المطففين
Surah Al-Mutaffifin
The Defrauding · Surah 83 · Meccan · 36 verses
1وَيۡلࣱ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِينَ ١Woe unto the defrauders.InsightElmalılı recalls his earlier explanation of “wayl”, rendered as “woe”. The verse condemns those who cheat in measure and weight.2ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكۡتَالُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُونَ ٢Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the phrasing carries the sense of “at people’s expense”: they take full measure for themselves, to others’ loss.3وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمۡ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُونَ ٣But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, they cheat in measuring and weighing and cause others loss; this is why they deserve woe.4أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبۡعُوثُونَ ٤Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this means: “Even if they do not believe, have they not even a doubt?” Even a small doubt should be enough to stop a person from cheating.5لِيَوۡمٍ عَظِيمࣲ ٥Unto an Awful Day.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the responsibility for that cheating is heavy and that day tremendous; man should believe it will surely come.6يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٦The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, that day everyone will rise from their graves and stand for Allah, be judged before Him, and the wronged will take their due from the wrongdoer.7كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينࣲ ٧Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this “No!” is a warning to turn people away from cheating and from heedless disbelief in the resurrection, and to call them to repentance.8وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينࣱ ٨Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is.9كِتَٰبࣱ مَّرۡقُومࣱ ٩A written record.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is a record in which the deeds of the wicked are written indelibly.10وَيۡلࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ١٠Woe unto the repudiators on that day.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this sentence recalls the effect of that record, the root of wickedness, and the terror of the Day of Resurrection.11ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ١١Those who deny the Day of Judgment.12وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢Which none denieth save each criminal transgressor.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the day of recompense is denied only by those devoted to their lusts, following their whims, heedless of the end, and trampling the rights of Allah and people.13إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٣Who, when thou readest unto him Our revelations, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old.InsightElmalılı relates views that the one who said this was al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah or an-Nadr ibn al-Harith.14كَلَّاۖ بَلۡۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ١٤Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the sins they thought were profit have formed rust over their hearts and blinded them.15كَلَّآ إِنَّهُمۡ عَن رَّبِّهِمۡ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ لَّمَحۡجُوبُونَ ١٥Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is the result of sins that blind the heart: the deniers will be behind a veil from their Lord that day.16ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمۡ لَصَالُواْ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ١٦Then lo! they verily will burn in hell.17ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ ١٧And it will be said (unto them): This is that which ye used to deny.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is what they called a tale and denied coming face to face with them.18كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ ١٨Nay, but the record of the righteous is in ‘Illiyin.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this “No!” recalls the other face of the Day of Resurrection, to turn people again from cheating and denial towards goodness.19وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ ١٩Ah, what will convey unto thee what ‘Illiyin is.20كِتَٰبࣱ مَّرۡقُومࣱ ٢٠A written record.21يَشۡهَدُهُ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ ٢١Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord).InsightAccording to Elmalılı, that record is seen, read and witnessed not by the veiled, but by the angels brought near to Allah.22إِنَّ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ ٢٢Lo! the righteous verily are in delight.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, on the day the wicked lean into the fire, the righteous will be in bliss.23عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ٢٣On couches, gazing.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, they will look as they wish at whatever scenes of Paradise they wish.24تَعۡرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمۡ نَضۡرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٢٤Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, their joy and happiness show on their faces that they are righteous; everyone who sees them recognises it.25يُسۡقَوۡنَ مِن رَّحِيقࣲ مَّخۡتُومٍ ٢٥They are given to drink of a pure wine, sealed.26خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسۡكࣱۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلۡيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلۡمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ ٢٦Whose seal is musk - for this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, a scent of musk is noticed at the end of this drink. What is worth competing for is not the world’s passing pleasures but these lasting blessings.27وَمِزَاجُهُۥ مِن تَسۡنِيمٍ ٢٧And mixed with water of Tasnim.InsightElmalılı says “tasnim” originally means rising up like a hump; it is a higher spring that makes the drink it is mixed into finer.28عَيۡنࣰا يَشۡرَبُ بِهَا ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ ٢٨A spring whence those brought near (to Allah) drink.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, those brought near to Allah drink it pure; the other righteous are given it mixed.29إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجۡرَمُواْ كَانُواْ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَضۡحَكُونَ ٢٩Lo! the guilty used to laugh at those who believed.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, in Mecca Abu Jahl, al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah and others mocked weak believers like ‘Ammar and Suhayb.30وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِهِمۡ يَتَغَامَزُونَ ٣٠And wink one to another when they passed them.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, when the believers passed by, they mocked them by signalling to one another with their eyes.31وَإِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُواْ فَكِهِينَ ٣١And when they returned to their own folk, they returned jesting.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, when they went home they would recount what they had done to the believers, amused and laughing.32وَإِذَا رَأَوۡهُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ ٣٢And when they saw them they said: Lo! these have gone astray.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, by this they meant not only those they saw but believers in general.33وَمَآ أُرۡسِلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَٰفِظِينَ ٣٣Yet they were not sent as guardians over them.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, while rolling in crime themselves, they ruled on whether the believers were right or astray, as if pitying them; yet they had no such charge.34فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡكُفَّارِ يَضۡحَكُونَ ٣٤This day it is those who believe who have the laugh of disbelievers.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, on the day of resurrection and recompense the disbelievers denied, the believers will laugh at them.35عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ ٣٥On high couches, gazing.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the believers watch from the seats of ‘Illiyyin the disbelievers receiving their punishment after their arrogance and amusement.36هَلۡ ثُوِّبَ ٱلۡكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ ٣٦Are not the disbelievers paid for what they used to do.