So, woe unto those performers of Salah,
those who with their Salah are Sahun.
Ibn Abbas and others have said,
"This means the hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private."
Thus, Allah says,
لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ
(unto those performers of Salah),
They are those people who pray and adhere to the prayer, yet they are mindless of it.
- This may either be referring to its act entirely, as Ibn Abbas said, or
- it may be referring to performing it in its stipulated time that has been legislated in Islam. This means that the person prays it completely outside of its time.
This was said by Masruq and Abu Ad-Duha.
Ata' bin Dinar said,
"All praise is due to Allah, the One Who said,
عَن صَلَـتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
(with their Salah are Sahun) and He did not say, `those who are absent minded in their prayer."'
It could also mean the first time of the prayer, which means they always delay it until the end of its time, or they usually do so.
It may also refer to not fulfilling its pillars and conditions, and in the required manner.
It could also mean performing it with humility and contemplation of its meanings.
The wording of the Ayah comprises all of these meanings. However, whoever has any characteristic of this that we have mentioned then a portion of this Ayah applies to him. And whoever has all of these characteristics, then he has completed his share of this Ayah, and the hypocrisy of actions is fulfilled in him. This is just as is confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah said,
تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ
يَجْلِسُ يَرْقُبُ الشَّمْسَ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ بَيْنَ قَرْنَي الشَّيْطَانِ
قَامَ فَنَقَرَ أَرْبَعًا لَاا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ قَلِيلًا
This is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite.
He sits watching the sun until it is between the two horns of Shaytan.
Then he stands and pecks four (Rakahs) and he does not remember Allah (in them) except very little.
This Hadith is describing the end of the time for the `Asr prayer, which is the middle prayer as is confirmed by a text (Hadith). This is the time in which it is disliked to pray. Then this person stands to pray it, pecking in it like the pecking of a crow. He does not have tranquility or humility in it at all. Thus, the Prophet said,
لَاا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ قَلِيلًا
He does not remember Allah (in them) except very little.
He probably only stands to pray it so that the people will see him praying, and not seeking the Face of Allah. This is just as if he did not pray at all.
Allah says,
إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُواْ إِلَى الصَّلَوةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً
Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. (4;142)
and Allah says here,
الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاوُونَ