Tafseer of The Sun · Ash-Shams · 91:9
He has succeeded who purifies it,
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of the Exalted's saying: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا (9) ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it" (91:9)).
His saying: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it"). He says: indeed successful is he whose soul Allah has purified, so that he multiplied its cleansing from unbelief (kufr) and sins, and improved it with righteous works.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it"), he says: indeed successful is he whose soul Allah has purified.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid and Saʿīd ibn Jubayr and ʿIkrima: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it"), they said: he who improves it.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid and Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, and he did not mention ʿIkrima.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it"): he who performs good has purified it through obedience to Allah.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it"), he said: indeed successful is he who has purified his soul through a righteous deed.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it"), he says: indeed successful is he whose soul Allah has purified.
And this is the place of the oath (al-qasam), as Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, he said: the oath falls here: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا ("Indeed successful is he who purifies it"). And I have already mentioned what the philologists say about that, earlier concerning the like cases thereof.
