Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (915)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(1–6) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Woe to those who give short measure, * who, when they take a measure from people, demand it in full, * but when they measure or weigh for them, give them less than their due. * Do such people not think that they will be resurrected * for a tremendous Day, * the Day when all people will stand before the Lord of the worlds?”

“Woe” is a word denoting punishment and warning (1) “to those who give short measure.”

Allah explained who those who give short measure are in His words (2): “Who, when they take a measure from people”—that is, when they receive from them what is owed to them—“demand it in full,” without any deficiency.

“But when they measure or weigh for them”—that is, when they give people what is due to them (3) by measure or weight—“give them less than their due”; that is, they diminish it, whether by using a deficient measure or scale, by failing to fill the measure or balance the scale, or by some similar means. This amounts to stealing [the property] of others (4) and failing to deal fairly [with them].

If this warning (5) applies to those who deprive people of their due in measure and weight, then one who takes their property by force or theft is even more deserving of this warning than those who give short measure.

The noble verse indicates that, just as a person takes from others what is due to him, he must also give them everything due to them in matters of property and dealings. Indeed, [the general import of this] (6) also includes arguments and assertions. Just as disputants customarily strive to present every argument in their own favor, each must also set forth the arguments favoring his opponent (7) [of which he may be unaware] and examine his opponent’s evidence just as he examines his own. It is here that a person’s fairness is distinguished from his bias and arbitrariness, his humility from his arrogance, and his sound judgment from his foolishness. We ask Allah to grant us success in every good.

Allah Most High then warned those who give short measure, expressing amazement at their condition and their persistence in what they were doing. He said: “Do such people not think that they will be resurrected for a tremendous Day, the Day when all people will stand before the Lord of the worlds?” What emboldened them to give short measure was their lack of faith in the Hereafter. Had they believed in it and known that they would stand before Allah and that He would call them to account (8) for every matter, small and great, they would have desisted and repented of it.

(1) In B: “and punishment.” (2) In B: “that they.” (3) In B: “for them.” (4) Thus in B; A reads: “stealing from people.” (5) In B: “a warning.” (6) In B: “is included in that.” (7) In B: “the proof.” (8) In B: “that they will stand before Allah, and He will call them to account.”

﴿١ - ٦﴾ ﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ * الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ * وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ * أَلا يَظُنُّ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُمْ مَبْعُوثُونَ * لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ * يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ . ﴿وَيْلٌ﴾ كلمة عذاب، ووعيد (١) ﴿لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ﴾ وفسر الله المطففين بقوله (٢) ﴿الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ﴾ أي: أخذوا منهم وفاء عما ثبت لهم قبلهم ﴿يَسْتَوْفُونَ﴾ يستوفونه كاملا من غير نقص. ﴿وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ﴾ أي: إذا أعطوا الناس حقهم، الذي للناس (٣) عليهم بكيل أو وزن، ﴿يُخْسِرُونَ﴾ أي: ينقصونهم ذلك، إما بمكيال وميزان ناقصين، أو بعدم ملء المكيال والميزان، أو نحو ذلك. فهذا سرقة [لأموال] الناس (٤) ، وعدم إنصاف [لهم] منهم. وإذا كان هذا الوعيد (٥) على الذين يبخسون الناس بالمكيال والميزان، فالذي يأخذ أموالهم قهرًا أو سرقة، أولى بهذا الوعيد من المطففين. ودلت الآية الكريمة، على أن الإنسان كما يأخذ من الناس الذي له، يجب عليه أن يعطيهم كل ما لهم من الأموال والمعاملات، بل يدخل في [عموم هذا] (٦) الحجج والمقالات، فإنه كما أن المتناظرين قد جرت العادة أن كل واحد [منهما] يحرص على ماله من الحجج، فيجب عليه أيضًا أن يبين ما لخصمه من الحجج (٧) [التي لا يعلمها] ، وأن ينظر في أدلة خصمه كما ينظر في أدلته هو، وفي هذا الموضع يعرف إنصاف الإنسان من تعصبه واعتسافه، وتواضعه من كبره، وعقله من سفهه، نسأل الله التوفيق لكل خير. ثم توعد تعالى المطففين، وتعجب من حالهم وإقامتهم على ما هم عليه، فقال: ﴿أَلا يَظُنُّ أُولَئِكَ أَنَّهُمْ مَبْعُوثُونَ لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ فالذي جرأهم على التطفيف عدم إيمانهم باليوم الآخر، وإلا فلو آمنوا به، وعرفوا أنهم يقومون بين يدى الله، يحاسبهم (٨) على القليل والكثير، لأقلعوا عن ذلك وتابوا منه.

(١) في ب: وعقاب (٢) في ب: بأنهم. (٣) في ب: لهم. (٤) كذا في ب، وفي أ: سرقة للناس. (٥) في ب: وعيدًا. (٦) في ب: يدخل في ذلك. (٧) في ب: الحجة. (٨) في ب: أنهم سيقومون بين يدي الله فيحاسبهم.