Bismi Allahi arrahmani arraheem
tafseer
The
style of the Surah and its subject matter clearly show that it was
revealed in the earliest stage at Makkah, when surah after surah was
being revealed to impress the doctrine of the Hereafter on the people's
minds. This Surah was revealed when they had started ridiculing the
Muslims and disgracing them publicly in the streets and in their
assemblies, but persecution and manhandling of the Muslims had not yet
started. Some commentators regard this as a Madani Surah. This
misunderstanding has been caused by a tradition from Ibn Abbas according
to which when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) arrived in Madinah,
the evil of giving short weight and measure was widespread among the
people there. Then Allah sent down Wayl ul-lil mutaffifin and the people
began to give full weight and measure. (Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn
Marduyah, Ibn Jarir, Baihaqi: Shu`ab-il-Iman) But, as we have explained
in the introduction to Surah Ad-Dahr, the common practice with the
Companions and their successors was that when they found that a verse
applied to a certain matter of life, they would say that it had been
sent down concerning that particular matter. Therefore, what is proved
by the tradition of Ibn Abbas is that when after his emigration to
Madinah the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) saw that the evil was
widespread among the people there, he recited this Surah before them by
Allah's Command and this helped them mend their ways.
Theme and Subject Matter
The
theme of this Surah too is the Hereafter. In the first six verses the
people have been taken to task for the prevalent evil practice in their
commercial dealings. When they had to receive their due from others,
they demanded that it be given in full, but when they had to measure or
weigh for others, they would give less than what was due. Taking this
one evil as an example out of countless evils prevalent in society, it
has been said that it is an inevitable result of the heedlessness of the
Hereafter. Unless the people realized that one day they would have to
appear before God and account for each single act they performed in the
world, it was not possible that they would adopt piety and righteousness
in their daily affairs.
Even
if a person might practice honesty in some of his less important
dealings in view of "honesty is the best policy," he would never
practice honesty on occasions when dishonesty would seem to be "the best
policy". Man can develop true and enduring honesty only when he fears
God and sincerely believes in the Hereafter, for then he would regard
honesty not merely as "a policy" but as "a duty" and obligation, and his
being constant in it, or otherwise, would not be dependent on its being
useful or useless in the world.
Thus,
after making explicit the relation between morality and the doctrine of
the Hereafter in an effective and impressive way, in vv. 7-17, it has
been said: The deeds of the wicked are already being recorded in the
black list of the culprits, and in the Hereafter they will meet with
utter ruin. Then in vv. 18-28, the best end of the virtuous has been
described and it has been laid that their deeds are being recorded in
the list of the exalted people, on which are appointed the angels
nearest to Allah.
In
conclusion, the believers have been consoled, and the disbelievers
warned, as if to say: "The people who are disgracing and humiliating the
believers today, are culprits who, on the Resurrection Day, will meet
with a most evil end in consequence of their conduct, and these very
believers will feel comforted when they see their fate."
1In
the original the word mutaffifin has been used, which is derived from
tatfif, a word used for an inferior and base thing in Arabic.
Terminologically, tatfif is used for giving short weight and short
measure fraudulently, for the person who acts thus while measuring or
weighing, does not defraud another by any substantial amount, but skimps
small amounts from what is due to every customer cleverly, and the poor
customer does not know of what and of how much he is being deprived by
the seller.
2At
several places in the Qur'an giving of short measure and weight has
been condemned and measuring fully and weighing rightly has been
stressed. In Surah Al-An'am, it has been enjoined: "You should use a
full measure and a just balance. We charge one only with that much
responsibility that one can bear." (v. 152). In Surah Bani Isra'il it
has been said: "Give full measure when you measure and weigh with even
scales." (v. 35). In Surah Ar-Rehman it has been stressed: Do not upset
the balance: weigh with equity and do not give short weight." (vv. 8-9).
The people of the Prophet Shu`aib were punished for the reason that the
evil of giving short measure and weight had become widespread among
them and in spite of his counsel and advice they did not refrain from
it.
3"A
Great Day": the Day of Resurrection when all men and jinn will be
called to account together in the Divine Court and decisions of vital
importance will be made pertaining to rewards and punishments.”
4That
is, "These people are wrong in thinking that they will be let off
without being called to account when they have committed such and such
crimes in the world. "
5The
word sijjin in the original is derived from sijn (a prison) and the
explanation of it that follows shows that it implies the general
Register in which the actions and deeds of the people worthy of
punishment are being recorded.
6"Our Revelations": those verses in which news of the Day of Recompense has been given.
7That
is, they have no good reason for regarding the meting out of rewards
and punishments as unreal. What has made them say this, is that their
hearts have become rusty because of their sins; therefore, a thing which
is thoroughly reasonable appears unreal and unreasonable to them. The
explanation of this rust as given by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be
peace) is as follows: "When a servant commits a sin, it marks a black
stain on his heart. If he offers repentance, the stain is washed off,
but if he persists in wrongdoing. it spreads over the whole heart."
(Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Jarir, Hakim, Ibn Abi
Hatim, Ibn Hibban and others).
8That
is, these people will remain deprived of the vision of Allah with which
the righteous will be blessed. (For further explanation, see E.N. 17 of
Al - Qiyamah).
9That is, they are wrong in thinking that there is going to be no meting out of rewards and punishments.
10One
meaning of the words khltamu-hu misk is that the vessels containing the
wine will carry the seal of musk instead of clay or wax. Accordingly
the verse means: This will be the choicest kind of wine, which will be
superior to the wine flowing in the canals, and it will be served by the
attendants of Paradise in vessels sealed with musk to the dwellers of
Paradise. Another meaning also can be: When that wine will pass down the
throat, its final effect will be of the flavor of musk. This state is
contrary to the wines of the world which give out an offensive smell as
soon as the bottle opens and one feels its horrid smell even while
drinking and also when it passes down the throat.
11"Tasnim ".: height. Thus, Tasnim will be a fountain flowing down from a height.
12That
is, they returned home rejoicing, thinking that they had made fun of
such and such a Muslim, had passed evil remarks against him and
subjected him to ridicule among the people.
13That
is, they have lost their reason: they have deprived themselves of the
gains and enjoyments of the world and have experienced dangers and
undergone hardships only for the reason that Muhammad (upon whom be
Allah's peace and blessings) has deluded them with the Hereafter, Heaven
and Hell. They are giving up whatever is present and here on the false
hope that the promise of some Paradise has been held out to them after
death, and they are enduring the hardships in the present life only for
the reason that they have been threatened with some Hell in the next
world.
14In
this brief sentence the mockers and jesters have been given an
instructive warning to the effect: "Even if what the Muslims have
believed in, is false, they are not harming you at all They regard
something as we and are accordingly adopting a certain moral attitude
for themselves, for their own good. Allah has not appointed you to be
keepers over them so that you may be free to criticize and persecute
those who are not harming you in any way."
15There
is a subtle satire in this sentence. In the world, the disbelievers
used to persecute the believers, thinking it was an act of virtue. In
the Hereafter, the believers will be enjoying life in Paradise, and
watching the disbelievers being punished in Hell, will say to themselves
what a reward they have earned for their acts of virtue!
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
- Wailul lil mutaffifeen
- Allazeena izak taaloo 'alan naasi yastawfoon
- Wa izaa kaaloohum aw wazanoohum yukhsiroon
- Alaa yazunnu ulaaa'ika annahum mab'oosoon
- Li Yawmin 'Azeem
- Yawma yaqoomun naasu li Rabbil 'aalameen
- Kallaaa inna kitaabal fujjaari lafee Sijjeen
- Wa maa adraaka maa Sijjeen
- Kitaabum marqoom
- Wailuny yawma'izil lil mukazzibeen
- Allazeena yukazziboona bi yawmid deen
- Wa maa yukazzibu biheee illaa kullu mu'tadin aseem
- Izaa tutlaa'alaihi aayaatunaa qaala asaateerul awwaleen
- Kallaa bal raana 'alaa quloobihim maa kaanoo yaksiboon
- Kallaaa innahum 'ar Rabbihim yawma'izil lamah jooboon
- Summa innahum lasaa lul jaheem
- Summa yuqaalu haazal lazee kuntum bihee tukazziboon
- Kallaaa inna kitaabal abraari lafee'Illiyyeen
- Wa maaa adraaka maa 'Illiyyoon
- Kitaabum marqoom
- Yashhadu hul muqarra boon
- Innal abraara lafee Na'eem
- 'Alal araaa'iki yanzuroon
- Ta'rifu fee wujoohihim nadratan na'eem
- Yusqawna mir raheeqim makhtoom
- Khitaamuhoo misk; wa fee zaalika falyatanaafasil Mutanaafisoon
- Wa mizaajuhoo min Tasneem
- 'Ainaiy yashrabu bihal muqarraboon
- Innal lazeena ajramoo kaanoo minal lazeena aamanoo yadhakoon
- Wa izaa marroo bihim yataghaamazoon
- Wa izan qalabooo ilaaa ahlihimun qalaboo fakiheen
- Wa izaa ra awhum qaalooo inna haaa'ulaaa'i ladaaal loon
- Wa maaa ursiloo 'alaihim haafizeen
- Fal yawmal lazeena aamanoo minal kuffaari yadhakoon
- 'Alal araaa'iki yanzuroon
- Hal suwwibal kuffaaru maa kaanoo yaf'aloon
- mamnoonTransliteration: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
- 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.
- Do they not think that they will be called to account?-
- On a Mighty Day,
- A Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds?
- Nay! Surely the record of the wicked is (preserved) in Sijjin.
- And what will explain to thee what Sijjin is?
- (There is) a Register (fully) inscribed.
- Woe, that Day, to those that deny-
- Those that deny the Day of Judgment.
- And none can deny it but the Transgressor beyond bounds the Sinner!
- When Our Signs are rehearsed to him, he says, "Tales of the ancients!"
- By no means! but on their hearts is the stain of the (ill) which they do!
- Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled.
- Further, they will enter the Fire of Hell.
- Further, it will be said to them: "This is the (reality) which ye rejected as false!
- Day, verily the record of the Righteous is (preserved) in ´Illiyin.
- And what will explain to thee what ´Illiyun is?
- (There is) a Register (fully) inscribed,
- To which bear witness those Nearest (to Allah).
- Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss:
- On Thrones (of Dignity) will they command a sight (of all things):
- Thou wilt recognise in their faces the beaming brightness of Bliss.
- Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed:
- The seal thereof will be Musk: And for this let those aspire, who have aspirations:
- With it will be (given) a mixture of Tasnim:
- A spring, from (the waters) whereof drink those Nearest to Allah.
- Those in sin used to laugh at those who believed,
- And whenever they passed by them, used to wink at each other (in mockery);
- And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting;
- And whenever they saw them, they would say, "Behold! These are the people truly astray!"
- But they had not been sent as keepers over them!
- But on this Day the Believers will laugh at the Unbelievers:
- On Thrones (of Dignity) they will command (a sight) (of all things).
- Will not the Unbelievers have been paid back for what they did?
- mamnoonTransliteration: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
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