Al-Mutaffifin
سُورَةُ المُطَفِّفِينَ
Defrauding
**In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful** Opinions are divided about this Surah on whether it is a Meccan Surah or a Medinan one. One of the occasions of revelation of the Surah denotes that the beginning verses of the Surah, which are about shortchanging, can be about those tradesmen who dealt in fraud in Medina. Other verses of the Surah mostly resemble, from the point of tone, the Meccan Surahs, whose short and meaningful verses warn of the Resurrection and the horrible events of the Hereafter. Particularly, the last verses of the Surah, which speak about the mockings of the disbelievers at the believers, match the earlier environment of Mecca where Muslims were in a minority and unbelievers were in a majority. Perhaps, it is for this reason that some commentators consider a part of the Surah Meccan and another part of it belonging to the Medina period. But, on the whole, this Surah seems chronologically close to the Meccan period. In any case, the theme of the Surah is divided into five categories: 1. It seriously warns and threatens the defrauders. 2. It points to the lack of strong belief in the Resurrection as being the origin of corruption and great sins. 3. There are some hints in this Surah showing the end of the Wicked on That Great Day. 4. It points to some of the great gifts and delightful blessings of the Righteous in the Garden of Bliss. 5. The unbelievers, foolishly mocking at the believers, in this life, and the reverse situation, in the Hereafter is briefly referred to in the Surah.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَيْلٌۭ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
Wailul lil mutaffifeen
WOE TO THOSE who give short measure,
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكْتَالُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ
Allazeena izak taaloo 'alan naasi yastawfoon
Who insist on being given full when they take from others,
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
Wa izaa kaaloohum aw wazanoohum yukhsiroon
Whilst when they measure or weigh for them, give less.
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ
Alaa yazunnu ulaaa'ika annahum mab'oosoon
Do they not think they will be raised (to life) again
لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍۢ
Li Yawmin 'Azeem
On a grievous day,
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Yawma yaqoomun naasu li Rabbil 'aalameen
The day all mankind will stand before the Lord of all the worlds?
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلْفُجَّارِ لَفِى سِجِّينٍۢ
Kallaaa inna kitaabal fujjaari lafee Sijjeen
Indeed the ledger of the wicked will be in (the lowest depths) Sijjin.
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌۭ
Wa maa adraaka maa Sijjeen
How will you comprehend what Sijjin is?
كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ
Kitaabum marqoom
It is a (repository of) distinctly written record.
وَيْلٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Wailuny yawma'izil lil mukazzibeen
Ah the woe that day for those who deny,
ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Allazeena yukazziboona bi yawmid deen
Who call the Day of judgement a lie!
وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
Wa maa yukazzibu biheee illaa kullu mu'tadin aseem
None denies it but the sinful transgressors.
إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
Izaa tutlaa'alaihi aayaatunaa qaala asaateerul awwaleen
When Our revelations are recited before him, he says: "These are fables of long ago."
كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
Kallaa bal raana 'alaa quloobihim maa kaanoo yaksiboon
No. In fact what they have been doing has rusted their hearts.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ
Kallaaa innahum 'ar Rabbihim yawma'izil lamah jooboon
Therefore they will be screened off from their Lord that day,
ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُوا۟ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
Summa innahum lasaa lul jaheem
Then they will indeed burn in Hell.
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ
Summa yuqaalu haazal lazee kuntum bihee tukazziboon
They will then be told: "This is what you had denied."
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ
Kallaaa inna kitaabal abraari lafee'Illiyyeen
Surely the ledger of the pious will be in 'Illiyun (heights above the heights).
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ
Wa maaa adraaka maa 'Illiyyoon
But how will you comprehend what 'Illiyun is?
كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ
Kitaabum marqoom
It is a (repository of) distinctly written record
يَشْهَدُهُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ
Yashhadu hul muqarra boon
Witnessed by those who are honoured.
إِنَّ ٱلْأَبْرَارَ لَفِى نَعِيمٍ
Innal abraara lafee Na'eem
Verily the pious will be in heaven,
عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ
'Alal araaa'iki yanzuroon
On couches face to face.
تَعْرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Ta'rifu fee wujoohihim nadratan na'eem
On their faces you will see the glow of beatitude.
يُسْقَوْنَ مِن رَّحِيقٍۢ مَّخْتُومٍ
Yusqawna mir raheeqim makhtoom
They will be served the choicest wine, sealed
خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسْكٌۭ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلْمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ
Khitaamuhoo misk; wa fee zaalika falyatanaafasil Mutanaafisoon
With a sealing of musk, which those who aspire for the best should desire, --
وَمِزَاجُهُۥ مِن تَسْنِيمٍ
Wa mizaajuhoo min Tasneem
Blended with the water of Tasnim, (heights ultimate of evolution),
عَيْنًۭا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ
'Ainaiy yashrabu bihal muqarraboon
A fountain from which only they who are honoured drink.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا۟ كَانُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يَضْحَكُونَ
Innal lazeena ajramoo kaanoo minal lazeena aamanoo yadhakoon
The sinners indeed laughed at believers
وَإِذَا مَرُّوا۟ بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُونَ
Wa izaa marroo bihim yataghaamazoon
And winked at one another as they passed by them;
وَإِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُوا۟ فَكِهِينَ
Wa izan qalabooo ilaaa ahlihimun qalaboo fakiheen
And when they went back to their people turned to make fun of them;
وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ
Wa izaa ra awhum qaalooo inna haaa'ulaaa'i ladaaal loon
And when they saw them, they said: "They have indeed gone astray."
وَمَآ أُرْسِلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ حَٰفِظِينَ
Wa maaa ursiloo 'alaihim haafizeen
But they were not Sent to be guardians over them!
فَٱلْيَوْمَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ
Fal yawmal lazeena aamanoo minal kuffaari yadhakoon
So, the believers will laugh at the infidels on that day,
عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ
'Alal araaa'iki yanzuroon
Regarding them from their cushioned seats.
هَلْ ثُوِّبَ ٱلْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ
Hal suwwibal kuffaaru maa kaanoo yaf'aloon
Will not the infidels pay for what they had done?