الماعون
Al-Ma'un
The Small Kindnesses • makkah • 7 Verses
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أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يُكَذِّبُ بِٱلدِّينِ
82:10.
Important Words:
الدین (the Judgement) is inf. noun from دان which means, he obeyed. دین means: (1) requital or recompense; (2) obedience; (3) judgement or reckoning; (4) ascendancy or predominance; (5) mastery or rule; (6) plan; (7) prayer; (8) religious organisation; (9) righteousness; (10) state or condition; (11) Divine decree; (12) habit or custom (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
In view of the different meanings of دین the verse may signify: He is indeed a very bad man (1) who has no faith in Divine reckoning; (2) who disobeys and defies the organization of the community to which he belongs; (3) who does not believe that good prevails over evil in the long run; (4) who does not believe in خلافة علی منھاج النبوة i.e. Khilafat on the pattern of prophethood; (5) who does not believe in religion which is the source and basis of all morals; (6) who does not give up evil ways and does not lead a righteous life; (7) one with whom the doing of good does not become a habit; (8) who does not conform his conduct to the Divine decree, i.e. does not develop in him Divine attributes; (9) who does not worship God with true and sincere devotion; and (10) who has no plan in life, i.e. who despairs of his future. Thus the word الدینincludes in its signification all those things, violation of which results in complete moral ruin of individuals and nations.
فَذَٰلِكَ ٱلَّذِى يَدُعُّ ٱلْيَتِيمَ
Important Words:
یدع (drives away). دعه means, he pushed him away; thrust him away or drove him away; or he repelled him or he did so harshly, roughly or violently (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
In the preceding verse we were told that denial of religion opens the way to all manner of evil. This and the next verse speak of two most deadly ills of society, which, if not scrupulously guarded against, bring about decline and disintegration of a community. The failure to take proper care of the orphans kills in a people the spirit of sacrifice; neglect of the poor and the needy deprives a useful section of the community of all initiative and the will to improve their lot. These two verses represent one of the two basic principles of Islam i.e. service of humanity (شفقة علی خلق الله).
This and the next verse speak of two very deadly social ills which, if not scrupulously guarded against, are calculated to bring about the total decline and disintegration of a community. The failure to take proper care of the orphans kills in a people the spirit of sacrifice; and neglect of the poor and the needy deprives a useful section of the community of all initiative and the will to improve their lot.
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ
69:35; 74:45; 89:19.
69:35; 89:19.
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ
Commentary:
Prayer represents the duties and obligations we owe to God. They are called حقوق الله (obligations due to God) in religious terminology. The verse purports to say that the prayers of those hypocritical Pharisees who do not discharge the obligations they owe to God’s creatures are a body without soul, a shell without substance. All their actions are hypocritical which, instead of doing them any good, add to their hypocrisy and insincerity.
Prayer represents the duties and obligations we owe to God, and the Prayers of those hypocritical Pharisees, who do not discharge the obligations they owe to God’s creatures, are a body without soul, a shell without substance.
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
Commentary:
The المصلین (worshippers) of the preceding verse have been condemned here as unmindful of their Prayers, since their Prayers fail to bring about in them moral change which Prayers are intended to create and develop.
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَآءُونَ
وَيَمْنَعُونَ ٱلْمَاعُونَ
Al-Ma‘un means, small household articles of common use, such as axe, cooking pot, etc.; an act of kindness; any useful thing; Zakat (Aqrab).