Sūrat al-Māʿūn
سورۃ الماعون
Sūrat al-Māʿūn, Makkī — revealed in Makkah. It has seven (7) āyāt.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillāhi l-Raḥmāni l-Raḥīm.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ
a-raʾayta l-ladhī yukadhdhibu bi-l-dīn.
"Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense?" (al-Māʿūn 107:1)
A — have you. Raʾayt — seen, you have seen. Al-ladhī — who, the one who. Yukadhdhibu — he denies, he refuses to accept. Bi-l-dīn — the faith and Judgement — he does not believe in punishment and reward — he believes that just as animals come and go, so too human beings come and go — and nothing will happen after death to call him to account.
Translation: "Have you seen that person who does not accept the punishment and recompense?"
فَذَٰلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ
fa-dhālika l-ladhī yaduʿʿu l-yatīm.
"For that is the one who drives away the orphan." (al-Māʿūn 107:2)
Fa — then. Dhālika — he, the very one. Al-ladhī — who. Yadaʿʿu — he pushes — shoves, pushes away, and drives around. Al-yatīm — the orphan — the child whose father has died, the one with no guardian.
Translation: "So it is that same person (who is without punishment and reward in mind) who pushes away the orphan and (helpless child) and drives them away."
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ
wa-lā yaḥuḍḍu ʿalā ṭaʿāmi l-miskīn.
"And does not encourage the feeding of the poor." (al-Māʿūn 107:3)
Wa — and. Lā yaḥuḍḍu — he does not give encouragement, does not motivate. ʿAlā — to. Ṭaʿām — food, eating. Al-masākīn — the poor, the destitute — who do not have the power to eat — the one who is incapable of eating for himself — not giving a word of encouragement to others for feeding the poor — no, rather he prevents even those who wish to give from giving.
Translation: "And he does not even encourage (anyone) to feed the poor."
Now what is this person's relationship with God? What kind of treatment does he have with God?
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
fa-waylun li-l-muṣallīna. al-ladhīna hum ʿan ṣalātihim sāhūn.
"So woe to those who pray, those who are heedless of their prayer." (al-Māʿūn 107:4–5)
Fa — then, so. Waylun — woe, alas. Li-l-muṣallīn — for those who perform prayer — such prayer-goers — woe upon such prayer-goers. Al-ladhīna hum — those who. ʿAn ṣalātihim — about their prayer — ṣalāt — prayer. Sāhūn — heedless, inattentive, mindless — who do not know when the prayer comes, when it goes. Who do not remember what they prayed in the first rakʿa and the second. Which sūra did they read? The husband forgets — the wife and children also forget. Yataʿallam — wa-hunāka yaʿlamūn — and they close with al-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatullāh.
Translation: "So woe upon such prayer-goers — who are heedless of their own prayer."
الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ
al-ladhīna hum yurāʾūn.
"Those who make show of it." (al-Māʿūn 107:6)
Al-ladhīna — those. Hum — they. Yurāʾūn — they make a show, perform for display — they pray for the purpose of people, so people will see them. All their work is for show — the Qurʾān does not reach even their throat level.
Translation: "Who perform for display."
وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ
wa-yamnaʿūna l-māʿūn.
"And withhold small kindnesses." (al-Māʿūn 107:7)
Wa-yamnaʿūna — and they prevent and withhold things, stop them. Al-māʿūn — aid and relief, charitable assistance — small necessities, things of daily need — utensils, kitchen implements — assistance which is given as a small loan for some need. The meaning here also includes zakāt and all forms of charity.
Translation: "And they even prevent others from giving even the smallest necessities of help."
Esteemed readers! What is happening in our present time? No zakāt is given — no one looks after the poor — no orphan-houses — there is some arrangement for the care of destitute families — and the law of the land is such that begging has been banned. Wherever there is a beggar, he is told to take himself off. So poverty drives them out from the doorstep, drives them away. Such is the harshness in their heart — they say there is no punishment and recompense from God — no, God is watching from above. They say — because they say Allah does not exist — it is not admitted in their heart — "we do not want reward and punishment — because if God is a witness then what is our good deed?" Esteemed readers — "You have let your own hand slip and God has let His blessing slip from this world — now they see the rupee rolling away. This is the result of all our negligence — and the one who does not give zakāt does not even match with rain." As for those who give even a little — Allah Most High has said: wa-mā umirū illā li-yaʿbudū llāha mukhlisīna lahu l-dīna ḥunafāʾa wa-yuqīmū l-ṣalāta wa-yuʾtū l-zakāta wa-dhālika dīnu l-qayyima — see and ponder the consequences for those who deviate from the commands of God.