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 Surah Al-Mutaffifin 83:1-36 [1/1] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَيْلٌWoe
لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَto those who give less,
﴿١﴾
ٱلَّذِينَThose who
إِذَاwhen
ٱكْتَالُواْthey take a measure
عَلَىfrom
ٱلنَّاسِthe people,
يَسْتَوْفُونَthey take in full,
﴿٢﴾
وَإِذَاBut when
كَالُوهُمْthey give by measure (to) them
أَوor
وَّزَنُوهُمْthey weigh (for) them
يُخْسِرُونَthey give less.
﴿٣﴾
أَلَاDo not
يَظُنُّthink
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَthose
أَنَّهُمthat they
مَّبْعُوثُونَ(will be) resurrected,
﴿٤﴾
لِيَوْمٍFor a Day
عَظِيمٍGreat,
﴿٥﴾
يَوْمَ(The) Day
يَقُومُwill stand
ٱلنَّاسُmankind
لِرَبِّbefore (the) Lord
ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ(of) the worlds?
﴿٦﴾
كَلَّآNay!
إِنَّIndeed,
كِتَـٰبَ(the) record
ٱلْفُجَّارِ(of) the wicked
لَفِى(is) surely in
سِجِّينٍSijjin.
﴿٧﴾
وَمَآAnd what
أَدْرَٮٰكَcan make you know
مَاwhat
سِجِّينٌ(is) Sijjin?
﴿٨﴾
كِتَـٰبٌA book
مَّرْقُومٌwritten.
﴿٩﴾
وَيْلٌWoe
يَوْمَئِذٍthat Day
لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَto the deniers,
﴿١٠﴾
ٱلَّذِينَThose who
يُكَذِّبُونَdeny
بِيَوْمِ(the) Day
ٱلدِّينِ(of) the Judgment.
﴿١١﴾
وَمَاAnd not
يُكَذِّبُcan deny
بِهِۦٓ[of] it
إِلَّاexcept
كُلُّevery
مُعْتَدٍtransgressor
أَثِيمٍsinful.
﴿١٢﴾
إِذَاWhen
تُتْلَىٰare recited
عَلَيْهِto him
ءَايَـٰتُنَاOur Verses,
قَالَhe says,
أَسَـٰطِيرُ`Stories
ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ(of) the former (people).`
﴿١٣﴾
كَلَّا‌ۖNay!
بَلْۜBut,
رَانَ(the) stain has covered
عَلَىٰ[over]
قُلُوبِهِمtheir hearts
مَّا(for) what
كَانُواْthey were
يَكْسِبُونَearning.
﴿١٤﴾
كَلَّآNay!
إِنَّهُمْIndeed, they
عَنfrom
رَّبِّهِمْtheir Lord
يَوْمَئِذٍthat Day
لَّمَحْجُوبُونَsurely will be partitioned.
﴿١٥﴾
ثُمَّThen
إِنَّهُمْindeed, they
لَصَالُواْ(surely) will burn
ٱلْجَحِيمِ(in) the Hellfire.
﴿١٦﴾
ثُمَّThen
يُقَالُit will be said,
هَـٰذَا`This
ٱلَّذِى(is) what
كُنتُمyou used (to)
بِهِۦ[of it]
تُكَذِّبُونَdeny.`
﴿١٧﴾
كَلَّآNay!
إِنَّIndeed,
كِتَـٰبَ(the) record
ٱلْأَبْرَارِ(of) the righteous
لَفِى(will be) surely in
عِلِّيِّينَIlliyin.
﴿١٨﴾
وَمَآAnd what
أَدْرَٮٰكَcan make you know
مَاwhat
عِلِّيُّونَ(is) Illiyun?
﴿١٩﴾
كِتَـٰبٌA book
مَّرْقُومٌwritten,
﴿٢٠﴾
يَشْهَدُهُWitness it
ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَthose brought near.
﴿٢١﴾
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱلْأَبْرَارَthe righteous
لَفِى(will be) surely in
نَعِيمٍbliss,
﴿٢٢﴾
عَلَىOn
ٱلْأَرَآئِكِthrones
يَنظُرُونَobserving.
﴿٢٣﴾
تَعْرِفُYou will recognize
فِىin
وُجُوهِهِمْtheir faces
نَضْرَةَ(the) radiance
ٱلنَّعِيمِ(of) bliss.
﴿٢٤﴾
يُسْقَوْنَThey will be given to drink
مِنof
رَّحِيقٍa pure wine
مَّخْتُومٍsealed,
﴿٢٥﴾
خِتَـٰمُهُۥIts seal
مِسْكٌ‌ۚ(will be of) musk.
وَفِىAnd for
ذَٲلِكَthat
فَلْيَتَنَافَسِlet aspire
ٱلْمُتَنَـٰفِسُونَthe aspirers.
﴿٢٦﴾
وَمِزَاجُهُۥAnd its mixture
مِن(is) of
تَسْنِيمٍTasnim,
﴿٢٧﴾
عَيْنًاA spring,
يَشْرَبُwill drink
بِهَاfrom it,
ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَthose brought near.
﴿٢٨﴾
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
أَجْرَمُواْcommitted crimes
كَانُواْused (to)
مِنَat
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
ءَامَنُواْbelieved
يَضْحَكُونَlaugh.
﴿٢٩﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
مَرُّواْthey passed
بِهِمْby them,
يَتَغَامَزُونَthey winked at one another.
﴿٣٠﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْthey returned
إِلَىٰٓto
أَهْلِهِمُtheir people,
ٱنقَلَبُواْthey would return
فَكِهِينَjesting.
﴿٣١﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
رَأَوْهُمْthey saw them,
قَالُوٓاْthey said,
إِنَّ`Indeed,
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِthese
لَضَآلُّونَsurely have gone astray.`
﴿٣٢﴾
وَمَآBut not
أُرْسِلُواْthey had been sent
عَلَيْهِمْover them
حَـٰفِظِينَ(as) guardians.
﴿٣٣﴾
فَٱلْيَوْمَSo today
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
ءَامَنُواْbelieved -
مِنَat
ٱلْكُفَّارِthe disbelievers
يَضْحَكُونَthey will laugh,
﴿٣٤﴾
عَلَىOn
ٱلْأَرَآئِكِthe thrones
يَنظُرُونَobserving.
﴿٣٥﴾
هَلْHave (not)
ثُوِّبَbeen paid
ٱلْكُفَّارُthe disbelievers
مَا(for) what
كَانُواْthey used (to)
يَفْعَلُونَdo?
﴿٣٦﴾

بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ وَيۡلٌ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِيۡنَۙ‏  الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا اكۡتَالُوۡا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُوۡنَۖ‏  وَاِذَا كَالُوۡهُمۡ اَوْ وَّزَنُوۡهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُوۡنَؕ‏  اَلَا يَظُنُّ اُولٰٓـئِكَ اَنَّهُمۡ مَّبۡعُوۡثُوۡنَۙ‏  لِيَوۡمٍ عَظِيۡمٍۙ‏  يَّوۡمَ يَقُوۡمُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَؕ‏  كَلَّاۤ اِنَّ كِتٰبَ الۡفُجَّارِ لَفِىۡ سِجِّيۡنٍؕ‏  وَمَاۤ اَدۡرٰٮكَ مَا سِجِّيۡنٌؕ‏  كِتٰبٌ مَّرۡقُوۡمٌؕ‏  وَيۡلٌ يَّوۡمَـئِذٍ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِيۡنَۙ‏  الَّذِيۡنَ يُكَذِّبُوۡنَ بِيَوۡمِ الدِّيۡنِؕ‏  وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهٖۤ اِلَّا كُلُّ مُعۡتَدٍ اَثِيۡمٍۙ‏  اِذَا تُتۡلٰى عَلَيۡهِ اٰيٰتُنَا قَالَ اَسَاطِيۡرُ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَؕ‏  كَلَّا​ بَلۡ رَانَ عَلٰى قُلُوۡبِهِمۡ مَّا كَانُوۡا يَكۡسِبُوۡنَ‏  كَلَّاۤ اِنَّهُمۡ عَنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ يَوۡمَـئِذٍ لَّمَحۡجُوۡبُوۡنَ​ؕ‏  ثُمَّ اِنَّهُمۡ لَصَالُوا الۡجَحِيۡمِؕ‏  ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هٰذَا الَّذِىۡ كُنۡتُمۡ بِهٖ تُكَذِّبُوۡنَؕ‏  كَلَّاۤ اِنَّ كِتٰبَ الۡاَبۡرَارِ لَفِىۡ عِلِّيِّيۡنَؕ‏  وَمَاۤ اَدۡرٰٮكَ مَا عِلِّيُّوۡنَؕ‏  كِتٰبٌ مَّرۡقُوۡمٌۙ‏  يَّشۡهَدُهُ الۡمُقَرَّبُوۡنَؕ‏  اِنَّ الۡاَبۡرَارَ لَفِىۡ نَعِيۡمٍۙ‏  عَلَى الۡاَرَآئِكِ يَنۡظُرُوۡنَۙ‏  تَعۡرِفُ فِىۡ وُجُوۡهِهِمۡ نَضۡرَةَ النَّعِيۡمِ​ۚ‏  يُسۡقَوۡنَ مِنۡ رَّحِيۡقٍ مَّخۡتُوۡمٍۙ‏  خِتٰمُهٗ مِسۡكٌ ​ؕ وَفِىۡ ذٰلِكَ فَلۡيَتَنَافَسِ الۡمُتَنـَافِسُوۡنَؕ‏  وَ مِزَاجُهٗ مِنۡ تَسۡنِيۡمٍۙ‏  عَيۡنًا يَّشۡرَبُ بِهَا الۡمُقَرَّبُوۡنَؕ‏  اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ اَجۡرَمُوۡا كَانُوۡا مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا يَضۡحَكُوۡنَ  ۖ‏  وَاِذَا مَرُّوۡا بِهِمۡ يَتَغَامَزُوۡنَ  ۖ‏  وَاِذَا انۡقَلَبُوۡۤا اِلٰٓى اَهۡلِهِمُ انْقَلَبُوۡا فَكِهِيۡنَ  ۖ‏  وَاِذَا رَاَوۡهُمۡ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّ هٰٓؤُلَاۤءِ لَـضَآلُّوۡنَۙ‏  وَمَاۤ اُرۡسِلُوۡا عَلَيۡهِمۡ حٰفِظِيۡنَۙ‏  فَالۡيَوۡمَ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنَ الۡكُفَّارِ يَضۡحَكُوۡنَۙ‏  عَلَى الۡاَرَآئِكِۙ يَنۡظُرُوۡنَؕ‏  هَلۡ ثُوِّبَ الۡكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوۡا يَفۡعَلُوۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(83:1) Woe to the stinters; 1 (83:2) those who, when they take from others by measure, take their full share; 2 (83:3) but who, when they measure or weigh for others, give less than their due. (83:4) Do they not realise that they will be raised to life (83:5) on a Great Day, 3 (83:6) a Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the Universe? (83:7) No indeed!4 Verily the deeds of the wicked are in the Record locked up in the prison-house!5 (83:8) And how would you know what the Record of the prison-house is? (83:9) It is a Book inscribed. (83:10) Woe, then, to those that give the lie, (83:11) those that give the lie to the Day of Recompense. (83:12) Yet none gives the lie to it except the transgressor immersed in sin; (83:13) who, when Our verses are recited to him,6 says: “Mere tales of olden times!” (83:14) No indeed! The truth is that their hearts have become rusted on account of their evil deeds.7 (83:15) No indeed! On that Day they will be screened off from seeing their Lord,8 (83:16) and then they shall enter Hell, (83:17) whereafter they will be told: “This is what you used to give the lie to.” (83:18) No indeed!9 Verily, the deeds of the virtuous shall be in the record of the exalted ones. (83:19) And what do you know what the Record of the exalted ones is? (83:20) It is a Book inscribed, (83:21) which the angels placed near Allah to safeguard. (83:22) Verily the virtuous shall be in Bliss; (83:23) resting on couches, looking around. (83:24) You shall see upon their faces the glow of bliss. (83:25) They will be served a drink of the finest sealed wine,10 (83:26) whose seal is musk – so let all aspirants aspire after that – (83:27) a wine whose mixture is Tasnim,11 (83:28) a fountain at which the chosen ones shall drink. (83:29) Behold, the wicked were wont to laugh at the believers: (83:30) when they passed by them they winked, (83:31) and when they went back to their families, they went back jesting,12 (83:32) and when they saw the believers, they said: “Lo! These are the erring ones”;13 (83:33) (they said so although) they had not been appointed watchers over them.14 (83:34) But today the believers are laughing at the unbelievers; (83:35) seated upon their couches, they are looking around. (83:36) Have the unbelievers been duly rewarded for their deeds?15
Commentary

1. In the original the word mutaffifin has been used, which is derived from tatfif, a word used for an inferior and base thing in Arabic. Terminologically, tatfif is used for giving short weight and short measure fraudulently, for the person who acts thus while measuring or weighing, does not defraud another by any substantial amount, but skimps small amounts from what is due to every customer cleverly, and the poor customer does not know of what and of how much he is being deprived by the seller.

2. At several places in the Quran, giving of short measure and weight has been condemned and measuring fully and weighing rightly has been stressed. In Surah Al-Anaam, it has been enjoined: You should use a full measure and a just balance. We charge one only with that much responsibility that one can bear. (verse 152). In Surah Bani Israil, it has been said: Give full measure when you measure and weigh with even scales. (verse 35). In Surah Ar-Rehman, it has been stressed: Do not upset the balance: weigh with equity and do not give short weight. (verses 8-9). The people of the Prophet Shuaib (peace be upon him) were punished for the reason that the evil of giving short measure and weight had become widespread among them and in spite of his counsel and advice they did not refrain from it.

3. A Great Day: the Day of Resurrection when all men and jinn will be called to account together in the divine court and decisions of vital importance will be made pertaining to rewards and punishments.

4. That is, these people are wrong in thinking that they will be let off without being called to account when they have committed such and such crimes in the world. .

5. The word sijjin in the original is derived from sijn (a prison) and the explanation of it that follows shows that it implies the general register in which the actions and deeds of the people worthy of punishment are being recorded.

6. Our verses: Those verses in which news of the Day of Recompense has been given.

7. That is, they have no good reason for regarding the meting out of rewards and punishments as unreal. What has made them say is this: Is it that their hearts have become rusty because of their sins; therefore, a thing which is thoroughly reasonable appears unreal and unreasonable to them. The explanation of this rust as given by the Prophet (peace be upon him) is as follows: When a servant commits a sin, it marks a black stain on his heart. If he offers repentance, the stain is washed off, but if he persists in wrongdoing, it spreads over the entire heart. (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ibn Jarir, Hakim, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Hibban and others).

8. That is, these people will remain deprived of the vision of Allah with which the righteous will be blessed. (For further explanation, see (E.N. 17 of Surah Al -Qiyamah).

9. That is, they are wrong in thinking that there is going to be no meting out of rewards and punishments.

10. One meaning of the words khtamu-hu-misk is that the vessels containing the wine will carry the seal of musk instead of clay or wax. Accordingly the verse means: This will be the choicest kind of wine, which will be superior to the wine flowing in the canals, and it will be served by the attendants of Paradise in vessels sealed with musk to the dwellers of Paradise. Another meaning can also be: When that wine will pass down the throat, its final effect will be of the flavor of musk. This state is contrary to the wines of the world which give out an offensive smell as soon as the bottle opens and one feels its horrid smell even while drinking and also when it passes down the throat.

11. Tasneem means height. Thus, Tasnim will be a fountain flowing down from a height.

12. That is, they returned home rejoicing, thinking that they had made fun of such and such a Muslim, had passed evil remarks against him and subjected him to ridicule among the people.

13. That is, they have lost their reason. They have deprived themselves of the gains and enjoyments of the world and have experienced dangers and undergone hardships only for the reason that Muhammad (peace be upon him) has deluded them with the Hereafter, Heaven and Hell. They are giving up whatever is present here on the false hope that the promise of some Paradise has been held out to them after death, and they are enduring the hardships in the present life only for the reason that they have been threatened with some Hell in the next world.

14. In this brief sentence the mockers and jesters have been given an instructive warning to the effect: Even if what the Muslims have believed in, is false, they are not harming you at all. They regard something as true, and are accordingly adopting a certain moral attitude for themselves, for their own good. Allah has not appointed you to be keepers over them so that you may be free to criticize and persecute those who are not harming you in any way.

15. There is a subtle satire in this sentence. In the world, the disbelievers used to persecute the believers, thinking it was an act of virtue. In the Hereafter, the believers will be enjoying life in Paradise, and watching the disbelievers being punished in Hell. They will say to themselves: What a reward they have earned for their acts of virtue.