Surah Maun is the 107th chapter in the Holy Quran and appears in the 30th juz. It is translated as the Almsgiving, is also called surat ‘al yateem’ and has 7 verses. Most scholars believe it was revealed partially (3 verses) in Makkah and the rest after migration to Madinah.
Surah | |
| Name | Maun |
| Meaning | Almsgiving |
| Number of Verses | 7 |
| Place of Revelation | Makkah/Madinah |
| Chapter Number | 107 |
When was it revealed?
In the tafseer, it states that surah Maun was revealed in the case of Waleed al Mughirah or Abu Sufyan (before his Islam RA) because of how they treated the orphan and the needy. But the warnings of the surah apply to anyone who does crimes in relation to orphans, the poor, his own salaah and Zakat too.
It is also related to the previous surah Quraish which showed Allah’s blessings upon the tribe. In this surah, the leaders of Quraish are shown not to be feeding the hungry even though they have been given much by Allah. They took advantage of the security they were given by harming the poor and needy and ignoring Allah’s commands.
The surah also explains the traits of the disbeliever and the hypocrite that can be seen to identify them.
Surah Maun Arabic Text
Transliteration of surah Maun
- Ara ‘aytal lazee yukazzibu biddeen
- Fazaalikal lazee yadu’ul-yateem
- Wa la yahuddu ‘alaa ta’aamil miskeen
- Fa wailul-lil musalleen
- Allazeena hum ‘an salaatihim saahoon
- Allazeena hum yuraaa’oon
- Wa yamna’oonal maa’oon
Surah Maun English Translation
- Seest thou one who denies the Judgment (to come)?
- Then such is the (man) who repulses the orphan (with harshness),
- And encourages not the feeding of the indigent.
- So woe to the worshippers
- Who are neglectful of their prayers,
- Those who (want but) to be seen (of men),
- But refuse (to supply) (even) neighbourly needs.
What is its meaning?
The surah talks about someone who deliberately lies against the truth, and not just merely rejects it. It is someone who knows the religion is true, but lies against it and against the Prophet (SAW). He also rejects accountability of the Day of Judgment. And it is something that is done continuously by the person.
Allah is telling us that the one who lies against the Day of Judgment and accountability, he fears no consequence of his actions. So he continues to do one sin after another without remorse. Included in these sins is pushing the orphan away, the one who has no one to stand up for or protect them, and cannot do anything back.
Surah Maun Importance
Surat Maun came to teach us one of the most fundamental aspects of our religion. Islam encourages its followers to stand by the poor, the needy, and the orphan. The surah shows that following the religion is not only about prayer, fasting, and hajj.
One of the most important aspects of being a Muslim is to look after the poor and needy. Neglecting this duty is as grave a crime as neglecting salah. So much so that it was mentioned in this surah even before the duty of prayer.
The surah relates to some of the crimes committed against humanity even before the disbeliever commits crimes against His creator by not performing salaah properly.
