Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 6

(Ayah 7,6) ➊ { قُلْ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ:} That is, there is no reason for you to be so distant from me, because neither am I an angel or a jinn or any other unseen creature that there should be a veil between me and you, due to which you cannot see me or hear my words, rather I am a human being who was born among you, grew up, and was honored with prophethood. Nor is it that my language is different from yours, rather I am an Arab like you, in eating and drinking, sleeping and waking, health and sickness, marriage, sorrow, and family and children—in short, in all human attributes I am like you, then why this avoidance and such distance from me?

➋ { يُوْحٰۤى اِلَيَّ اَنَّمَاۤ اِلٰهُكُمْ اِلٰهٌ وَّاحِدٌ:} One reason for this distance could be that I want to present some personal matter before you and make you accept it. This is not the case either, rather I have come to you with the message of divine revelation, and this is my distinction, and it is not that this divine revelation is something complicated or beyond understanding, or that it has countless demands from you which you are unable to fulfill, rather it is a clear, truthful, and entirely rational message, and that is only a brief statement that the only one worthy of your worship is a single deity. There is no excuse for you not to listen to or understand such a clear and brief message, nor for not seeing the one who says it; the only thing stopping you is your insistence on disbelief. So leave it, so that you too can understand the reality that I, being a human like you, understand and am making you understand, therefore, turn your face straight towards your only Lord.

➌ {فَاسْتَقِيْمُوْۤا اِلَيْهِ:} For the explanation of steadfastness, see Surah Hud (112). That is, when the only one worthy of your worship is a single deity, then turn away from all false gods and turn your face completely towards Him and worship only Him, as Khalilullah (Abraham) said: « اِنِّيْ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِيْ فَطَرَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ حَنِيْفًا وَّ مَاۤ اَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ» [ الأنعام : ۷۹ ] “Indeed, I have turned my face towards Him who created the heavens and the earth, inclining only to Him, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah.”

➍ {وَ اسْتَغْفِرُوْهُ:} That is, seek forgiveness from Him for the ingratitude and association you committed with Him before, and keep praying for forgiveness for all shortcomings in fulfilling His right, whether they occurred before or may occur in the future.

➎ The explanation of the verse given above is according to Baqa'i and some other commentators. Another explanation is: “I am only a human being like you, it is neither within my power nor am I responsible for opening your ears and eyes or removing the veils from your hearts, my responsibility is only to convey to you the divine revelation that is sent to me from Allah, and that is that your true deity is only one. So turn completely towards Him and seek forgiveness from Him for your past and present disobedience and mistakes.” (Ibn Ashur) This explanation is also very excellent.

➏ { وَ وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُشْرِكِيْنَ (6) الَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوةَ:} That is, those who do not believe in the One Allah and His Messenger, for them is a great destruction. Although there are countless reasons for their destruction, here three fundamental reasons are mentioned, because the basic causes of happiness are also three: fulfilling the right of Allah, fulfilling the right of creation, and having certainty in the Hereafter and being prepared for accountability for one's deeds. Just as these are the highest deeds, similarly the greatest wretchedness and baseness is not fulfilling them. It is said, for those people is a great destruction who are polytheists, traitors to their Master, do not fulfill even the minimum obligation imposed by Allah for the creation, and are outright deniers of the Hereafter, in which there will be reckoning and after which life is eternal and everlasting.

➐ Here is a question that this Surah is Makki, whereas Zakat was made obligatory in Madinah. In response, some commentators have said that the literal meaning of Zakat is purification, so here, along with the declaration of monotheism, purification of the soul is meant, that the polytheist does not purify himself with the word of monotheism. But there is an objection to this, that if the words of the verse were {’’لَا يَأْتُوْنَ الزَّكَاةَ‘‘} then this meaning would be possible, but in {’’ لَا يُؤْتُوْنَ ‘‘} this meaning is difficult, because it means “they do not give Zakat.” Therefore, Tabari and most commentators (may Allah have mercy on them) have preferred the meaning that they do not give Zakat. As for the question that Zakat was not made obligatory in Makkah, the answer is that although the nisab (threshold) and period of Zakat were fixed in Madinah, the essence of Zakat and spending in the way of Allah was obligatory from the beginning of Islam. When Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan what that Prophet commands you, he said: [ يَأْمُرُنَا بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالزَّكَاةِ وَالصِّلَةِ وَالْعَفَافِ ] [ بخاري، الزکوٰۃ، باب وجوب الزکوٰۃ، قبل ح : ۱۳۹۵ٰ، تعلیقاً ] “That Prophet commands us to pray, give Zakat, maintain family ties, and be chaste.” And it is obvious that Abu Sufyan mentioned only those commands which he heard in Makkah. Moreover, in Makki Surahs, there is frequent mention of charity, Zakat, and giving the due right from crops, as He said: « وَ اٰتُوْا حَقَّهٗ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهٖ» [ الأنعام : ۱۴۱ ] “And give its due on the day of its harvest.” And He said: « وَ سَيُجَنَّبُهَا الْاَتْقَى (17) الَّذِيْ يُؤْتِيْ مَالَهٗ يَتَزَكّٰى » [ اللیل : ۱۷، ۱۸ ] “And soon the most pious will be kept away from it, who gives his wealth (only) to purify himself.” And He said: « وَ الَّذِيْنَ فِيْۤ اَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُوْمٌ۪ (24) لِّلسَّآىِٕلِ وَ الْمَحْرُوْمِ » [ المعارج : ۲۴،۲۵] “And those in whose wealth there is a known right, for the beggar and for the deprived.” And He said: « وَ الَّذِيْنَ يُؤْتُوْنَ مَاۤ اٰتَوْا وَّ قُلُوْبُهُمْ وَجِلَةٌ اَنَّهُمْ اِلٰى رَبِّهِمْ رٰجِعُوْنَ» [ المؤمنون : ۶۰ ] “And those who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will return to their Lord.” And all these verses are from Makki Surahs. Surah Muzammil is an early Makki Surah, and in its last verse, this is explicitly mentioned.

It is thus clear that the disbelievers, besides being responsible for faith in monotheism and prophethood, are also responsible for Zakat and other commands, and they will be punished for not fulfilling them. As for the fact that their prayer and Zakat will only be valid after accepting faith, and before that it is of no benefit, this does not prove that they are not commanded to pray or give Zakat, just as prayer is only valid when there is ablution, but this does not mean that until there is ablution, there is no command to pray. For further details, see the explanation of Surah Muddathir (39 to 48).