83- Surat Almutaffifin/Tafseer
36 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Waillun lel-mutaffifin (1).
Woe to those who give less.
Allazina iza ektalu ala alnasi yastawfun (2).
Who, when they take a measure from people, take it in full.
Wa iza kaluhum awo wazanuhum youkhsirun (3).
But when they measure or weigh for them, they give less.
Ala yazunnu aulaeka annahum mab-authun (4).
Do they not think that they will be resurrected.
Li-yawmin azeem (5).
For a Great Day.
Yawma yaqumu alnasu le-Rabbi al-alameen (6).
The Day when the people will stand before the Lord of the worlds.
Kalla inna ketaba alfujjari la-fee Sijjeen (7).
Nay! Indeed the record of the wicked is in Sijjeen.
Wa ma adraka ma Sijjeen (8).
And what will make you know what is Sijjeen?.
Kitabun marqum (9).
It is a register inscribed.
Waillun yawma-izin lel-mukazzibeen (10).
Woe that day to the deniers.
Allazina youkazzibuna be-yawmi alddin (11).
Who deny the day of Judgment.
Wa ma youkazzibu behi ella kullu mu'tadin atheem (12).
And none denies it except every sinful transgressor.
Iza tutla alayhi ayatuna qala asatiru al-awwaleen (13).
When Our verses are recited to him, he says legends of the former people.
Kalla bal rana ala qulubehim ma kanu yaksebun (14).
Nay! Rather the satin has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.
Kalla innahum an Rabbihim yawma-izin la-mahjubun (15).
Nay! Indeed, they will be partitioned from their Lord on that day.
Thumma innahum la-salu aljaheem (16).
Then indeed, they will burn in the Hell.
Thumma youqalu haza allazi kuntum behi tukazzibun (17).
Then it will be said this is what you used to deny.
Kalla inna ketaba al-abrari la fee Elliyyin (18).
Nay! Indeed, the record of the righteous is in Elliyyun.
Wa ma adraka ma Elliyyun (19).
And what will make you know what is Elliyyun?.
Kitabun marqum (20).
It is a register inscribed.
Yashhaduhu almuqarrabun (21).
Which is witnessed by those brought near.
Inna al-abrara la-fee na-eem (22).
Indeed, the righteous will be in bliss.
Ala al-araeki yanzurun (23).
On the couches, are watching.
Ta'refu fee wujuhihim nadrata alna-eem (24).
You will recognize in their faces the glamour of bliss.
Yousqawna men raheeqin makhtum (25).
They will given to a sealed wine to drink.
Khetamuhu miskun wa-fee zaleka fal-yatanafasi almutanafisun (26).
The seal of which will be of Musk, so for that Let the competitors compete.
Wa mezajuhu men Tasneem (27).
And its mixture is of Tasneem.
Aynan yashrabu beha almuqarrabun (28).
A spring from which those who are near will drink.
Inna allazina ajramu kanu mena allazina amanu yad-hakun (29).
Indeed, those who have committed crimes used to laugh at those who have believed.
Wa iza marru behim yataghamazun (30).
And when they passed by them, they used to wink at one another.
Wa iza enqalabu ela ahlehimu enqalabu fakiheen (31).
And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting.
Wa iza ra-awhum qalu inna haulae la-dallun (32).
And when they saw them, they would say indeed those are the ones who have gone astray.
Wa ma aurselu alayhim hafizeen (33).
But they had not been sent as guardians over them.
Fal-yawma allazina amanu mena alkuffari yad-hakun (34).
So today, those who believed will laugh at the disbelievers.
Ala al-araeki yanzurun (35).
On the couches, are watching.
Hal thuwweba alkuffaru ma kanu yaf'alun (36).
Have the disbelievers been rewarded for what they used to do?.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Almutaffifin begins with a threat and a warning from Allah to those who are unjust in measuring and weighing, and who devour the rights of people unjustly, then Allah informs about the state of the wicked and the righteous on the day of resurrection, and Allah shows the scene of the exchange of the roles between them in the Hereafter.
Allah Almighty says in the first three verse (1-3) "Woe to who give less, Who, when they take a measure from people, take it in full, but when they measure or weigh for them, they give less", that is, Allah threatens those who are unjust in measuring and weighing (Almutaffifin) with the painful torment on the day of resurrection, where the word woe (Wail) idiomatically carries the meaning of destruction and perishing and means that the torment will be theirs as a recompense for their deeds, then Allah has clarified that Almutaffifin are those who when they take weight from people, they take it in full, but when they measure or weigh for them, they give less. Measuring and weighing is a great matter that Allah has mentioned many times in the Holy Quran and He commanded the Muslims to give the full measure when they weigh, as He says in Aya (35) of Surat Alisraa, and Aya (182) of Surat Alshu'araa {And weigh with an even balance}. And Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) said in narration of Suwaid Bin Qais to the one who weighed the goods to determine its value "Weigh and add more" (Jami' Altirmidhi 1305). So Allah and His Messenger commanded the Muslims not to make weighing deficient, and to observe the correct weight with fairness.
Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (4-6) "Do they not think that they will be resurrected, for a Great Day, the Day when the people will stand before the Lord of the worlds", that is, Allah those who are unjust in measuring and weighing saying Do they think that they will not return to their Creator on the day of resurrection which is a great day with its horrors and terrors, when all people will rise up from the graves to the Lord of the worldly life and the Hereafter, and then He will punish them for the evil deeds they committed. And the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in narration of Abdullah Bin Umar: "The day when the people will stand before the Lord of the worlds, some of them will be enveloped in their sweat up to the middle of their ears" (Sahih Albukhari 4938).
Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (7-9) "Nay! Indeed the record of the wicked is in Sijjeen, and what will make you know what is Sijjeen?, it is a register inscribed", that is, Allah assures that the disbelievers and the merchants who make measures and weights deficient will be among the wicked, and then their book will be in Sijjeen, and Sijjeen is the name of the place where the inscribed registers of the wicked are located, and there they will find everything they have done, big or small, and then they will say {Oh woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?}, as mentioned in Aya (49) of Surat Alkahf.
Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (10-13) "Woe that day to the deniers, who deny the day of Judgment, and none denies it except every sinful transgressor, when Our verses are recited to him, he says legends of the former people", that is, Allah threatens those who thought that there is neither resurrection nor reckoning with the painful torment on the day of resurrection, and assures that none can deny the day of resurrection except every sinful aggressor, so all sinful transgressors, who do not obey Allah in what He commands ruled out the occurrence of the day of resurrection, and they claimed when the Holy Quran is recited to them that it is legends of the former people, they also claimed that the Holy Quran is a lie Allah's Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) has fabricated with the help of other people, and that it is the legends of the former people which had written down and they are recited to Him at morning and evening as mentioned in Ayat (4,5) of Surat Alfurqan.
Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (14-17) "Nay! Rather the satin has covered their hearts of that which they were earning, nay! Indeed, they will be partitioned from their Lord on that day, then indeed, they will burn in the Hell, then it will be said this is what you used to deny", that is, the wicked used to earn of evil deeds, so their hearts were blinded from accepting the truth, and as a result of that, they will be debarred from seeing their Lord that day, and they will burn in the Hellfire, then it will be said to them as a reprimand this is what you used to deny, so what you used to deny has become true before your eyes.
Allah Almighty says in the next eleven verses (18-28) "Nay! Indeed, the record of the righteous is in Elliyyun, and what will make you know what is Elliyyun?, it is a register inscribed, which is witnessed by those brought near, indeed, the righteous will be in bliss, on the couches, are watching, you will recognize in their faces the glamour of bliss, they will given to a sealed wine to drink, the seal of which will be of Musk, so for that Let the competitors compete, and its mixture is of Tasneem, a spring from which those who are near will drink", that is, in contrast to the state of the wicked, Allah describes the state of the righteous in the Hereafter saying that their book will be in Elliyyin, and Elliyyin is the name of the place where the inscribed registers of the righteous are located, so they will find a written book for their deeds which are Witnessed by those who are near from among the Angels, and they will be in eternal bliss and gardens in which there is a great bounty, and they will sit on the couches, and watch what Allah has given them of bliss and luxury. And you will recognize in their faces the glamour of that bliss for they will be given to drink from a pure sealed wine, and it will be mixed with Musk, and for the sake of that bliss, the competitors must compete and do righteous deeds in the worldly life. And the mixture of this wine is of Tasneem, which is a spring from which those who are near will drink, and it is the best drink for the people of Paradise.
Allah Almighty says in the next five verses (29-33) "Indeed, those who have committed crimes used to laugh at those who have believed, and when they passed by them, they used to wink at one another, and when they returned to their people, they would return jesting, and when they saw them, they would say indeed those are the ones who have gone astray, but they had not been sent as guardians over them", that is, Allah describes the sinners' ridicule and mockery from the believers, as they used to laugh at those who have believed, and when they passed by them, they winked by making gestures with eyes, head, or eyebrows in order to make fun and mockery, and when they turned back to their people, they turned back jesting by what they did of fun and mockery from the believers, and when they saw the believers, they say those are a stray ones because they believed in Allah and followed His Messenger. So Allah assures that they had not been sent as guardians over the believers, as they were so preoccupied with observing the believers and that is not their mission till the point that they forget the remembrances of Allah, and they took the believers in mockery and used to laugh at them as Allah has stated in Aya (110) of Surat Almu'minun {But you took them in mockery until they made you forget My remembrance, and you used to laugh at them}, so they will remain despised in the Hellfire, and do not speak to Allah.
Allah Almighty says in the last three verses (34-36) "So today, those who believed will laugh at the disbelievers, on the couches, are watching, Have the disbelievers been rewarded for what they used to do?", that is, Allah describes the exchange of the roles between the sinners and the believers in the Hereafter, saying that on the day of resurrection, the believers will laugh at the disbelievers, for Allah will say to those who used to mock at them in Aya (111) of Surat Almu'minun {Indeed, I have rewarded them this day for what they have been patient with, indeed, they are the winners}. And then the believers will sit on the couches and watch the torment of Hellfire that will befall the disbelievers who used to mock at them, then Allah asks in the last verse as a kind of acknowledgment and says Have the disbelievers been rewarded for what they used to do, so Hellfire will be their recompense for their disbelief and stubbornness, and for what they used to do of mockery and ridicule from the believers.