The Meaning of the Word Mann

　　The word Mann may be used to mean interruption and cessation, as in the saying of Allah The Almighty: {For they will have a reward uninterrupted.}[Quran 95:6] It may also mean doing what is good. Another derivative of this word is the word “Mannah”, which means a great blessing, as in the saying of Allah The Almighty: {Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers.}[Quran 3:164] Al-Mann could also be done by words and it means reminding others of one’s favors to them, a thing that is dispraised among people except in cases of ingratitude.

　　Some verses that use the word Mann are those where Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

• {And do not confer favor to acquire more.} [Quran 74:6]
• {And is this a favor of which you remind me - that you have enslaved the Children of Israel?}[Quran 26:22]
• {They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam. Say, “Do not consider your Islam a favor to me. Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful.”}[Quran 49:17]
• {O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day.} [Quran 2:264]

　　Al-Qurtubi said that reminding others of one’s favors for them is usually done by a miserly and conceited person. The miser always feels that what he gives is great, even if it is something insignificant. Also, the conceited person tends to glorify himself and feels that he is doing others a great favor by giving to them. The reasons for all this are ignorance and forgetfulness of the favors of Allah. If these people had thought carefully, they would have realized that the taker is the one who does them a favor because of the reward that they obtain for giving to him.

　　In general, there are two possible interpretations of reminding others of favors:

　　The first is doing something good to others without boasting of what one did. For example, it may be said that someone did another one a favor by rescuing him.

　　The second is when someone keeps reminding others of his favors for them and does this numerous times, to the extent that he ruins and squanders what he did.

　　The first type is good and it includes all the favors of Allah that He bestows upon man, while the second one is bad as it is usually said in order to confirm and announce the favors, or to boast of what one gives until it would reach the taker, who would then be hurt to hear this. In this case, reminding others of one’s favors would be a grave major sin.

　　Some Hadeeths, which dispraise the act of reminding others of one’s favors for them, are:

　　In a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, , said: “Allah will not talk to three types of people on the Day of Judgment: the one who gives people things in order to remind them of his favors upon them, the one who sells goods by making false oaths, and the one who allows his lower garment to hang low [below his ankles].”[Muslim]

　　In a Hadeeth on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, , said: “Allah will not look at three types of people on the Day of Judgment: the one who is undutiful to his parents, the woman who imitates men and the Dayyooth [the man who approves of the indecency of his womenfolk and who is void of jealousy]. Moreover, three types of people will not enter Paradise: the one who is undutiful to his parents, the one who is addicted to alcohol and the one who reminds others of his favors for them.”[An-Nasaa’I, Al-Albaani - Saheeh]

　　In a Hadeeth on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Abi Afwa, may Allah be pleased with him, who said that some of the Arabs said to the Prophet, , “O Messenger of Allah! We reverted to Islam and did not fight you as other tribes did.” Hence, the following verse was revealed (which means): {They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam.}[Quran 49:17][Ibn Al-Munthir, At-Tabaraani and Ibn Mardawayh with a good chain of narrators]

　　In a Hadeeth on the authority of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, the Prophet, , said: “The deceiver, the one who reminds others of his favors for them and the miser will not enter Paradise” [At-Tirmithi, Hasan Ghareeb]

　　The meaning of: “The one who reminds others of his favors for them will not enter Paradise”:

　　Proven reported citations were narrated on the authority of the Prophet, , but their meaning was misunderstood by two sects. The Al-Mu‘tazilah and Al-Khawaarij, on one hand, claimed that the one who commits a major sin and dies before repenting would be eternally in Hell and would never enter Paradise. On the other hand, Al-Murji’ah denied these citations all together as they were ignorant of their meanings. Ibn Khuzaymah pointed this out and said that these reported citations could mean one of two things:

　　The first is that the one who commits this sin would not enter some of the gardens of Paradise as the Prophet, , told us that there are many gardens in Paradise and each one of them is called Paradise.

　　The second is that every threat to the true monotheists in the Quran and Sunnah is dependent on the will of Allah, as He may forgive and pardon and save the sinner from His torment. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.} [Quran 4:11] Some scholars have stated that when this type of threat is made against the sinful monotheists, it could mean that they would not enter Paradise with the first group who would enter it. However, they will be delayed and might be tormented in Hell, but in the end they will enter Paradise because they were monotheists.

　　Some traditions and sayings of scholars on the act of reminding others of one’s favors:

　　It was narrated by Ibn Abu Haatim that Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “[The Hadeeth]:‘No one who reminds others of his favors for them will enter Paradise ’ was very difficult for me to understand until I found the verses that deal with these type of people in the Quran. Allah The Almighty Says [what means]:{Do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury.}[Quran 2:264]”

　　In his commentary on the verse (which means): {Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned,}[Quran 83:15] Abu Mulaykah Az-Zammaari said that this refers to the one who reminds others of his favors for them and the arrogant who unlawfully takes people’s money through making false oaths.

　　In his commentary on the verse where Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury,}[Quran 2:264], Adh-Dhahhaak said that the one who gives a charity then reminds the taker of his charity or hurts him, would therefore not get a reward. Allah The Almighty likens what that person does to a large smooth stone upon which there is dust and which is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. Allah The Exalted removes the reward of the one who reminds people of his charity in the same way the downpour removes the dust of the stone.

　　Dear Muslim, reminding others with one’s favors for them is a reason for being inflicted with the wrath of Allah and for being expelled from His mercy. It stirs bitter feelings, invalidates good deeds and might even cancel them out totally. Allah will not look at the one who has this ailment, neither will He talk to him on the Day of Judgment. So, beware of this disease as it is a characteristic of miserly people.