✅Answer: 'Ma'un' is from the root 'ma'ana' and linguistically, it is a comprehensive term for all household items that can be loaned to others. It also means help and goodness. A more comprehensive interpretation of it is provided in the narrations, which will be mentioned.

✅Among the significances of Ma'un is that it is mentioned in a verse of the Quran, and in fact, an entire surah has been revealed by this name. In this surah, 'Woe' is decreed for those who prevent Ma'un, those who are unmindful of their prayers, and those who show off. It is necessary, given its importance, to go to the door of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and understand its details and our duty in this regard:

1️⃣ Allah the Exalted said in Surah al-Ma'un:

فَوَیْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّینَ (۴)

So woe to those who pray,

الَّذِینَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ (۵)

Those who are unmindful of their prayer,

الَّذِینَ هُمْ یُرَاءُونَ (۶)

Those who show off,

وَیَمْنَعُونَ الْمَاعُونَ (۷)

And they prevent Ma'un.

2 عَنْ رَسُول اللَّهِ قَالَ: و مَنْ كَانَ مُؤْذِياً لِجَارِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَقٍّ حَرَمَهُ اللَّهُ رِيحَ الْجَنَّةِ وَ مَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ أَلَا وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْأَلُ الرَّجُلَ عَنْ حَقِّ جَارِهِ وَ مَنْ ضَيَّعَ حَقَّ جَارِهِ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا وَ مَنْ مَنَعَ الْمَاعُونَ مِنْ جَارِهِ إِذَا احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِ مَنَعَهُ اللَّهُ فَضْلَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ وَكَلَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَ مَنْ وَكَلَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ هَلَكَ و لَا يَقْبَلُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ عُذْراً

📚 Uqab al-A'mal, p. 333

Translation: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever harms his neighbor unjustly, Allah forbids the scent of paradise for him and his abode is the fire. Be aware that Allah will question a person about the right of his neighbor, and whoever neglects the right of his neighbor is not from us, and whoever withholds Ma'un from his neighbor when he is in need, Allah withholds His grace from him on the Day of Judgment and leaves him to himself, and whoever Allah leaves to himself is perished, and Allah does not accept any excuse from him.'

3 عن سماعة بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ في حَدِيثٍ وَ لَكِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَرَضَ فِي أَمْوَالِ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ حُقُوقاً غَيْرَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ الْمَاعُونُ أَيْضاً وَ هُوَ الْقَرْضُ يُقْرِضُهُ وَ الْمَتَاعُ يُعِيرُهُ وَ الْمَعْرُوفُ يَصْنَعُهُ

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 501

Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a hadith: 'But Allah, the Mighty and Glorious, has made duties other than Zakat obligatory in wealth,' until he said: '...and also Ma'un, and that is a loan that one gives and an item that one lends and a favor that one performs.'

4 الْحُسَيْنِ بْن زَيْد عَنِ الصَّادِقِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ فِي حَدِيث الْمَنَاهِي قَالَ: وَ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَنْ يَمْنَعَ أَحَدٌ الْمَاعُونَ جَارَهُ وَ قَالَ مَنْ مَنَعَ الْمَاعُونَ جَارَهُ مَنَعَهُ اللَّهُ خَيْرَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ وَكَلَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَ مَنْ وَكَلَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ فَمَا أَسْوَأَ حَالَهُ

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 4, p. 14

In the hadith of prohibitions, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) forbade anyone from withholding and preventing Ma'un from his neighbor and said: 'Whoever withholds the Ma'un of his neighbor, Allah will withhold His goodness from him on the Day of Judgment and will leave him to himself, and how terrible will be the state of the one whom Allah leaves to himself.'

5 عن زين العابدين في حديث : الذُّنُوبُ الَّتِي تَحْبِسُ غَيْثَ السَّمَاءِ جَوْرُ الْحُكَّامِ فِي الْقَضَاءِ وَ شَهَادَةُ الزُّورِ وَ كِتْمَانُ الشَّهَادَةِ وَ مَنْعُ الزَّكَاةِ وَ الْقَرْضِ وَ الْمَاعُونِ وَ قَسَاوَةُ الْقَلْبِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْفَقْرِ وَ الْفَاقَةِ وَ ظُلْمُ الْيَتِيمِ وَ الْأَرْمَلَةِ وَ انْتِهَارُ السَّائِلِ وَ رَدُّهُ بِاللَّيْل

Translation: Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) said in a hadith: 'The sins that hold back the rain and snow from the sky are: the injustice of rulers in judgment, false testimony, concealing testimony, withholding Zakat, loans, and Ma'un, and having a hard heart towards the poor and needy, and oppressing the orphan and widows, and scolding a beggar and turning him away at night.'

✅ It is observed that Ma'un, as a divine command, is also expressed as an obligation in the language of the narrations, and a warning is given about its prevention, both in the Quran and in the narrations. Although it specifically refers to lending tools and household items to a neighbor and others, in hadith 3️⃣, for example, it also includes the interest-free loan that a person gives to a needy person. And in the same third hadith, the Imam describes it as a right that Allah has made obligatory in the wealth of the rich.