Ma'arif al-Qur'an · Tafsir · in English
Ash-Shu'ara 26:182–188
26:182Page 374
وَزِنُواْ بِٱلۡقِسۡطَاسِ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمِ ١٨٢
And weigh with an even [i.e., honest] balance.
Commentary
وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ
And weigh with an even balance. - 26:182
Some scholars have held the word Quistas as a Roman word, which means justice, while others have taken it as an Arabic word, derived from Qist, which is also used for justice. It means to make use of the scale and other measuring tools in a straight and correct manner, where there is no possibility of weighing less.
26:183–188Page 374
وَلَا تَبۡخَسُواْ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشۡيَآءَهُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡثَوۡاْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُفۡسِدِينَ ١٨٣
And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption.
وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُمۡ وَٱلۡجِبِلَّةَ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٨٤
And fear He who created you and the former creation."1
قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسَحَّرِينَ ١٨٥
They said, "You are only of those affected by magic.
وَمَآ أَنتَ إِلَّا بَشَرٞ مِّثۡلُنَا وَإِن نَّظُنُّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡكَٰذِبِينَ ١٨٦
You are but a man like ourselves, and indeed, we think you are among the liars.
فَأَسۡقِطۡ عَلَيۡنَا كِسَفٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ ١٨٧
So cause to fall upon us fragments of the sky, if you should be of the truthful."
قَالَ رَبِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ١٨٨
He said, "My Lord is most knowing of what you do."
وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ
And do not make people short of their things - 26:183
What it means is that it is unlawful to reduce any quantity or amount from that which has been contracted with anyone, whether it is a measurable thing or otherwise. Therefore, if a servant or a laborer does not work his full time at his workplace, he too is included in this warning. Imam Malik (رح) has reported a narration in his Muwatta' that Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ noticed that someone did not join in the ` Asr prayer. So, he enquired about the reason for that, to which he offered some excuse. Then Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ said, طَفَّفتَ ` You have reduced in measuring'. As prayer is not something to be measured, hence after quoting this hadith Imam Malik (رح) has said that this command is not restricted to measurable things. Rather, performing any obligation less than due is included in prohibition highlighted in this verse and in Surah "At-tatfif 84".
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences