Surah Luqman: Verse 4 - الذين يقيمون الصلاة ويؤتون الزكاة... - English

Tafsir of Verse 4, Surah Luqman

ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُم بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ

English Translation

Who establish prayer and give zakah, and they, of the Hereafter, are certain [in faith].

English Transliteration

Allatheena yuqeemoona alssalata wayutoona alzzakata wahum bialakhirati hum yooqinoona

Tafsir of Verse 4

who perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and have sure faith in the Hereafter.

Those who establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity, and have (in their hearts) the assurance of the Hereafter.

Commentary

The words: يُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ (pay Zakah) in Verse 4 carry the injunction of Zakah, although the verse is Makki. This tells us that the original injunction of Zakah had already been revealed before Hijrah, right there in Makkah al-Mu` azzamah. As for the popular assumption that the injunction of Zakah was enforced in the second year of Hijrah, it refers to the arrangement of fixing its nisab (threshold), providing details of obligatory amount to be paid, collecting and disbursing it on authorized heads by the Islamic government. This was done in the second year of Hijrah.

Ibn Kathir while commenting on verse 20 of Surah Al-Muzzammil: وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ (Establish Salah and pay Zakah - 73:20) has arrived at the same conclusion, because Surah Al-Muzzammil as one of the Makki surahs was revealed during the very initial period of the revelation of the Qur'an. This tells us that the way Salah and Zakah have been described mostly side by side in the verses of the Qur'an, its obligation had also taken effect side by side. Allah knows best.

Verse 4 - Surah Luqman: (الذين يقيمون الصلاة ويؤتون الزكاة وهم بالآخرة هم يوقنون...) - English