بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يُكَذِّبُ بِٱلدِّينِ
Have you seen the one who denies the Judgment?
Pickthall (1930): Hast thou observed him who belieth religion?
Quran · Surah 107 · 7 ayat
Surah Al-Ma'un
Small Kindnesses
ٱلْمَاعُون
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About this surah
Surah Al-Ma'un ('Small Kindnesses') has 7 ayat and is Meccan. It links true belief in the Day of Judgment with how a person treats others: the one who pushes away the orphan and does not encourage feeding the poor is shown to be denying the Judgment. It also warns those who are careless about their prayers, who pray only to be seen, and who refuse even small acts of help. Muslims often cite it to show that worship and kindness to others belong together.
Faith shown through kindnessCare for orphans and the poorSincerity in prayer
Read the surah
Arabic exactly as in the Tanzil text, then a plain meaning in your language. The Arabic is never read by a machine voice; "Listen" reads only the meanings.
فَذَٰلِكَ ٱلَّذِى يَدُعُّ ٱلْيَتِيمَ
He is the one who pushes the orphan away,
Pickthall (1930): That is he who repelleth the orphan,
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلْمِسْكِينِ
and does not encourage feeding the poor.
Pickthall (1930): And urgeth not the feeding of the needy.
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ
So woe to those who pray,
Pickthall (1930): Ah, woe unto worshippers
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
but are heedless of their prayers,
Pickthall (1930): Who are heedless of their prayer;
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَآءُونَ
those who only want to be seen,
Pickthall (1930): Who would be seen (at worship)
وَيَمْنَعُونَ ٱلْمَاعُونَ
and who refuse even small kindnesses (everyday help to others).
Pickthall (1930): Yet refuse small kindnesses!
Quick quiz
According to ayah 2, how does the one who denies the Judgment treat the orphan?
According to ayah 6, what is wrong with the prayer of those being warned?
What does the word 'al-ma'un' in the last ayah refer to?
Your score: 0 / 3
Tanzil Quran Text (Uthmani, Version 1.1), tanzil.net, CC BY 3.0, verbatim: tanzil.net. Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain; text from English Wikisource. Al-Fatiha aligned to the Hafs count (basmala as verse 1, his verses 6 and 7 joined); Quraysh: his verses 4 and 5 joined.. Plain meanings, introductions and quiz: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by an Islamic scholar.
Corrections from members of every tradition are welcome at support@indiadigital.org. Last checked: .