Lessons from Surah Maun: Surah Al Maun is the 107th Chapter thus making it one of the last surahs of the Holy Quran. It is an early Makkan Surah i.e., it was revealed before the Hijrah, and the main audience addressed is the Quraish tribe. The Surah comprises of 7 Ayahs covering a wide variety of topics, discussing both the rights of Allah and the rights of the people.
Summary of Surah Maun
First and foremost, Surah Al Maun is self-explanatory serves as a reminder for all believers. It is one of the shortest chapters of the Quran, memorized by the vast majority of Muslims for recitation in the five daily prayers.
Maun in Arabic means “small kindness”. Surah Al Maun is an eye-opener for a believer, making it clear that our theological beliefs and actions are essentially linked. The Surah goes back and forth between theology, social issues, and rituals. A strong believer at heart will make it obvious through his actions, be it the way he treats the poor or his prayers.
Negligence towards the needs of others is not a characteristic of a firm believer, he is kind at heart and doesn’t lead a selfish life. In addition, the Purity of intention is mentioned which is the foundation of every righteous deed. Without it, every deed is done in vanity and is unacceptable in the eyes of Allah.
It starts by mentioning the person who denies the judgment day and is followed by talking us through the conduct of such a person. Their dealings with people, especially with the underprivileged, and the quality of their prayers. All in all, it discusses all the attributes that shouldn’t be found in a believer.
What Do We Learn From Surah Maun?
Here are 4 lessons from this Surah.
4 – A believer should be caring towards the orphans
Verse 1 talks about the person who is in constant denial about the day of judgment, the next verse, however, talks about the mistreatment of an orphan but this individual. His heart lacks empathy and mercy towards the orphan, the believer, however, is quite the opposite. Sponsoring or caring for an orphan is of substantial importance in Islam. The Quran mentions the orphans 22 times and several Ahadith talk about the benefits in this life and the next. The believer is merciful and caring towards them and this Surah encourages every believer to reflect on their behavior.
This teaches us to look around us and realize where we have been wrong. Help the orphans and those in need around us as much as we can in order to get the pleasure of Allah SWT. Here are some more beautiful quotes on haqooq-ul-ibad in Islam.
3 – Focus on the prayer
In Verses 4 and 5 Allah mentions the person who prays but is heedless, of the timings, pillars, procedures, or is mentally occupied in worldly business. This attitude is being criticized; it is disrespectful to think about any other matter while praying. Salah is one of the five prayers and is the key to Jannah, careless and slothful approach towards it is a sign of weak Imaan.
We need to focus on our prayers and not let Shaytan distract us from the thought of Allah. We have so much time in a day to give to our worldly matters. It is not impossible for us to forget everything and focus on our own spiritual needs 5 times a day. It might be hard to do in the beginning. But you will start to enjoy it once you start doing it. Here are some tips on how to concentrate on salah.
2 – Certain Good Deeds are not accepted by Allah SWT
The concept of ‘Riya’ is explained in this surah. Showing off, good deeds intended to please people, gain their approval, all of the above-stated characteristics are Riya. Riya is regarded as minor shirk and deeds that are not done for Allah’s sake alone are not accepted. The sin of Riya is grave and eats away a person’s deeds.
Musnad Ahmad Allah SWT reminds us in these ayahs to purify our intentions and offer prayer to him alone. Riya is a sign of weak Imaan, and it is important to strengthen our belief in Allah and the day of judgment to purify our hearts of Riya.
1 – There are Signs of a hypocrite
These verses highlight that a Muslim is not self-absorbed, rather he should be aware and should work towards solving the problems faced by the underprivileged of the society. They remind us that our goal should not be our betterment alone, but the welfare of the Ummah as a whole. If every person implemented the message no person would be shelterless or go to bed hungry, the overall condition of the society will improve immensely.
It is about a person who is praying among people in a congregation but his intention is not to please Allah SWT. Rather he is showing off to people that he is religious and righteous. You can read on this in more detail in our earlier post on Islamic quotes on hypocrisy.
Conclusion
In this Surah, the ill-treatment of the orphan by a disbeliever, not encouraging others to feed the poor is being condemned. The disbeliever, not only does mistreat the orphan, but he also doesn’t assist and motivate the people around him to feed the poor. This Surah also encourages us to reflect on the state of our hearts and our dealings.
Therefore, as Muslims, we should be kind towards the orphans, treat the poor with dignity and respect in order to please Allah. Similarly, Muslims should not be self absorbent and think of the community too. For example, plant trees and feed the poor instead of sending in extravagance while people in the vicinity are struggling with poverty.
Maqdis Quran is a method to learn Arabic through word by word translation.