Surat Al-Ma’oonThe small kindness

بالدين ) يكذب الذي (1أرأيت• 1. Have you seen him who denies the Recompense?

اليتيم ) يدع الذي (2فذلك• 2. That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly).

المسكين ) طعام على يحض (3وال• 3. And urges not the feeding of AlMiskin (the poor).

للمصلين ) (4فويل• 4. So woe unto those performers of Salat (prayers) (hypocrites).

ساهون ) صالتهم/ عن هم (5الذين• 5. Who delay their Salat (prayer) from their stated fixed times.

يراءون ) هم (6الذين• 6. Those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men).

الماعون ) (7ويمنعون• 7. And refuse Al-Ma'un (small kindnesses e.g. salt, sugar, water,

etc.).

• Its names:

1) Surat Al-Ma'oon: because this word came in the last verse. (this word came just one time in Al-Qur'an)

2) Surat (أرأيت) or (أرأيت الذي يكذب بالدين), as some of the companions call it. (because it’s the first word in the first verse in this Sura).

3) Surat (التكذيب) ( الدين( و)اليتيمو) : As these words came in this Sura.

• Time of revelation:

The first three verses revealed in Makkah, the

rest four verses revealed in Al-Madina.

• The reason of its revelation: • Ibn Abbas said: its been revealed about ( العاص

وائل As-Suddi said: its been revealed about (بن( المغيرة بن ) or (الوليد جهل because Abu Jahl :(أبوwas a conservator (guardian) over an orphan who came one day to Abu Jahl naked, and asked him from his money, then Abu Jahl refused to give him and pushed him away.

- Some scholars said its been revealed about ( سفيان who used to slaughter a camel every (أبو

week, then an orphan came to ask him for a piece, Abu Sufian hit him with a stick.

• The theme of this Sura:

Warning against denying the Day of Judgment, because it’s a reason behind the bad manners and morals.

• The relation between Surat Al-Ma'oon and its theme:

Allah mentioned many descriptions about the disbelievers who deny the Day of Judgment. (Deny to be accounted).

Allah mentioned also the descriptions of hypocrites:

- They are (Sahun) in their prayer. - Worshipping just to show-off (not for Allah's sake) - Preventing doing kindness toward others.

• The reason of its beginning:

The question in the first verse is for wondering from the disbeliever's state. They disbelieved in the Day of Judgment, and that will lead to bad manners (harming the orphan, prevent helping the poor,… etc.)

• The relation between its beginning and its end: The beginning of this Sura is Makkeyyah: It talks about the

disbelievers. The end is Madaneyyah: It talks about the hypocrites. → The

disbeliever denies the Recompense so therefore he repulses the orphan harshly and urges not on the feeding of the poor. (two descriptions).

→ He didn't neither do good in worshiping Allah nor in giving the people's right.

The end of this Sura: dispraise the hypocrite who shows Islam and hides Al-Kofr.

He is careless in performing the prayer, showing-off his acts of worships and withhold Al-Ma'oon (Three descriptions).

→ Allah has threatened both parties with disgrace, torment and destroy.

The reason of the Question at the beginning is to draw their attention towards their bad attitudes with wondering from them.

• The relation between the beginning of this Sura and the end of Surat Quraish:

• The end of Surat Quraish is: (الذي أطعمهم من جوع): Allah reminded Quraish with His favor upon them: (He had fed them against hunger): This is the opposite to

Those who urge not on :(وال يحض على طعام المسكين) - the feeding the poor.

let them worship Allah the Lord of :(فليعبدوا رب هذا البيت) - this House (Al-Ka'bah). This is against ( الذين هم عن.(صالتهم ساهون، الذين هم يراؤون

→ After counting the favors upon Quraish who denied the Recompense, the beginning of this Sura came to threaten them from His punishment and to frighten them from His torment.

• The relation between the parts of Surat Al-Ma'oon and its theme:

• Every one who denies the Recompense, his behavior will be bad, he will go against the orphan, treat the poor badly, not to perform the Salat in a proper way or show-off his prayers and withhold the small kindness.

• The relation between its parts:

- Surat Al-Ma'oon started with those who denied the Recompense, then it talked about the impact of it. This is a description of the disbelievers and a description of the hypocrites. All the bad manners are a result of disbelieving in the Recompense.

- Hypocrisy is leading to Kofr (disbelieving).→ There is a strong link between hypocrisy and

disbelieving.

• The relation between Surat Al-Ma’oon and Surat Quraish: - There are many links between them: In Surat Quraish: (الذي أطعمهم من جوع): He has fed them against

hunger. Allah dispraised those who denied the favors of Allah . In Surat Al-Ma'oon : Allah dispraised these who urged not on the

feeding of the poor. (وال يحض على طعام المسكين) - In Surat Quraish: (فليعبدوا رب هذا البيت), let them worship the Lord

of the House (Al-Ka'bah). → Allah ordered the people to worship Him alone (Islamic

Monotheism). In Surat Al-Ma'oon: Allah dispraised these who delay their Salat

from their stated fixed times (الذين هم عن صالتهم ساهون) and ( الذين.Those who do good deeds only to be seen .(هم يراؤون

In Surat Quraish: Allah mentioned His graces that He bestowed them upon Quraish, and in spite of that, they denied the Recompense. Allah threaten them with His torment in the Hereafter.

• The relation between Surat Al-Ma'oon and Al-Kawther: - In Surat Al-Ma'oon: Allah showed us the attitude of

the disbelievers towards the favors that He bestowed upon them, and the attitude of the hypocrites towards the prayer and the good deeds.

- Surat Al-Kawther: came to show us that Allah ordered the Prophet () to pray and sacrifice for His sake, reminding him with the favors that He bestowed upon him.

So even if there are people who turned away from doing good deeds and disobeyed Allah , there are people who respond to Allah’s orders and legislations.

• The general explanation: Islam is not a religion of an apparent acts and worships, but it’s the

religion of Ikhlas (sincerity). The sincerity will affect the heart which is the king of the limbs (soldiers) who will force them to worship Allah

The Prophet () said: “Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body, if it becomes good (reformed), the whole body becomes good, but if it gets spoilt, the whole body gets spoilt, and that is the heart.” (Al-Bukhari 52)

Islam is not a religion of separated act of worships that we can choose what we want or refuse doing what we want. No, it's a perfect religion (by obeying all its rules and regulations), this will guide to a righteous community, purified hearts and helping each other in virtues and piety. ( والتقوى (البر

If the reality of the faith and the belief in the Day of Judgment is not established in the hearts → then the person who performs the acts of the worships apparently is not Muslim. (even if he called him self Muslim).

→ Believing in Allah and in the Day of Judgment (by the heart) → will push to perform the acts of worships and perform the rights of Allah and the rights of people. ( اآلخر واليوم بالله (والمؤمنون

• This is a question for wondering. Which :(أرأيت الذي يكذب بالدين)means: How come shall the people disbelieve in the Day of Judgment, after all what they saw and heard.

As a result of this disbelief: The disbeliever :(فذلك الذي يدع اليتيم، وال يحض على طعام المسكين) (1

will humiliate the orphan and prevent helping poor people. It's a :(فويل للمصلين، الذين هم عن صالتهم ساهون، الذين هم يراؤون) (2

Warning to those who pray but they are (ساهون).:has many meanings :(ساهون) a) The hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private.b) Those who pray it completely out of its stated time.c) Those who perform the prayer delayed even if its in it stated timed) Those who are absent minded in their prayer.e) Those who don't fulfill its pillars, conditions and the required manners.f) Those who do not perform it with humility and contemplation of its

meanings.

→ The wording of this verse comprises all these meanings. However, whoever has any characteristic of this that we have mentioned, then a portion of this verse applies to him. And whoever has all of these characteristics, then he has completed his share of this verse, and the hypocrisy of actions is fulfilled on him.

Allah ordered us in many verses (ا الصالةBوأقيمو) is the established prayer is (اإلقامة) not to perform it just by words and acts, but with gathering the heart with what we are saying.

If they believe in the Day of Judgment, they will pray for Allah's sake not to show off. They will believe that there will come a day when they are going to be rewarded, so they will know that the people whom they pray for, they will not benefit them.

* It was narrated that Ibn Abbas () said: “The Messenger of Allah () said: ‘Whoever wants to be heard of, Allah will make him heard of, and whoever wants to be seen, Allah will display him.’”

* Omar bin Al-Khattab went out of the Masjid, then he saw Mu'ath at the Prophet's grave crying, so he asked him: "Why are you crying?" Then Mu'ath said: "A Hadith which I heard from the Prophet when he said: "A little of a show-off is shirk"'

- Allah said in Surat Al-Ankaboot (29:45):“إن الصالة تنهى عن الفحشاء والمنكر ”

Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.)

- And because the prayer has not been performed as Allah wants. Therefore this prayer will not prevent from any kind of sin, that’s why the next verse is:

(ويمنعون الماعون:)They withhold even the small kindness. They prevent all the good deeds from other people, because if they pray well, their prayers will encourage them to every good and forbid them from every evil.• has many meanings: Things that people (rich and poor) (الماعون)

used to ask, like: Axe, Pot, bucket, sieve, needle, water, salt, fire and so on.

This means that they do not worship their Lord well, nor do they treat His creation well. They do not even lend that which others may benefit from and be helped by, even though the object will remain intact and be returned to them. These people are even stingier when it comes to giving Zakah and different types of charity that bring one closer to Allah.

• In this verse there is a warning from meanness, because preventing these little things which will not be decreased is a severe meanness.

• Lessons from Surat Al-Ma'oon:1) Allah is the most Merciful, because He guided people to what will benefit them in

this life and in the Hereafter. Allah is Rich, free of all needs, full of Mercy, as He said in Surat Al-An'am (6:133).

( ( الرحمةووربك الغني ذ And your Lord is Rich (Free of all wants), full of Mercy.

2) The affirmation of the Day of Judgment. 3) The lesson is sought from the general expression and not from the special reason.

[This is a base in Fiqh]. We can understand it by knowing that the verses. ((أرأيت الذي يكذBب بالدين، فذلك الذي يدBع اليتيم، وال يحض على طعام المسكين

Are not specified with the persons whom they were the reason of its revelation, but it can be applied to every one who has the same descriptions.

4) Dispraise every one who denies the Recompense, eats an orphan's money and humiliates him.

“It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'The one who sponsors an orphan, whether it is a relative of his or not, he and I will be like these two in Paradise,'" and Malik (a sub narrator) pointed with his forefinger and middle finger. (Muslim 2983)

5) Dispraise those who urge not on the feeding of the poor because of there meanness and denying the Recompense.

Woe = The severe torment in the Hellfire = الويل (6will be to everyone who:

a) Not performing the prayer the in the same way as Allah wants to be performed.

b) Show-off the the acts of worships.c) Preventing kindness even if they are small. → These descriptions are for hypocrites and they

could be in Muslims. Everyone who has some of them, he is included in that threat.