Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Ma'un Verse 5

Mufti Taqi Usmani

who are neglectful of their Salāh,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

yet are unmindful of their prayers;

Ruwwad Translation Center

but are heedless of their prayer;

A. J. Arberry

and are heedless of their prayers,

Abdul Haleem

but are heedless of their prayer;

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

As are of their prayer careless.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Who are neglectful of their prayers,

Abul Ala Maududi

but are heedless in their Prayers,

Ahmed Ali

But who are oblivious of their moral duties,

Ahmed Raza Khan

Those who are neglectful of their prayer.

Ali Quli Qarai

but are heedless of their prayers

Ali Ünal

Those who are unmindful in their Prayers,

Amatul Rahman Omar

But are unmindful of their Prayer (and ignore the spirit and aim of it),

English Literal

Those whom they are about their prayers negligent/inattentive .

Faridul Haque

Those who are neglectful of their prayer.

Hamid S. Aziz

But are careless in their prayers,

Hilali & Khan

Who delay their Salat (prayer) from their stated fixed times,

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Who are unmindful of their prayer!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Who are unmindful of their prayers,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Who are heedless of their prayer;

Muhammad Sarwar

who become confused during their prayers,

Qaribullah & Darwish

who are heedless of their prayers (delaying them from their prescribed times),

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Those who with their Salah are Sahun.

Wahiduddin Khan

but whose hearts are not in their prayer.

Talal Itani

Those who are heedless of their prayers.

Tafsir jalalayn

those who are heedless of their prayers, neglectful, delaying them from their appointed times,

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

So, woe unto those performers of Salah,

those who with their Salah are Sahun.

Ibn Abbas and others have said,

"This means the hypocrites who pray in public but do not pray in private."

Thus, Allah says,
لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ
(unto those performers of Salah),

They are those people who pray and adhere to the prayer, yet they are mindless of it.

- This may either be referring to its act entirely, as Ibn Abbas said, or

- it may be referring to performing it in its stipulated time that has been legislated in Islam. This means that the person prays it completely outside of its time.

This was said by Masruq and Abu Ad-Duha.

Ata' bin Dinar said,

"All praise is due to Allah, the One Who said,
عَن صَلَـتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ
(with their Salah are Sahun) and He did not say, `those who are absent minded in their prayer."'

It could also mean the first time of the prayer, which means they always delay it until the end of its time, or they usually do so.

It may also refer to not fulfilling its pillars and conditions, and in the required manner.

It could also mean performing it with humility and contemplation of its meanings.

The wording of the Ayah comprises all of these meanings. However, whoever has any characteristic of this that we have mentioned then a portion of this Ayah applies to him. And whoever has all of these characteristics, then he has completed his share of this Ayah, and the hypocrisy of actions is fulfilled in him. This is just as is confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah said,

تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ

يَجْلِسُ يَرْقُبُ الشَّمْسَ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ بَيْنَ قَرْنَي الشَّيْطَانِ

قَامَ فَنَقَرَ أَرْبَعًا لَاا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ قَلِيلًا

This is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite.

He sits watching the sun until it is between the two horns of Shaytan.

Then he stands and pecks four (Rakahs) and he does not remember Allah (in them) except very little.

This Hadith is describing the end of the time for the `Asr prayer, which is the middle prayer as is confirmed by a text (Hadith). This is the time in which it is disliked to pray. Then this person stands to pray it, pecking in it like the pecking of a crow. He does not have tranquility or humility in it at all. Thus, the Prophet said,

لَاا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ قَلِيلًا

He does not remember Allah (in them) except very little.

He probably only stands to pray it so that the people will see him praying, and not seeking the Face of Allah. This is just as if he did not pray at all.

Allah says,

إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ وَإِذَا قَامُواْ إِلَى الصَّلَوةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَى يُرَاءُونَ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً

Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. (4;142)

and Allah says here,

الَّذِينَ هُمْ يُرَاوُونَ