Benefits and Virtues of Surah 107 Al-Maoon

107. Al-Ma’un

107.1 Muqatil and al-Kalbi said

This Surah was revealed about al-‘As ibn Wa’il al-Sahmi. And Ibn Jurayj said: “Abu Sufyan ibn Harb was in the habit of slaughtering two camels every week. On one occasion, an orphan came to him asking him for something. Abu Sufyan responded by hitting him with a stick. And so Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) revealed

﴾ أرأيت الذي يكذب بالدين ﴿

Hast thou observed him who belieth religion?

﴾ فذلك الذي يدع اليتيم ﴿

That is he who repelleth the orphan” (107:1-2)

(Asbab Al-Nuzul)

107.2 Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه)

During the time of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) we used to consider Ma’un (things of daily use) lending a bucket and cooking-pot.

Sunan Abi Dawud 1657

107.3 Ibn Kathir related about

﴾ الذين هم عن صلاتهم ساهون ﴿

[But] who are heedless of their prayer

﴾ الذين هم يراءون ﴿

Those who do good deeds only to be seen (107:5-6)

That in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “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.”

Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) Says,

﴾ إن المنافقين يخادعون الله وهو خادعهم وإذا قاموا إلى الصلاة قاموا كسالى يراءون الناس ولا يذكرون الله إلا قليلا ﴿

Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah , but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little (4:142)

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 (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “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.”

107.4 Ibn Kathir related about

﴾ ويمنعون الماعون ﴿

And withhold [simple] assistance (107:7)

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.”

(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

107.5 Mufti Shafi Usmani related about

﴾ ويمنعون الماعون ﴿

And withhold [simple] assistance (107:7)

That Majority of the commentators – like Sayyidna ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Umar, Hasan Basri, Qatadah, Dahhak (رضي الله عنهم) and others – hold the view that Ma’un implies Zakah (Mazhari).

(Ma’ariful Quran)

107.6 Ibn Abbas said about

﴾ ويمنعون الماعون ﴿

And withhold [simple] assistance (107:7)

That it refers to hypocrites who don’t ally with the believers and refuse to borrow any thing.

(Shuayb ul Iman 5/340, Dur al-Manthur)