Even in the earliest revelations to the Holy Prophet as much stress was laid on prayer to God as on service to humanity, perhaps more on the latter. In fact, prayer to him was meaningless if it was not accompanied with service to humanity. It would then be a mere show, severely condemnable. One of the short earlier chapters is devoted entirely to this: “Hast thou seen him who belies religion? That is the one who is rough to the orphan, And urges not the feeding of the needy. So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayer! Who do good to be seen, and refrain from acts of kindness” (107:1-7). Prayer, therefore, had no value if it did not lead to the service of humanity. Of the two, prayer to God and service of humanity, the latter was the more difficult task. It was an uphill road: “And (have We not) pointed out to him (man) the two conspicuous ways? But he attempts not the uphill road. And what will make thee comprehend what the uphill road is? (It is) to free a slave, or to feed in a day of hunger, an orphan nearly related, or the poor man lying in the dust” (90:10-16). The orphan and the needy were not only to be helped; they were to be honoured: “Nay! But you honour not the orphan; nor do you urge one another to feed the poor; and you devour heritage, devouring all; and you love wealth with exceeding love” (89:17-20). Elsewhere the Holy Qur’ān states: “Righteous is the one who believes in Allāh … and gives away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarers and to those who ask and to set slaves free” (2:177). The Holy Qur’ān lays great stress on the point that wealth was not given to man for amassing; the needy have a right in the wealth of the rich: “And in their wealth is a due share for the beggar and for the one who is denied (good)” (51:19). In other revelations the possessors of wealth who do not help the poor are threatened with destruction (e.g. 68:17-27).