each other

that the a#o%e %erse is tal&ing a#out prayer. Cet 4 is trying to argue it is a#out instructions not prayer.

(. -uhammad Asad AR" "'7O ,7" aware that it is .od whose limitless glory all 2creatures3 that are in the hea%ens and on earth e1tol, e%en the #irds as they spread out their wings9 /ach 2of them3 &nows indeed how to pray unto 'im and to glorify 'imH and .od has full &nowledge of all that they do!

D. -. -. Kic&thall 'ast thou not seen that Allah, 'e it is +hom all who are in the hea%ens and the earth praise, and the #irds in their flight9 7f each 'e &noweth %erily the worship and the praiseH and Allah is Aware of what they do.

J. Sha&ir Lo you not see that Allah is 'e +hom do glorify all those who are in the hea%ens and the earth, and the (%ery #irds with e1panded wings9 'e &nows the prayer of each one and its glorification, and Allah is NogniPant of what they do.

). Cusuf Ali (Saudi Re%. (E5F Seest thou not that it is Allah +hose praises all #eings in the hea%ens and on earth do cele#rate, and the #irds (of the air with wings outspread9 /ach one &nows its own (mode of prayer and praise. And Allah &nows well all that they do.

F. Cusuf Ali (7rig. (EJ5 Seest thou not that it is .od +hose praises all #eings in the hea%ens and on earth do cele#rate, and the #irds (of the air with wings outspread9 /ach one &nows its own (mode of prayer and praise. And .od &nows well all that they do.

M. Lr. 0aleh Ga&htiar 'ast thou not considered that glorifies .od whate%er is in the hea%ens and the earth and the #irds, ones standing in ran&s9 /ach &new its formal prayer and its glorification. And .od is Inowing of what they accomplish.

6. +ahiduddin Ihan 2Krophet3, do you not see that all those who are in the

hea%ens and on earth praise .od, as do the #irds with wings outstretched9 /ach &nows his own mode of prayer and glorification! .od has full &nowledge of all that they do.

5. ".G.Ir%ing 'a%e you not seen how e%eryone in 'ea%en and /arth glorifies .od, e%en to the #irds lined up (in flight 9 /ach &nows its prayer and how to glorify 'im. .od is Aware of whate%er they do.

E. A#del 'aleem 2Krophet3, do you not see that all those who are in the hea%ens and earth praise .od, as do the #irds with wings outstretched9 /ach &nows its 2own way3 of prayer and glorification! .od has full &nowledge of what they do.

(*. A#dul -a;id Larya#adi Geholdest thou not that Allah Qthose hallow 'im whosoe%er is in the hea%ens and the earth and the #irds with wings outspread9 Surely each one &noweth his prayer and his hallowingH and Allah is the Inower of that which they do.

((. Aisha Gewley Lo you not see that e%eryone in the hea%ens and earth glorifies Allah, as do the #irds with their outspread wings9 /ach one &nows its prayer and glorification. Allah &nows what they do.

(D. Ali Rnal Lo you not see that all that is in the hea%ens and the earth, and the #irds flying in patterned ran&s with wings spread out glorify .od. /ach &nows the way of its prayer and glorification. .od has full &nowledge of all that they do.

(J. Ali Quli Qara$i 'a%e you not regarded that Allah is glorified #y e%eryone in the hea%ens and the earth, and the #irds spreading their wings. /ach &nows his prayer and glorification, and Allah &nows #est what they do.

(). 'amid S. APiP 'a%e you not seen that Allah, 'e it is whom praise all who are in the hea%ens and the earth, and the #irds in their flight9 /ach one &nows its worship and its praise, and Allah is aware of what they do9

+ho e%er #elie%es that salawat doesnt mean prayer, please do sol%e this puPPle for me. 0ets say I agree with your interpretation that salawat means Instructions. Nan anyone ma&e sense of this %erse #elow. Say we remo%ed the word prayer and replaced it with instructions would it ma&e sense9 'ere is the %erse!

Salawat

If we use 4$s way of translating the a#o%e %erse, it will sound something li&e this!

-aintain with care the (o#ligatory instructions and (in particular "'/ -ILL0/ I,S"RON"I7, and stand #efore Allah, de%outly o#edient.

+hat does -ILL0/ I,S"RON"I7, mean9 I ha%e a lot more %erses that wont ma&e no sense at all, if we used the word instruction instead of prayer.

,ow I will finish of with ,on--uslim sources, who &now the Ara#ic language fluently. See what they thin& Salawat means!

(. 'aywood says! Salaat2J3

D. 'ans +ehr! salaat2)3

J. 4ohn Kenrice! salaat2F3

Nonclusion! It is a#undantly clear with the %ast amount of e%idence I ha%e presented that salawat means prayer. I had loo&ed around from -uslim and ,on--uslim sources, may#e I< salawat could mean instruction, #ut I didn$t find a one shred of e%idence of that, all of them (-uslim and ,on-uslims Scholars agreed that it could only mean prayer and not instruction.

Sources! 2(3 /dward 0ane 0e1icon, %olume ), page (6D* and (6D( 2D3 http!88www.altafsir.com8"afasir.asp9 t-adh,oS*Tt"afsir,oS6)TtSora,oS((TtAyah,oS56TtLisplaySyesTOserKr ofileS*T0anguageIdSD 2J34.A 'aywood, A ,ew Ara#ic .rammar, page M5M 2)3 'ans +ehr, A Lictionary of -odern +ritten Ara#ic, page FDJ 2F3 4ohn Kenrice. A Lictionary and .lossary of the Ioran. Kage 5F