Transliteration:( Allazeena laa yu'toonaz Zakaata wa hum bil-Aakhiratihum kaafiroon )
Who do not pay [15] Zakaat and they disbelieve in the Hereafter.
This verse refers to those who do not pay Zakaat, but since it was revealed in Makkah, and the formal obligation of Zakaat was only established later in Madinah, scholars have understood this in two possible ways:
Zakaat here refers to faith itself, as Iman is the spiritual purification (Zakaat) of the body and soul. In that sense, the disbelievers are being condemned for refusing to purify themselves through belief in Allah.
Alternatively, the verse forewarns that when the command of Zakaat would be revealed in the future, these disbelievers would reject it and not consider it obligatory.
This interpretation highlights their rebellious attitude towards divine commands, even those not yet revealed.
It is important to note that Zakaat is not obligatory upon disbelievers, but their rejection of the concept itself reflects a deeper rejection of submission to Allah.
Additionally, their disbelief in the Hereafter is mentioned alongside — showing how their denial of accountability reinforces their negligence of purification, both physical and spiritual.
The tafsir of Surah Fussilat verse 7 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Fussilat ayat 6 which provides the complete commentary from verse 6 through 8.
(41:7) who do not pay Zakah,[9] and who deny the Hereafter.
9. Here, the meaning of the word zakat has been disputed by the commentators. Ibn Abbas and his illustrious pupils, Ikrimah and Mujahid, say that zakat here implies the purity of the soul and self which accrues from belief in Tauhid and obedience to Allah. According to this explanation, the translation of the verse would be: Woe to the mushriks, who do not adopt purity. The other group which includes commentators like Qatadah, Suddi, Hasan Basri, Dahhak, Muqatil and Ibn as-Saib take this word here also in the meaning of the zakat on property and wealth. According to this explanation, the verse means: Woe to those who do not fulfill the right of Allah by committing shirk and the right of the men by withholding the zakat.
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