Showing Off

Text Under Scrutiny

 

فَوَیۡلٌ  لِّلۡمُصَلِّیۡنَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ عَنۡ صَلَاتِہِمۡ سَاہُوۡنَ.الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ  یُرَآءُوۡنَ وَ یَمۡنَعُوۡنَ الۡمَاعُوۡنَ.(107: 4-7)

 

 

A. Individual Activity Segment

 

Step 1: Fill out the first lines of the following tables by placing the translation of the Arabic word below it and then make the scrambled sentence into a meaningful one in the last lines of each of the tables.

 

 

I

 

فَ: So

وَیۡلٌ:   :devastation be

لِّ: :to

الۡمُصَلِّیۡنَ: :these who pray

 

فَ	وَیۡلٌ	لِّ	الۡمُصَلِّیۡنَ

 

 

II

 

الَّذِیۡنَ:  they

ہُمۡ:  who

عَنۡ:  of

صَلَاتِ: prayer

ہِمۡ:  their

سَاہُوۡنَ: indifferent

 

الَّذِیۡنَ	ہُمۡ	عَنۡ	صَلَاتِ	ہِمۡ	سَاہُوۡنَ

 

 

III

 

الَّذِیۡنَ:  they

ہُمۡ:   who

یُرَآءُوۡنَ: show off

 

الَّذِیۡنَ	ہُمۡ	یُرَآءُوۡنَ

 

 

IV

 

وَ:  and

یَمۡنَعُوۡنَ:  stingy

الۡمَاعُوۡنَ: ordinary items

 

وَ	یَمۡنَعُوۡنَ	الۡمَاعُوۡنَ

 

 

Step II: Write out your complete translation here: (note: before you do this exercise, please hide with a sheet of paper if the standard translation written in the next step is visible to you)

 

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Step III: Compare your Translation with the Following:

 

So devastation be to these who pray, who are indifferent to their prayer; who show off, and are stingy in ordinary items. (107:4-7)

 

Step IV: Random Checking of Translation by the Instructor

 

Step V: Writing out the Arabic Text

 

فَوَیۡلٌ  لِّلۡمُصَلِّیۡنَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ عَنۡ صَلَاتِہِمۡ سَاہُوۡنَ.الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ  یُرَآءُوۡنَ وَ یَمۡنَعُوۡنَ الۡمَاعُوۡنَ.(107: 4-7)

 

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Step VI Reading aloud the Arabic Text by a Participant

 

فَوَیۡلٌ  لِّلۡمُصَلِّیۡنَ الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ عَنۡ صَلَاتِہِمۡ سَاہُوۡنَ.الَّذِیۡنَ ہُمۡ  یُرَآءُوۡنَ وَ یَمۡنَعُوۡنَ الۡمَاعُوۡنَ.(107: 4-7)

 

Step VII Volunteers’ Direct Translation of the Verse

 

 

B. Group Study Segment

 

Step I: Comprehension Questions

 

1. What are the some of common instances in which we show off?

 

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2. How can we overcome showing off?

 

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3. Why do people show off?

 

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C. Evaluation Segment

 

How much of a Show off are you?

 

1. You have been gifted an expensive wrist watch by a rich friend of yours.You:

i. wear a half sleeves shirt specially to make the watch prominent before others.

ii. do not wear the wrist watch and gift it to another friend.

iii. wear the watch below your sleeves which does not make it prominent to any one.

iv. intentionally drop your watch in front of your friends so that they may notice it.

 

2. Describe yourself honestly.

i. I show off all the time.

ii. I show off some of the time.

iii. I seldom show off.

iv. I never show off.

 

3. You are very regular in praying tahajjud at night.

i. Every relative of yours knows this.

ii. You are so secretive in this prayer that even your spouse seldom knows when you pray.

iii. When you are late in the office, you say that you spent a better part.of the night in praying tahajjud and could not wake up in time.

 

4. You love your sunglasses because:

i. they protect your eyes very nicely.

ii. they are of a very expensive brand.

iii. they look good on you.

 

5. You often spend in charity, and you:

i. seldom tell others.

ii. never tell others.

iii. are very eager to disclose what you did.

iv. tell your friends much more than you actually spent.

 

6. You have visited many countries, and you:

i. often mention this fact without any reason in your conversation with your friends.

ii. never let any one know of this unless  someone asks or it is very essential to disclose it.

iii. you do not state this fact directly but you manipulate your conversation in a way that this topic comes up and you are able to disclose the information.

 

7. You have many photographs with famous people because you were an ambassador. You:

i. display all of them in your drawing room.

ii. have not even framed them.

iii. stack them in an album.

 

8. You have white hair at the age of seventy.You:

i. dye your hair every day to look young but never hide that you have white hair.

ii. let your hair look the way it is.

iii. dye your hair and even lie that it is naturally black.

 

9. You have a shoe of the topmost brand.

i. You often walk in a way to make it prominent to your friends.

ii. You wear it and never have any intention to show off.

iii. You seldom wear it and often think of giving it away.

iv. It is in fact fake and you give the impression that it is real.

 

10. All your children are studying abroad. You:

i. would like to express this fact again and again to show off your wealth.

ii. only express this fact if and when needed.

iii. express this fact especially before some of your friends who were not lucky enough to send their children to make them jealous.

 

 

 

D. Follow-Up Segment

 

I Listen to the Recital of these Verses by Scrolling Down:

http://thequranrecitation.com/al-maun.html?language=arabic

 

II Memorize these Verses

 

III. Improve yourself through Self-Evaluation

Write a “Showing Off” diary for two weeks. Each day write down any acts of Showing Off you committed. At the end of two weeks, share this with your closest friend or with your instructor or just destroy it.

Make a commitment to yourself that in future you will be refrain from showing off as far as possible.

 

IV Reconsider the Quiz

Go back and study the quiz you have attempted. In particular, study the answers in which you have scored less. Re-evaluate your choices and make a commitment to improve in this area.

 

V Become a Volunteer for the Showing Off Awareness Campaign in the Following Ways

 

(1) Search the Internet for:

i. Videos about the Evils of Showing Off

ii. Songs about the Evils of Showing Off

iii. Essays and Stories about the Evils of Showing Off

iv. Poems about the Evils of Showing Off

v. Powerpoint Presentations about the Evils of Showing Off

 

(2) Conduct this Showing Off Awareness Workshop among your Friends

 

(3) Design Activity-Based Workshops for Kids about the Evils of Showing Off

 

(4) Create a Website on the Evils of Showing Off

 

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