Tafsir Surat al-Maoon
By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Nasir Makarim Shirazi in Tafsir Namuneh
Translated from Farsi into English by: Fatima Zabeth Beenesh
Surat Al-Maoon (The Small Kindnesses) - ÓæÑÉ ÇáãÇÚæä
The Sura e Maoon descended at Mecca and it is consisted of 7 ayaat.
The contents and virtues of Sura e Maoon
The Sura e Maoon according to the most of commentators, it is among the chapters descended at Mecca. The tone of the ayaat expressed in short units which pounds the hearts and speaks about the judgement day and deeds of the deniers (of God, prophet and judgment day) and states about these subjects.
Overall in Sura e Maoon the qualities and deeds of the deniers of the judgment day are defined in five phases that for not believing in the resurrection day, how they refused to help the orphans, poor and helpless people. And about namaz how they are neglectful and keep themselves away from helping the penniless people.
About its shan e nuzul (descent) some interpreters stated: it is descended about the Abu Sufiyan who was every day sacrificing two big camels, the companions and the people around him were consuming it. But one day an orphan came to them asked and begged for something to eat. Abu Sufyan hit the poor child with his walking stick and ran him away.
Some other commentators defined: thischapter is descended about the Valeed bin Mughaire or Aas bin Vail.
About the virtues of reading the Sura e Maoon It is mentioned in a hadis by imam Baqir alaihis salam: One who recites this sura in the obligatory(wajib) or recommended (nafilah) namaz, the Merciful God will accept his devotions of namaz and fastings. And he does not take into accounts the deeds which he committed in the world.
Al-Maoon (The Small Kindnesses)
ÈöÓúãö Çááøåö ÇáÑøóÍúãÜóäö ÇáÑøóÍöíãö 
ÃóÑóÃóíúÊó ÇáøóÐöí íõßóÐøöÈõ ÈöÇáÏøöíäö (107:1)
Have you ever considered [the kind of man] who calls the judgment day and to all the moral laws, a lie?
ÝóÐóáößó ÇáøóÐöí íóÏõÚøõ ÇáúíóÊöíãó (107:2)
That is he who draws away the orphan (harshly),
æóáóÇ íóÍõÖøõ Úóáóì ØóÚóÇãö ÇáúãöÓúßöíäö (107:3)
And does not encourage the feeding of the poor.
Ýóæóíúáñ áøöáúãõóáøöíäó (107:4)
So woe to those performers of Salat (prayers) (hypocrites),
ÇáøóÐöíäó åõãú Úóä óáóÇÊöåöãú ÓóÇåõæäó (107:5)
Who delay their prayer from their stated fixed times,
ÇáøóÐöíäó åõãú íõÑóÇÄõæäó (107:6)
Those who make show [of their deeds] only to be seen and praised,
æóíóãúäóÚõæäó ÇáúãóÇÚõæäó (107:7)
And withhold and refuse all the simple, small and necessary assistance [to their fellow-men]!
The evil effects of denying the judgment day
In the Sura e Maoon first addressed the great prophet peace be upon him and defined the evil effects in the deeds of the people who deny the judgment day and said: did you saw those who constantly denied the Resurrection day?
ÃóÑóÃóíúÊó ÇáøóÐöí íõßóÐøöÈõ ÈöÇáÏøöíäö
And then without waiting for the reply of this question it adds: He is the person who drives away the orphan with his anger.
ÝóÐóáößó ÇáøóÐöí íóÏõÚøõ ÇáúíóÊöíãó
And never encourage others to feed the poor and needy.
æóáóÇ íóÍõÖøõ Úóáóì ØóÚóÇãö ÇáúãöÓúßöíäö
ÃóÑóÃóíúÊó ÇáøóÐöí íõßóÐøöÈõ ÈöÇáÏøöíäö
Here by the term
Ïíä
Means the judgement day and refusing the judgement day and the great divine court of justice reflexes vast effect upon the deeds of man which is indicated in this sura in five segments like: to drive away the orphan with anger, discouraging others to feed the poor and destitute. That means he himself does not give in charity as well as does not invite others to grant the monetary help.
íóÏõÚøõ
The above term means to drive away with extreme anger and repel them.
ÍÖ
The above term means to encourage and persuade others and it is the verb which is showing the continuation of the work.as it starts from the word
í
Here another point is ‘ya’ that is attached in the beginning of the verb which always indicates about the continuation of the certain function and it is showing how to treat the orphans and deprived people all the times.
Here once again this point attracts the man that is about the orphan child it is stressed more importance to the orphan child’s sentiments than the food and to fill up a hungry stomach as most of the sufferings of an orphan child starts when he to get deprived of the atmosphere of love, care and attention which is the food of a soul. The food of the body approaches in the second stage.
Again in these ayaat we came across the matter of feeding the needy and destitute is among the most important virtues deeds to such extent that where it mentioned: if you are not capable of feeding a needy human being at least encourage the others to do that.
And lack of believe upon the judgement day causes misdeeds that is quite true and the person who whole heartedly with the depth of his heart believes on that unusual day, he is surely going to stand before the court of divine justice and he is going to give the accounts of his deeds and receiving rewards or the punishments, its positive effects are evident in his character. And those to do not have any believe on judgement day, the effects of boldness in committing the sins and other crimes can be seen entirely in their character.
About the third quality of these people it is defined: Shame upon those who perform namaz
Ýóæóíúáñ áøöáúãõóáøöíäó
Those performers of namaz who forgets the namaz
ÇáøóÐöíäó åõãú Úóä óáóÇÊöåöãú ÓóÇåõæäó
They consider no value for the namaz and give no importance to its fixed times and they are not punctual about the elements, rules and manners of the namaz.
ÓóÇåõæäó
The above term is taken from sahv, it means a slip-up that committed unknowingly. Here the ignorance is mixed with guilt along with short-coming.
A point to be noted that it does not mentioned they are ignorant in namaz, it can happen to anybody but it is defining that they are making mistakes in the principles of namaz and forgetting its basics totally. The one who is constantly forgetting to pray namaz, ultimately he leaves it completely.
If occasionally he is praying namaz it is for the fear of the people and similar reasons. It is evident that he pays no value to namaz or basically he does not believe in namaz.
ÓóÇåõæäó
Another meaning for the above term is to ignore the virtues time of offering namaz and always pending it.
Or it is indicating the hypocrites who use to believe in receiving the reward in performing it and believing in getting the punishment to abandon the namaz.
Or those who have falsehood while performing the namaz.
Any way those who forget to accomplish the namaz they deserve the abode of ‘Vail’ (the last pit in the depth of the hell). Those who completely left and inattentive to the namaz they are called ‘taarikus salat’ what will be their condition?
In the fourth stage another worst stage is indicated and said: they are the people who constantly prove their hypocrisy.
ÇáøóÐöíäó åõãú íõÑóÇÄõæäó
In the last stage it adds: they refuse (to help others in) providing their basic and trifle needs of life.
æóíóãúäóÚõæäó ÇáúãóÇÚõæäó
Certainly one of the source of the untruthfulness and pretension of honesty is not believing in the Day of Judgment and being not considerate upon the divine rewards. Else how is it possible for a man to leave the divine rewards turning his face towards the people for their pleasant returns.
ÇáúãóÇÚõæäó
The term above means a meagre thing.
Most of the interpreters believe that is a unimportant things, the people, specifically the neighbours borrow from each other like small quantity of salt, water, match sticks and utensils.
It is evident that the person who refuses to give these things to others he is malicious and unfaithful. They are to such an extent miserly that they even refrain to give these minor things too. Whereas sometimes these minor things fulfils the major needs. And refusing to give those things creates great troubles in the lives of the people.
A group of explainers defined also that by the Maoon means zakat (money for the aid of the poor) as the term zakat compared to the basic principal wealth is very less, sometimes 10%, at times 5% and occasionally it is 2 ½ % of main wealth.
Certainly preventing to give the zakat too is among the worst acts as the zakat solves most of the monetary problems of the society.
In a narration from imam Sadiq alaihis salam in the definition of Maoon, it is said: it is a loan which the man gives to other person. And the daily necessities of life provided to others as loan and the help and good deeds he provides for others.
In other explanations it is narrated by the same imam Sadiq aliahis salam: we have neighbours when lend them something, they break and spoil them. Is it a sin not to lend them anything?
His Excellency replied: Then in such a condition there is no objection.
Mentioning these two words one after another, false show off and refuse to provide maoon (small help) as if it is indicating towards the act which is for the god they aim to perform it for the people and whatever is for the people they refuse to provide them, like this manner they never give the right to the rightful person.
We end this discussion with a narration of the prophet who said: the person who refuses his neighbour to help him with the meagre and necessary things, the Mighty God too rejects him his kindness on the judgement day and leave him on his own. The person who is left on his own his condition is worst.
The points
1- Summarizing the discussion of the Sura-e-Maoon
In this short sura the total mean qualities which are present in anybody it is unbelief, unkindness and disrespect. The noteworthy thing is that all of them are due to rejecting the religion, the divine rewards and the day of payments (judgement day).
They have the qualities to Insult the orphan child, not giving food to the hungry people, being neglectful and careless in namaz, hypocrite and not cooperating with the people even helping them with the meagre things of life. These are formed by the qualities.
Like this manner the miserly and egotistic people shows that they are detached with the people and have no connection with God, the creator. They are the people who have no light of faith in their soul and the feeling of duty in their inner self they do not consider about the divine rewards and have no fear by the punishment of Exalted God.
2- Pretention and hypocrisy
The value of every act is connected to the thing which motivates it. Or in another terms of Islamic view the base of every act is formed by the wish of heart and mind (niyyat) that too a pure desire.
Above all Islam calculates the file of the human inner desire hence in a famous hadis from the prophet peace be upon him it is mentioned: every act is connected to the wish of the man. And the favour and returns he gets according to the intention while he acts.
And following this hadis it is stated: The one who fight for the cause of Allah his reward is with the great God and the one who fights for the favours of the world. Even if had the desire for a small rope which is tied to the camel’s foot. He will get the reward of the same value.
It is for the reason that the wish always gives a face to the act, one who acts for the Merciful God and he plans its foundation strongly and efforts hardly in every way to provide more and more benefits to the people. And if any one who acts in hypocrisy, glamour and glitters he just works for its appearance without thinking about the depth, establishment and inner soul of the welfares of the needy people.
The society which got accustomed to the hypocritical acts of the people in the society, It is not only away from the Majestic God, virtuous character and righteous habits but in short the entire social pattern becomes devoid of the truth and it ends up in handful hypocritical act lacking any true meaning. How painful is the future of this man and such kind of the society.
They are numerous narration regarding hypocrisy to that extent that it is named as a kind of polytheism (shirk). But it is quite enough to describe three narrations defined below:
1-- In a hadis from the prophet peace be upon him, it is stated: There will arise a period for the people where their inner self is ugly and contaminated, there appearance is beautiful for the greed of life as they do not have any interest in the divine rewards. Their religion gradually turns into falsehood and there does not exist the fear of Mighty God in their hearts and the Supreme God inflict them the severe punishment. As much as they call the Almighty but their prayers never will be accepted like the sinking man.
2-- In another hadis by imam Sadiq alaihis salam we read, who stated to one of his companion named Zarara and said: The person who act for the people his reward is by the people, O Zarara every hypocritical act is a polytheism.(shrik).
3-- In another hadis by the great prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, it is defined: The hypocrite man is called by four names: O unbeliever (kafir), O fajir,! (a man who leads a life of uncontrolled drinking, immoral sexual behaviour and pleasure-seeking). O deceitful! O loser! All your acts got perished and your entire rewards get cancelled. Today you do not have any way to escape. Take your rewards from the person for whom you performed to please him.
O Dominant God: The sincere act is very difficult you assist us in this path.
O Generous God: Grant us such a kind of faith that we must not think other than virtues and punishments.
O Exalted God: Pardon us if any mistake is committed in this way by us.
Ameen! O Provider of sustenance to the whole universe.