Surah 107. Al-Ma'un

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Verses [Section]: 1-7[1]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-7107. Al-Ma'unبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِاَرَءَیْتَHave you seenالَّذِیْthe one whoیُكَذِّبُdeniesبِالدِّیْنِؕthe Judgment فَذٰلِكَThen thatالَّذِیْ(is) the one whoیَدُعُّrepulsesالْیَتِیْمَۙthe orphan وَ لَاAnd (does) notیَحُضُّfeel the urgeعَلٰیtoطَعَامِfeedالْمِسْكِیْنِؕthe poor فَوَیْلٌSo woeلِّلْمُصَلِّیْنَۙto those who pray الَّذِیْنَThose whoهُمْ[they]عَنْofصَلَاتِهِمْtheir prayersسَاهُوْنَۙ(are) neglectful الَّذِیْنَThose whoهُمْ[they]یُرَآءُوْنَۙmake show وَ یَمْنَعُوْنَAnd they denyالْمَاعُوْنَ۠[the] small kindness

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Translation of Verse 1-7In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(107:1) Did you see him¹ who gives the lie to the Reward and Punishment² of the Hereafter?³

(107:2) Such is⁴ the one who repulses the orphans away,⁵

(107:3) and urges⁶ not the feeding of the needy.⁷

(107:4) Woe, then, to those who pray,⁸

(107:5) but are heedless in their Prayers,⁹

(107:6) those who do good (in order) to be seen,¹⁰

(107:7) and deny people the articles of common necessity.¹¹

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Commentary

1. Though the term of address is directed at the Prophet (peace be upon him), the message is meant for all thinking men. As for ‘seeing’, it includes both the literal sense and also reflection. Attention is drawn to him who gives lies-about the reward and punishment of the Hereafter.

2. From the context, it is evident that the issue of having seen that person is not important. Rather, attention is drawn ‘to the morally degenerate outlook of the person who rejects the doctrine of the Hereafter. Readers’ curiosity is thus aroused to find out more about such a person which, in turn, impresses on them the - significance of belief in the Hereafter.

3. al-Din carries in Qur’anic parlance two meanings: (i) divine recompense in the Hereafter, and (ii) the faith of Islam. Here, the former sense is more applicable, though the latter cannot be altogether ruled out. Ibn ‘Abbas opts for the latter, while the majority of Qur’anic scholars prefer the former. Taken in its former sense, the Surah portrays the wicked conduct of one who lies about the divine recompense to be meted out in the Hereafter. In the latter sense, it brings into sharper focus the Surah’s main theme to emphasize the significance of Islam’s moral code. Islam trains its followers in a way that they stand out above others in their morals and conduct.

4. The word fa at the end of verse 2 is quite meaningful, as it _identifies the person and the root cause of his despicable behavior — namely, his rejection of the Hereafter.

5. The phrase yadu“u al-yatim admits several meanings: (i) He usurps the orphan’s belongings, deprives him of his father’s inheritance and drives him away empty-handed. (ii) As an orphan seeks his help, far from being kind to him, he repulses him away. If the former persists in his request, he pushes and drives him away even further. (iii) He oppresses the orphan. If he has an orphan boy in his household, he makes him do domestic chores and rebukes him all the time. He does not do so occasionally but rather habitually, without ever ‘realizing his misconduct. Without any qualm of conscience, he keeps exploiting the orphan, a poor helpless creature. Brazenly, he usurps the latter’s belongings, oppresses him and misbehaves generally towards him. In his A‘lam al-Nubuwwah, Qadi Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi recorded the following incident which is quite revealing: Abu Jahl was the guardian of an orphan. One day the boy appeared before him, without any clothes on his body and begged him to give some money out of the inheritance left behind by his father. Abu Jahl did not even look at him and he went away empty handed. The Quraysh chiefs mischievously suggested to the orphan boy that he complain about this to the Prophet (peace be upon him). They assured him that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would help him retrieve his belongings usurped by Abu Jahl. That poor, little boy could not see through their design, as he had no idea of the relation between the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Jahl. Straight away he went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and recounted his plight. Instantly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took him to Abu Jahl’s house. Abu Jahl received him and as the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him to return the orphan’s due, he did so immediately. The Quraysh chiefs expected a fierce clash between the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Jahl over this issue. On noting Abu Jahl’s ungrudging compliance with the Prophet's directive, they were stunned and taunted him for having surrendered so meekly. They also accused him of having abandoned his ancestral faith. He replied: “By God I have not abandoned my faith. However, I felt both to the right and left of Muhammad a weapon, about to pierce me, if I refused to follow his directive.” This incident gives a fair idea of the attitude of the Quraysh chiefs towards orphans. This is how these influential and respectable chiefs exploited not only orphans, but also the weak and helpless. It also reinforces the moral fervor of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and its impact even on his worst enemies. Out of desperation, the Quraysh chiefs therefore dubbed him a magician.

6. Neither does he feed the needy nor does he urge his family and others to do so. He is insensitive to the cries of the hungry and the needy. Equally negligent is he of his duty to help them. Two illustrations are provided here in order to show that vices are bred as a result of denying the Hereafter. These verses mention two vices in particular. However, these are not the only two vices repulsing orphans and not feeding the needy that mar one’s conduct if one rejects the Hereafter. Numerous errors are perpetrated. The Qur’an cites only two of these, which convince every sane and reasonable person that they are loathsome practices. Had this person believed in his answerability to Allah, he would not have committed such demeaning acts of wronging and oppressing orphans and of refusing and not asking others to feed the needy. In contrast, those who believe in the Hereafter display these characteristics: “They counsel each other to hold on to truth and counsel each other to be steadfast” (al-’Asr 103: 3).

7. He does not urge the feeding of the needy. The latter have a right to be fed by the affluent. As one feeds a needy person, he discharges his duty. The same point is made elsewhere in the Qur’an thus: “And in their wealth there is a rightful share for him who would ask and for the destitute,” (al-Dhariyat 51: 19).

8. Attention is now turned to the misconduct of hypocrites who consider themselves members of the community that offers Prayers. Notwithstanding their claim to be Muslims, they do not believe in the Hereafter. Thus they court their own ruin. Musallin literally means those who offer Prayers. In the present context, however, it stands for those who project themselves as members of the community that performs Prayers.

9. The allusion is not to one’s occasional forgetfulness during Prayer. This is not a sin, what to say of being a sign of hypocrisy. One may be excused for lapses. Occasionally the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself fell prey to forgetting during Prayer and. he prescribed the compensatory prostration (sajdah sahw) for any such lapse.

The verse, however, is concerned with those who are heedless of their Prayer. Offering Prayer is not important for them. At times they say it, and at others they neglect it altogether. Even when they pray, they do so at the expiry of its appointed hour. They pray without any interest or devotion. They take it as a burden, one they want to get rid of at the earliest. While offering Prayer, they engage in all sorts of distractions yawning and toying with their clothes. They lack concentration and remembrance of Allah. They go only through the motions while praying, without realizing the meaning and significance of their Prayer. They want to complete a formality, without paying attention to the components of Prayer.

Some of them offer Prayer only if they are-at a public place, in the company of Muslims. Otherwise Prayer does not have any place in their daily schedules. When it is time for Prayer, they remain engaged in their mundane acts. Nor do they pay heed to the Adhan, the call to Prayer. All this betrays their lack of belief in the Hereafter. For they do not believe that they will get any reward for their Prayer or face any punishment for neglecting it. Anas ibn Malik and ‘Ata’ ibn Dinar, therefore, expressed their great joy over the thrust of the verse in so far as it warns only those negligent of Prayer, not those who commit some lapse in their Prayer. As long as someone does not abandon Prayer, they will not be reckoned among the hypocrites.

As to the condition of hypocrites, the Qur’an informs: “Whenever they come to Prayer they do so lazily, and whenever they spend they do so grudgingly,” (al-Tawbah 9: 54).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is on record as remarking: “This is how a hypocrite offers Prayer. He keeps watching the sun set.at the time of ‘Asr and when it almost sets, he says Prayer hastily, without remembering Allah much,” (Bukhari, Muslim, Kitab Sifat al-Mundafiqin, and Ahmad). Mus‘ab ibn Sa’d relates from his father, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said regarding those heedless in Prayer: “They delay praying, and do not perform it at its appointed hour,” (Ibn Jarir, Abu Ya‘la, Ibn al- Mundhitr, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani, Ibn Marduwayh and Bayhaqi). As a mawquf report this features as Sa‘d’s own observation, rather than as the Prophet's saying. The latter version is more authentic in terms of its chain of narrators. Bayhaqi and Hakim regard it as a weak Hadith. Mus‘ab’s other report is: “I asked my father whether he had any reflections on this verse. Does it refer to one’s abandoning of Prayer or to the loss of focus and concentration during Prayer? All of us are liable to have some distractions while praying. To this he replied: ‘No, it speaks only of deferring Prayer and offering it after its appointed hour’, (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abu Ya‘la, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduwayh and Bayhaqi).

Let us clarify that occasionally being distracted during Prayer and not paying heed to Prayer are two entirely different acts. The former is natural and results from human failings whereby one may involuntarily think of other things while praying. However, a believer turns with full attention to Prayer as soon as he recognizes his lapse. The latter, however, betrays one’s disregard for Prayer.

For a hypocrite only goes through the motions of Prayer. His objective is not to remember Allah. He never turns to Him, though he outwardly performs all the postures of Prayer. He is engrossed in his worldly thoughts while praying.

10. This may be taken both as an independent statement and as an extension of the preceding one. In the former sense, it declares that hypocrites do not perform any good act sincerely, for the sake of Allah. Even when they do some good, it is a show off for earning name and fame as righteous people. They are only after some worldly gain in doing good. In the latter sense, it states that they offer Prayer only in order to-be seen. Qur’anic scholars generally opt for the latter sense, and it is thematically linked with the preceding verses. Ibn ‘Abbas elucidates: “The allusion is to hypocrites who used to pray only in order to be seen. In others’ presence they prayed and in private they did not.” His other explanation is: “They did not pray when they were alone, However, they prayed when they had company,” (Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduwayh and Bayhaqi). The Qur’an speaks of the same thus: “When they rise to Prayer, they rise reluctantly, and only to be seen by people. They remember Allah but little,” (al-Nisa’ 4: 142).

11. The word ma‘un is explained as Zakah by ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Umar, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Qatadah, Hasan Basri, Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah, Dahhak, Ibn Zayd, ‘Ikrimah, Mujahid, ‘Ata’ and Zuhri. As opposed to them, Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Mas‘ud, Ibrahim Nakha‘i, Abu Malik and many other Qur’anic scholars take it to mean articles of common necessity such as pots, axes, scales, salt, water, or fire brands, which people borrow from one another in everyday life. Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and Mujahid endorse the same view in a report. According to ‘Ali, it signifies both Zakah and items of daily use. ‘Ikrimah cites Ibn Abi Hatim to the effect that the highest degree of ma‘un is Zakah, while its lowest is to lend a pot or needle and thread to someone. ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud says: “We the Companions or we used to say in the Prophet's day that ma’un stands for such ordinary items of daily use as pots, axes, and scales, etc. for lending to others.” (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Abu Dawud, Nasa’I, Bazzar, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani, Ibn Marduwayh and Bayhaqi.) Sa’d ibn ‘lyad cites the same report, though without specifying any name. What he says is that he heard a similar report from several Companions, (Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Shaybah). Daylami, ‘Ibn ‘Asakir, and Abu Nu‘aym quote Abu Hurayrah’s report: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself interpreted ma‘un as articles of daily use.” If this Hadith is authentic, it may not have reached all the Companions. Otherwise, it would not then have been interpreted differently.

Maun is used of small, common items of daily use. In a sense, Zakah carries the same meaning: a small amount of one’s riches is given to help the poor. The other meaning of ma‘un as offered by Ibn Mas‘ud and others is perfectly valid. Most Qur’anic scholars are of the view that ma‘un includes all the articles of common necessity as may be borrowed by neighbors. It is also common practice as anyone, rich or poor alike, may need these. Denying these out of miserliness is bad manners. For neighbors return them intact. Maun also consists in lending one’s cots or oven to one’s neighbor who has some guests. Its other instance is to place in someone’s safe custody one’s valuables when leaving one’s home for a trip or journey away. The Abiding message of the Surah is that rejection of the Hereafter degrades and demeans man so much that he is not willing to do even a small favor to help his fellow human beings.