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."

Maududi: English

Al-Mutaffifin

Juz 30

سورة المطففين

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ ‎﴿١﴾‏ الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ ‎﴿٢﴾‏ وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ ‎﴿٣﴾‏ أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ ‎﴿٤﴾‏ لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ‎﴿٥﴾‏ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ‎﴿٦﴾‏كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٍ ‎﴿٧﴾‏ وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ ‎﴿٨﴾‏ كِتَابٌ مَّرْقُومٌ ‎﴿٩﴾‏ وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ ‎﴿١٠﴾‏ الَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ ‎﴿١١﴾‏ وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ‎﴿١٢﴾‏ إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ‎﴿١٣﴾‏ كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ ‎﴿١٤﴾‏ كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ ‎﴿١٥﴾‏ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُو الْجَحِيمِ ‎﴿١٦﴾‏ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَٰذَا الَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ ‎﴿١٧﴾‏ كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْأَبْرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ ‎﴿١٨﴾

Woe to the stinters; (1) those who, when they take from others by measure, take their full share; (2) but who, when they measure or weigh for others, give less than their due. (3) Do they not realise that they will be raised to life (4) on a Great Day, (5) a Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the Universe? (6) No indeed! Verily the deeds of the wicked are in the Record locked up in the prison-house! (7) And how would you know what the Record of the prison-house is? (8) It is a Book inscribed. (9) Woe, then, to those that give the lie, (10) those that give the lie to the Day of Recompense. (11) Yet none gives the lie to it except the transgressor immersed in sin; (12) who, when Our verses are recited to him, says: “Mere tales of olden times!” (13) No indeed! The truth is that their hearts have become rusted on account of their evil deeds. (14) No indeed! On that Day they will be screened off from seeing their Lord, (15) and then they shall enter Hell, (16) whereafter they will be told: “This is what you used to give the lie to.” (17) No indeed! Verily, the deeds of the virtuous shall be in the record of the exalted ones. (18)

Maududi: English

Al-Mutaffifin

Juz 30

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ ‎﴿١٩﴾‏ كِتَابٌ مَّرْقُومٌ ‎﴿٢٠﴾‏ يَشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ‎﴿٢١﴾‏ إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ ‎﴿٢٢﴾‏ عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ‎﴿٢٣﴾‏ تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ النَّعِيمِ ‎﴿٢٤﴾‏ يُسْقَوْنَ مِن رَّحِيقٍ مَّخْتُومٍ ‎﴿٢٥﴾‏ خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ ‎﴿٢٦﴾‏ وَمِزَاجُهُ مِن تَسْنِيمٍ ‎﴿٢٧﴾‏ عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ‎﴿٢٨﴾‏ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا كَانُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يَضْحَكُونَ ‎﴿٢٩﴾‏ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُونَ ‎﴿٣٠﴾‏ وَإِذَا انقَلَبُوا إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمُ انقَلَبُوا فَكِهِينَ ‎﴿٣١﴾‏ وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ لَضَالُّونَ ‎﴿٣٢﴾‏ وَمَا أُرْسِلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ حَافِظِينَ ‎﴿٣٣﴾‏ فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ ‎﴿٣٤﴾‏عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ‎﴿٣٥﴾‏ هَلْ ثُوِّبَ الْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ ‎﴿٣٦﴾‏

And what do you know what the Record of the exalted ones is? (19) It is a Book inscribed, (20) which the angels placed near Allah to safeguard. (21) Verily the virtuous shall be in Bliss; (22) resting on couches, looking around. (23) You shall see upon their faces the glow of bliss. (24) They will be served a drink of the finest sealed wine, (25) whose seal is musk – so let all aspirants aspire after that – (26) a wine whose mixture is Tasnim, (27) a fountain at which the chosen ones shall drink. (28) Behold, the wicked were wont to laugh at the believers: (29) when they passed by them they winked, (30) and when they went back to their families, they went back jesting, (31) and when they saw the believers, they said: “Lo! These are the erring ones”; (32) (they said so although) they had not been appointed watchers over them. (33) But today the believers are laughing at the unbelievers; (34) seated upon their couches, they are looking around. (35) Have the unbelievers been duly rewarded for their deeds? (36)

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