The Surah serves as an indication that hypocrisy was becoming an issue for the Muslim ummah. For that reason some consider this Surah to be from the Medinan period, however, many Quran exegetes maintain that Surah Maun remains an early Meccan surah.
The message of this Surah is pure, the title itself Ma’un refers to acts of kindness, charity, or any kind of small help. The last verse of the Surah mentions, woe to those who refuse any small act of kindness, referring either to zakat which is a small portion of one’s wealth (2.5%), or could be referring to the denial of small acts of kindness that on surface value seem negligible or inconsequential. We can see the same sentiment passed along in the hadith, Jabir bin Abdullah relayed that the Messenger of Allah encouraged good behavior no matter how small, “Every good is charity. Indeed among the good is to meet your brother with a smiling face, and to pour what is left in your bucket into the vessel of your brother.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1970)The Surah outlines behavior that should not be tolerated in Islam like insulting orphans or refusing to feed the hungry if Allah has given them the means to do so. It also warns those who may be neglectful during their prayer or those who make a show of their prayer for some political gain by showing off their piousness or religious commitment.
The message of this Surah is pure, the title itself Ma’un refers to acts of kindness, charity, or any kind of small help. The last verse of the Surah mentions, woe to those who refuse any small act of kindness, referring either to zakat which is a small portion of one’s wealth (2.5%), or could be referring to the denial of small acts of kindness that on surface value seem negligible or inconsequential. We can see the same sentiment passed along in the hadith, Jabir bin Abdullah relayed that the Messenger of Allah encouraged good behavior no matter how small, “Every good is charity. Indeed among the good is to meet your brother with a smiling face, and to pour what is left in your bucket into the vessel of your brother.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1970)The Surah outlines behavior that should not be tolerated in Islam like insulting orphans or refusing to feed the hungry if Allah has given them the means to do so. It also warns those who may be neglectful during their prayer or those who make a show of their prayer for some political gain by showing off their piousness or religious commitment.