Surah Maun ayat 2 Tafsir Quran 107:2

﴿فَذَٰلِكَ الَّذِي يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ﴾
[ الماعون: 2]

107:2 For that is the one who drives away the orphan

That is he read an implied huwa after the fā’ of fa-dhālika who repels the orphan that is to say who violently drives him away from what is his due

Such is he who ill-treats the orphan

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Allah says, "O Muhammad! Have you seen the one who denies the Din" Here the word Din means the Hereafter, the Recompense and the Final Reward. فَذَلِكَ الَّذِى يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ ( That is he who repulses the orphan, ) meaning, he is the one who oppresses the orphan and does not give him his just due.
He does not feed him, nor is he kind to him. وَلاَ يَحُضُّ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ ( And urges not the feeding of Al-Miskin. ) This is as Allah says, كَلاَّ بَل لاَّ تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ - وَلاَ تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ ( Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity! And urge not one another on the feeding of Al-Miskin! ) ( 89:17-18 ) meaning, the poor man who has nothing to sustain him and suffice his needs.
Then Allah says, فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ - الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَـتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ ( So, woe unto those performers of Salah, those who with their Salah are Sahun. ) Ibn `Abbas and others have said, "This means the hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private." Thus, Allah says, لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ ( unto those performers of Salah, ) They are those people who pray and adhere to the prayer, yet they are mindless of it.
This may either be referring to its act entirely, as Ibn `Abbas said, or it may be referring to performing it in its stipulated time that has been legislated Islamically.
This means that the person prays it completely outside of its time. This was said by Masruq and Abu Ad-Duha. `Ata' bin Dinar said, "All praise is due to Allah, the One Who said, عَن صَلَـتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ ( with their Salah are Sahun. ) and He did not say, `those who are absent minded in their prayer."' It could also mean the first time of the prayer, which means they always delay it until the end of its time, or they usually do so.
It may also refer to not fulfilling its pillars and conditions, and in the required manner.
It could also mean performing it with humility and contemplation of its meanings.
The wording of the Ayah comprises all of these meanings.
However, whoever has any characteristic of this that we have mentioned then a portion of this Ayah applies to him.
And whoever has all of these characteristics, then he has completed his share of this Ayah, and the hypocrisy of actions is fulfilled in him.
This is just as is confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ الْمُنَافِقِ، تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ الْمُنَافِقِ، تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ الْمُنَافِقِ، يَجْلِسُ يَرْقُبُ الشَّمْسَ، حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ بَيْنَ قَرْنَي الشَّيْطَانِ قَامَ فَنَقَرَ أَرْبَعًا، لَا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا»
( This is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite.
He sits watching the sun until it is between the two horns of Shaytan.
Then he stands and pecks four (Rak`ahs ) and he does not remember Allah ( in them ) except very little.) This Hadith is describing the end of the time for the `Asr prayer, which is the middle prayer as is confirmed by a text ( Hadith ).
This is the time in which it is disliked to pray.
Then this person stands to pray it, pecking in it like the pecking of a crow.
He does not have tranquility or humility in it at all.
Thus, the Prophet said,
«لَا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا»
( He does not remember Allah (in them ) except very little.) He probably only stands to pray it so that the people will see him praying, and not seeking the Face of Allah.
This is just as if he did not pray at all.
Allah says, إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُواْ إِلَى الصَّلَوةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَى يُرَآءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلاَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ( Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them.
And when they stand up with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. ) ( 4:142 ) and Allah says here, الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَآءُونَ ( Those who do good deeds only to be seen, ) Imam Ahmad recorded from `Amr bin Murrah that he said, "We were sitting with Abu `Ubaydah when the people mentioned showing-off.
A man known as Abu Yazid said, "I heard `Abdullah bin `Amr saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«مَنْ سَمَّعَ النَّاسَ بِعَمَلِهِ، سَمَّعَ اللهُ بِهِ سَامِعَ خَلْقِهِ، وَحَقَّرَهُ وَصَغَّرَه»
( Whoever tries to make the people hear of his deed, Allah, the One Who hears His creation, will hear it and make him despised and degraded. )" from what is related to his statement, الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَآءُونَ ( Those who do good deeds only to be seen. ) is that whoever does a deed solely for Allah, but the people come to know about it, and he is pleased with that, then this is not considered showing off.
Allah said: وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ ( And withhold Al-Ma`un. ) This means that they do not worship their Lord well, nor do they treat His creation well.
They do not even lend that which others may benefit from and be helped by, even though the object will remain intact and be returned to them.
These people are even stingier when it comes to giving Zakah and different types of charity that bring one closer to Allah.
Al-Mas`udi narrated from Salamah bin Kuhayl who reported from Abu Al-`Ubaydin that he asked Ibn Mas`ud about Al-Ma`un and he said, "It is what the people give to each other, like an axe, a pot, a bucket and similar items." This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Ma`un, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

(107:2) Such is *4 the one who repulses the orphans away, *5

For that is the one who drives meaning

*4) The letter fa in the sentence fa-dhalika-alladhi expresses the meaning of a whole sentence, which is to this effect: " If you do not know, then know that it is indeed he who... " Or, it gives the meaning: " Because of his this very denial of the Hereafter he is the kind of man who...
"
*5) The sentence yadu `ul yatim as used in the original, has several meanings: ( 1 ) That he deprives the orphan of his rights and evicting him from his father's heritage thrusts him away; ( 2 ) that if an orphan comes to ask him for help, he repulses him instead of showing him any compassion, and if he still persists in his entreaties in the hope for mercy, he drives him away and out of sight; ( 3 ) that he ill-treats the orphan.
For example, if in his own house there is a closely related orphan, it is the orphans lot to serve the whole house, to receive rebuffs and suffer humiliation for trivial things.
Besides, this sentence also contains the meaning that - the person does not behave unjustly and tyrannically only occasionally put this is his habit and settled practice.
He does not have the feeling that it is an evil which he must give up, but he persists in it with full satisfaction, thinking that the orphan is a helpless, powerless creature; therefore, there is no harm if his rights are taken away wcongfitlly, or he is made the target of tyranny and injustice, or he is repulsed and driven away whenever he asks for help.

In this connection, Qadi Abul Hasan al-Mawardi has related a strange incident in his A lam an-Nubuwwat.
Abu Jahl was the testator of an orphan.
The child one.
day came to him in the condition that he had no shred of a garment on his body and he implored him to be .given something out of his father's heritage.
But the cruel man paid no attention to him and the poor child had to go back disappointed.
The Quraish chiefs said to him out of fun: " Go to Muhammad ( upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings ) and put your complaint before him.
He will recommend your case before Abu Jahl and get you your property. " The child not knowing any background of the nature of relationship between Abu Jahl and the Holy Prophet ( upon whom be peace ) and not understanding the motive of the mischief-mongers, went straight to the Holy Prophet and apprised him of his misfortune.
The Holy Prophet immediately arose and accompanied the child to the house of Abu Jahl, his bitterest enemy.
Abu Jahl received him well and when the latter told him to restore to the child his right, he yielded and brought out whatever he owed to him.
The Quraish chiefs were watching all this earnestly m the hope that an interesting altercation would take place between them.
But when they saw what actually happened they were astounded and went to Abu Jahl and taunted him saying that he too perhaps had abandoned his religion.
He said: " By God, I have not abandoned my religion, but I so felt that on the right and left of Muhammad ( upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings ) there was a spear which would enter my -body if I acted against what he desired.
" This incident not only shows what was the attitude and conduct of the principal chiefs of the most civilized and noble tribe of Arabia towards the orphans and other helpless people in those days but it also shows what sublime character the Holy Prophet possessed and what impact it had even on his bitterest enemies.
A similar incident we have already related in E.N.
5 of Surah Al-Anbiya' above, which points to the great moral superiority of the Holy Prophet because of which the disbelieving Quraish branded him as a sorcerer.

 

Which was revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Allah says, "O Muhammad! Have you seen the one who denies the Din" Here the word Din means the Hereafter, the Recompense and the Final Reward. فَذَلِكَ الَّذِى يَدُعُّ الْيَتِيمَ ( That is he who repulses the orphan, ) meaning, he is the one who oppresses the orphan and does not give him his just due.
He does not feed him, nor is he kind to him. وَلاَ يَحُضُّ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ ( And urges not the feeding of Al-Miskin. ) This is as Allah says, كَلاَّ بَل لاَّ تُكْرِمُونَ الْيَتِيمَ - وَلاَ تَحَاضُّونَ عَلَى طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِينِ ( Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity! And urge not one another on the feeding of Al-Miskin! ) ( 89:17-18 ) meaning, the poor man who has nothing to sustain him and suffice his needs.
Then Allah says, فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ - الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَـتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ ( So, woe unto those performers of Salah, those who with their Salah are Sahun. ) Ibn `Abbas and others have said, "This means the hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private." Thus, Allah says, لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ ( unto those performers of Salah, ) They are those people who pray and adhere to the prayer, yet they are mindless of it.
This may either be referring to its act entirely, as Ibn `Abbas said, or it may be referring to performing it in its stipulated time that has been legislated Islamically.
This means that the person prays it completely outside of its time. This was said by Masruq and Abu Ad-Duha. `Ata' bin Dinar said, "All praise is due to Allah, the One Who said, عَن صَلَـتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ ( with their Salah are Sahun. ) and He did not say, `those who are absent minded in their prayer."' It could also mean the first time of the prayer, which means they always delay it until the end of its time, or they usually do so.
It may also refer to not fulfilling its pillars and conditions, and in the required manner.
It could also mean performing it with humility and contemplation of its meanings.
The wording of the Ayah comprises all of these meanings.
However, whoever has any characteristic of this that we have mentioned then a portion of this Ayah applies to him.
And whoever has all of these characteristics, then he has completed his share of this Ayah, and the hypocrisy of actions is fulfilled in him.
This is just as is confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ الْمُنَافِقِ، تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ الْمُنَافِقِ، تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ الْمُنَافِقِ، يَجْلِسُ يَرْقُبُ الشَّمْسَ، حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ بَيْنَ قَرْنَي الشَّيْطَانِ قَامَ فَنَقَرَ أَرْبَعًا، لَا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا» ( This is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite.
He sits watching the sun until it is between the two horns of Shaytan.
Then he stands and pecks four (Rak`ahs ) and he does not remember Allah ( in them ) except very little.) This Hadith is describing the end of the time for the `Asr prayer, which is the middle prayer as is confirmed by a text ( Hadith ).
This is the time in which it is disliked to pray.
Then this person stands to pray it, pecking in it like the pecking of a crow.
He does not have tranquility or humility in it at all.
Thus, the Prophet said, «لَا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا» ( He does not remember Allah (in them ) except very little.) He probably only stands to pray it so that the people will see him praying, and not seeking the Face of Allah.
This is just as if he did not pray at all.
Allah says, إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُواْ إِلَى الصَّلَوةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَى يُرَآءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلاَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ( Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them.
And when they stand up with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. ) ( 4:142 ) and Allah says here, الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَآءُونَ ( Those who do good deeds only to be seen, ) Imam Ahmad recorded from `Amr bin Murrah that he said, "We were sitting with Abu `Ubaydah when the people mentioned showing-off.
A man known as Abu Yazid said, "I heard `Abdullah bin `Amr saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «مَنْ سَمَّعَ النَّاسَ بِعَمَلِهِ، سَمَّعَ اللهُ بِهِ سَامِعَ خَلْقِهِ، وَحَقَّرَهُ وَصَغَّرَه» ( Whoever tries to make the people hear of his deed, Allah, the One Who hears His creation, will hear it and make him despised and degraded. )" from what is related to his statement, الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَآءُونَ ( Those who do good deeds only to be seen. ) is that whoever does a deed solely for Allah, but the people come to know about it, and he is pleased with that, then this is not considered showing off.
Allah said: وَيَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ ( And withhold Al-Ma`un. ) This means that they do not worship their Lord well, nor do they treat His creation well.
They do not even lend that which others may benefit from and be helped by, even though the object will remain intact and be returned to them.
These people are even stingier when it comes to giving Zakah and different types of charity that bring one closer to Allah.
Al-Mas`udi narrated from Salamah bin Kuhayl who reported from Abu Al-`Ubaydin that he asked Ibn Mas`ud about Al-Ma`un and he said, "It is what the people give to each other, like an axe, a pot, a bucket and similar items." This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Ma`un, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.

( That is he who repelleth the orphan ) from his own right; and it is also said this means: he denies the orphan his right,

That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly),

Page 602 English transliteration