Surah Al Mutaffifin , 83

friends, dato and tanseri,

surah in juz amma, to the uninitiated minds and the secular, will come across mostly as full of brimstone and hell!
it is full of doomsday scenario; mostly hell and oftentimes heaven.
it is best epitomized by an often quoted reminder and warning of the late tok guru nik aziz, to leaders, top guns and rulers, both political and royalties across generations:

" baso menatae bodo ning di boming dulu dok tipu dan kebas pitih ra'ayat! ..."

we malaysians  from all level of society , especially kings, sultans and all those in position of power should.......all potentially great defrauders and al mutaffifin, should  take heed of this warning.

if mere mortals like nik howk or ah beng or muthusamy cheats, we don't affect people very much. but these 'top guns' if they do  it can amount to millions rm or even billion usd and enslavement of the raayat to future debt!

enjoy the tafseer sir!


dr nik howk

18th, february, 2019


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سُوۡرَةُ المطفّفِین
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

وَيۡلٌ۬ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِينَ (١) ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكۡتَالُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسۡتَوۡفُونَ (٢) وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمۡ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمۡ يُخۡسِرُونَ (٣) أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ أَنَّہُم مَّبۡعُوثُونَ (٤) لِيَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٍ۬ (٥) يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٦) كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَـٰبَ ٱلۡفُجَّارِ لَفِى سِجِّينٍ۬ (٧) وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ۬ (٨) كِتَـٰبٌ۬ مَّرۡقُومٌ۬ (٩) وَيۡلٌ۬ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ لِّلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ (١٠) ٱلَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ (١١) وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِۦۤ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ (١٢) إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَـٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ (١٣) كَلَّا‌ۖ بَلۡۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِہِم مَّا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ (١٤) كَلَّآ إِنَّہُمۡ عَن رَّبِّہِمۡ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ لَّمَحۡجُوبُونَ (١٥) ثُمَّ إِنَّہُمۡ لَصَالُواْ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (١٦) ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ (١٧) كَلَّآ إِنَّ كِتَـٰبَ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارِ لَفِى عِلِّيِّينَ (١٨) وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ (١٩) كِتَـٰبٌ۬ مَّرۡقُومٌ۬ (٢٠) يَشۡہَدُهُ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ (٢١) إِنَّ ٱلۡأَبۡرَارَ لَفِى نَعِيمٍ (٢٢) عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآٮِٕكِ يَنظُرُونَ (٢٣) تَعۡرِفُ فِى وُجُوهِهِمۡ نَضۡرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ (٢٤) يُسۡقَوۡنَ مِن رَّحِيقٍ۬ مَّخۡتُومٍ (٢٥) خِتَـٰمُهُ ۥ مِسۡكٌ۬‌ۚ وَفِى ذَٲلِكَ فَلۡيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلۡمُتَنَـٰفِسُونَ (٢٦) وَمِزَاجُهُ ۥ مِن تَسۡنِيمٍ (٢٧) عَيۡنً۬ا يَشۡرَبُ بِہَا ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَ (٢٨) إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجۡرَمُواْ كَانُواْ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَضۡحَكُونَ (٢٩) وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِہِمۡ يَتَغَامَزُونَ (٣٠) وَإِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمُ ٱنقَلَبُواْ فَكِهِينَ (٣١) وَإِذَا رَأَوۡهُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ لَضَآلُّونَ (٣٢) وَمَآ أُرۡسِلُواْ عَلَيۡہِمۡ حَـٰفِظِينَ (٣٣) فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡكُفَّارِ يَضۡحَكُونَ (٣٤) عَلَى ٱلۡأَرَآٮِٕكِ يَنظُرُونَ (٣٥) هَلۡ ثُوِّبَ ٱلۡكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ (٣٦)  

Surah Al-Mutaffifin
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Woe unto the defrauders: (1) Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full, (2) But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss. (3) Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again (4) Unto an awful Day, (5) The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds? (6) Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin - (7) Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is! - (8) A written record. (9) Woe unto the repudiaTtors on that day! (10) Those who deny the Day of Judgment (11) Which none denieth save each criminal transgressor, (12) Who, when Our revelations are recited unto him, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old. (13) Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts. (14) Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord. (15) Then lo! they verily will burn in hell, (16) And it will be said (unto them): This is that which ye used to deny. (17) Nay, but the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyin - (18) Ah, what will convey unto thee what 'Illiyin is! - (19) A written record, (20) Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord). (21) Lo! the righteous verily are in delight, (22) On couches, gazing, (23) Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight. (24) They are given to drink of a pure wine, sealed, (25) Whose seal is musk - for this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss - (26) And mixed with water of Tasnim, (27) A spring whence those brought near to Allah drink. (28) Lo! the guilty used to laugh at those who believed, (29) And wink one to another when they passed them; (30) And when they returned to their own folk, they returned jesting; (31) And when they saw them they said: Lo! these have gone astray. (32) Yet they were not sent as guardians over them. (33) This day it is those who believe who have the laugh of disbelievers, (34) On high couches, gazing. (35) Are not the disbelievers paid for what they used to do? (36)

Translation by Pickthal

Recitation by qari Shaykh Muayyid al Mazen ,

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haNXDme3HiQ

This surah continues in a similar vein to the preceding one, elaborating the strong and binding relationship between deeds and rewards. This link may have, at times, been misunderstood or distorted in Muslim societies. There have always been selfish individuals who only think of their own needs and interests, even if these are unfair or unjustified, and have no consideration for the needs of others, no matter how legitimate. Such greedy self-seeking people are a threat to society  as a whole.

The surah describes them as: " Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full, (2) But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss. "(3). Their dishonesty is not limited to buying and selling alone, but it influences their behaviour in many other fields of life.

There are people who who value their possesions dearly, but consider other people's property as fair game. Human life cannot proceed normally when such contradictory and destructive tendencies prevail, nor can progress be made when such self centred views reign. The Qur'an warns:

We made the foul deeds of those who do not believe in the life to come seem fair to them, and they blunder about in their folly. Such are those  who shall be sternly punished and in the hereafter shall be the biggest losers. [ al- Naml: 4-5 ]

Belief in God and the the Day of Judgment protects people against such foul deeds, and deters them from committing acts of aggression or violating the rights of others. The surah says menacingly:  " Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again (4) Unto an awful Day.[5]  The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds? "(6)

Nevertheless, a man's fate in the hereafter is not decided by a few casual misdemeanors from which believers are  usually absolved, but  rather by deliberate and consistent patterns of misbehaviour. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: "As one commit a sin, it leaves a black spot in one's heart. If one desists, seeks forgiveness and repents, one's heart will be cleansed; but if one repeats the offense, the black spot enlarges until it covers the whole of one's heart." This is what the surah refers to when it says: " Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts. (14) Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord. (15) Then lo! they verily will burn in hell, "(16) The renowned Muslim scholar, Hasan al-Basri said: " The stain on the heart is the result of repetitive offending that renders the heart blind until it withers away ."

Those for whom lowly behaviour becomes a habit and who get used to living like animals shall be barred from entering the gates of heaven. They make no effort to raise their pronciples or morals and so they remain dishonourable and inferior. The surah asserts: "  The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds? (6) Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin - (7) Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is! - (8) A written record. (9) Woe unto the repudiaTtors on that day! (10) Those who deny the Day of Judgment  "(11) 

On the other hand, those who uphold the faith and are happy to persevere and face the hardships of perservering in their commitments to God, and support His cause, shall have a different fate altogether. The surah says:

Nay, but the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyin - (18) Ah, what will convey unto thee what 'Illiyin is! - (19) A written record, (20) Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord). (21) Lo! the righteous verily are in delight, (22) On couches, gazing, (23) Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight. (24)

These scenes are repeated in our own time, as disbelievers sneer at the faithful and mock their beliefs. It is not a new phenomenon, nor should the believers complain about it.

The earlier generations of Islam showed great fortitude and innovative spirit in all fields of life. Their triumphs have produced one of the greatest human civilizations whose influence has reached all corner of the globe.

 The later generations, however have not fulfilled their duty, They have inherited the glory and the wealth but not the talent or the drive of their predecessors. They would not be  able to spread the word of Islam while they fail to adhere to its precepts in their personal as well as communal lives. Today, true and honest believers have to fight on two fronts: a domestic as well as an external front; the one is just as demanding as the other.

Muhammad al-Ghazali , [ 1917- 1996 ]
excerpt from " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "




Reflection and commentary by Shaykh Navaid Aziz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T1vpbBX_Io




Reflection and commentary by Shaykh Nouman Ali Khan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DLuLKIWnyA

" our competition with one another should not be about this duniya...."






" how to be a better person "......Shaykh Hamza Yusoff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uikh-DzNLEc&t=51s





"  baso manatae bodo ning yang kebas pitih raayat dulu...."

.....tuan guru nik aziz