And when they denied following their desires, he guided them to their remedy with the greatest morals of the soul and the most noble actions of the body. He said, showing compassion for what had passed of the commands. Al-Harali said: It is as if what drove them to oppose the ruling of reason was what their souls had become accustomed to of leadership and precedence. For it was difficult for them to become followers of the Arabs after they had seen that all the land was subordinate to them. He addressed them in that matter by seeking assistance with the patience that compels their souls to become followers after they had been followed. So Allah, the Exalted, said. The matter has ended.

﴿And seek assistance﴾ means in manifesting the truth and submitting to it, which is the meaning of what has passed of the commands and prohibitions. ﴿With patience﴾ means in opposing desires. Patience is restraining the soul from its needs and habits, and in reforming and purifying it. It is light for the hearts, by which they perceive what is hidden from them by anxiety from deviating from the norm in what the souls incline towards - this was said by Al-Harali. It is general in every patience: fasting and others.

﴿And prayer﴾ means the one that leads to the highest station. (p-340) And in it is a reference to ﴿You alone we ask for help﴾ [Al-Fatiha: 5] and an indication that whoever's prayer does not prevent him from committing falsehood and persisting in it, and commands him to adhere to the truth and return to it, then he is not a true worshipper. It is as if the intended meaning of patience is to free the soul from the shackles of desires and compel it to sincerity. Whoever prays in this manner will certainly be among the saved; and he mentioned prayer second because it is a means of sustenance that will suffice them from purchasing a price they used to take from their followers in clothing and concealment. ﴿And command your family to pray and be steadfast in it; we do not ask you for provision; we provide for you﴾ [Ta-Ha: 132] Al-Harali said. It is correct that it may refer to supplication. Whoever is patient against sins and on hardships and completes his patience with fasting, removing from him the burdens of (p-341) the love of this world, and adds to that prayer; his heart will be illuminated with various types of knowledge. If he combines that with supplication and turning to Allah, the Exalted, he will reach the ultimate righteousness.

And when He commanded and prohibited, concluding with prayer; He encouraged optimism for its greatness [glorified is He] [by specifying it with the pronoun]. He said: ﴿And indeed, it is truly great﴾ meaning very heavy. And the great is what has a high status or measure in a tangible sense or in a hidden meaning, this was said by Al-Harali.

"Except for the humble ones." This means those who are submissive, who are in the utmost ease, gentleness, and humility before their Lord, such that there is nothing of arrogance in them. They consider the consequences of matters and what has been prepared for them in terms of reward. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ said: "The coolness of my eyes has been made in prayer." Others are prevented from performing it due to its heaviness, and if they do perform it, it is without desire. Al-Harali said: "And this humility is the stillness of the limbs and thoughts regarding what is most important at the time. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, informed of the great status of prayer, that no one can undertake its action except a humble person who has departed from the interests of his own self and has imposed upon himself the humility of servitude, with which prophethood has been sealed. In the indication of the perfection of prayer, there is a hint towards the afternoon prayer, which is the prayer of the final Prophet, whose time is the time of the afternoon and the state of servitude. This is something that is difficult for one who has associated with his prophethood and his religion kingship, unless he humbles himself before what is difficult for the soul. Prayer has been specifically honored with greatness over patience, because patience is a small matter for the soul, while prayer is a direction towards the Truth, and Allah is the Most High, the Great."