Commentary of Chapter 107 (Al-Ma'un - Acts of Kindness) of the Holy Quran
by Dr. Basharat Ahmad
Translated by KalamAzad Muhammad

1. Introduction:

1. Hast thou seen him who belies religion?
2. That is the one who is rough to the orphan,
3. And urges not the feeding of the needy.
4. So woe to the praying ones,
5. Who are unmindful of their prayer!
6. Who do (good) to be seen,
7. And refrain from acts of kindness!"

This chapter is a Makkan revelation.

Firstly, we must show kindness and compassion to His creation. Secondly, love for Him and reverence for His Oneness must prevail over everything else. Thirdly, our hearts must be generous and liberal, for Allah, Most High, is not fond of those who are not kind and sympathetic to His creatures; neither does He enter those hearts that are filled with false gods; nor can He live in narrow-minded and constricted hearts, for although the heavens and the earth, vast as they are, cannot contain Him, yet He can be contained in the hearts of those servants whose liberality and munificence of heart surpass the extensiveness of the heavens and the earth.

Dhalikal-ladhi yadu‘ul yatim
That is the one who is rough to the orphan

Wa la yahud-du ‘ala ta‘amil miskin
And urges not the feeding of the needy

Orphans are those who have been left alone in the world in such a condition that they are still unable to work for their own livelihood and cannot look after themselves. For example, an orphan is a young child whose father or guardian had died, or a wife whose husband or guardian has passed away and who is not in a position to work for a living or support herself.

A needy person is one who has the potential to work and support himself but for some reason he has suffered a loss in the resources with which he used to do so. For example, this may refer to a labourer whose hand is now broken, or to someone who was engaged in a skilled profession but has become blind, or to a businessman who has suffered bankruptcy, or to a servant who has lost his job, etc.

In Islam, it is the duty of all Muslims not only to support the orphans and the needy, but to get together and equip them to become useful and beneficial members of the society.

To be harsh to the orphan does not mean to reprove and drive him from your door, if he comes asking for bread. In fact, begging is contrary to the teachings of Islam and our Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is reported to have said that on the Day of Resurrection the beggar will be seen without any flesh on his face.

Once Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was travelling on camel back and his whip fell to the ground. He dismounted and took up his whip. Standing nearby was a person who addressed the Caliph thus:

"O Caliph, if you had asked me I would have taken it up for you."

The Caliph replied: "Then I would have been forced to ask you a favour."

In other words, it was better to get down from the camel and take up the whip than to beg a favour.

Thus, to be harsh to the orphans means to be indifferent to their rights or to usurp them. For example, a powerful relative may defraud the weaker ones of their just due, or an influential member of the society may use his authority to deny the orphans their due rights, or rich members of society may refuse to feed and educate them, even though this is an obligation from Allah to every member of the Muslim society.

As regards the needy, Allah says that the person who belies religion is the one who does not help to devise an organized system for feeding the poor and providing regular employment for them. For instance, a society may be formed to develop a capital fund for the purpose of giving "goodly loans" for business or education or to set up factories, businesses, etc., to create jobs for the unemployed or to provide homes for the aged or the handicapped where they can work according to their ability and earn something for themselves. These efforts should also include such relatives, friends and neighbours who need our assistance. In short, performing with compassion, our duties to our fellow human beings is the first condition of truly religious persons. If this is lacking, Allah will not visit the heart of such people.