سورة المطففين
Surah Al-Mutaffifin
The Defrauding
Surah Al-Mutaffifin (The Defrauding) is the 83rd surah of the Quran. It has 36 verses and is a Meccan surah. Below is the complete Arabic text with an English translation and transliteration, verse by verse.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
وَيۡلࣱ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِينَ﴿١﴾
Waylun lilmutaffifeena
Woe to those who give less [than due],
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكۡتَالُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُونَ﴿٢﴾
Allatheena itha iktaloo ʿala alnnasi yastawfoona
Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full.
وَ إِذَا كَالُوهُمۡ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُونَ﴿٣﴾
Waitha kaloohum aw wazanoohum yukhsiroona
But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبۡعُوثُونَ﴿٤﴾
Ala yathunnu olaika annahum mabʿoothoona
Do they not think that they will be resurrected
لِيَوۡمٍ عَظِيمࣲ﴿٥﴾
Liyawmin ʿatheemin
For a tremendous Day -
يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ﴿٦﴾
Yawma yaqoomu alnnasu lirabbi alʿalameena
The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينࣲ﴿٧﴾
Kalla inna kitaba alfujjari lafee sijjeenin
No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in sijjeen.
وَ مَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينࣱ﴿٨﴾
Wama adraka ma sijjeenun
And what can make you know what is sijjeen?
كِتَٰبࣱ مَّرۡقُومࣱ﴿٩﴾
Kitabun marqoomun
It is [their destination recorded in] a register inscribed.
وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ﴿١٠﴾
Waylun yawmaithin lilmukaththibeena
Woe, that Day, to the deniers,
ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ﴿١١﴾
Allatheena yukaththiboona biyawmi alddeeni
Who deny the Day of Recompense.
وَ مَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ﴿١٢﴾
Wama yukaththibu bihi illa kullu muʿtadin atheemin
And none deny it except every sinful transgressor.
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ﴿١٣﴾
Itha tutla ʿalayhi ayatuna qala asateeru alawwaleena
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."
كَلَّا ۖ بَلۡۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ﴿١٤﴾
Kalla bal rana ʿala quloobihim ma kanoo yaksiboona
No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُمۡ عَن رَّبِّهِمۡ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لَّمَحۡجُوبُونَ﴿١٥﴾
Kalla innahum ʿan rabbihim yawmaithin lamahjooboona
No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.
ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمۡ لَصَالُواْ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ﴿١٦﴾
Thumma innahum lasaloo aljaheemi
Then indeed, they will [enter and] burn in Hellfire.
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ﴿١٧﴾
Thumma yuqalu hatha allathee kuntum bihi tukaththiboona
Then it will be said [to them], "This is what you used to deny."
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ﴿١٨﴾
Kalla inna kitaba alabrari lafee ʿilliyyeena
No! Indeed, the record of the righteous is in ʿilliyyūn.
وَ مَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ﴿١٩﴾
Wama adraka ma ʿilliyyoona
And what can make you know what is ʿilliyyūn?
كِتَٰبࣱ مَّرۡقُومࣱ﴿٢٠﴾
Kitabun marqoomun
It is [their destination recorded in] a register inscribed
يَشۡهَدُهُ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ﴿٢١﴾
Yashhaduhu almuqarraboona
Which is witnessed by those brought near [to Allāh].
إِنَّ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ﴿٢٢﴾
Inna alabrara lafee naʿeemin
Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure
عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ﴿٢٣﴾
ʿala alaraiki yanthuroona
On adorned couches, observing.
تَعۡرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمۡ نَضۡرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ﴿٢٤﴾
Taʿrifu fee wujoohihim nadrata alnnaʿeemi
You will recognize in their faces the radiance of pleasure.
يُسۡقَوۡنَ مِن رَّحِيقࣲ مَّخۡتُومٍ﴿٢٥﴾
Yusqawna min raheeqin makhtoomin
They will be given to drink [pure] wine [which was] sealed.
خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسۡكࣱ ۚ وَ فِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلۡمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ﴿٢٦﴾
Khitamuhu miskun wafee thalika falyatanafasi almutanafisoona
The last of it is musk. So for this let the competitors compete.
وَ مِزَاجُهُۥ مِن تَسۡنِيمٍ﴿٢٧﴾
Wamizajuhu min tasneemin
And its mixture is of Tasneem,
عَيۡنࣰا يَشۡرَبُ بِهَا ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ﴿٢٨﴾
ʿaynan yashrabu biha almuqarraboona
A spring from which those near [to Allāh] drink.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجۡرَمُواْ كَانُواْ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَضۡحَكُونَ﴿٢٩﴾
Inna allatheena ajramoo kanoo mina allatheena amanoo yadhakoona
Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed.
وَ إِذَا مَرُّواْ بِهِمۡ يَتَغَامَزُونَ﴿٣٠﴾
Waitha marroo bihim yataghamazoona
And when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances.
وَ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُواْ فَكِهِينَ﴿٣١﴾
Waitha inqalaboo ila ahlihimu inqalaboo fakiheena
And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting.
وَ إِذَا رَأَوۡهُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ﴿٣٢﴾
Waitha raawhum qaloo inna haolai ladalloona
And when they saw them, they would say, "Indeed, those are truly lost."
وَ مَآ أُرۡسِلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَٰفِظِينَ﴿٣٣﴾
Wama orsiloo ʿalayhim hafitheena
But they had not been sent as guardians over them.
فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡكُفَّارِ يَضۡحَكُونَ﴿٣٤﴾
Faalyawma allatheena amanoo mina alkuffari yadhakoona
So Today those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers,
عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ﴿٣٥﴾
ʿala alaraiki yanthuroona
On adorned couches, observing.
هَلۡ ثُوِّبَ ٱلۡكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ﴿٣٦﴾
Hal thuwwiba alkuffaru ma kanoo yafʿaloona
Have the disbelievers [not] been rewarded [this Day] for what they used to do?
Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration
About this surah
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."
Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran