Surah Ad-Dhariyat 51:19
ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ
And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived.
Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:19
Tafsir
Ruh al-Ma'ani
Verse range: 51:19
{And in their wealth there is a right} Meaning: An abundant share which they obligate upon themselves as a means of drawing near to Allah—Mighty and Majestic is He—and out of compassion for people. It is other than the obligatory *Zakat*, as stated by Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and others.
{For the petitioner} The one who asks them for it.
{And the deprived} He is the one who refrains from asking; the ignorant person deems him wealthy, so he is deprived of charity by most people. Ibn Jarir, Ibn Hibban, and Ibn Marduyah recorded from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah—Exalted be He—grant him peace and blessings—said: "The *Miskin* (needy) is not the one whom one or two dates or one or two morsels of food turn away." It was asked: "Then who is the *Miskin*?" He replied: "The one who does not possess what suffices him, yet his situation is not known so that charity may be given to him; that is the *Mahrum* (deprived)."
Ibn Abbas interpreted it as the Muharraf (the one whose worldly means are turned away from him), who seeks worldly provision, but it turns its back on him, and he does not ask people. It is also said: He is the one for whom the possibilities of provision recede after having been near, thus he experiences deprivation. Zaid ibn Aslam said: He is the one whose crops have been destroyed. It is also said: He whose livestock have died. It is also said: He who has no share in Islam. It is also said: He whose wealth does not grow. Other interpretations exist as well.
The author of al-Bahr said: These are by way of example, and what unites these opinions is that he is one who possesses no wealth due to a deprivation that has befallen him. I adhere to the statement of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah—Exalted be He—grant him peace and blessings.
Mundhir ibn Sa’id said: This "right" is the obligatory Zakat. This was critiqued on the basis that the Surah is Meccan, while the obligation of Zakat occurred in Medina. It has been said, however, that the fundamental obligation of Zakat was in Mecca, while what occurred in Medina was the specific amount known today. From Ibn Umar, it is narrated that a man asked him about this "right," and he replied: "It is Zakat," and he included other rights as well, thus generalizing it. The majority hold the first view.