The surah that opens with a dire divine warning of a debasing punishment awaiting in the Hereafter for those who practice cheating as a norm in commerce, and whom is calls The Defrauders because they insist on receiving a full amount in return for the partial measure that they themselves give. It takes its name from verse 1, which condemns the tradesmen who cheat customers by using short weights and measures (muṭaifūn). It appears that the practice of cheating have been prevalent in Mecca, and is strongly condemned here and elsewhere in the Quran (e.g. 11: 84 .; 7: 85).The surah is also known as: The Cheats, The Dealing in Fraud, The Defrauders, The Stinters, The Unjust, Those who Give Short Measure.
1
وَيلٌ لِلمُطَفِّفينَ
waylun li-l-muṭaffifīna
Woe to the defrauders who use short measures,
2
الَّذينَ إِذَا اكتالوا عَلَى النّاسِ يَستَوفونَ
alladhīna ʾidhā ktālū ʿalā n-nāsi yastawfūna
who, when they measure [a commodity bought]from the people,take the full measure,
3
وَإِذا كالوهُم أَو وَزَنوهُم يُخسِرونَ
wa-ʾidhā kālūhum ʾaw wazanūhum yukhsirūna
but diminish when they measure or weigh for them.
4
أَلا يَظُنُّ أُولٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَبعوثونَ
ʾa-lā yaẓunnu ʾulāʾika ʾannahum mabʿūthūna
Do they not know that they will be resurrected
5
لِيَومٍ عَظيمٍ
li-yawmin ʿaẓīmin
on a tremendous day,
6
يَومَ يَقومُ النّاسُ لِرَبِّ العالَمينَ
yawma yaqūmu n-nāsu li-rabbi l-ʿālamīna
a day when mankind will standbefore the Lord of all the worlds?
7
كَلّا إِنَّ كِتابَ الفُجّارِ لَفي سِجّينٍ
kallā ʾinna kitāba l-fujjāri la-fī sijjīnin
No indeed! The record of the vicious is indeed in Sijjīn.
8
وَما أَدراكَ ما سِجّينٌ
wa-mā ʾadrāka mā sijjīnun
And what will show you what is Sijjīn?
9
كِتابٌ مَرقومٌ
kitābun marqūmun
It is a written record.
10
وَيلٌ يَومَئِذٍ لِلمُكَذِّبينَ
waylun yawmaʾidhin li-l-mukadhdhibīna
Woe to the deniers on that day,
11
الَّذينَ يُكَذِّبونَ بِيَومِ الدّينِ
alladhīna yukadhdhibūna bi-yawmi d-dīni
who deny the Day of Retribution;
12
وَما يُكَذِّبُ بِهِ إِلّا كُلُّ مُعتَدٍ أَثيمٍ
wa-mā yukadhdhibu bihī ʾillā kullu muʿtadin ʾathīmin
and none denies it except every sinful transgressor.
13
إِذا تُتلىٰ عَلَيهِ آياتُنا قالَ أَساطيرُ الأَوَّلينَ
ʾidhā tutlā ʿalayhi ʾāyātunā qāla ʾasāṭīru l-ʾawwalīna
When Our signs are recited to him,he says, ‘Myths of the ancients!’
14
كَلّا ۖ بَل ۜ رانَ عَلىٰ قُلوبِهِم ما كانوا يَكسِبونَ
kallā bal rāna ʿalā qulūbihim mā kānū yaksibūna
No indeed! Rather their hearts have been sullied1by what they have been earning.Or ‘overcast.’
15
كَلّا إِنَّهُم عَن رَبِّهِم يَومَئِذٍ لَمَحجوبونَ
kallā ʾinnahum ʿan rabbihim yawmaʾidhin la-maḥjūbūna
No indeed!They will be alienated from their Lord on that day.
16
ثُمَّ إِنَّهُم لَصالُو الجَحيمِ
thumma ʾinnahum la-ṣālū l-jaḥīmi
Then they will indeed enter hell,
17
ثُمَّ يُقالُ هٰذَا الَّذي كُنتُم بِهِ تُكَذِّبونَ
thumma yuqālu hādhā lladhī kuntum bihī tukadhdhibūna
then told,‘This is what you used to deny!’
18
كَلّا إِنَّ كِتابَ الأَبرارِ لَفي عِلِّيّينَ
kallā ʾinna kitāba l-ʾabrāri la-fī ʿilliyyīna
No indeed!The record of the pious is indeed in Illīyūn.
19
وَما أَدراكَ ما عِلِّيّونَ
wa-mā ʾadrāka mā ʿilliyyūna
And what will show you what is Illīyūn?
20
كِتابٌ مَرقومٌ
kitābun marqūmun
It is a written record,
21
يَشهَدُهُ المُقَرَّبونَ
yashhaduhu l-muqarrabūna
witnessed by those brought near [to Allah].
22
إِنَّ الأَبرارَ لَفي نَعيمٍ
ʾinna l-ʾabrāra la-fī naʿīmin
Indeed the pious shall be amid bliss,
23
عَلَى الأَرائِكِ يَنظُرونَ
ʿalā l-ʾarāʾiki yanẓurūna
observing, [as they recline] on couches.
24
تَعرِفُ في وُجوهِهِم نَضرَةَ النَّعيمِ
taʿrifu fī wujūhihim naḍrata n-naʿīmi
You will perceive in their faces the freshness of bliss
25
يُسقَونَ مِن رَحيقٍ مَختومٍ
yusqawna min raḥīqin makhtūmin
as they are served with a sealed wine,
26
خِتامُهُ مِسكٌ ۚ وَفي ذٰلِكَ فَليَتَنافَسِ المُتَنافِسونَ
khitāmuhū miskun wa-fī dhālika fa-l-yatanāfasi l-mutanāfisūna
whose seal is musk—for such let the viers vie—
27
وَمِزاجُهُ مِن تَسنيمٍ
wa-mizājuhū min tasnīmin
and whose seasoning is from Tasnīm,
28
عَينًا يَشرَبُ بِهَا المُقَرَّبونَ
ʿaynan yashrabu bihā l-muqarrabūna
a spring where those brought near [to Allah] drink.
29
إِنَّ الَّذينَ أَجرَموا كانوا مِنَ الَّذينَ آمَنوا يَضحَكونَ
ʾinna lladhīna ʾajramū kānū mina lladhīna ʾāmanū yaḍḥakūna
Indeed the guiltyused to laugh at the faithful,
30
وَإِذا مَرّوا بِهِم يَتَغامَزونَ
wa-ʾidhā marrū bihim yataghāmazūna
and when they passed themby they would wink at each other,
31
وَإِذَا انقَلَبوا إِلىٰ أَهلِهِمُ انقَلَبوا فَكِهينَ
wa-ʾidhā nqalabū ʾilā ʾahlihimu nqalabū fakihīna
and when they returned to their folksthey would return rejoicing,
32
وَإِذا رَأَوهُم قالوا إِنَّ هٰؤُلاءِ لَضالّونَ
wa-ʾidhā raʾawhum qālū ʾinna hāʾulāʾi la-ḍāllūna
and when they saw themthey would say,‘Indeed those are the astray!’
33
وَما أُرسِلوا عَلَيهِم حافِظينَ
wa-mā ʾursilū ʿalayhim ḥāfizīna
Though they were not sent to watch over them.
34
فَاليَومَ الَّذينَ آمَنوا مِنَ الكُفّارِ يَضحَكونَ
fa-l-yawma lladhīna ʾāmanū mina l-kuffāri yaḍḥakūna
So today the faithfulwill laugh at the faithless,
35
عَلَى الأَرائِكِ يَنظُرونَ
ʿalā l-ʾarāʾiki yanẓurūna
observing from couches:
36
هَل ثُوِّبَ الكُفّارُ ما كانوا يَفعَلونَ
hal thuwwiba l-kuffāru mā kānū yafʿalūna
Have the faithless been requitedfor what they used to do?