"...LATER, WHEN YOU FLOW DOWN FROM ARAFAT, RECITE THE NAME OF ALLAH NEAR AL-MASH'AR AL-HARAM (THE SACRED MONUMENT) AND RECITE HIS NAME AS HE HAS GUIDED YOU, WHILE BEFORE IT, YOU WERE AMONG THE ASTRAY."(SURAH AL-BAQARAH:198)
Mash'ar al-Haram is a mountain which is situated on the plain of Muzdalifah. When coming from Arafat on the day of Arafah during Hajj it is Wajib (necessary) to offer both Maghrib and Isha' prayers together in Muzdalifah. In the command in this verse, "recite His name as He has guided you," it is perhaps meant to advise us that we should recite the name of Allah and pray as He has guided us, and not devise our own ways of praying according to our own personal opinions. Logically one should worship the Maghrib prayer at the time of Maghrib, and Isha' prayer at the time of Isha', but on that particular day Allah Ta'alah wants us to delay the Maghrib prayers and offer it with Isha'.
From this verse a principle can be derived that the manner of worshipping Allah and reciting His name has not been left to people's personal opinions and wishes, but that real Ibadah (worship) is doing it in accordance with the principles laid down by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah (The Holy Prophet) ﷺ. Allah Ta'alah is not pleased if someone offers prayers earlier or later than prescribed, or if they pray less or even more than prescribed. For example if someone wants to pray more at Maghrib and prayers four Rika'at rather than three, not only his additional Rika'at would not be accepted but it will also lay waste to his earlier three Rika'at as well. Similarly, sometimes people add some rules to Nafl (non-obligatory) Ibadat or voluntary charity by their own opinions, start believing that they are necessary, start criticising people who do not follow their opinions and start considering them to be sinners, without any such conditions laid down by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah SAW. This verse points out their mistake that Ibadat is truly Ibadat if done following the rules laid down by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah SAW, otherwise it is not Ibadat but just pleasing oneself.
From Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE
Mash'ar al-Haram is a mountain which is situated on the plain of Muzdalifah. When coming from Arafat on the day of Arafah during Hajj it is Wajib (necessary) to offer both Maghrib and Isha' prayers together in Muzdalifah. In the command in this verse, "recite His name as He has guided you," it is perhaps meant to advise us that we should recite the name of Allah and pray as He has guided us, and not devise our own ways of praying according to our own personal opinions. Logically one should worship the Maghrib prayer at the time of Maghrib, and Isha' prayer at the time of Isha', but on that particular day Allah Ta'alah wants us to delay the Maghrib prayers and offer it with Isha'.
From this verse a principle can be derived that the manner of worshipping Allah and reciting His name has not been left to people's personal opinions and wishes, but that real Ibadah (worship) is doing it in accordance with the principles laid down by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah (The Holy Prophet) ﷺ. Allah Ta'alah is not pleased if someone offers prayers earlier or later than prescribed, or if they pray less or even more than prescribed. For example if someone wants to pray more at Maghrib and prayers four Rika'at rather than three, not only his additional Rika'at would not be accepted but it will also lay waste to his earlier three Rika'at as well. Similarly, sometimes people add some rules to Nafl (non-obligatory) Ibadat or voluntary charity by their own opinions, start believing that they are necessary, start criticising people who do not follow their opinions and start considering them to be sinners, without any such conditions laid down by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah SAW. This verse points out their mistake that Ibadat is truly Ibadat if done following the rules laid down by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah SAW, otherwise it is not Ibadat but just pleasing oneself.
From Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE
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