“And keep up prayer and pay the zakāt and offer to Allāh a goodly gift” (73:20). And in the ninth chapter, which is the latest in revelation, we have: “Only he can maintain the mosques of Allāh who believes in Allāh and the Last Day and keeps up prayer and pays the zakāt and fears none but Allāh” (9 :18). Not only are prayer (ṣalāt) and zakāt mentioned together in a large number of passages15 but also these two are treated as being the basic ordinances of the religion of Islām, and their carrying into practice is often mentioned as being sufficient indication that one is a believer in the religion of Islām. The two verses quoted above point to the same conclusion. A few more are:

“And they are enjoined naught but to serve Allāh, being sincere to Him in obedience, upright, and to keep up prayer and pay the zakāt, and that is the right religion” (98:5). “These are verses of the Book of wisdom, a guidance and a mercy for the doers of good, who keep up prayer and pay the zakāt and who are certain of the Hereafter” (31:2-4). “But if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the zakāt, they are your brethren in faith” (9:11).

Zakāt as the basic principle of every religion

Ṣalāt and zakāt are also spoken of together as the basic ordinances of the religion of every prophet. Thus of Abraham and his posterity, it is said: “And we made them leaders who guided (people) by Our command, and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer and the giving of zakāt” (21:73). The Israelite law is also said to have contained a similar commandment: “And Allāh said: Surely I am with you. If you keep up prayer and pay the zakāt and believe in My messengers and assist them and offer to Allāh a goodly gift, I will certainly cover your evil deeds, and cause you to enter gardens in which rivers flow” (5:12). Ishmael is also spoken of as giving the same commandment to his followers: “And he enjoined on his people prayer and zakāt, and he was one in whom his Lord was well pleased” (19:55). Even Jesus is said to have received a similar Divine commandment: “And He has enjoined on me prayer and zakāt so long as I live” (19:31).16

This view of religion shows that, according to the Holy Qur’ān, the