بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الماعون
Al-Ma'un
The Small Kindnesses • 7 Ayahs
Meccanأَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي يُكَذِّبُ بِٱلدِّينِ
بھلا دیکھو تو جو دین کو جھٹلاتا ہے
فَذَٰلِكَ ٱلَّذِي يَدُعُّ ٱلۡيَتِيمَ
پھر وہ وہ ہے جو یتیم کو دھکے دیتا ہے
وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ
اور مسکین کو کھانا دینے کی رغبت نہیں دیتا
فَوَيۡلٞ لِّلۡمُصَلِّينَ
تو ان نمازیوں کی خرابی ہے،
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَن صَلَاتِهِمۡ سَاهُونَ
جو اپنی نماز سے بھولے بیٹھے ہیں
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ يُرَآءُونَ
وہ جو دکھاوا کرتے ہیں
وَيَمۡنَعُونَ ٱلۡمَاعُونَ
اور بر تنے کی چیز مانگے نہیں دیتے
About Surah Al-Ma'un
Surah Al-Ma'un (الماعون) is the 107th chapter of the Holy Quran. It contains 7 verses and is a Meccan Surah.
Read with Urdu translation (Kanz ul Iman) and English translation (Sahih International). Listen to audio recitation by multiple world-renowned reciters including Mishary Alafasy, Sudais, Shuraim, Husary, and more.
About Surah Al-Ma'un
Al-Ma'un is a seven-verse Meccan surah sharply criticizing those who deny basic kindness to orphans and the needy, and those whose prayer is performed only for show rather than sincerity.
Number
107th surah
Verses
7
Revelation
Meccan
Meaning
The Small Kindnesses
Why read it
A short but pointed reminder that ritual worship without genuine care for others is explicitly condemned, not merely incomplete.
Al-Ma'unbenefits & Hadith references →Key point
107:4-5 — "So woe to those who pray, [but] who are heedless of their prayer."
Historical Context
A short, sharply critical Meccan surah addressing a specific combination of failures: denying basic kindness to the vulnerable (orphans, the needy) while still performing the outward motions of religious ritual — naming this combination, not either failure alone, as what's being condemned.
Main Themes
Denying the Day of Judgment through action
Opens by identifying the one who "denies the Recompense" not through a stated belief, but through behavior: repelling the orphan and not encouraging feeding the needy.
Prayer performed without sincerity
Specifically condemns those who pray but are "heedless of their prayer" — understood by commentators as either neglecting its proper time and attention, or performing it for show rather than genuine devotion.
Withholding even small kindnesses
The surah's name, al-ma'un, refers to small, everyday items or assistance neighbors would typically lend one another — closing on withholding even this minor, low-cost generosity.
Important Verses
107:1-3
Denial shown through conduct
"Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense? For that is the one who drives away the orphan and does not encourage the feeding of the poor" — framing disbelief in the Hereafter as demonstrated by behavior, not only by stated creed.
107:4-6
Prayer performed for show
"So woe to those who pray [but] who are heedless of their prayer — those who make a show [of their deeds]" — a direct warning against ritual without sincerity (riya).
107:7
Even small kindnesses withheld
"And withhold [simple] assistance" — closing on the refusal of minor, everyday generosity between neighbors.
Hadith & Popular Descriptions
We include authenticity grading for each narration below — not every widely-repeated description of a surah comes from an equally strong source.
Frequently Asked Questions about Surah Al-Ma'un
What is Surah Al-Ma'un about?
Al-Ma'un is a seven-verse Meccan surah sharply criticizing those who deny basic kindness to orphans and the needy, and those whose prayer is performed only for show rather than sincerity.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Ma'un?
Surah Al-Ma'un contains 7 verses (The Small Kindnesses). It is the 107th surah of the Holy Quran.
Is Surah Al-Ma'un Makki or Madani?
Surah Al-Ma'un is a Makki surah — it was revealed in Makkah before the Hijrah.
What are the benefits of reading Surah Al-Ma'un?
A short but pointed reminder that ritual worship without genuine care for others is explicitly condemned, not merely incomplete.
Where can I read Surah Al-Ma'un with Urdu translation?
You can read Surah Al-Ma'un above with the full Arabic text, Urdu translation (Kanz ul Iman), and English translation (Sahih International), plus audio recitation.
What does "al-ma'un" mean?
It refers to small, everyday items or assistance that neighbors would typically lend each other without hesitation — commonly explained by commentators as things like a cooking pot, water, or salt. The surah closes by condemning withholding even this minor, low-cost generosity.
Why does this surah link prayer and kindness to orphans together?
Its core point is that ritual worship performed without genuine care for vulnerable people — orphans, the needy — is explicitly condemned, not treated as separately acceptable. Outward religiosity without the substance behind it is the specific target of the surah.