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A Historical Interpretation of the Verse “Qad Aflaha Man Tazakkā”
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Jafar Nekoonam   , Zahra Jalali Shoureh Deli1 |
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Abstract: (2 Views) |
| This article examines the semantic development and historical interpretation of the verse “Qad aflaha man tazakkā” (Q 87:14) from the time of revelation to the present. Like the interpretation of the Qur’an as a whole, the interpretation of this verse has passed through two relatively distinct periods: the era of narration and the era of ijtihād. During the era of narration, almost all exegetes—including the Companions, the Successors, and the Followers of the Successors—maintained that the verse refers to the payment of zakāt al‑fiṭrah (the alms of breaking the fast). Only a few interpreted the verse as referring to purification from polytheism. However, in the era of ijtihād, exegetes gradually distanced themselves from the dominant interpretation of the earlier period, and most of them inclined toward what had previously been the minority view—namely, interpreting the verse as referring to purification from polytheism. The principal argument offered against the earlier interpretation is that Sūrah Aʿlā is Meccan, whereas fasting and the obligation of zakāt were legislated in the Medinan period. Additional arguments were later introduced, such as the observation that in Qur’anic discourse whenever zakāt is intended it appears in nominal form or is mentioned after prayer (ṣalāh). The essence of these arguments is that the exegetical narrations interpreting the verse as referring to zakāt conflict with the apparent meaning and context of the verse and with similar Qur’anic passages. Although some of these arguments are open to criticism, it is difficult to deny that without the presence of these exegetical reports the verse would never have been interpreted as referring to the payment of zakāt. The authority of these narrations led some exegetes to attempt to reconcile the apparent meaning of the verse with the narrations through various explanations—for example, suggesting that the verse preceded the legislation of the ruling, that the verse itself is Medinan, or that the verse has a general application. Nevertheless, these explanations have not succeeded in demonstrating harmony between the narrations and the apparent meaning and context of the verses of Sūrah Aʿlā. |
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| Keywords: Qad aflaha man tazakkā, Sūrah Aʿlā, Historical Interpretation, Zakāt al‑Fiṭrah, Era of Narration, Era of Ijtihād. |
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Full-Text [PDF 373 kb]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/07/1 | Accepted: 2026/07/1 | Published: 2026/07/1
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