In this verse, we have the first directive to this unique nation which assumes the role of a witness against mankind. This first directive is to seek help through patience and perseverance as well as prayer in order to be able to bear the heavy burden of the great role assigned to it. It tells this nation to be ready to offer the sacrifice necessitated by this role, including martyrs, the suffering of shortages in wealth, people and crops, experiencing fear and hunger and suffering the troubles of undertaking a campaign of jihad to establish the proper society and implement Allah's law. Patience is also required so that the hearts of people turn only toward Allah and are dedicated absolutely to Him. Nothing is sought in return except Allah's pleasure, His mercy and guidance. That is great reward indeed for any believer who appreciates its value.

Patience and perseverance are frequently mentioned in the Qur'an. Allah knows well that a great effort is needed to ensure that the believers maintain their proper way in the face of all temptations and motivations to abandon it. This requires them to be always on the alert, ready to give whatever sacrifice is required of them. For this they need to be patient. They need patience in order to do the good works required of all believers, and to abstain from sin, to fight those who are hostile to Allah, to defeat their designs, to bear with fortitude when victory seems to be delayed. They always need patience and perseverance as their objective seems to be very far, falsehood seems to be very strong, help seems to be scarce. They need patience in order to face those who are deviant, erring, harsh and persistent in their rejection of the truth.

When the period of suffering seems to be too long, strength seems to be sapping, patience may be soon exhausted unless strength is renewed. Hence, prayer is coupled with patience in the Qur'anic directive. Prayer is the ever-flowing spring which renews the believers' energy and gives them new strength. They are then able to persevere for as long as it takes to achieve their goals. Prayer also adds to that perseverance, contentment, confidence and reassurance.

When man, weak as he is, faces a task which seems beyond his limited resources, when he faces the powers of evil, when he finds the resistance to temptations and incentives offered to him too difficult, when resistance to tyranny and corruption seems beyond him, he certainly needs to have a direct link with the greatest power of all. When the goal seems too far and life seems too short, man looks around and despair starts to creep in as he realizes that when what he has achieved is very little while the sun of his life starts its decline and will be soon setting. Despair is most inevitable then as he sees evil boasting its strength while good remains weak and confined, and there seems to be no ray of hope, no landmarks on the way.

In that case, the value of prayer is great indeed. Prayer is the direct link between man who is certain to die and the Power which is everlasting. It is the appointed time for the confined nature of man to come to the ever-flowing spring. It holds the key to the endless treasure which has more than anyone needs. It is the gate through which man escapes from his limited confines on earth to the limitless expanse of the Universe. It is the source of spiritual strength and tender compassion. It provides the gentle touch which comforts the tired heart. For this reason, whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, experienced some hardship, or whenever he had to make a momentous decision, he prayed much in order to make his contact with Allah more prolonged.

The Islamic way of life is one based on worship which has secret qualities. Of these qualities are the facts that worship provides sustenance for the traveler, strengthens the spirit and purifies the heart. With every obligation we find that worship is the key with which our hearts can happily appreciate the need for that obligation and its benefits. On assigning the great task of the messenger to Muhammad, peace be upon him, Allah said to him: O you wrapped up in your mantle, stand up in prayer at night except for a small portion of it; half of it, or a little less, or a little more, and recite the Qur'an in a slow and distinct manner. We are about to address to you words of surpassing gravity. (731;1-6) The preparation for receiving such words of surpassing gravity, for the hard task and the great role of Allah's messenger, was simply night worship and recitation of the Qur'an. It is worship which opens man's heart, strengthens his relation with Allah, and makes matters seem easy, brings light into man's world and provides limitless strength, confidence and reassurance.

It is not surprising, therefore, that Allah directs the believers here to be patient and to persevere and to resort to prayers as they face their difficult tasks.

The comment which follows this directive is: Allah is with those who are patient. He supports, strengthens and comforts them. He does not abandon them to their own limited devices and weak strength. He provides them with new strength when they feel that the way is still very long and their objective remains very far. Allah starts this verse with that address which is always welcome to them: Believers. He concludes it with remarkable encouragement: Allah is with those who are patient.

There are numerous traditions and pronouncements of the Prophet, peace be upon him, which heighten the value of patience and perseverance. We will give one or two examples which are relevant to the purpose of this Qur'anic verse, namely, the preparation of the Muslim community to play its role and fulfill its task.

Khattab ibn Al-Aratt, a companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him, reports: "We complained of our situation to Allah's messenger, peace be upon him, when he was reclining in the shade of the Ka'aba. We said: Would you care to seek Allah's help for us? Would you care to pray for us? He said: There were communities of believers before your time when a man was arrested. A hole was dug for him in the ground and he was placed in it. A saw was then brought forward and placed on his head and he was sawn in two halves. Others were tortured with combs made of iron with which their flesh was scraped. That torture, however, did not turn them away from their faith. I swear by Allah that Allah will grant supremacy to this religion until the single traveler would be able to travel from Sanaa to Hadramout fearing no one except Allah, and the wolf for his sheep. You are only impatient."

Ibn Massoud, a companion of the Prophet, peace be upon him, says: "I could see Allah's messenger, peace be upon him, in the same position as one of the earlier Prophets, peace be upon them all, who was beaten up by his people until he bled. He wiped the blood off his face and prayed in these words: My Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know the truth." (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

There is no harm in a person offering a Sunnah prayer being the imam of another person who is offering an obligatory prayer. This happens all the time, particularly in Ramadhan, when people who come late into the mosque, when the imam has started taraweeh while they have not prayed Isha yet. They continue with their prayer and the Imam continues with his. Both are valid and acceptable. So, when you continued with your Sunnah the second time and the other person prayed his obligatory prayers, both of you were correct and both your prayers were valid.

This first case is different because it involved a change of intention on your part. Such a change makes your prayer invalid, because you abandoned a prayer which you had started and began another without fulfilling its essentials. For example, you start a prayer with takbeer but you have not done that, thinking that the one you did for your Sunnah was sufficient. How could it be when it was not meant for it? You need to repeat that prayer. As for the other person, his prayer is acceptable, God willing.