إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
“Lo! those who believe and do good works and establish worship and pay the poor-due, their reward is with their Lord and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, this verse informs that those who believe and perform righteous deeds, who perform prayer by observing its times and limits, and who give zakat to those entitled to it in their wealth, even if they had consumed usury before, will have their reward with their Lord in the hereafter because they repent and refrain from it when they receive an admonition from their Lord regarding this matter. These people have neither fear of punishment on the Day of Judgment nor sorrow in the world because of the usurious gain they abandoned; because they have attained Allah's promise.
إن الذين آمنوا، يعني الذين صدقوا بالله وبرسوله، وبما جاء به من عند ربهم من تحريم الربا وأكله وغير ذلك من سائر شرائع دينه، وعملوا الصالحات التي أمرهم الله عز وجل بها، والتي ندبهم إليها وأقاموا الصلاة المفروضة بحدودها، وأدوها بسننها، وآتوا الزكاة المفروضة عليهم في أموالهم
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, although prayer and zakat are included within righteous deeds, the fact that they are mentioned separately is to bestow honor upon these two acts of worship and to draw attention to their values; because prayer is the head of physical deeds and zakat is the head of wealth-related deeds. Furthermore, the performance of prayer means fulfilling it while observing its obligatory aspects, its reverence, and its times in accordance with their prescribed form and manner.
وخص الصلاة والزكاة بالذكر وقد تضمنها عمل الصالحات تشريفا لهما وتنبيها على قدرهما إذ هما رأس الأعمال الصلاة في أعمال البدن والزكاة في أعمال المال
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, this expression indicates that prayer must be performed with observance of its limits (hudûdiha), its times (mevâkîtihâ), its bowing and prostration, and its reverence in a manner compliant with the Sharia and Allah's pleasure. According to this text, prayer is the greatest of acts of worship in Allah's sight.
بحدودها ومواقيتها وركوعها وسجدوها وخشوعها على الوجه الشرعي المرضي وهي أعظم العبادات لله عز وجل
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, in this verse righteous deeds are first mentioned in general, then prayer and zakat are specifically mentioned again; the reason for this is that these two acts of worship are superior to and more prominent than other righteous deeds. These servants have their reward with their Lord; they do not fear what is to come (fear of the hereafter) and they do not grieve over what they have missed or lost.
وعملوا الصالحات وأقاموا الصلاة وآتوا الزكاة عطفهما على ما يعمهما لإنافتهما على سائر الأعمال الصالحة. لهم أجرهم عند ربهم ولا خوف عليهم من آت. ولا هم يحزنون على فائت.
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes accept that the verse mentions faith, righteous deeds, prayer, and zakat together; and although prayer and zakat fall within the scope of righteous deeds, they are emphasized separately. Furthermore, the common emphasis is that those possessing these attributes will be secure from fear and sorrow in the hereafter and their reward is with Allah.
Differences
Taberî connects the verse to the context of usury, specifically noting that penitent usurers are included in this glad tidings; this is a contextual-historical reading. Kurtubî and Beydâvî, on the other hand, focus on the relationship of 'specific-general' (khâss-'âmm) from the perspective of language and rhetoric, attempting to explain why prayer and zakat are mentioned separately. Ibn Kesîr presents a more detailed juridical-ethical description regarding the formal and spiritual conditions of prayer (reverence, timing, pillars).
Historical context
The early exegete Taberî tends to ground the verse more in the historical/event context (the prohibition of usury); later exegetes Kurtubî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî have become more systematically engaged with the linguistic structure of the verse and the juridical-ethical content of acts of worship over time. This reflects the methodological development of the exegetical tradition from event-centered interpretation to linguistic and worship-centered analysis; however, the fundamental message has remained stable.