سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْلٰي
Surah Al-A'laa (87) — Ayah 14
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Indeed whosoever purifies himself (by avoiding polytheism and accepting Islâmic Monotheism) shall achieve success,
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَدْ
qad
Certainly
أَفْلَحَ
aflaḥa
has succeeded
مَن
man
(one) who
تَزَكَّىٰ
tazakkā
purifies (himself)
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
Successful indeed is the one who purifies himself [10].
[10] That is, whoever purifies himself from disbelief and polytheism, corrupt beliefs, and vile morals, he has succeeded. Here, some people have taken "tazakka" to mean zakat, and specifically the charity of Fitr, and ﴿وذكر اسم ربه﴾ to mean the Takbirs of the two Eids, and "fasalla" to mean the Eid prayer. However, if this verse is taken in its general meaning, it is more appropriate. That is, whoever purifies his soul, then continues to remember Allah both verbally and in his heart, and then, as a confirmation of this, regularly performs the prayers, then know that his life has been set right and he has succeeded. Here, success certainly refers to success in the Hereafter, and in this world, his successful life depends on the will of Allah Almighty, because the abode of recompense is the Hereafter, not this world.
[10] That is, whoever purifies himself from disbelief and polytheism, corrupt beliefs, and vile morals, he has succeeded. Here, some people have taken "tazakka" to mean zakat, and specifically the charity of Fitr, and ﴿وذكر اسم ربه﴾ to mean the Takbirs of the two Eids, and "fasalla" to mean the Eid prayer. However, if this verse is taken in its general meaning, it is more appropriate. That is, whoever purifies his soul, then continues to remember Allah both verbally and in his heart, and then, as a confirmation of this, regularly performs the prayers, then know that his life has been set right and he has succeeded. Here, success certainly refers to success in the Hereafter, and in this world, his successful life depends on the will of Allah Almighty, because the abode of recompense is the Hereafter, not this world.
