2:3:
(Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them)
An In-depth meaning of the word “Sala” used in the Quran
The following is taken from “Exposition of the Quran” by Ghulam Ahmad Pervez pg. 1194-1196:
Sala
This word has occurred in the Quran 108 times in various forms and as salat 67 times. Salat
is the principle and one of the most important elements of Islam, and has special significance.Also in view of its extensive and repeated use in the Quran, it is necessary to discuss it
somewhat in detail with reference to various verses. First its literal meaning:
As Sala is the central portion of the backside, the portion where the tail of the animal is. Bothsides are called salwan and its plural is salawatun (Taj).
Mosalli is the horse which comes at second place in a race, and is so close to the first-placedthat its ears are touching the other’s back portion (the first one is called sabiq). It, therefore,means to follow the first one very closely. There is a saying of Ali the fourth caliph, “Sabaqa
Rasool-Allah, wa salla Abu-Bakr wa sallasa Omar wa khabatatnafitnatun.” Rasool-Allah wentaway first, followed by Abu-Bakr and then Omar and thereafter chaos overtook us (Taj).
According to Taj, salea wastala means attachment, to remain stuck. From this reference
Raghib says that verse (74/43), “We were bit musalleen,” means that they did not follow the rusul. Accordingly, Qurtabi also writes that salat would mean to remain within the bounds ofthe laws of Allah, and tasleah means to walk behind a person so closely that there remainsno distance; not to surpass him but remain closely behind. It is very important to understandthe relationship of man and Allah. Allah is the One Who is supreme, most perfect, and mostbeautiful. He has various attributes called Asma-ul-Husna and each attribute is perfect and complete. Allah has also given a personality to man and referred to it as roohona – the
divine energy (see rooh). The object or the purpose of man’s life is to develop his personalityaccording to the laws of Allah and inculcate in himself as much of Allah’s attributes as may be humanly possible. In the first Surah (Al-Fatiha) of the Quran, a momin is taught to ask of Allah to guide him to sirat-al- mustaqeem (and that, in fact, should be a momin’s purpose in
life – to tread the sirat-al-mustaqeem all along- the straight and the balanced path), and inthe eleventh Surah (Hud) it is stated that Allah continuously stays at sirat-al-mustaqeem. It transpires from the above that the only straight path a momin is required to adopt during the course of his life, is the same on which Allah Almighty Himself is while running this universe.This path can easily be adopted by closely and steadfastly following the dictates of Allah’s book, ie., the Holy Quran. Hence the basic meaning of sala is complete concordance with thebook of Allah and thereby incorporating in one’s own self Allah’s most balanced attributes, ofcourse, as far as is humanly possible.
In verse (24:41) a question is asked: “Have you not pondered over the fact that, whatever there is in the universe, including the birds with wings spread out, is continuously carrying out its assignments with the fullest play of its capabilities, and each one of them knows its sphereof duties (tasbeeh) and the way those are to be carried out (sala)?” This obviously means that everything in the universe knows by instinct, what are its duties and how to perform them
and what is its destiny. As far as the animal world is concerned, they do it by instinct. But if ahuman being wants to know, what is his tasbeeh and salat, it is a must for him to have faith
in wahi, through which all these directions containint do’s and don’ts are explained. This isiqamat- as-sala, a special term used in the Quran.
To follow the laws of the Quran is iqama-as-sala. This is not possible individually and can onlybe done collectively; that is why the Quran has the plural tense for this. It is the responsibility of an Islamic sate to establish this order (22:41), and they do it by mutual consultations
(42:38). This system covers all the aspects of life, particularly the economic system. Verse (11:87) is very significant in this regard. It says: “O Shuaib! Does your sala not permit us even to spend our wealth as we desire?” They did not understand as to what type of sala gave directions even in economic matters; they thought sala was just a prayer or some sortof ritual.
In a nutshell it would pose one simple question. Would a person like to decide his affairs according to his desires and wishes, or would he surrender before the laws of Allah? This laterposition is called sala. Verse (19:59) further clarifies: “They were followed by people who abandoned or negated the salat.” Therefore, following the divine law is calledsala. As such
Ibn-e-Qutaiba says, salat actually means ad-deen and iqamat-ad-deen.
As-salla means fire and firewood. Salla asaho-alan-nar means he straightened and softened his stick by heating it in fire. As such salat would also mean to remove one’s defects. The author of Al-Minar says that sala, in factm is the recognition that one’s personality needs guidance of a superior authority. In this way Qurtabisays that sala means obedience to Allah.Another meaning of sala is to subdue and arrest and attract someone’s attention (Moheet).This view would explain another meaning of sala which is taming and harnessing the forces operative in the universe.
One meaning of sala is reerence and respect (Taj), i.e., to work for and to establish a socioeconomicsystem that proves the greatness of the Sustainer of this universe.
In Hebrew dictionary salawat (plural of sala) is the praying place of Jews. In verse (22:40) thisword is used in that context.
Sala has also been used for a particular ritual. On the whole, whatever a momin is doing byfollowing the laws of Allah, without any restrictions of time or formation, is sala. However,
wherever in the Quran it refers to a particular action, its form and timing has to be fixed. In thisregard, there are various verses in the Quran, e.g., Verse (5:6) mentions ablution, which is to
be performed before offering salat. Verse (4:43) prohibits the momineen from performing salatwhen they are under the influence of intoxicants (the momineen are, however, admonished to refrain from the use of intoxicants 5:90-91).
In Surah al Jumu’ah (62:9-10) it is commanded: “When you are called for the congregation onthe day of Juma, you should rush towards zikr-Allah, putting aside your business – and after salat spread out in the land in search of the bounty of Allah and do his zikr a great deal, so that you may prosper.”
Some specific timing is also mentioned in the Quran. Verse (17:78) directs the momineen toestablish sala from early morning till evening, thereby denying the earlier superstition that certain ties of the day are good or bad. It is further explained in verse (11:114) that sala should be established at the two ends of the day and the early hours of the night. Verses
(20:130) and (50:39) mention about hamd before sunrise and sunset and also late at nightwhen the stars start fading (52:49).
Verse (24:58) mentions about salatul fajr and salat ul isha when domestic servants are forbidden to enter private apartments without permission. About recitation during sala, the
Quran says that you should understand as to what you are reciting (4:43) and do not recite
loudly or in silence but adopt a course in between. The above verses explain that the meaning of salat encompasses congregational prayers as well. Wherever aqeem us sala is refereed to, it means the establishment of the whole system, the obedience to the laws of Allah, and the observance of all the duties expected of a momin. At other places, it also refers to the offeringof prayers as well as other duties which are a part of the whole system. For this distinction one has to see the whole verse and the context in which it was brought. Similarly the word
musalleen refers to those persons who are at the height of dignity (70:22-35).
Salla alaibe, according to Raghib, means to respect, to give blessings, to encourage, to grow,to nourish and to stop from getting decayed. In those verses of the Quran where this root occurs with ala, it means that Allah and all the heavenly forces encourage you, provide youwith necessary means of growth and nourishment and make your eddorts bear fruit (33:43).In verse (2:157) it is stated that when the momineen face difficulties in the enforcement andestablishment of deen, they do not get disheartened, but remain steadfast and they deserve
all the appreciation and encouragement from Allah. This is also mentioned particularly about Rasool- Allah himself saying, “Allah and all the heavenly forces help and encourage him in thefulfillment of the divine program. So, O jamat-ul-momineen, you should also help your Rasool (peace be upon him) by following him and submitting before him (33:56).”
Islamic Aqeedah (Creed)
Lexical Meaning:
According to Abdullah Al Athari (as referenced by the Islamic Online University),
“The word ’aqidah (belief) is derived from the word ’aqd, which means tying, confirming, consolidation, affirmation, holding together, and making firm. It refers to certainty (yaqin) andbeing sure” (pg. 41)
Furthermore, commenting on Islamic ’aqidah, he writes:
“Islamic ’aqidah means certain belief in the Lordship and Divinity of Allah, in His names and attributes, in His angels, His books, His Messengers, the Last Day, the Divine decree both goodand bad, and all the matters of the unseen and the basic principles that have been proven (in
Islam), that on which there was consensus among the righteous salaf, complete submission to the commands and rulings of Allah, obedience to Him and following his Messenger (saw).”(pg. 42)
Establish the salah, the zakah and bow with those who bow
Quran 2:43:
And establish prayer and give zakah and bow with those who bow .
The following excerpt is taken from “The Quran with Annotated Interpretation” pg. 83-84:
The Qur’ān orders the Children of Israel to pray—not their own prayer, which lacks
the rite of bowing, for they must have changed it during their long history – but, rather, the Prayer God taught the Muslims through the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peaceand blessings. The Qur’ān draws particular attention to the bowing ( rukū‘‘ ) in the Prayer.
This tells us that bowing has a special importance in the Prayer, and because of this, every cycle of the Prayer is called rak‘ah , a word derived from the same root as rukū‘. In addition,the verse is alluding to the importance of establishing the Prescribed Prayer in congregation,which is both a means and an expression of the solidarity and unity of Muslims. This is a
warning against forming separate congregations on the basis of differences of opinion aboutminor legal or other secondary matters. The verse is also inviting the Children of Israel to join the Muslim community. We can infer from this verse that they had become
negligent about the duties of the Prayer and the Prescribed Purifying Alms (the Zakāh ).The latter is a tax at fixed rate in proportion to the value of property or wealth above a certain minimum, and its proper expenditure is decreed in 9: 60.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (□) said, “Angels keep on descending from and ascending to the Heaven in turn, some at night and some by daytime, and all of them assemble together at the time of the Fajrand ‘Asr prayers. Then those who have stayed with you over-night, ascent unto Allah Who asks them, and He knows the answer better than they, “How have you left My slaves?” They reply, “We have left them praying as we found them praying.” If anyone of you says “Amin”
(during the Prayer at the end of the recitation of Surat-al-Faitiha), and the angels in Heavensay the same, and the two sayings coincide, all his past sins will be forgiven.”
Truly my Prayer, my Sacrifice, my Living and my Dying are for Allah, the Lord of allthat Exists
Quran 6:162:
Say (O Muhammad SAW): “Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying arefor Allah, the Lord of the ’Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).
The following excerpt is taken from “Maariful Quran” under the commentary of Surah 6 Verse162 pg. 529-530:
In the third verse, it was said:
(Say, “My prayer, my offering, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds).The word: (nusuk) in this verse means sacrifice. Everything one does in Hajj is also called:
Nusuk. So, the rites of Hajj are known as Mansik, the plural of Nusuk. Then, this word is alsoused for ’Ibadah or worship of Allah in the absolute sense. Therefore, Nasik is used in the sense of ’Abid (one who worships Allah). At this place, any of the meanings given above canbe applied. Tafsirs to that effect have been reported from commentators among the $ahabahand Tabeen. But, ’Ibadah or offering of acts of worship devoted to Allah, taken in the absolutesense, appears to be the more appropriate meaning at this place. In that case, the meaning of the verse would be: ’My prayer, my offerings in ’Ibgdah, my life and my death are all for
Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’
Out of the subsidiaries of deeds, the first to be mentioned here was Salah because that is the moving spirit of all good deeds and is, of course, the pillar of the religion. Mentioned briefly after that were all deeds and acts of worship. Then, rising to a wider level, everything done or faced in a lifetime was pointed to. The last to be mentioned was death. After having identifiedall these, it was admitted that they are only for Allah who is the Lord of all the worlds and who
has no associate or partner in His Divinity. And this is the outcome of perfect faith and perfectsincerity. This leads one to think, care and keep in sight, in all states of life and in everything one does, that: ’my Rabb, and the Rabb of the whole wide world is One Rabb. I am His servant.I am in His sight – all the time. Let not my heart, my mind, my eyes, my ears, my tongue, and hands, and feet, nor my pen or step, move in any direction against His pleasure.’ This is a simple meditation (Muraqabah) of the highest order, something which, if one trains himself
to keep present in one’s heart and mind, then, there is no doubt that he or she will become a human being in the real sense. Things like sin and disobedience and crimes will be scared tocome anywhere even close to a person that strong.
The Muslim in the Shadow of his Zakat
The following excerpt is taken from “Exposition of the Quran” by G.A. Pervez pg. 1210-1211:
Zaka
Zakal malo waz-zaro means the
flourishing of animals and crops; and to grow.
Zaka-ar-rajalo yazku means that
the person became comfortable, got his capabilities developed and his life became happy and comfortable (Taj/Ibn-e-Qutaida). Therefore, the basic meaningof zaka is to grow, to flower, flourish or blossom; to increase, swell, or
develop. Raghib after writing these meanings, gives an example of the word azka in verse (18:19), “Then see which type of food is most pleasant (azka), i.e.,which has more nutritional value.”
Zaka is derived from the three
letter root ZKW with the basic meaning of ‘to grow, to thrive’as mentioned in (18:19). In the Quran the two words azka and athar are used in different meanings, e.g. , in verse (2:232). In fact, purification has a negative virtue, whereas zakat has a positive value, i.e., to grow or get nourishment.
The author of Muheet, giving reference
of Baidawi says that the meaning of azzkiu is that which grew beautifully withhealthy, positive qualities from one age to another. It has the quality and
meaning of both development as well as growth. Ardun zakaitun is that fertile
land which provides excellent produce. Azka means that which is more profitable,much better. Nafsun zakiyya means a young man with good physique (18:74). At another place such a young man has been called ghulaman zakiyya (19:19).
In verses (91:9-10), word dassaha
has been used against zakkaha. Dassaha or tadsia means to surpress, to bur alive, (16:59) or to stop the growth. Tazkia, therefore would mean to remove all obstacles from the way and create healthy, positive circumstances for growth. Verse (53:33) further explains the meaning of zaka, which says, “Youyourself should not decide that your self is getting developed or not. Instead,one should keep in view the standard laid down by Allah., and the system explained by Him.” For example, in verse (92:18) Allah says “That person’s selfis developed who gives his wealth to others,” and ‘Whoever gives, is the one
who is muttaqee” (92:5).
In
the Holy Quran the words aqeemus salata wa atuz zaka have beenused extensivelyand repeatedly (for the meaning of salat, please see under heading sala). Such verses briefly mean, to establish a social order in which every person has the chance and opportunity to develop his self, according to the divine laws.
Verse
(22:41) says that these people (jamat ul momineen) are those to who when wegive authority in the land, aqmoos salata wa atuz zaka- they establish the Quranic social order and provide means for all for the development of their personalities.
Verse (23:4) is also important in this regard, as it explains that momineen are those who strivefor zaka, i.e., for providing nourishment for humanity. As mentioned above, verse (22:41) shows that the first and foremost duty of the state is to establish a social order and provide
means of sustenance and nourishment to humanity. In order to achieve this objective, it is necessary that the sources of wealth should be at the disposal of the state. All the citizens should keep the surplus of their earnings available to the state, so that is may take of it as much as it requires providing sustenance and nourishment to the needy (2:219). Such a system would take some time to establish itself. Meanwhile, for the transitory period, the government can levy taxes for which the Quran has also used the word sadaqat, which are earmarked for certain purposes (9:60).Some people have extended and applied this verse for the management of zaka money, which is not correct. The Holy Quran has neither fixed any percentage (such as 2.5 %), nor specified the items on which zakat is leviable. The idea that zakat is the tax levied by Allah and whatever else collection is made by the state is the government tax is not correct. The dualism of “Caesar and God” being two separate entities, is the Christian concept. In Islam, whatever one gives to the state for the establishment and enforcement of the Islamic social order is as given to Allah.
References:
Athari, Abdullah. Islamic Beliefs. Retrieved from: Islamic Online University https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3223 Pervez, Ahmad (2010). Exposition of the Quran. (p. 1194-1196).
Exposition of the Quran. (p. 1210-1211).
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3223 In-book reference : Book 59, Hadith 34 USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 4, Book 54, Hadith 446 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Shafi, Muhammad (2008). Maariful Quran. (Vol .1 pg. 162)
Unal, Ali (2006). The Quran with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English. (p. 83-84)