المُطَفِّفِينَ
- Meccan
- 36 verses
- Surah 83 of 114
Introduction to Surah Al-Mutaffifin
Thirty-six verses, eighty-third in the written order. Most editions class it as Meccan, including the text shown here; some early authorities held it the first surah revealed after the migration to Medina.
What it opens on
Woe to those that deal in fraud,- Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure, But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. (83:1–3)
The practice described is shaving the measure — keeping two standards, one for buying and one for selling. It was ordinary, it was small in any single instance, and it was the kind of thing a marketplace absorbs without comment.
The surah gives it the same opening word it gives to far graver things, and then asks whether such people do not think they will be raised for a mighty day. The distance between the offence and the frame put around it is the surah’s entire argument.
The two registers
What follows is a description of two records. The record of the wicked is in Sijjin, and the record of the righteous is in ‘Illiyyun; the surah asks what will explain either word and then does not really explain them, saying only that each is a written register.
Of those whose record is the first, it says something that has been much discussed: that their hearts have become covered by what they used to earn, and that they will be veiled from their Lord on that day. The corrosion is attributed to the earning itself.
How it ends
On laughter. In this life those who did wrong used to laugh at those who believed, and to wink at one another as they passed, and to go back to their own people amused — and to say, when they saw them, that these people have gone astray.
The surah’s last two verses report that on that day the believers will laugh at them, from raised couches, looking. The reversal is exact and the surah does not comment on it.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم
وَيْلٌۭ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
Wailul lil mutaffifeen
Woe to those that deal in fraud,-
Woe unto the defrauders:
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكْتَالُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ
Allazeena izak taaloo ‘alan naasi yastawfoon
Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure,
Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full,
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
Wa izaa kaaloohum aw wazanoohum yukhsiroon
But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due.
But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss.
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ
Alaa yazunnu ulaaa’ika annahum mab’oosoon
Do they not think that they will be called to account?-
Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Yawma yaqoomun naasu li Rabbil ‘aalameen
A Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?
The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds?
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلْفُجَّارِ لَفِى سِجِّينٍۢ
Kallaaa inna kitaabal fujjaari lafee Sijjeen
Nay! Surely the record of the wicked is (preserved) in Sijjin.
Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin –
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌۭ
Wa maa adraaka maa Sijjeen
And what will explain to thee what Sijjin is?
Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is! –
كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ
Kitaabum marqoom
(There is) a Register (fully) inscribed.
A written record.
وَيْلٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
Wailuny yawma’izil lil mukazzibeen
Woe, that Day, to those that deny-
Woe unto the repudiators on that day!
ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Allazeena yukazziboona bi yawmid deen
Those that deny the Day of Judgment.
Those who deny the Day of Judgment
وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
Wa maa yukazzibu biheee illaa kullu mu’tadin aseem
And none can deny it but the Transgressor beyond bounds the Sinner!
Which none denieth save each criminal transgressor,
إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
Izaa tutlaa’alaihi aayaatunaa qaala asaateerul awwaleen
When Our Signs are rehearsed to him, he says, “Tales of the ancients!”
Who, when thou readest unto him Our revelations, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old.
كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
Kallaa bal raana ‘alaa quloobihim maa kaanoo yaksiboon
By no means! but on their hearts is the stain of the (ill) which they do!
Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ
Kallaaa innahum ‘ar Rabbihim yawma’izil lamah jooboon
Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.
Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord.
ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُوا۟ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
Summa innahum lasaa lul jaheem
Further, they will enter the Fire of Hell.
Then lo! they verily will burn in hell,
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ
Summa yuqaalu haazal lazee kuntum bihee tukazziboon
Further, it will be said to them: “This is the (reality) which ye rejected as false!
And it will be said (unto them): This is that which ye used to deny.
كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَٰبَ ٱلْأَبْرَارِ لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ
Kallaaa inna kitaabal abraari lafee’Illiyyeen
Nay, verily the record of the Righteous is (preserved) in ‘Illiyin.
Nay, but the record of the righteous is in ‘Illiyin –
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ
Wa maaa adraaka maa ‘Illiyyoon
And what will explain to thee what ‘Illiyun is?
Ah, what will convey unto thee what ‘Illiyin is! –
كِتَٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ
Kitaabum marqoom
(There is) a Register (fully) inscribed,
A written record,
يَشْهَدُهُ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ
Yashhadu hul muqarra boon
To which bear witness those Nearest (to Allah).
Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord).
إِنَّ ٱلْأَبْرَارَ لَفِى نَعِيمٍ
Innal abraara lafee Na’eem
Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss:
Lo! the righteous verily are in delight,
عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ
‘Alal araaa’iki yanzuroon
On Thrones (of Dignity) will they command a sight (of all things):
On couches, gazing,
تَعْرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Ta’rifu fee wujoohihim nadratan na’eem
Thou wilt recognise in their faces the beaming brightness of Bliss.
Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight.
يُسْقَوْنَ مِن رَّحِيقٍۢ مَّخْتُومٍ
Yusqawna mir raheeqim makhtoom
Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed:
They are given to drink of a pure wine, sealed,
خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسْكٌۭ ۚ وَفِى ذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلْمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ
Khitaamuhoo misk; wa fee zaalika falyatanaafasil Mutanaafisoon
The seal thereof will be Musk: And for this let those aspire, who have aspirations:
Whose seal is musk – for this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss –
وَمِزَاجُهُۥ مِن تَسْنِيمٍ
Wa mizaajuhoo min Tasneem
With it will be (given) a mixture of Tasnim:
And mixed with water of Tasnim,
عَيْنًۭا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ
‘Ainaiy yashrabu bihal muqarraboon
A spring, from (the waters) whereof drink those Nearest to Allah.
A spring whence those brought near (to Allah) drink.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا۟ كَانُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ يَضْحَكُونَ
Innal lazeena ajramoo kaanoo minal lazeena aamanoo yadhakoon
Those in sin used to laugh at those who believed,
Lo! the guilty used to laugh at those who believed,
وَإِذَا مَرُّوا۟ بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُونَ
Wa izaa marroo bihim yataghaamazoon
And whenever they passed by them, used to wink at each other (in mockery);
And wink one to another when they passed them;
وَإِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُوا۟ فَكِهِينَ
Wa izan qalabooo ilaaa ahlihimun qalaboo fakiheen
And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting;
And when they returned to their own folk, they returned jesting;
وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ
Wa izaa ra awhum qaalooo inna haaa’ulaaa’i ladaaal loon
And whenever they saw them, they would say, “Behold! These are the people truly astray!”
And when they saw them they said: Lo! these have gone astray.
وَمَآ أُرْسِلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ حَٰفِظِينَ
Wa maaa ursiloo ‘alaihim haafizeen
But they had not been sent as keepers over them!
Yet they were not sent as guardians over them.
فَٱلْيَوْمَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ
Fal yawmal lazeena aamanoo minal kuffaari yadhakoon
But on this Day the Believers will laugh at the Unbelievers:
This day it is those who believe who have the laugh of disbelievers,
عَلَى ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ يَنظُرُونَ
‘Alal araaa’iki yanzuroon
On Thrones (of Dignity) they will command (a sight) (of all things).
On high couches, gazing.
هَلْ ثُوِّبَ ٱلْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ
Hal suwwibal kuffaaru maa kaanoo yaf’aloon
Will not the Unbelievers have been paid back for what they did?
Are not the disbelievers paid for what they used to do?
Sources. Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani edition. Translations: Abdullah Yusuf Ali (original edition, 1934–1938) and Marmaduke Pickthall (1930), both in the public domain. Any introduction above is original writing and is not part of any translation.