Today's verse

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم

Chapter  98
Surat Al- Bayyinah
(The Clear Proof) -
ﺳﻮﺭﺓ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﻨﺔ .

Verse 5

Arabic

ﻭَﻣَﺎ ﺃُﻣِﺮُﻭﺍ ﺇِﻟَّﺎ ﻟِﻴَﻌْﺒُﺪُﻭﺍ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪَﻣُﺨْﻠِﺼِﻴﻦَ ﻟَﻪُ ﺍﻟﺪِّﻳﻦَ ﺣُﻨَﻔَﺎﺀَ ﻭَﻳُﻘِﻴﻤُﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﺼَّﻠَﺎﺓَ ﻭَﻳُﺆْﺗُﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﺰَّﻛَﺎﺓَ ۚ ﻭَﺫَٰﻟِﻚَ ﺩِﻳﻦُ ﺍﻟْﻘَﻴِّﻤَﺔِ
Transliteration

Wamaa umiruu illa liya'abudul llaha mukhli'siina lahud diina 'hunafaaha wayuqiimus 'salaata wa yuutuz zakaata wa dhaalika diinul qayyimah

Translation:
5. And they were
commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, making religion purely for Him alone, Hunafa', and that they performSalah and give Zakah, and that is the right religion.

Tafsir

The Command of Allah was merely that They make their Religion solely for Him
Allah says,

﴿ﻭَﻣَﺂ ﺃُﻣِﺮُﻭﺍْ ﺇِﻻَّ ﻟِﻴَﻌْﺒُﺪُﻭﺍْ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪَ
ﻣُﺨْﻠِﺼِﻴﻦَ ﻟَﻪُ ﺍﻟﺪِّﻳﻦَ﴾
(And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, making religion purely for Him alone,)

This is similar to Allah's statement,

﴿ﻭَﻣَﺂ ﺃَﺭْﺳَﻠْﻨَﺎ ﻣِﻦ ﻗَﺒْﻠِﻚَ ﻣِﻦ
ﺭَّﺳُﻮﻝٍ ﺇِﻻَّ ﻧُﻮﺣِﻰ ﺇِﻟَﻴْﻪِ ﺃَﻧَّﻪُ ﻻ
ﺇِﻟَـﻪَ ﺇِﻻَّ ﺃَﻧَﺎْ ﻓَﺎﻋْﺒُﺪُﻭﻥِ ﴾

(And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him: La ilaha illa Ana.) (21:25)

Thus, Allah says,
﴿ﺣُﻨَﻔَﺂﺀَ﴾
(Hunafa') meaning, avoiding Shirk and being truly devout to Tawhid.

This is like Allah's statement,

﴿ﻭَﻟَﻘَﺪْ ﺑَﻌَﺜْﻨَﺎ ﻓِﻰ ﻛُﻞِّ ﺃُﻣَّﺔٍ ﺭَّﺳُﻮﻻً ﺃَﻥِ ﺍﻋْﺒُﺪُﻭﺍْ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﻭَﺍﺟْﺘَﻨِﺒُﻮﺍْ ﺍﻟْﻄَّـﻐُﻮﺕَ﴾

(And Verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid the Taghut (false deities).'') (16:36)

A discussion of the word Hanif has already been
mentioned previously and in Surat Al- An`am, so there is no need to repeat it here.

﴿ﻭَﻳُﻘِﻴﻤُﻮﺍْ ﺍﻟﺼَّﻠَﻮﺓَ﴾
(and perform Salah) And this is the best of the physical forms of worship.

﴿ﻭَﻳُﺆْﺗُﻮﺍْ ﺍﻟﺰَّﻛَﻮﺓَ﴾
(and give Zakah,) This is doing good to the poor and the needy.

﴿ﻭَﺫَﻟِﻚَ ﺩِﻳﻦُ ﺍﻟﻘَﻴِّﻤَﺔِ﴾
(and that is the right religion.) meaning,
the upright and just religion, or the nation
that is straight and balanced.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir