Qur'an 107:1–7 · Surah Al-Ma'un · Meccan
Small kindnesses
Arabic text
أَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِٱلدِّينِ1 فَذَٰلِكَ ٱلَّذِي يَدُعُّ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ2 وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ3 فَوَيۡلٞ لِّلۡمُصَلِّينَ4 ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَن صَلَاتِهِمۡ سَاهُونَ5 ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ يُرَآءُونَ6 وَيَمۡنَعُونَ ٱلۡمَاعُونَ7
Translation · Saheeh International
1Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense
2For that is the one who drives away the orphan
3And does not encourage the feeding of the poor
4So woe to those who pray
5[But] who are heedless of their prayer
6Those who make show [of their deeds]
7And withhold [simple] assistance
Explanation
Our educational summary. It is not part of the Qur'an and is not a tafsir.
A short surah that links true religion with care for orphans and the poor, and criticises prayer done for show by people who withhold even small help. It is also a classic example of why verses must be read in context: verse 4 alone ('woe to those who pray') reverses the surah's meaning.
Learn more in these lessons
Reading the Qur'an in Context
How should we approach reading and understanding verses of the Qur'an?
17 min
Caring for Vulnerable People
What responsibilities does Islam place on us towards orphans, the poor, the sick and others in need?
15 min