English فارسی
Qur'anic Root

Qur'anic Root Z K W

Becoming pure, growing, flourishing, increasing in a sound state, and reaching sound fruitfulness.

Important Forms

RootZ K W
ز ك و

Purity and sound growth; emerging from impurity, stagnation, corruption, or blockage.
Noun formzakat
زَكَاة

Zakat; a responsibility that purifies and grows wealth, the self, and social relation.
Form II verbzakka / yuzakki
زَكَّىٰ / يُزَكِّي

To purify and make grow; to bring toward purity and soundness.
Form V verbtazakka / yatazakka
تَزَكَّىٰ / يَتَزَكَّىٰ

Entering the path of tazkiyah; becoming purified and grown for oneself.

Core Meaning

The root ز ك و points, at its base, to becoming pure, growing, flourishing, increasing in a sound state, and a thing reaching soundness and fruitfulness. In this root, purity and growth are not two unrelated meanings. Purity is the ground of sound growth, and sound growth is the sign that something has come out of impurity, stagnation, corruption, or blockage.

ز ك و is not only “becoming pure,” and it is not only “increasing.” Raw increase can be unhealthy, as in takathur, riba, or diseased accumulation. But zaka is growth joined with purity, soundness, health, and fruitfulness. For this reason, zakat in the Qur'an should not be reduced to the decrease of part of wealth or to a financial payment. Zakat comes from this same semantic field: purification of the self, purification of wealth, growth in the human relation with society, and the release of wealth from stagnation and monopoly.

Important Forms

زَكَىٰ is the simple verbal form. It appears once in the Qur'an and points to a human being becoming pure or remaining pure:

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا

And if not for the favor of The God upon you and His mercy, not one of you would ever become pure.

Al-Nur 24:21

زَكَّىٰ and يُزَكِّي are form II verbs. These forms point to purifying, making grow, reforming, or bringing someone or something to purity and soundness. In the Qur'an, this form appears about The God, about the work of the Messenger, and about tazkiyah of the self.

كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولًا مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ

Just as We sent among you a Messenger from yourselves, reciting Our signs to you and purifying and growing you.

Al-Baqarah 2:151

تَزَكَّىٰ and يَتَزَكَّىٰ are form V verbs. These forms mostly point to the human being entering the path of purity and growth; the human being enters the process of tazkiyah, and its benefit returns to that person.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ

Truly successful is the one who became purified and grown.

Al-A'la 87:14

وَمَن تَزَكَّىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّىٰ لِنَفْسِهِ

And whoever undergoes tazkiyah only undergoes tazkiyah for himself.

Fatir 35:18

زَكَاة is the important nominal form of this root. In the Qur'an it most often appears beside prayer:

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ

And establish prayer and give zakat.

Al-Baqarah 2:43

Root-wise, zakat is connected with purity and growth. Therefore in the Qur'an, zakat is not merely the name of a financial payment. It is an act that must be connected with taharah, growth, rendering a right, and reforming the human relation with wealth and society.

أَزْكَىٰ is a comparative form and points to something being purer, more sound, more fitting, or more growth-giving as a behavior or thing:

ذَٰلِكُمْ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ

That is purer for you and more tahir.

Al-Baqarah 2:232

فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَا أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا

Let him look to which food is purer/more sound.

Al-Kahf 18:19

زَكِيّ is an adjective and points to purity, soundness, freedom from impurity, or readiness for pure growth:

قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا

He said: I am only the messenger of your Lord, to grant you a pure boy.

Maryam 19:19

زَكِيَّة is the feminine form and appears in the Qur'an about a pure self or life:

أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ

Did you kill a pure life without another life?

Al-Kahf 18:74

Linguistic Note

The semantic core of ز ك و turns around growth-giving purity. In this root, purity is not merely the absence of impurity, and growth is not merely numerical or bodily increase. ز ك و takes place where something comes out of blockage, impurity, stagnation, or corruption and moves toward soundness, fruitfulness, and health.

From here the difference between ز ك و and raw increase becomes clear. Wealth may increase but have no zakat. Wealth may be accumulated, but instead of sound growth it may make society sick. A person may outwardly give something, but the self may not be purified from miserliness, showing off, reminding of favor, harm, or the desire to dominate. Such giving remains distant from the truth of ز ك و.

So zakat, in the Qur'anic field of this root, is not merely subtracting a portion from wealth. If wealth freezes in the hand of the human being, it becomes a tool of takathur, arrogance, fear, and power. Zakat breaks that freezing. It removes wealth from self-centered ownership and joins it to the right of the deprived, the purification of the self, and the growth of society.

This same point separates zakat from the meaning of religious tax. Tax may be an instrument for administering a public structure, but zakat in the Qur'an comes from another root and another aim. Tax is taken to administer a public system; zakat means purifying the human being, reforming the relation with wealth, and delivering the right to those who have need. This distinction is also explained in the independent article Zakat and Its Historical Distortion: From Qur'anic Tazkiyah to Religious Tax, Takfir, and Political Authority: tax and zakat may come close in some social effects, but they are not the same. Zakat is tied to faith, taqwa, tazkiyah, and the right of the deprived.

Material Image

The material image of ز ك و can be seen in soil and cultivation. A soil that is sound, prepared, and free from corruption receives the seed and makes it grow. If the soil is polluted, dry, rocky, or closed, the seed may remain in it, but it will not reach sound growth. In this picture, zaka means the hidden capacity coming out of a raw state into growth and fruitfulness.

Another image is the body and the child. When a child is called zaki, it does not only mean “free of impurity.” It points to health, purity, capacity for growth, and soundness of being. Unhealthy growth is swelling; sound growth is zaka.

The same image applies to wealth. Wealth that only gathers in one place may increase numerically, but if it does not flow in society and the right of the deprived does not come out of it, it is like water that has stagnated and gone foul. Zakat brings wealth out of a closed and self-centered state. Outwardly, a portion of wealth leaves; but from the view of the root ز ك و, this very leaving can become the ground for purification of the self, health of society, and more enduring growth.

Classical Usage

In ancient and classical Arabic, the root ز ك و was known in the field of growth, purity, soundness, blessing, and bearing fruit. One may speak from this root about soil and cultivation: the soil or crop grows, becomes fruitful, and gives sound produce. This usage shows that before zakat became a Qur'anic faith-and-social term, ز ك و already carried the lexical capacity of purity and growth.

But one must distinguish between the root ز ك و and the Qur'anic term zakat. In pre-Qur'anic Arabic space, words such as jud, karam, sakha, ata, badhl, qira, diyafah, it'am, rifd, and minhah were more natural for giving, hospitality, feeding, social support, and financial granting. These words mostly belonged to the field of tribal generosity, muru'ah, hospitality to guests, nobility, honor, protecting the one seeking shelter, or helping a person in need.

Yet zakat, sadaqah, and infaq are placed by the Qur'an in a new system. Zakat is tied to growth and purity; sadaqah to sidq and the truthfulness of faith; and infaq to bringing out and making wealth and capacity flow in the path of good. For this reason, these three words should not be reduced to the custom of pre-Islamic generosity or, later, to dry legal and tax files.

Here one must avoid unsupported historical claims. Without decisive evidence, it cannot be said that no Arab before the Qur'an ever used these roots in any financial or giving sense. A more precise statement is this: in the known evidence, zakat, sadaqah, and infaq do not appear as established pre-Qur'anic terms for financial aid, feeding the poor, or a system of social payment. The Qur'an places these words in a new ethical, faith-based, and social system, and their primary meaning must first be understood from the Qur'an itself.

If reliable evidence from pre-Qur'anic poetry or ancient Arabic usage is found for ز ك و, or for its relation to financial aid and giving, it can be added to the discussion. But the understanding of this root in this article relies on clear Qur'anic usage.

Purification by Divine Grace

The Qur'an does not treat human purification as merely the result of personal claim or human effort independent from guidance:

وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ

And if not for the favor of The God upon you and His mercy, not one of you would ever become pure; but The God purifies and grows whom He wills.

Al-Nur 24:21

This verse shows that true tazkiyah does not come about merely through human claim or effort separated from divine guidance. The human being must enter the path of purity, but the establishing and bringing of the human being to purity and growth ultimately depends on the favor and mercy of The God.

Tazkiyah of the Self and Success

In Surat Al-Shams, success is tied to tazkiyah of the self:

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّاهَا

Truly successful is the one who purified and grew it.

Al-Shams 91:9

Against it comes:

وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّاهَا

And failed is the one who buried it in impurity.

Al-Shams 91:10

This contrast is very important. زكّاها means raising the self, purifying it, growing it, and bringing it out of burial in impurity. دسّاها is its opposite: hiding, pressing down, polluting, and burying the capacity of the self. Tazkiyah here is therefore not a shallow moral cleanliness. It is moving the self from a raw and buried state toward growth and soundness.

Tazkiyah Benefits the Human Being

The Qur'an stresses that tazkiyah does not benefit The God; its return is to the human being:

وَمَن تَزَكَّىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّىٰ لِنَفْسِهِ

And whoever undergoes tazkiyah only undergoes tazkiyah for himself.

Fatir 35:18

This structure purifies the meaning of zakat and tazkiyah from any idea of benefiting The God. The God is not in need of human purity or human wealth. Through tazkiyah, the human being frees the self from impurity, miserliness, arrogance, and diseased attachment to wealth or ego.

The Prohibition of Self-Purifying Claims

The Qur'an forbids claims of purity and spiritual self-praise:

فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ ۖ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ

So do not declare yourselves pure; He knows best who has taqwa.

Al-Najm 53:32

And also:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يُزَكُّونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ بَلِ اللَّهُ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ

Have you not seen those who declare themselves pure? Rather, The God purifies and grows whom He wills.

Al-Nisa 4:49

In this context, tazkiyah does not mean actual purification; it means presenting oneself as pure. This usage shows that ز ك و can also enter the language of claim. A person or group may declare itself pure, superior, chosen, or possessing taharah, but the Qur'an takes the standard of purity out of the hand of human claim and returns it to the knowledge of The God and the truth of taqwa.

This point is also important for the social reading of zakat. No class, tribe, religious institution, or apparatus of power can, by claiming purity, make itself the owner of people's tazkiyah. True tazkiyah is not established by claim.

Messengers and the Tazkiyah of People

In the Qur'an, tazkiyah is one of the central works of the messengers:

رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ

Our Lord, raise among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting Your signs to them, teaching them the Book and wisdom, and purifying and growing them.

Al-Baqarah 2:129

And also:

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ

He is the One who raised among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves, reciting His signs to them, purifying and growing them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom.

Al-Jumu'ah 62:2

In these verses, tazkiyah appears beside reciting the signs and teaching the Book and wisdom. This companionship shows that revelation does not bring only theoretical knowledge. It must purify the human being from within and grow the capacity for right understanding and right action. Knowledge without tazkiyah can become arrogance, dispute, distortion, and an instrument of power.

Zakat Beside Prayer

Zakat appears repeatedly in the Qur'an beside prayer:

وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ

And establish prayer and give zakat.

Al-Baqarah 2:43

This companionship places zakat beside direct worship, but it does not separate it from social responsibility. Prayer sets the human being's direction toward The God; zakat shows what effect that direction has on the human relation with wealth and society.

In the verse of birr, zakat appears beside faith, giving wealth despite love for it, prayer, fulfilling covenant, and patience:

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ... وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ... وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ

Birr is not that you turn your faces toward the east and the west; rather, birr is one who has faith in The God and the Last Day ... and gives wealth despite love for it ... and establishes prayer and gives zakat.

Al-Baqarah 2:177

This verse shows that zakat in the Qur'an is not a dry and isolated payment. It belongs to a system that sees faith, birr, sidq, covenant, patience, prayer, and support of the deprived together.

Sadaqah That Purifies and Grows

Al-Tawbah 9:103 is very important for understanding the relation between zakat, sadaqah, and tazkiyah:

خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ

Take from their wealth a sadaqah by which you purify them and grow them, and pray over them.

Al-Tawbah 9:103

In this verse, the word sadaqah appears, but its function is described as tahir-making and tazkiyah. This shows that the Qur'an does not imprison words in dry and separate files. Sadaqah can have the function of tazkiyah, and zakat must also be tied to sidq, purity, and growth.

The sequence of the two verbs is also significant: تطهرهم and تزكيهم. Tahir-making is the removal of impurity; tazkiyah is bringing to growth-giving purity and soundness. Sadaqah in this verse is a means for both processes. The related article also highlights this point: the Qur'an here looks at the aim of the act. The word sadaqah appears, but its function is tahir-making and tazkiyah.

Zakat, Sadaqah, and Infaq in One System

Zakat, sadaqah, and infaq are not identical in the Qur'an, but they move in one system. Zakat emphasizes purity and growth. Sadaqah, from the root Ṣ D Q, shows the truthfulness of intention and faith. Infaq speaks of bringing out and making wealth, ability, time, or blessing flow in the path of good.

مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ

The example of those who spend their wealth in the path of The God is like a seed that grows seven ears.

Al-Baqarah 2:261

This image is close to the field of ز ك و: wealth that leaves the hand of the human being can, in the logic of truth, reach greater growth and effect. The related article also explains this relation: zakat emphasizes taharah and growth, sadaqah emphasizes the truthfulness of faith, and infaq emphasizes the flowing of blessings in the path of The God.

Azka: Purer and More Sound

أزكى in the Qur'an points to being purer, more sound, more fitting, or more suitable for soundness:

ذَٰلِكُمْ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَأَطْهَرُ

That is purer for you and more tahir.

Al-Baqarah 2:232

Here أزكى appears beside أطهر. أطهر emphasizes purity from impurity; أزكى emphasizes a purity that leads to health, soundness, and a better result.

In Surat Al-Nur it also says:

وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا فَارْجِعُوا هُوَ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ

And if it is said to you, “Return,” then return; that is purer/more fitting for you.

Al-Nur 24:28

Here أزكى concerns respecting the boundary of entering homes. So ز ك و is not only about the self or wealth. Social behavior too can be azka, meaning healthier, purer, and more fitting for preserving inviolable boundaries.

Azka Ta'aman: Measuring Purity and Soundness of Food

In the story of the Companions of the Cave, it says:

فَلْيَنظُرْ أَيُّهَا أَزْكَىٰ طَعَامًا فَلْيَأْتِكُم بِرِزْقٍ مِّنْهُ

Let him look to which food is purer/more sound, and let him bring you provision from it.

Al-Kahf 18:19

أزكى here appears about food. The meaning can be purer, healthier, better, or more suitable in terms of purity and permissibility. This usage shows that ز ك و also relates, at the material level, to measuring purity and soundness.

Zaki and Zakiyyah: Purity of Person and Life

In the story of Maryam, the divine messenger says:

لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا

To grant you a pure boy.

Maryam 19:19

غلام زكي means a child who is pure, free from impurity, and ready for soundness. This purity is not merely bodily taharah; it is a description of the child's existential and moral structure.

In the story of Musa and the righteous servant, it also says:

أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ

Did you kill a pure life without another life?

Al-Kahf 18:74

زكية here points to the legal and moral purity of a life from the crime of killing or manifest corruption. Musa speaks from the outward situation: a life that, in his view, is pure has been killed.

Similar Uses

ز ك و, in the context of the self, points to inner purity and growth. In قد أفلح من زكاها, the self is the subject of tazkiyah: the human being must bring it out of impurity and burial and make it grow.

In the context of messengership, tazkiyah is prophetic work. The Messenger recites the signs, teaches the Book and wisdom, and places people in the path of purity and growth.

In the context of zakat, the root enters the field of wealth and society. But the financial meaning must not be separated from the root. Zakat is not merely “payment”; it is a payment that must be tied to purity and growth.

In the context of لا تزكوا أنفسكم, the meaning returns to self-purifying claims and declaring oneself pure, not actual tazkiyah. Therefore, this usage should be translated with phrases such as “do not declare yourselves pure” or “do not engage in spiritual self-praise.”

In the context of أزكى, the meaning returns to a behavior or thing being purer, healthier, or more fitting. This usage is not necessarily financial.

In the context of زكي and زكية, the root points to the purity of a person or life: sometimes existential purity, sometimes purity from a manifest crime.

Grammar and Structure

In ما زكى منكم من أحد أبدا, the negative structure with ما, the emphasis of من أحد, and أبدا show that human purity without the favor and mercy of The God is impossible. This verse rejects the moral self-sufficiency of the human being.

In قد أفلح من زكاها, the verb comes in form II and its object is the self. This structure shows that the self becomes the subject of educational and reforming work.

In ومن تزكى فإنما يتزكى لنفسه, form V shows the human being entering the process of tazkiyah. لنفسه limits the result: the benefit of tazkiyah returns to the human being.

In فلا تزكوا أنفسكم, the same form II appears with the meaning of claiming purity. The context of the verse makes clear that the meaning is not actual purification of the self, but declaring and praising oneself as pure.

In خذ من أموالهم صدقة تطهرهم وتزكيهم بها, بها returns to sadaqah and shows that this sadaqah is the means of tahir-making and tazkiyah. The two verbs تطهرهم and تزكيهم are not identical. Tahir-making emphasizes removing impurity, while tazkiyah emphasizes growth-giving purity and bringing toward soundness.

In آتوا الزكاة, the verb آتوا points to giving and delivering. Zakat must reach its destination. If the name of zakat is present, but the right of the deprived, purification of the self, and reform of the relation with wealth do not come about, the giving of zakat is incomplete in the Qur'anic meaning.

Nearby Roots

ط ه ر points to becoming pure and purifying from impurity. Taharah mostly has the aspect of removing impurity. ز ك و, in addition to purity, also contains sound growth and flourishing. In Al-Tawbah 9:103, tahir-making and tazkiyah appear together and show this difference.

ن م و points to natural growth and increase. Numuw can be biological or volumetric increase, but zaka is pure, sound, and righteous growth. Not every growth is zakat.

ر ب و points to rising, swelling, and increase. Riba has increase, but it is polluted and unjust increase. Zakat is also connected with growth, but it is pure and reforming growth. Riba increases wealth numerically and sickens the social relation; zakat may outwardly reduce wealth, but it brings the self and society closer to sound growth.

ك ث ر and takathur point to increase and rivalry in more. Takathur can trap the human being in competition over number, wealth, children, power, or name. Zakat stands against this direction because it brings wealth out of monopoly and ties it to right and growth.

ص د ق points to truthfulness and sidq. Sadaqah comes from this field and shows the truthfulness of faith and intention. Sadaqah can have the function of tazkiyah, but root-wise it is not the same as zakat.

ن ف ق points to going out, spending, and making wealth or capacity flow. Infaq is moving and bringing something out of the state of holding back. Zakat highlights the purifying and growth-giving result of this flow.

ج و د points to generosity and open-handedness. Jud can be a noble trait, but it is not necessarily the same as zakat. Zakat, beyond giving, is tied to purity, growth, the right of the deprived, and reforming the human relation with wealth.

ك ر م points to nobility, honor, and generosity. Karam has an important place in Arabic culture, but it can also take meaning in the space of pride, reputation, tribal standing, and name. Qur'anic zakat, at its base, is not seeking pride; it seeks tazkiyah and right.

س خ و points to open-handedness and not being miserly. Sakha can be a ground for zakat-like behavior, but zakat is not merely individual generosity. It is a faith-based and social responsibility toward wealth and the deprived.

ع ط و points to giving and granting. Ata shows the act of giving itself, but zakat highlights the purifying and growth-giving effect of giving.

ب ذ ل points to spending and giving from oneself. Badhl can be in the path of good or other than good. Zakat is a badhl that must stand within the orbit of purity, growth, and right.

ق ر ي and qira point to hospitality and feeding guests. This word in Arabic culture is tied to hospitality and generosity, but zakat is not limited to hosting guests. It is connected with the structure of wealth, the right of the deprived, and tazkiyah of the self.

ض ي ف and diyafah point to hospitality. Hospitality can be ethical and humane, but Qur'anic zakat is not merely hosting a guest. It is a more enduring responsibility of the human being toward wealth and society.

Translation Suggestions for Forqan

زكى: became pure; gained pure growth; reached soundness.

زكّى / يزكّي: purified and grew; made tazkiyah; brought to purity and soundness.

تزكّى / يتزكّى: placed oneself in the path of purity and growth; became purified and grown; underwent tazkiyah.

زكاة: zakat; the wealth-purifying and growth-giving responsibility; Qur'anic zakat, not merely religious tax.

آتوا الزكاة: give zakat; deliver zakat to its destination; fulfill the responsibility that purifies wealth and the self.

أزكى: purer, healthier, more fitting, more growth-giving.

هو أزكى لكم: this is purer and more fitting for you.

أزكى طعاما: food that is purer, healthier, or more suitable in terms of purity.

غلاما زكيا: a pure and sound boy.

نفسا زكية: a pure life; a life innocent from the outward matter; a life free from manifest crime.

لا تزكوا أنفسكم: do not declare yourselves pure; do not engage in spiritual self-praise; do not claim purity for yourselves.

تطهرهم وتزكيهم بها: by it you purify them and grow them; by it you cleanse them from impurity and bring them to soundness and growth.

Summary

The root ز ك و indicates becoming pure, growing, flourishing, and increasing in purity and soundness. Its material image is understood from fertile soil, growing crops, a healthy child, and wealth that comes out of stagnation. In the Qur'an, this root is used for the self, the mission of the messengers, zakat, purer behavior, purer food, and a pure person or life.

The difference between ز ك و and taharah is that taharah mostly means removing impurity, while zaka is purity joined with growth and soundness. Its difference from riba and takathur is that they relate to raw or unhealthy increase, while zakat is pure and reforming growth. Its difference from sadaqah and infaq is that sadaqah shows the truthfulness of faith, infaq is the flowing of wealth and capacity, and zakat highlights the purifying and growth-giving effect of that flow.

Zakat in the Qur'an must be understood in light of this root: not merely a financial payment, not religious tax, not an instrument of authority, but purity and growth through freeing wealth from stagnation, freeing the self from miserliness, and delivering the right to where it must reach.