Surah Al-Ma'oon

(ASSISTANCE)

Surah #107 Consisting of 7 Ayahs 

Listen to Surah Al-Ma'oon

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِِ

In Allah's Name, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ

Have you seen him who discredits Religion? 

     This Surah starts with Allah Almighty asking His beloved Prophet saying, "Have you seen those people claiming Allah's Religion is baseless, that Allah's Guidance is a lie?"

     "Have you seen the person who discredits Allah's Religion?!"  Have you wondered what kind of a man he is?  Is not he bad?  Is not he wicked?  How can a man discredit Islam when Islam is the Truth, and calls for piety and virtue?

     Islam, Allah's Religion, is very clear to persons with sensible thinking.  Islam is clear in its rich divine guidance, clear to anyone seeking guidance.

     In the next Ayah, Allah describes such people. 

فَذَلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ

It is he who repels the orphan, 

     Allah describes such a person as a lowly man, who has little love towards the poor, the needy, or the orphans.

     A man who thinks that the religion of God is words to be said but not practiced has missed the point.  He is either lost in the darkness of ignorance or he is using his appearance of piety to impress others.  Such a man is blind to the guidance of Islam and the goodness it calls forth.

     Those people may be cruel, mean, and rude, and may not have a feeling for the needy or orphans.

     Orphans are children who lose one or both parents, and they are the ones who need help desperately.  It is the obligation of all Muslims to help orphans.  It is our Muslim duty to help all needy persons. 

 وَلا يَحُضُّ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ

and does not promote feeding the needy. 

     Like the orphans, poor and disadvantaged people deserve our attention and care.  A good Muslim will always want to help the needy and the orphans.  He should feed them, clothe them, encourage them to find jobs and help them to help themselves.

     Those who don't pay attention to the needs and problems of the orphans and the needy, are people who have cruelty in their hearts and who are not applying the teachings of Islam.  They are not much different in their attitude than the disbelievers, the ones who discredit Islam.

فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ

It will be too bad for the prayerful,

     Mere performance of Salat is not enough.  A Muslim should also do good deeds.  Good deeds such as helping others, cooperating with them, having mercy and love in the heart, being kind, considerate, truthful and having good inten­tions are essential parts of Muslim behavior.

     A good Muslim is he who not only performs his Salat regularly but also practices his religious teachings.  Good deeds make good people out of us.  The person who ignores doing the "good deeds" is the one who is following Islam poorly.  Allah warns those would-be pious people, who supposedly spend a lot of time at prayer, not to forget the very important obligations towards the less fortunate.

الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلاْتِهِمْ سَاهُون

who are absent-minded as they pray 

     Allah says: Woe to the insincere worshipers who do not listen to what their prayers say, who are absent-minded as they pray.  They are unmindful of what Allah tells them to do.  They should think about the meaning of the words and mean to apply it.

Performing the act of Salat is not enough.  Many words in our prayers direct us to:

                          ►Show goodness to others,

                          ►Have love of others,

                          ►Help others, and

                          ►Be kind to others.

الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاؤُونَ

who aim to be noticed 

     Here Allah is making reference to fake worshippers.  Someone who prays just to show others is a hypocrite.  He wants to show off to other people.  He is playing politics.  He wants to do his Salat in front of people, yet he is not dedicating himself, therefore, he is a hypocrite.  Allah knows what is in his heart and He knows who is sincere and who is not.

     A worshiper for the show has been promised a dark end.  Allah Almighty says: Woe to him!

     A mere performer of Salat who wants to show off is not a Muslim of substance.  That is because the act of Salat is not enough in itself.  You must apply the Directives of Islam.

وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ

while they hold back helping others. 

     Allah also describes the hypocrites who want to show off, as people who hold off helping others.  They are the people who want things for themselves, who don't like to share with others.

     Whatever we have belongs to Allah, and a good Muslim is a person who wants to share with others, help others, cooperate with them and be charitable.  A Muslim must remember that it is Allah's command to us to help other people.

     In this Surah Allah gives a powerful warning to people who just perform rituals of Salat but ignore the very important obligation of doing "good deeds".

THROUGH SURAH AL-MA'OON ALLAH WANTS US: 

1. To know that helping others is a true act of worship,

2. To know that there were, there are and there will be people who try to discredit Islam and say that it is unfounded.

3. To know that there are Muslims who have cruelty in their hearts, who do not extend a helping hand, to those in need.

4. To learn that the end of the insincere worshipers is going to be severe:

   a.  that such people are hypocrites,

   b.  that they worship to show off,

   c.  that they in truth don't believe,

   d.  that they are people who shun good acts and deeds,

   e.  that they won't assist in the smallest way,

   f.   that they are selfish and cruel,

5. To  learn that a deeper meaning of worship is doing good deeds, acts of charity, acts of cooperation and sharing.

QUESTIONS 

1. What is the meaning of:      أَرَأَيْتَ?

2. What is meant by:        يُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّينِ?

3. What does a hypocrite do?

4. What do you think the other forms of Salat are?

5. Name some "good deeds".

6. What is the meaning of:       الْيَتِيمَ?

7. Does Islam suggest that we help the needy or is it a command?

8. What is meant by:       الْمِسْكِينِ?

9. What is meant by:     الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلاْتِهِمْ سَاهُون?

10. What is wrong with just being an exclusive Salat performer?

11. Is doing good deeds a form of worship?

12. What is a fake worshipper?

13. Is there anything wrong in doing Salat for show?

14. What happens if we do not heed our prayers?

15. Does religion consist only of rituals of Salat, Saum and Haj?

16. Recite the first Ayah of Surah Al-Ma'oon.

17. Recite the last Ayah of Surah Al-Ma'oon.

18. What is the meaning of the second Ayah of Surah Al-Ma'oon?

19. What is the meaning of the third Ayah of Surah Al-Ma'oon?

20. What is the meaning of the last Ayah of Surah Al-Ma'oon?

MEANING OF WORDS