107. Al-Ma’un (Assistance) – الماعون
Al-Ma’un is the 107th surah (chapter) of the Quran. It consists of 7 ayat (verses) that were all revealed in Mecca.
THE NAME of this surah, which was revealed in the early years of the Prophet’s mission (probably after Surah Takathur [102]), is derived from the word al-ma’un occurring in the last verse. The view of some commentators that verses 4-7 were revealed at Medina lacks all historical or textual evidence and may, therefore, be disregarded.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Surah Al-Maun Ayat 1
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ
Ara ‘aytal lazee yukazzibu biddeen
1. HAST THOU ever considered [the kind of man] who gives the lie to all moral law?1
1 I.e., who denies that there is any objective validity in religion as such and, thus, in the concept of moral law (which is one of the primary connotations of the term din—cf. note 3 on Surah Kafirun [109]: 6). Some commentators are of the opinion that in the above context din signifies “judgment”, i.e., the Day of Judgment, and interpret this phrase as meaning “who calls the Day of Judgment a lie”.
Surah Al-Maun Ayat 2
فَذَٰلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ
Fazaalikal lazee yadu’ul-yateem
2. Behold, it is this [kind of man] that thrusts the orphan away,
Surah Al-Maun Ayat 3
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ
Wa la yahuddu ‘alaa ta’aamil miskeen
3. and feels no urge2 to feed the needy.
2 Lit., “does not urge”, i.e., himself
Surah Al-Maun Ayat 4
فَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُصَلِّينَ
Fa wailul-lil musalleen
4. Woe, then, unto those praying ones
Surah Al-Maun Ayat 5
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
Allazeena hum ‘an salaatihim saahoon
5. whose hearts from their prayer are remote3—
3 Lit., “who are [knowingly] unmindful of their prayers”.
Surah Al-Maun Ayat 6
الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاءُونَ
Allazeena hum yuraaa’oon
6. those who want only to be seen and praised,
Surah Al-Maun Ayat 7
وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ
Wa yamna’oonal maa’oon
7. and, withal, deny all assistance [to their fellow-men]!4
4 The term al-ma’un comprises the many small items needed for one’s daily use, as well as the occasional
acts of kindness consisting in helping out one’s fellow-men with such items. In its wider sense, it denotes “aid” or “assistance” in any difficulty.
Source: The Message of the Quran by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss)