Islam-beliefs

Things to learn from Surah Maun

Those who will read Surah Maun with its actual meaning:

    • They can’t deny the Day of Resurrection & Recompense,
    • They won’t be able to violate the rights of the orphans and oppress them
    • They won’t be able to stop themselves from feeding the poor
    • They won’t be able to be inattentive or absent minded in their Prayers
    • They won’t be able to show off their worship in public,
  • And deny simple assistance or help – to other fellow human being

The plain literal meaning of the Surah (from Sahih International) is as follows:

In the name of Allah, the most beneficent the most merciful

    1. Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense?
    1. For that is the one who drives away the orphan
    1. And does not encourage the feeding of the poor.
    1. So woe to those who pray
    1. [But] who are heedless of their prayer –
    1. Those who make show [of their deeds]
  1. And withhold [simple] assistance.

Let’s try to understand and externalize the meaning of the Surah instead of just reciting the Surah with our mouth. After understanding its meaning, let us reflect it in our day to day actions.

Example Scenario – To Deeply Understand the Surah

We must believe in the Day of Judgement

We must not Infringe the Rights of the Orphans

We must reach out to help the poor people

For example, a very miserly person recites the Surah in his Salat. But, even after his recitation, his mind does not change. He does not fear usurping the inherited property of an orphan. His hand does not extend to provide for the poor orphans of the society.

Destruction should fall upon who Pray

These people are Heedless in their Prayer

They just Pray to show off

They deny Simple Assistance to others

It is mentioned in Ayat 4 as – destruction should fall upon those who pray (perform salat). Such destruction should happen, when the below characteristics are found in them.

Those who are heedless, inattentive or absent minded in their Prayers. This obviously encompasses the person who neglects and leave some/most of his prayers out of laziness. But it also extends to smaller stuffs like, a person who reads his Salat and mostly does all his business profit loss calculations in the back of his mind while standing in his Salat. This might occur occasionally but it becomes a crime when this becomes a regular practice.

The person makes sure that everyone notices him and consider him as a pious person of the society. He does all his worship for showing off to others. This kind of Salats are never accepted by Allah(swt).

Those who deny simple assistance. Let’s take 2 examples in this case.

1st example: A young man beautifully recites the Surah in congregation and comes out of the Masjid. He was not in any hurry and was returning back to his home. A blind person calls out to him requesting his help to cross a road. The young man simply denies the blind person on his face for no reason whatsoever.

2nd example: A woman recites this Surah in her prayer in her bedroom. Just after her salat suddenly the doorbell rings. She rushes to the door and its her neighboring sister. The women next door is cooking and suddenly discovered that she ran out of salt and has no time to arrange for it within the cooking time. The woman who was praying refuses to offer a small amount of salt, even though it wouldn’t cause her any significant loss.

Allah(swt) doesn’t like such a person who is a bad role model being a Muslim. This kind of people actually pushes people further away from this beautiful religion – Islam. Islam is not just a religion but it is a complete way of life, which is reflected in both our worshiping nature and our characteristics. It even helps improving the way that we deal with other people and creations of Allah(swt).