—both outward and inward. Taqwā, for its part, is an all-embracing term that entails refraining from every prohibited matter.

The same rule applies to the words ithm (sin) and ʿudwān (transgression). When the two are mentioned together, ithm refers to offenses committed against Allah, whereas ʿudwān denotes bold aggression against people—whether against their lives or their honor. If ithm appears on its own, it covers every sin that incurs guilt for its perpetrator, whether the wrong is between him and his Lord or between him and other people. The same holds true when ʿudwān is mentioned alone.

A similar pattern is found with the pairings “worship and reliance” (ʿibādah wa-tawakkul) and “worship and seeking help” (ʿibādah wa-istiʿānah). Whenever worship is mentioned by itself in the Quran, it embraces everything Allah loves and approves of, outward and inward, and foremost among what it comprises are tawakkul (reliance) and istiʿānah (seeking help). But when worship is coupled with tawakkul or istiʿānah—such as in His words, “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help” (Al-Fātiḥah 1:5) and “So worship Him and put your trust in Him” (Hūd 11:123)—worship is interpreted as every commanded act, inward and outward, while tawakkul is defined as the heart’s dependence on Allah for carrying out those acts, for obtaining every benefit, and for warding off every harm, all with complete confidence in Him.

The same distinction holds for the terms faqīr and miskīn. When either one is mentioned alone, it subsumes the other, as is the case in most verses. When they are mentioned together, however—as in the verse concerning the recipients of zakah, “Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and the needy” (Al-Tawbah 9:60)—the faqīr is understood to be the person in extreme need who finds nothing, or who finds something that still leaves his need unmet, while the miskīn is the one whose need is less severe.

The rule likewise covers expressions that signify reciting the Book and holding fast to it, meaning following it—an obligation that encompasses the entire religion. When prayer is then mentioned alongside that duty, as in “Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish the prayer” (Al-ʿAnkabūt 29:45) and “Those who hold fast to the Book and establish the prayer” (Al-Aʿrāf 7:170), the separate mention of prayer serves to magnify it, underscore its rank, and urge its observance; otherwise, it is already included within the general wording of recitation and adherence to the Book and similar terms.