Chapter Ma’un – Part 6

Recap:  As we have been studying, this chapter has very interesting words which have the meaning within the context of the Quran for now and then. We usually encounter the confusion of the words according to the time of revelation, e.g. The Bedouins used this word, the poets used this word. They may be related but the Quranic vocabulary needs to be understood always according to the general purpose of the Quran.

The interpretation of the Quran cannot be reduced to the meaning of certain words from a specific time i.e. the time it was first revealed.  The concepts in the Quran are used to let me know about the general principles, definition and purposes of the Speech of God, Quran.  That is, the Source of my existence teaches me all that is revealed for what purpose? In our universal transactions, when we speak to someone, it is usually to teach something.  Similarly, the Source of my Existence must communicate with me to teach me something that I do not know about and I cannot know about on my own.

The Quran says it is in Arabic, grammatically, language wise. Not according to the Arabic used by people. However, the language is to be understood according to the general purpose of the Quran.

There is a sudden change in the subject.  Previous verses were about denying the religion, pushing away the orphans, not encouraging oneself or others to take care of the needy ones. Now the subject is woe to those who pray.

107:4 “Woe, then, to those who pray,”

Not those who are heedless in their prayers, rather who are heedless of their prayers.  That is, people who are performing prayers or doing rituals but do not know exactly what they are doing.

• Without realizing what I am doing in my prayers, I cannot make any progress to fulfilling the purpose of my existence.

Around the 2^nd Year of revelation, no one knew prayer as we now understand.  Hence, prayer – “salaat” in Arabic – has at least 3 meanings

Prayers (“salaat”) in the Quran is used in 4 forms:

1. Useless activities done in the name of a Creator.
2. Praise someone and asking for blessings for someone.
3. Establishment of prayer (iqamat-ul–salaat) as ritualistic prayer.
4. To support someone or an idea, an attitude, as it is in this present verse.

When the Quran means the ritualistic prayers to follow as a practice, “aqeemu’s–salaat” from is used generally.

However, in this verse, prayer has a more foundation based meaning. One of the meaning of “salaat” is to support something. There is a physical support and then the support of what we support in life. It can be supporting certain ideas, political party, sports team, organization… The verse cautions the reader: “Are you aware of what you are supporting?”

The root word for “salaat” is to support something.  Woe to those who are supporting, what are you supporting?  Fashion, political party and values of a particular lifestyle?

What is the value for the purpose of your life to support a particular designer?  We support fashion and we do not know why are we doing this, for what reason?  Is it your life aim to follow that which everyone else does?  We have become like a herd following the shepherd’s dog.  “Woe to you”, God says which means why are you doing or supporting baseless things (fashion, team, false ideologies…)?

• Why do I support this particular football team? Why not another one?
• Quran comes in and says: They do this without realizing why. What value does this bring to you in your life by supporting the team?

The Speech of God is, in a way like human constructed constitutions, which is not time and space bound but needs to be interpreted.    The application (practical side) of the constitution changes more frequently i.e. laws are comparatively shorter time and space bound.

Quran speaks to all kinds of people and its Speech is open for every level of people.  The text cannot be interpreted arbitrarily, it has its own linguistic restrictions.  We should not keep repeating what we hear from others, without making it our own reality.  Any concept is to be understood within the general principles of the Quran.

107:6 those who do things only to be seen by others.

The word “salaat” according to some linguistic scholars drives from the word “W-S-L”, which means reaching the destination. The ultimate purpose of your life.

Whatever I am supporting, is it worth for me to get to my destination? What benefit am I going to get for following it?

• What is the purpose of my life? Follow the herd? Go with the flow?

What kind of lifestyle do we support? The way we dress, act, speak, furnish the house – what is it that we are supporting? Do we want to show it to others, portray a particular image, what kind of image?

Are you a puppet?  You already handed your freewill into the hand of others by following the herd/flow.  That is, the attitude of going with the flow.

• It needs determination and resolution not to follow a trend, otherwise “woe to you”!

If you are aware of the destination you are going towards, then that is the aim of your life?  Where am I supposed to reach?  If I do not know the aim, then what am I going to do as I do not know the purpose of my life and so I just follow the flow.

“To be seen by others” i.e. the way we act and speak, to show to others that I am just like you without realizing what you are doing.  You are a human being and you must think about the future, why am I living here?  Am I puppet in the hands of others or do I make my own decision trying to understand what am I doing and why am I doing it?  This place is temporary, and we are given the opportunities to develop our human capacity and become aware of what I am doing here, what is the meaning of being a rational being and having a freewill?  This is a big responsibility, is it given just for the sake of others or following a tradition?  Ask yourself!

Everything we do in this world, with the aim, in order to support, to reach the ultimate aim. We are responsible for it, that is my “salaat” (prayer) and the One we worship says: “Woe to you, is that your “salaat” (prayer)? That doesn’t fit your life”.  Have you decided whether this is the right thing for me to do?

• What we do is our prayer.

What am I aiming at?  What is the destination that I want to reach in this world?  What am I supporting?  Worship means reaching my ultimate aim, what I really mean by performing actions?  If you do something without awareness of what you are doing, then that is meaningless.

• Ultimate aim is making my life for what is given to me.

Why do I live in this world?  My ultimate purpose of my life is my worship.

107:7 “and refuse (even) small kindnesses.”

“And refuse (even) small kindness”.  That is, for the purpose of my existence, I need to pay attention to all the details out there.  The smallest part whether it fits the purpose or not. For example, the starter of the car doesn’t work, the car doesn’t run and can’t take you to the destination. A small thing and the consequences are serious.

One must pay attention to the smallest details in their purpose of life. For example, speaking to someone, the prophetic teaching is look at the person in a sympathetic way. Smile at a person, use Salaam, a simple word or “may the Lord be pleased with you.” These seemingly small things must be part of my life and must be geared towards reaching the purpose of my life.

What am I doing in my life?  I do not take notice of what I am doing, even the smallest matter. Small act of kindness must be fitting within the purpose of my life.  Example: tapping on someone’s shoulder.  Am I being a nice person in order to feel a good person or did it to fulfill another purpose or person?

I am given the feeling of compassion and the feeling encourages me to be kind to other people including a fly and insect.  I must be aware of what I am doing in my life, otherwise I am wasting my life with what I am doing.  This is frightening, not because it is difficult, but I do not pay attention to it.  To be consistent with yourself is not difficult.  Example:  I am hungry, I need nice food.  This need of hunger is consistent with my being and it does not contradict my human capacity.  Am I recognizing the Owner of this need?   The feeling is given to me by the One who gave existence to that feeling. The feeling must be used to fulfill the purpose of my life. The feeling encourages me to be kind to other beings. For example, don’t be angry with a fly – which exists to fulfill its purpose.

• Check myself: Am I having a distorted purpose of my life or am I just following what has been passed down?
• When I feel that I must do it and if I feel not happy with myself when doing it, then something is wrong.

Religion is guidance form the One who creates me.  If the text claims something that I am the Speech of your Creator in order to tell you how to use yourself in this word, then when I receive this guidance and my human “machine” does not function, then my machine is wrong.  “Hey reader! Woe on you if you support something of this world and your ultimate aim of life is twisted and corrupted.” 

• Without realizing any of your needs, you follow taken for granted values.
• These verses remind us which kind of criterium do I have for my life and do they make sense to me? Am I aware of why I am doing what I am doing?  I have lots of prejudices in my life.
• Imitation and denial spoils human nature.

Not to think about a matter is my choice and accordingly I develop my capacity. If I do not know something, then I should try to learn it. I should be checking myself constantly. Even I may have some knowledge of something, I should try to expand my knowledge about it. There should be no stagnant life for us since we have endless capacity to be developed.

• Action –>learn it –>understand

Quran is a choice for me to understand and pay attention to what is being said.  We are really communicating with the Creator while we are making research in the creation and studying the Speech of the Creator.  More essential is to pay attention to what my Creator is saying to me now.

Do I make a special personal effort to understand the Quran?  If something does not address my human qualities while reading the Quran, then do not pay attention to it at first stage, keep studying the Qur’an and get the wider perspective of the Purposes of the Qur’an, then turn back to that point and try to contextualize it.  At the end, you can develop a clearer vision about the questions such as: “Why do you pray?  Why do you fast?” The Qur’an suggests us that as human beings, to pray and fast, for example, is the best fitting act to our human qualities. It is up to us to investigate whether this suggestion is most fitting to my human side. In order to reach a conclusion about the answers to these kinds of questions beginning with “Why?”, we need to grasp the guidance presented to us as the purpose of my existence in this world. It is necessary for us to study the teachings of the Scriptures within their whole body of teachings, without isolating one subject from the rest of the objectives of the Text.

107:7 “and refuse (even) small kindnesses.”

The word “ma’un” – is not exactly kindness but very small details that one can do. Pay attention to those small details.

As long as human beings use their free will, their consciousness will remain active.  Every action involves the free will. We either use it or not. For example, “I did not think about it.” That is a choice I made and exercised my free will on not to think about the matter, that is conscious choice as well.  In any case,

• Physical matter, one learns it.
• Belief matters, one understands it.

Everything we do in this world with the aim to reach the ultimate aim/destination, we are responsible for it, that is my “salaat.”

Verse (chapter Anfal) 8:35 – And their prayers before the House are nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. Taste then, the chastisement as an outcome of your persistent denial of truth!

The Speaker in the Quran says: “Woe to you. You are doing this for what!?  This “salaat” does not fit you.”  Ask yourself, I am doing something for what purpose?  MoneyàSurvive in this world, or lead a meaningful, satisfactory life.   That is how we justify our aim of life.

What is the purpose of existence, is to survive and die and become compost?   Is it your ultimate aim that is worth according to your human capacity?  Why am I not wanting to die? 

• What is the purpose in living in this world? That is why we must think where we are trying to arrive at? Example: “I am doing this, is it worth it, to do this as a human being?  Animals also eat, survive and give birth to children and die.  Are they expected to aim at something beyond this?
• What am I expecting in my life? Eternal Happiness.  If I live in this world with the consideration that I must be happy until I die, then is it human or animal?

Quran does not educate us how to survive in this world.

Verse (Chapter Baqara) 2:157 – These will be given blessings (salawat) and mercy from their Lord and it is they who are rightly guided.

It means that those with the right ultimate aim will be receiving the blessings of God.