Surah Al-Ma'un
الماعون
Small Kindnesses — 7 verses, revealed in Makkah. Read it in Arabic with transliteration and meaning, then learn its background, virtues and tajweed.
Surah Al-Ma'un is surah number 107 of the Quran, meaning “Small Kindnesses”. It has 7 verses and was revealed in Makkah. Al-Ma'un teaches that real faith shows in how we treat orphans and the poor, and in praying sincerely.
Surah Al-Ma'un with transliteration & meaning
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
- 1
اَرَءَیْتَ الَّذِیْ یُكَذِّبُ بِالدِّیْنِ ؕ ۱
Ara'aytal-ladhi yukadhdhibu bid-din.
Have you seen the one who denies the Day of Judgement?
- 2
فَذٰلِكَ الَّذِیْ یَدُعُّ الْیَتِیْمَ ۙ ۲
Fadhalikal-ladhi yadu''ul-yatim.
That is the one who pushes away the orphan,
- 3
وَلَا یَحُضُّ عَلٰی طَعَامِ الْمِسْكِیْنِ ؕ ۳
Wa la yahuddu 'ala ta'amil-miskin.
and does not encourage feeding the poor.
- 4
فَوَیْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّیْنَ ۙ ۴
Fawaylul-lil-musallin.
So woe to those who pray
- 5
الَّذِیْنَ هُمْ عَنْ صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُوْنَ ۙ ۵
Alladhina hum 'an salatihim sahun.
but are careless about their prayer,
- 6
الَّذِیْنَ هُمْ یُرَآءُوْنَ ۙ ۶
Alladhina hum yura'un.
who only want to be seen,
- 7
وَیَمْنَعُوْنَ الْمَاعُوْنَ ۷
Wa yamna'unal-ma'un.
and refuse even small kindnesses.
Background: when and why it was revealed
Revealed in Makkah. Al-Ma'un teaches that real faith shows in how we treat orphans and the poor, and in praying sincerely.
The surah describes someone who denies the Day of Judgement: he is harsh to orphans, does not care about feeding the poor, prays only to be seen, and refuses even small help to others.
Virtues
Every letter of the Quran brings reward: each good deed is multiplied ten times (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2910).
Tajweed tip
- When stopping at the end of each verse (“ad-diin”, “al-yatiim”, “al-miskiin”), stretch the long vowel for two, four or six counts.
When to recite it
- In Salah
- When teaching children kindness
What we learn from Surah Al-Ma'un
Care for orphans
Be gentle and kind to children without parents.
Feed the hungry
Encourage others to help the poor.
Pray sincerely
Pray for Allah, not to show off.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in Surah Al-Ma'un?
Surah Al-Ma'un has 7 verses.
What does Surah Al-Ma'un mean?
Surah Al-Ma'un means “Small Kindnesses”. Al-Ma'un teaches that real faith shows in how we treat orphans and the poor, and in praying sincerely.
Was Surah Al-Ma'un revealed in Makkah or Madinah?
It was revealed in Makkah.
When should I recite Surah Al-Ma'un?
In Salah, When teaching children kindness.
References & sources
Quran references link to Quran.com and hadith references to Sunnah.com, so you can check every source. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us and we will correct it.
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