Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And seek help through patience and prayer...)

Question:
The listener, Aayidh Muhsin Hadhir al-Ghamidi, from the outskirts of al-Bahah, asks about the exegesis of the saying of the Truth, Blessed and Exalted is He, I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan: [al-Baqarah:45]?

Answer:
It is to be understood on its apparent meaning. Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He, commands seeking help through patience and prayer in the affairs of this world and religion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when something distressed him, would turn to prayer. Thus, prayer is among the greatest means for facilitating affairs and resolving problems. So, if something distressed him—whether a debt, an oppressor, or something similar—he would pray and supplicate to his Lord, seeking His aid to settle his debt, to protect him from the evil of the oppressor, and to help him in His remembrance and gratitude. He would also be patient with the hardships in seeking sustenance, in obeying Allah, and in abandoning His disobedience. He would be patient, opposing his desires, and seeking Allah's help in that. He would fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon him, such as prayer in congregation, dutifulness to his parents, maintaining family ties, and settling debts, as well as other things Allah has commanded. He would be patient, not complaining, not lazy, and not weak, but rather patient in fulfilling obligations and abandoning prohibitions, seeking Allah's help in that, and performing prayer as Allah commanded, both the obligatory and the voluntary, as Allah commanded.
And he seeks help through it—meaning through performing it—in obeying Allah and fulfilling rights. Indeed, prayer is a wonderful aid. He prays and remembers Allah, supplicates to Him, and seeks His help in his prostration, between the two prostrations, and at the end of the prayer. He raises his hands and supplicates to his Lord, saying: "O Allah, make such-and-such easy for me, O Allah, grant me such-and-such," after he has said the closing salam, or at any time. He raises his hands, supplicates to his Lord, seeks His protection, and asks Him to help him in settling his debt, to help him in safety from the oppressor, to help him in performing Hajj, to help him in being dutiful to his parents, and so on. He humbles himself before Allah and asks Him.
And prayer helps him in that, for it is a great act of worship. So, if he prays and asks his Lord, humbling himself to Him, to help him with his concerns, that is good, pleasant, and beneficial. And His saying, Exalted is He: [al-Baqarah:45] means: it is difficult. Prayer is difficult for the lazy and those weak in faith, but for the humble, believing, and sincere, it is made easy for them, simple for them, because of their knowledge of its virtue and the greatness of the reward in it. So they hasten to it and rush to it with energy, strength, and desire, because they have known its value and its status. Thus, it is not difficult for them, but it is difficult for the lazy and those weak in faith who have no insight into the status of prayer and its greatness. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.

The presenter: And Allah is the One to be sought for help. May Allah reward you with good, and may He accept from you.