1. Have you considered the one who denies “religion” (din) [or the Day of Judgment]?

2. He is the one who pushes aside the orphan (with contempt),

3. And does not urge others to feed the needy.

4. So woe unto the worshippers (musallin),

5. Who are unmindful of and inattentive to their prayer (salat):

6. Those who are all show,

7. And hold back the small [acts of] kindness and assistance.

[107:1] Have you considered the one who denies “religion” (dīn) [or the Day of Judgment]?

Dīn here is customarily translated as a belief system or a school of thought, and its rejection as a verbal denial after a period of reflection and deliberation upon its merits. This denial usually pertains to belief in God and His prophets. However, such is not the case here, for this verse talks about the “deniers of religion.” The problem is that we assume that acceptance or denial is the result of a thought process that is finally verbalized as “I accept/reject Islam” and “I accept/reject the Qur’an.” But what we do not realize is that this verbal denial is, in actuality, only the first step.

According to the Qur’an, confirmation or denial is proven by deeds. For example, some people claim to be Muslim and believe in the Qur’an, even though their deeds do not reflect this. The Qur’an, on the other hand, refers to them as “deniers of religion” and liars, for those who claim belief in anything must actualize it through their deeds. Those who do so only verbally or intellectually, or who accept this belief from their parents but do not act upon it, are guilty of hypocrisy and deceit. The Qur’anic language describing those who give their lives in the way of God should help elucidate this point. For example, Qur’an 33:23 saysthat some of the faithful fulfilled their pledge to God by testifying to its truthfulness and actualizing it (saddaqū) through their actions (i.e., doing the right thing), as opposed to words (i.e., saying the right thing). This chapter discusses one of the traits of this latter group, namely, the “deniers of religion.”

The second point concerns the meaning of “religion” (dīn). It is not quite accurate to refer to Islam, Christianity, or Judaism as “religions” in the Qur’anic context, because this term’s (i.e., dīn) primary meaning is rooted in reward and retribution. Since religion is bound by rules and regulations designed to assign reward or retribution, they are also incorporated in “religion.” On this basis, a country’s constitution, rules, and regulations can also be interpreted as dīn. In the account of Joseph, before his brothers recognized him, the word dīn is employed when referring to the “king’s dīn” (dīn-ul-malik): “He [Joseph] could not have held his brother [Benjamin] under the king’s law” (12:76). He could do so only by using the plan that God had revealed to him. So the “king’s dīn” refers to the laws of the land, proving my point that it refers to the rules and regulations by which one can be rewarded or punished.

The third point is to note that the “Day of Dīn” (yawm-ud-dīn) refers to that Day when everyone will receive the due rewards for their actions. So when 109:6 says: “You have your dīn and I have my dīn,” it means that everyone will be compensated justly for what they have done, not that both groups are free to practice their “religion,” as some have interpreted. Rather, each of us is free to do what we will, and in the end we will reap what we have sown.

[107:2] He is the one who pushes aside the orphan (with contempt),

This “denier of religion” rejects an orphan, whereas anyone with an ounce of kindness and compassion would have a tender spot for those children who are alone in the world. Such self-proclaimed religious people have no mercy and therefore are unwilling even to offer kind words. The Qur’an recommends that when people ask you for something that you don’t have, at least be polite and respectful to them and ask for their forgiveness for being unable to help them. In other words, the least you can do is to say something positive instead of rebuffing them and showing no mercy.

[107:3] And does not urge others to feed the needy.

This “denier of religion” does not feed the hungry, teach them the skills so that they can support themselves, or urge others to do so on a continual basis. Feeding the hungry is not a one-time deal. The Qur’an envisages a society that takes care of its orphans and indigent people, one that gradually helps them to meet more of their own needs and thus significantly decreases their need for charity from the rich. Imagine how many children starve to death every minute due to hunger, and how many who somehow survive are malnourished and undernourished.

[107:4] So woe unto the worshippers (musallīn),

The Qur’an does not say, “Woe unto the unbelievers, the polytheists, or idolaters,” but “Woe to those who pray (salāt),” for to pray means to pay attention and orient oneself toward God in a special way, namely, to establish (iqāmah) prayer. The Qur’an, with only a couple of exceptions, asserts that one is to “establish prayer.” In fact, nowhere does it say that prayer has to be recited, which is an important point to note. For example, when someone says that he is seriously involved in sports, he means that sports have become an integral part of his life, as opposed to a hobby or some other casual undertaking. Establishing and maintaining prayer conveys that sense of being firmly committed to God. The Qur’an couples iqāmah with justice (‘adālah) and balance (mīzān) to mean “establishing and maintaining justice and balance” (55:9) and also with equity (qist) to mean “establishing and maintaining equity and fairness” (3:18). Qur’an 7:29 says: “Set your faces upright [toward Him] at every occasion of prayer,” meaning that you should set your attention and heart toward God whenever you pray. In general, working to achieve your objectives in this life and maintaining your prayers should be a part of this planning.

This verse does not couple “prayer” with “establish,” as it only says “those who pray” (musallīn). This denunciation indicates that some people pray superficially by going through the motions without any understanding or feeling in their hearts, for it has become just another habit and family tradition for them. The Qur’an condemns these people for not orienting themselves toward God by “establishing the prayers,” meaning that their prayers had made no difference in their lives. If it had, they would have at least paid some attention to the orphans. Prayer means to turn toward God. Those who do so will find Him Beneficent and Merciful, the possessor of all merciful attributes. God is the Bestower, the Provider, and the Generous. How can one who has turned toward God not be impacted by these attributes? When one turns toward something worthy, she will fall in love with it and it will leave its print on her being. People who turn toward God and find room in their heart for all of the divine attributes cannot be simultaneously indifferent to orphans, the hungry, and other “unimportant” people or things. The prayers of such people are shallow, pretentious, and meaningless.

Wayl (woe) is repeated in the Qur’an several times: “Woe to those who give short measure (cheat and defraud others)”(83:1), “Woe to every slandering backbiter,”(104:1) and “Woe unto every sinful liar”(45:7). When you come across this word, pay attention to the context in which it is used.

So just who are these people?

[107:5] Who are unmindful of and inattentive to their prayer (salāt):

Their prayers are no more than habit and empty ritual.

[107:6] Those who are all show,

They pray only to present an ostentatious display (riyā) so that those who see them will be impressed by their “devotion” and unable to see just how fake and shallow their prayers really are.

[107:7] And hold back the small [acts of] kindness and assistance.

Public wealth (assets owned by the government and tax revenues) belongs to everyone, but these pretentious people want everything for themselves and do their best to deny the destitute their rightful share in it. Mā‘ūn, like kawthar,connotes that which is good, beneficial, and blessed. Qur’an 59:7 emphasizes that wealth is not just for the rich, for it belongs to everyone and must circulate among the people in order to firm up and support their life. Furthermore, 4:5 says that wealth and capital are means of support for society at large, for it can only grow and develop if they are available to all in one degree or another. But the “deniers of religion” reject such facts and seek to keep as much as they can for themselves.

The question that should be asked here is who these verses are addressing. Chapter 107was revealed during the first and second year of the prophetic mission, when few people prayed and hypocrites who wanted to exhibit their piety through conspicuous displays of prayer were unknown. Such people only appeared later on in Madinah, when the Muslims had become powerful and Islam had acquired a status of its own. But these verses were revealed in Makkah, where Muslims were weak, few in number, and enduring hardship.

In such a context, it would have been ludicrous for any of them to want to show off their religion or to deny wealth and benefits to others. Remember that at this time the Muslims were hungry and without power. They were just exemplary individuals who took their prayers seriously,lived in very difficult circumstances, and were the vanguard of Islam. These accusations, therefore, are irrelevant to their situation. So we have to presume that these verses are either addressing future Muslims, some of whom would abuse religion for their personal benefit, or someone else.

In fact, these verses are not addressed to Muslims. The confusion might be a linguistic one because salāt, which connotes blessing, grace, and worship, is normally translated as “ritual prayer” (e.g., the five daily ritual prayers). Thus, we assume that they are addressed to Makkah’s Muslims who were inattentive while praying. But the town’s polytheists also performed salāt. Qur’an 8:35 says: “Their prayer at the House is nothing but whistling and clapping.” Look at those who commemorate the death anniversary of Rumi,the eminent and honored mystic, by going to Konya and dancing, turning, and twisting, and performing other movements (samā) to which they attribute special meaning. Perhaps Rumi performed samā on special occasions,but he was not in a trance and dancing and whirling around all the time. As we know, some of those who love Rumi, who have followed in his footsteps and admired his great Masnavī, have reduced all of it to nothing more than samā.

Yes, Makkah’s polytheists also performed salāt, for they did not deny God’s existence. Rather, they protested that God, Who had such grandeur and high stature, had designated a humble and poor orphan as His messenger. They even said: “O God, if this be the truth from You, rain down upon us stones from the sky or inflict on us a painful punishment” (8:32) and other statements to the effect that if this were the truth, then may Earth split open and swallow them. Thus they clearly believed in God, for “If you ask them, ‘Who created the Heavens and Earth, and constrained the Sun and the Moon?’ They will surely say, ‘God’” (29:61).Or if you ask them: “Who provides for you from the skies and the earth, has power over hearing and seeing, brings forth the dead from the living, and governs the Order, they will say, ‘God’” (10:31).

The Qur’an often describes the polytheists’ belief not in terms of denying God, but in terms of their belief that it is far above and beyond God’s dignity to have anything to do with them. As they had no access to Him, the next best thing was to resort to those idols that symbolized angels, the “Daughters of God,” to whom He had entrusted this world’s affairs. Since they could not see these angels, they shaped and named their idols after them and prayed to them. Their form of prayer bore some resemblance to the ceremonies and customs of various African peoples who have developed dances with rhythmic and repetitive movements. The Qur’an says that such actions do not reform anyone, that they are mere pretense designed for public show. The same is true of the mystic or transcendental dance, for it does not encourage anyone to establish and promote justice. This form of salāt has no educational value, and thus its superficial and artificial acts have no positive value.

Let’s talk about something closer to our own tradition: the great movement initiated by Husayn. What about our own acts and ceremonies during Muharram? Does beating our chest and back with chains (zanjīr zanī), piercing the skin on our forehead with a sword or a knife (qam-e zanī), have any educational value? Do such activities draw attention to the orphans and the hungry or help resolve the chaos in our society, or are they nothing more than emotional outbursts – outbursts that sometimes overwhelm us so much that we subject our very young children to the harsh and bloody ritual of qam-e zanī? After this ritual parents hug their children, who now have blood all over their head and face, for they believe that this guarantees their children’s entry into Paradise.

So what lessons can be gleaned from this act? What is its value? Instead of valuing and treasuring the deeds of martyrs and understanding and acting upon their message, the “blessed outcome” is the special foods served on this occasion. Instead of removing the chains of slavery and freeing ourselves from the shackles of selfishness and egoism, we beat ourselves with those very chains. Instead of opening our breasts and understanding the spirit of Husayn’s movement, we beat ourselves on the head and the chest. Our understanding of his message has become superficial and artificial, no more than acts designed for show and display. This is why the Qur’an says: “So woe unto worshippers (musallīn), who are unmindful of and inattentive to their prayer (salāt).” Prayer means to turn toward God.

But traditionalists, who consider these commemorative practices as salāt, assure us that they are part of practicing religion and turning toward God. But is God pleased with those of His servants who wound themselves? Some of these “worshippers” sharpen the tips of their blades until they are like daggers, so that when they beat their backs with the chains to which these blades are attached their muscles will tear. Horrific and dreadful pictures have been taken of such scenes. They think that these “godly” acts, which they see as “sacrifices,” will ensure them a reward and a place in Paradise.

This chapter contains a pretty clear message: Woe to those who turn to God in this fashion, for it is nothing but religious pretense. What is the benefit of claiming that we organized a procession of a few thousand people in New York, Washington, and London during Muharram and performed such acts in the streets? Should we feel proud of this? What did the observers think about us? Do such events really introduce Islam? Would it not be better to dialogue with them about the divine morals and ethics that we have derived from Husayn’s movement and explain how these are compatible with, and therefore can be applied to, their socio-cultural-economic reality?In short, we have exchanged what is real and important for what is superficial, shallow, and meaningless. If we expand the meaning of salāt and look back in history, we will see that this chapter condemns the religious practices described here.

As regards authentic salāt, 29:45 says: “Indeed the prayer (salāt) prevents indecencies and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of God is surely greater.” So what can one say of those who pray but nevertheless indulge in such immoral acts? How can such people’s salāt benefit anyone, especially the performers?

You may have heard of an incident that happened in Isfahan, Iran, a while ago. A father had murdered his 17-year old daughter for dating. During his trial, he informed the judge that the week before this incident he had undertaken a religious visitation to one of the saints’ shrines. He did this to impress upon the judge that he was a practicing Muslim with deep convictions. But what kind of religious practitioner murders his own daughter? Where in the Qur’an does it say that the punishment for such an act, even if proven, is murder? Capital punishment can only be carried out in the case of premeditated murder and has to be proven without a shadow of a doubt in a competent court of law. These types of incidents show that such shallow types of pilgrimages, visitations, and similar acts are nothing but attempts to show off and are thus devoid of any value.

This chapter talksabout the stark contradiction between superficial and real faith. Qur’an 70:19–34 explains the characteristics of those who pray sincerely.

[70:19] Surely man has been created of a hasty temperament,

[70:20] Anxious when an evil befalls him.
When one encounters a difficulty, the usual reaction is grief, fear, calling for help, and complaining about the new situation. Such people have a weak and unstable personality and little tolerance for even the slightest discomfort.

[70:21] And tight-fisted when good befalls him.
And when good befalls them, they no longer act as God’s servant and even try to prevent others from helping the needy. They puff themselves up with pride when things go their way, but feel frazzled and depressed when they do not. Thus they are neither consistent nor resolute in their actions.

[70:22] Except those who are (devoted) worshippers (musallīn).
Who are these people who pray sincerely?

[70:23] Those who are constant in their prayers.
They are the constant and resolute ones who always turn toward God in their salāt. In contrast, 107:5mentions “Those who are un-mindful of their prayers,” namely, those who are careless, inattentive, and irresolute in their salāt, be it studying, commemorating Husayn’s martyrdom, or reciting supplications (du‘ā).

[70:24] And in whose wealth there is a known right.
Those who pray faithfully have set aside a specific portion of their wealth. But for whom?

[70:25] For the beggar and the deprived.
This chapter, on the other hand, addresses those who reprimand and drive away the orphans and ignore the hungry.

[70:26] And who affirms the Day of Retribution.
They reaffirm the Day of Retribution (i.e., Judgment) in practice, whereas those mentioned in this chapter deny it.

[70:27] And those who are apprehensive of the punishment of their Lord.
Notice that here too the Qur’an uses “Lord” instead of “God.” This is a reminder that the world has a Lord and thus laws and regulations that everyone has to follow. We must be aware of this fact, for His mere existence means that we must be concerned with what He wants us to do and the consequences of both accepting and rejecting His will for our life.

[70:28] There is indeed no security from the punishment of their Lord.
No one can escape His fully justified punishment.

[70:29] And those who guard their private parts.
They are chaste and moral people who resist sexual temptation.

[70:30] Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for they surely are not to be blamed.
The only exceptions allowed are their spouses and slaves who have been acquired lawfully. In ancient times many people owned slaves. The verb malakat (مَلَكَتْ) is not in the present-future tense but in the past tense, which denotes that this Jāhiliyyah custom was to be abandoned gradually.

[70:31] But whoever seeks beyond that, it is they who are the transgressors.

[70:32] And those who keep their trusts and covenants,

[70:33] And those who are observant of their testimonies.
Those who have established salāt within themselves do not waiver in their faith when they are threatened. If they have witnessed a crime or are aware of one, they come forward as witnesses or attend the court proceedings to advance the cause of freedom, justice, and rights of the persecuted.

[70:34] And those who maintain their prayers.
And finally, they maintain a strong connection with God through salāt for its inherent value, not because they want something in return or because they feel like it and are in the mood. We make an effort to remain on good terms with those whom we need, like our supervisors and managers. But when it comes to our relationship with God, other priorities bump it off the list. However, those who pray faithfully take this latter relationship very seriously and maintain it as best as they can. According to the Qur’an, these are the people who will have a place in Paradise and be rewarded with prosperity.

This concludes the description of those who pray faithfully and those who pray only to show off.

Translator: Amir Douraghy
Editor: Hamid Mavani