فَلَا صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّىٰ 31
Translations
And he [i.e., the disbeliever] had not believed, nor had he prayed.
Transliteration
Falā saddaqa wa lā sallā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the deeds of those who reject faith and deny the Day of Judgment, stating they neither believed (saddaqa) nor prayed (sallā). According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this refers to those who rejected both the message of the Prophet and the obligation of worship, combining disbelief in Allah's signs with abandonment of ritual prayer. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the negation of both belief and prayer represents a complete rejection of Islam's fundamental pillars—iman (faith) and 'ibadah (worship).
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Qiyamah, revealed in Mecca, addresses the reality of the Day of Resurrection and mankind's denial of it. This ayah appears within a passage describing the state of those who deny the Hereafter and their ultimate fate, serving as a warning about the consequences of rejecting faith and neglecting prescribed duties.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The covenant between us and them is prayer; whoever abandons it has disbelieved' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2619). Additionally, the Prophet emphasized that prayer is the pillar of the deen (Sunan Ibn Majah 3973), directly connecting faith with the practice of salah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that true faith (iman) must be accompanied by action, particularly the performance of salah, which is the most visible manifestation of worship and obedience to Allah. Neglecting prayer despite claiming belief reveals a deficiency in one's faith and commitment to Islam.