...
اَرَءَيۡتَ الَّذِىۡ يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّيۡنِؕ
فَذٰلِكَ الَّذِىۡ يَدُعُّ الۡيَتِيۡمَۙ
وَ لَا يَحُضُّ عَلٰى طَعَامِ الۡمِسۡكِيۡنِؕ
فَوَيۡلٌ لِّلۡمُصَلِّيۡنَۙ
الَّذِيۡنَ هُمۡ عَنۡ صَلَاتِهِمۡ سَاهُوۡنَۙ
الَّذِيۡنَ هُمۡ يُرَآءُوۡنَۙ
وَيَمۡنَعُوۡنَ الۡمَاعُوۡنَ
[Al-Quran 107:1-7]
Surah al-Ma'un describes the person who belies the Deen (The Law of Recompense). The following is a brief study of the ayaat:
Ayat #1 (Have you seen ... )
اَرَءَيۡتَ الَّذِىۡ يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّيۡنِؕ
Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense?
— Saheeh International
Hast thou observed him who belieth religion?
— English Translation (Pickthall)
The Surah begins with the question that have you seen ... ? The person who disbelieves in The Deen (بِالدِّيۡنِؕ) can be known by his actions. So, what are the actions of the denier of recompense?
Ayat #2 (he repels the orphan)
فَذٰلِكَ الَّذِىۡ يَدُعُّ الۡيَتِيۡمَۙ
For that is the one who drives away the orphan
— Saheeh International
That is he who repelleth the orphan,
— English Translation (Pickthall)
Orphans are there in every society. In Arabic, the word (الۡيَتِيۡمَۙ) means a fatherless child. The Quran mentions the orphan(s) twenty-three times. Moreover, the struggle to establish Allah ﷻ 's Deen eventually involves armed combat, as we see in the Medina period of Allah ﷻ 's Messenger Muhammad ﷺ , and after him, the example of his ﷺ companions (رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ) who became leaders of the Believers, the Khulfa-e-Rashideen (رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ). Wars result in the death of many men, whose families are left behind helpless. The Quran strongly urges the Muslims to take care of the orphans, in peacetime and in wartime.
Ayat #3 (he doesn't encourage feeding the poor)
وَ لَا يَحُضُّ عَلٰى طَعَامِ الۡمِسۡكِيۡنِؕ
And does not encourage the feeding of the poor.
— Saheeh International
And urgeth not the feeding of the needy.
— English Translation (Pickthall)
In every society there are those who are poor and needy. They need help.
Food is a primary need of all humans. Hunger needs to be satiated. If it isn't satiated, either people starve to death, or they resort to crimes to feed themselves and their families. Both of these scenarios are detrimental to the individual and the society. Those who have more than their need, have a responsibility to take care of others' hunger. The Quran strongly encourages feeding the poor and needy. The Quran uses the triliteral root sīn kāf nūn (س ك ن) sixty-nine times, of which the noun (مِسْكِين) is mentioned twenty-three times.
Ayat #4 (the losers who pray contact prayers)
فَوَيۡلٌ لِّلۡمُصَلِّيۡنَۙ
So woe to those who pray
— Saheeh International
Ah, woe unto worshippers
— English Translation (Pickthall)
Contact prayers (الصَّلَاةَ) are enjoined upon Believers at fixed times (Q4:103). Prayers have been enjoined for the remembrance of Allah ﷻ, as we have a meeting scheduled with Him ﷻ , when each nafs will be recompensed according to its striving (Q20:14-15).
Each rakat of the Muslim prayer begins with the standing position (قیام), in which the first Surah that is recited is Surah al-Fatihah. The fourth ayat of the surah reminds the reciter that Allah ﷻ is the Sovereign / Master of The Day of The Deen (مٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ الدِّيۡنِؕ).
The Deen (الدین) is The Law of Recompense. So, the purpose of the contact prayers is to be reminded of the dos and don'ts according to The Law of Recompense.
Therefore, woe (وَيۡلٌ) for the person who prays, yet doesn't act in accordance with the reminders of the recompense.
The Quran uses the triliteral root ṣād lām wāw (ص ل و) ninety-nine times.
Ayat #5 (the heedless in contact prayers)
الَّذِيۡنَ هُمۡ عَنۡ صَلَاتِهِمۡ سَاهُوۡنَۙ
[But] who are heedless of their prayer1 -
— Saheeh International
Who are heedless of their prayer;
— English Translation (Pickthall)
This ayat explains why they do not act in accordance with the reminders of The Recompense (الدین) in their contact prayers: they are heedless! They are not attentive to the recitation, nor do they make sufficient effort to understand what they are being reminded of. Therefore, they are unable to take any guidance from their contact prayers.
The word سَاهُوۡنَۙ occurs twice in The Quran, once in this surah, and once to describe those who are in an flood or abyss of confusion / heedlessness (Q51:11), and they question when the Day of Recompense will be established (Q51:12), instead of preparing for it.
Ayat #6 (those who DO to be seen)
الَّذِيۡنَ هُمۡ يُرَآءُوۡنَۙ
Those who make show [of their deeds]
— Saheeh International
Who would be seen (at worship)
— English Translation (Pickthall)
As can be seen in the above quoted translations, one translator has taken يُرَآءُوۡنَۙ to mean 'show [of their deeds]' while the other takes it to mean 'seen (at worship)'. In either case, they seem driven by the need to be seen by other people, whether it be contact prayers, or it be acts of charity and kindness. The recompense is not their greatest worry.
Q4:142 describes the contact prayer of the hypocrites with the same word (يُرَاءُونَ), who assuming that they can deceive Allah ﷻ , stand lazily in prayer, only to be seen by people.
Ayat #7 (those who refuse simple assistance)
وَيَمۡنَعُوۡنَ الۡمَاعُوۡنَ
And withhold [simple] assistance.
— Saheeh International
Yet refuse small kindnesses!
— English Translation (Pickthall)
Another visible quality of such people is their unwillingness to share even simple things, or lend a helping hand.
The Quran exhorts the Believers to spend from what Allah ﷻ has given them. The Believers are happy to spend, feeding the orphans and the needy and the captives, and those travelling, hoping to see the Face of Allah ﷻ .
...
Translations: https://quran.com/107?translations=20%2C19
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