The Pairing of Quranic Surahs: A Case Study of the Paired Surahs of Al-Kawthar and Al-Ma'un

In the teachings of the Holy Prophet, the Infallible Imams (AS), and their Companions, there is an emphasis on reciting two consecutive chapters of the Quran together, indicating a shared theme or a common title assigned to those two chapters. For instance, the Prophet referred to Surahs Al-Baqarah and Al-Imran as "Zahrawayn" (the two shining Surahs), and Surah Al-Nas and Surah Al-Falaq as "Mu'awwazatayn" (the two Surahs that grant protection to individuals in the refuge of Allah) and recommended recitation of these two pairs. From these teachings, one can infer the pairing of Quranic Surahs, meaning that the Surahs of the Quran are paired with each other, acting as parallel reflections and displaying various themes of the two Surahs, interpreting and clarifying each other's meanings. Some hadiths also reflect the concept of pairing Surahs in the jurisprudence of the Imami school of thought, such as the obligation to recite the paired Surahs of Al-Fil and Quraish and the recitation of Surah Al-Inshirah and Surah Ad-Duha after Surah Al-Hamd in obligatory prayers. This research examines all the hadiths related to the pairing of Surahs and investigates, as an example, the connection and bond between the paired Surahs of Al-Kawthar and Al-Ma'un. It demonstrates that a group of those who oppose the Messenger of Allah and those who reject the bestowal of Al-Kawthar to him are hypocrites who, under the guise of religious rituals and with hypocrisy and pretense, appropriate the "Ma'un" (acts of kindness) that should be available to orphans, the poor, and the needy for their own benefit. They refrain from any form of giving and charity and withhold the sacrifice that leads to feeding the deprived members of society.