Defrauders
Al-Muṭaffifîn
المُطَفِّفین
LEARNING POINTS
people should be honest when they do business with others.
in islam, business people can make a good profit without cheating. those who cheat to make a small profit in this world will suffer a bigger loss in the next life.
judgment day is coming—evil people will be punished and good people will be rewarded.
abusing people financially and emotionally (by stealing their money or making fun of them) has some bad consequences on judgment day.
BACKGROUND STORY
Before Islam, many business people in Madinah used to cheat their customers. For example, someone wanted to buy 1 kg of dates from them, they gave the buyer only 750g but charged him or her the price of 1 kg. When the Prophet SS moved to the city, he saw what they did, and soon the first part of this surah was revealed. Finally, this practice stopped. (Recorded by Imam lbn Majah}
SIDE STORY
The Prophet s taught us that Allah has written exactly how much we will make in this life. Ev- erything is guaranteed, but we have to work for it. However, some people are impatient--they rush to take something in a haram way, even though it was meant to come to them in a halal way. {Recorded by Imam Al-Baihaqi}
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law) had a fine horse with a beautiful bridle (a headgear which is used to control a horse, like brakes on a car). One day, he went inside a mas- jid with his assistant for salah. Imam Ali left his horse in the care of a man who was sitting outside the masjid. On his way out, he told his assistant, "| think we should give that man 2 dirhams (silver coins) for keeping an eye on the horse." When they came out, they found out that the man took the bridle and ran away. Feeling sorry, Imam Ali sent his assistant to the market to buy a bridle. The as- sistant was surprised to see the man who took the bridle selling it in the market for 2 dirhams. {Re- corded by Al-Abshihi in his book Al-Mustațraf}
WARNING TO CHEATERS
1Those who cheat on the scales are doomed! 2They are the ones who take full measure when they buy' from others, 3but give less when they measure or weigh for customers. 4Do such people not think that they will be brought back to life 5for a horrible Day— 6the Day all' people will stand before the Lord of the whole universe 'for judgment'?
وَيۡلٞ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِينَ 1ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكۡتَالُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُونَ 2وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمۡ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُونَ 3أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبۡعُوثُونَ 4لِيَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٖ 5يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ6
SIDE STORY
There was a man who was enjoying his tea at a local coffee shop. Suddenly, a young man came in and shouted, "O Abdullah! Your wife is giving birth." The man dropped his tea on the floor and started running home. After 3 minutes of running, he stopped and said, "Wait a minute! My wife is not pregnant." But he decided to go home and check on his wife anyway. After another 5 minutes of running, he stopped again and said, "What is going on here? I am not even married!" Still he continued running to his house. When he was about to enter his house, he asked himself, "Did I lose my mind or what? My name is not even Abdullah!"
Some of us do the same thing, but in a different way.
When we know that şalah is the most important act of worship, but we still don't take a few minutes to pray..
When we know that we will die one day, but we pretend that we are here to stay..
When we know right from wrong, but choose to do wrong..
When we know that Judgment Day is coming for sure, but we don't prepare for it..
According to the following passage, when hearts become rusty, people get easily distractedfrom important things in life.This condition is called ghaf-lah (being distracted and living with-out purpose).
PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED
7But no! The wicked are definitely heading for Sijin 'in the depths of Hell' 8and what will make you realize what Sijin is?— 9it is a sealed fate.' 10It will be horrible on that Day for the deniers— 11those who deny Judgment Day! 12No one would deny it except every sinful troublemaker. 13Whenever Our revelations are recited to them, they say, "Fairy tales 14But no! In fact, their hearts have become rusty because of all the evil' they have done! 15Of course, they will be blocked off from their Lord on that Day. 16Then they will surely burn in Hell, 17and then be told, "This is what you used to deny."
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٖ 7وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٞ 8كِتَٰبٞ مَّرۡقُومٞ 9وَيۡلٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ 10ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ 11وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ 12إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ 13كَلَّاۖ بَلۡۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ 14كَلَّآ إِنَّهُمۡ عَن رَّبِّهِمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لَّمَحۡجُوبُونَ 15ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمۡ لَصَالُواْ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ 16ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ17
Verse 13: it is final and cannot be changed.
REWARD OF THE FAITHFUL
18But no! The people of goodness are definitely heading for Illiyun 'in high Gardens' 19and what will make you realize what 'Illiyun is?— 20it is a sealed Fate, 21Witnessed by those who are closest 'to Allah'. 22Surely the people of goodness will be in enjoyment, 23'relaxing' on 'decorated' couches, looking around. 24You will recognize on their faces the glow of joy. 25They will be given a sealed, pure drink, 26Whose last sip will have an amazing smell. So let whoever hopes for this, work hard. 27And this drink's flavour will come from Tasnim— 28a spring from which those who are closest 'to Allah' will drink.
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ 18وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ 19كِتَٰبٞ مَّرۡقُومٞ 20يَشۡهَدُهُ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ 21إِنَّ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ 22عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ 23تَعۡرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمۡ نَضۡرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ 24يُسۡقَوۡنَ مِن رَّحِيقٖ مَّخۡتُومٍ 25خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسۡكٞۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلۡمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ 26وَمِزَاجُهُۥ مِن تَسۡنِيمٍ 27عَيۡنٗا يَشۡرَبُ بِهَا ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ28
BACKGROUND STORY
The idol-v Worshippers used to mock the believers and abuse them. On Judgment Day, the abus- ers will be suffering so much in the Fire that they will be desperate to get out. Suddenly, the door of Jahannam will open and they will rush to get out, but as sOon as they reach the door, it will be shut quickly. So they will be more frustrated as they go back to their place in Hell. Then the door will open, and they will try to come out again, but it will be s shut. This will go on and on forever. Allah will then ask the believers, "See! Did I not pay them back for always making fun of you?" (Recorded by Imam Al-Qurtubi)
SIDE STORY
A man and his family moved to a new house. When his wife looked through the glass window, she saw her neighbours' clothes drying up. She commented, "Those clothes are dirty. Our neighbours don't know how to wash." The next week, she looked and complained. "Dirty clothes again." This continued for two months. One day, she looked and saw clean clothes. She said to her husband, "Finally, our neighbours have learned how to clean their clothes." Her husband said, "No. I just cleaned our window from the outside!"
According to the following passage, the wicked always looked at the believers and said, "These people are lost-something is wrong with them." They didn't realize that they themselves were lost. But they couldn't see the truth because they were blinded by ignorance and hate. {Recorded by Imam lbn Kathir}
THE LAST LAUGH
29Surely the wicked used to laugh at the Believers, 30Wink to each other whenever they passed by, 31and joke about it when they returned to their own people. 32And when they saw the faithful, they would say, "These people' are really lost" 33even though watching the believers was none of their business. 34But on that Day the believers will be laughing at the Disbelievers, 35as they watch from 'their decorated' couches. 36The believers will be asked,' "Have the disbelievers 'not' been paid back for what they used to do?"
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجۡرَمُواْ كَانُواْ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَضۡحَكُونَ 29وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِهِمۡ يَتَغَامَزُونَ 30وَإِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُواْ فَكِهِينَ 31وَإِذَا رَأَوۡهُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ 32وَمَآ أُرۡسِلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَٰفِظِينَ 33فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡكُفَّارِ يَضۡحَكُونَ 34عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ 35هَلۡ ثُوِّبَ ٱلۡكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ36