Bismillāh.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ تَزَكَّى وَ ذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى
Successful is he who purifies his soul, remembers the name of his Lord, and prays.
Sūrat Al-A‘lā, No. 87, Āyāt 14-15
What is success? All human beings seek success in life. This is a part of their Divinely gifted nature. Some human beings find success in material possessions and earthly positions. When they see the riches of people like Qarūn, they exclaim, “Surely he is a possessor of great fortune.” (Q28:79). These two verses of the Qur’an define the true meaning of success for a human being. The word aflaha is derived from the word falāh, meaning to plow or to cleave. A farmer is called a fallah in Arabic, because he ploughs the land. Therefore falāh refers to success and achievement that is a result of hard work and effort. The two verses mentioned above outline three main ways to attain spiritual success:
1. Purification
The first key to success is self purification. Tazakka is derived from zaka which means to become pure, and also to grow and develop thereby. There are two main things can be purified: –
i. Purification of the soul – This is accomplished by eliminating and cleansing the soul from immoral traits and freeing it from excessive worldly attachments. (Mutahhari, Ashnāyi ba quran, Athār, 28/514). In these two verses, purification precedes the remembrance of God (zikr) and prayers (salat). In other verses of the Qur’an, purification precedes learning the Qur’an and its meaning [Q62:2]. This is because good qualities cannot grow in the soul without purification.
A helpful example is that of a farmer, who prepares his land before planting crops. The first step in planting is to remove weeds and dead leaves, a process commonly known as pruning. Only after clearing the soil can healthy plants grow. In the same way, the human heart must first be cleansed of harmful traits before spiritual growth can take place.
ii. Purification of wealth
Another aspect of purification relates to giving charity and spending in the way of Allah (swt). This act helps to purify the soul from excessive attachment to material possessions. The act of giving in the way of Allah (swt) also purifies one’s wealth and causes it to grow. The word tazkiyah in the Arabic language also denotes growth and increase.
When Imam Sādiq ‘alayhis-salām was asked about this verse of Surat al-A’lā, he said, “[It refers to] the one who pays the zakāt of fitrah (Sadūq, al-Faqih, 1/510).
In another narration, the sixth Imam (a) explains that the relationship between zakāt al-fitrah and fasting is similar to the relationship between salawāt and prayer. Just as prayer is not complete without the salawāt upon the Prophet and his family, one’s fasting is also not complete without paying off zakāt al-fitrah. (Sadūq, Man La Yahduruhu al‑Faqih, 2/183)
2. Remembering Allah
The second factor that leads to spiritual success is remembering the names of God. The commentators of the Qur’an have given different interpretations to the meaning of “remembered the name of his Lord”. Some have stated that this could refer to pronouncing takbirat al-ihram and tasmiyah (saying of bismillāh) before any salat, or pronouncing the takbirāt of the day of Eid before the Eid prayers, or in general saying of lā ilaha illa lāh. The emphasis is to engage in the remembrance of God before engaging in salāt as a preparation for it. Since the verse mentions remembering the name of Allah, and not just remembering Allah, it implies the need to remember him verbally by invoking His names or His attributes.
3. Prayers
Salāt is the third factor that leads to a person’s success (falāh). It has been mentioned as the third component because it is the greatest means of spiritual progress and reform after self purification and remembering Allah. (Mutajhari, Ashnāyi ba quran, Athār, 28/515)
Imam Sādiq ‘alayhis-salām emphasises that Salāt in this verse refers to the believers going out to an open space and gathering for salatul Eid. (Sadūq, al-Faqih, 1/510)
We pray to the Almighty to count us amongst those who are spiritually successful. May the quick reappearance of Imam al-Hujjah (aj) lead to victory of the Muslim Ummah and peace around the world.
Sources: Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed.), Tafsīr-e Namūneh, ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān.
ALI 714: Quranic Arabic and knowledge – Level 5
In this online course, specially tailored for serious learners, we will attempt to simplify Quranic Arabic. To make it interesting, we will begin with a brief tafsīr of short surahs or passages. At this level, we will continue learning grammatical rules on nouns covered in Lesson 18 onwards in Qur’anic Language Made Easy by Hafiza Iffath Hassan.
- Instructor: Sh Hasanayn Kassamali Fees: $55.00
- Schedule: 6 Tuesdays, March 31 to May 5, 2026
- Timings: 7 pm NY/Toronto Time
- Registration: www.academyofislam.com/registration/ by Monday March 30, 2026