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Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
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Translators: Ahmed Ali ● Amatul Rahman Omar ● Daryabadi ● Faridul Haque ● Hamid S. Aziz ● Maulana Mohammad Ali ● Pickthall ● Sarwar ● Shakir ● Yusuf Ali
Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
Name
It is derived from the very first verse; Wayl-ul-lil mutaffifin.
Period of Revelation
The style of the Surah and its subject matter clearly show that it was revealed
in the earliest stage at Makkah, when surah after surah was being revealed to
impress the doctrine of the Hereafter on the people's minds. This Surah was
revealed when they had started ridiculing the Muslims and disgracing them
publicly in the streets and in their assemblies, but persecution and manhandling
of the Muslims had not yet started. Some commentators regard this as a Madani
Surah. This misunderstanding has been caused by a tradition from Ibn Abbas
according to which when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) arrived in Madinah,
the evil of giving short weight and measure was widespread among the people
there. Then Allah sent down Wayl ul-lil mutaffifin and the people began to give
full weight and measure. (Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Marduyah, Ibn Jarir, Baihaqi:
Shu`ab-il-Iman) But, as we have explained in the introduction to Surah Ad-Dahr,
the common practice with the Companions and their successors was that when they
found that a verse applied to a certain matter of life, they would say that it
had been sent down concerning that particular matter. Therefore, what is proved
by the tradition of Ibn Abbas is that when after his emigration to Madinah the
Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) saw that the evil was widespread among the
people there, he recited this Surah before them by Allah's Command and this
helped them mend their ways.
Theme and Subject Matter
The theme of this Surah too is the Hereafter. In the first six verses the people
have been taken to task for the prevalent evil practice in their commercial
dealings. When they had to receive their due from others, they demanded that it
be given in full, but when they had to measure or weigh for others, they would
give less than what was due. Taking this one evil as an example out of countless
evils prevalent in society, it has been said that it is an inevitable result of
the heedlessness of the Hereafter. Unless the people realized that one day they
would have to appear before God and account for each single act they performed
in the world, it was not possible that they would adopt piety and righteousness
in their daily affairs. Even if a person might practice honesty in some of his
less important dealings in view of "honesty is the best policy," he would never
practice honesty on occasions when dishonesty would seem to be "the best
policy". Man can develop true and enduring honesty only when he fears God and
sincerely believes in the Hereafter, for then he would regard honesty not merely
as "a policy" but as "a duty" and obligation, and his being constant in it, or
otherwise, would not be dependent on its being useful or useless in the world.
Thus, after making explicit the relation between morality and the doctrine of
the Hereafter in an effective and impressive way, in vv. 7-17, it has been said:
The deeds of the wicked are already being recorded in the black list of the
culprits, and in the Hereafter they will meet with utter ruin. Then in vv.
18-28, the best end of the virtuous has been described and it has been laid that
their deeds are being recorded in the list of the exalted people, on which are
appointed the angels nearest to Allah.
In conclusion, the believers have been consoled, and the disbelievers warned, as
if to say: "The people who are disgracing and humiliating the believers today,
are culprits who, on the Resurrection Day, will meet with a most evil end in
consequence of their conduct, and these very believers will feel comforted when
they see their fate."
1In 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.
2At several places in the Qur'an giving of short measure and weight has been
condemned and measuring fully and weighing rightly has been stressed. In Surah
Al-An'am, 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."
(v. 152). In Surah Bani Isra'il it has been said: "Give full measure when you
measure and weigh with even scales." (v. 35). In Surah Ar-Rehman it has been
stressed: Do not upset the balance: weigh with equity and do not give short
weight." (vv. 8-9). The people of the Prophet Shu`aib 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.”
4That 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. "
5The 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 Revelations": those verses in which news of the Day of Recompense has been
given.
7That is, they have no good reason for regarding the meting out of rewards and
punishments as unreal. What has made them say this, is 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 Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) 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 whole
heart." (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Jarir, Hakim, Ibn Abi
Hatim, Ibn Hibban and others).
8That 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 Al -
Qiyamah).
9That is, they are wrong in thinking that there is going to be no meting out of
rewards and punishments.
10One meaning of the words khltamu-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 also
can 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"Tasnim ".: height. Thus, Tasnim will be a fountain flowing down from a
height.
12That 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.
13That 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 (upon whom be Allah's peace and
blessings) has deluded them with the Hereafter, Heaven and Hell. They are giving
up whatever is present and 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.
14In 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 we 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."
15There 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, will say to themselves what a reward they have earned
for their acts of virtue!