QURAN AND DEFICIENT MEASUREMENT/WEIGHMENT AND ITS CONSEQUENCES In these Ayats, the conduct of a man/Muslim is described as to how he does not give the full measure and full weight in all fairness against payments received. Curtailment of weight and measure is not approved by Almighty Allah and Allah also says that we do not obligate anyone beyond his capacity and remain just in your promises and also fulfill the covenant of Allah. It would be better for you. Less weighing and less measuring tantamount not to fulfilling your covenants with Allah and you would be asked for such covenants not fulfilled. There are six Surahs in which less weighment or less measuring has been discussed. These are: The translation of Ayat No.152 of SURAH AL-AN’AM (The Cattle) is as under: Do not approach the property of the orphan, except with the best possible conduct, until he reaches maturity. Give full measure and full weight in all fairness – We do not obligate anyone beyond his capacity – and be just when you speak, even though the one (against whom you are speaking) is a relative; and fulfill the covenant of Allah. This is what He has enjoined upon you, so that you may observe the advice. The translation of Ayat Nos.84 & 85 of SURAH HUD (Name of Holy Prophet) is as under: And to Madyan (We sent) their brother, Shu’aib. He said, “O my people, worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. And do not curtail the measure and the weight. I see you quite well off, and I fear for you the punishment of an encircling day. And O my people, perfect the measure and the balance with justice and do not make the people short of their things, and do not go about the earth spreading disorder. The translation of Ayat No.35 of SURAH BANI ISRAIL (Children of Israel) is as under: And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a straight balance. That is fair, and better at the end. The translation of Ayat Nos.181 to 183 of SURAH ASH-SHU’ARA (The Poets) is as under: Give full measure, and do not be among those who bring loss to others. Weigh with an even balance, and do not make people short of their things, and do not spread disorder in the land as mischief-makers. The translation of Ayat Nos.7 to 9 of SURAH AR-RAHMAN (The All-Merciful) is as under: He raised the sky high, and has placed the scale, so that you should not be wrongful in weighing. Observe the correct weight with fairness, and do not make weighing deficient. The translation of Ayat Nos.1 to 5 of SURAH AT-TATFIF (Curtailing the Rights) is as under: Woe to the curtailers who, when they measure something to receive from people, take it in full, and when they measure or weigh something to give it to them, give less than due. Do they not think that they have to be raised up on a Great Day. (Translation by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani) In explanatory notes Mufti Sb. writes that “although the primary sense of this directive seems to be related to buying or selling, its application is much wider; it covers all the obligations one may have towards other people, which must be discharged in all fairness without any omission. This parenthesis indicates that all the obligations mentioned in this verse are to be fulfilled according to one’s best ability. Any addition or omission beyond one’s control is forgiven by Allah. “Scale’ being a symbol of balance, equity and fairness, the verse enjoins balance and justice in all human activities. In the explanatory notes the Mufti Sb. says “Although the direct reference in this verse is to weighing and measuring of commodities, it is in fact a general principle to prohibit having two different standards when behaving with others. The treatment disapproved for one’s own self must not be approved for others. HADITHS Ibne Abbas said that Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) told about doers of measurement and weighing that “You have been made the custodian of such works due to which previous nations were killed.” Ibne Abbas (RA) further said that it does not appear in any nation to have done embezzlement in plundering but Allah pours the dreadfulness of the enemy in their hearts. If any nation is involved in fornication, it faces deaths abundantly. If any nation measures and weighs less, their rizaq is stopped. If any nation does wrong decisions, bloodshed becomes the order of the day for it and that nation which does not fulfill its promises, its enemies overpower it. PROVERBS i) All who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the Lord your God. ii) Honest poverty lives happily, ill-gotten wealth worries. iii) Dishonest scales are abomination to the Lord but just weight is His delight. Measurement and weights are the basic scales on account of which one sells/purchases commodities. Islam says that keep the scales straight. It is an evil for the people when they take from others take full and when they have to give to them they weigh less than due. Islam does not recognize such practices and orders that just and honest weighing/measuring should be done and do not try to harm anyone on account of less measurement or less weight. When you take full amount of any commodity sold by you, it is incumbent upon you to give full measurement or weight of such commodity. Almighty Allah does not approve such bad practices i.e. less measurement or less weighment. To give someone the commodity less than due as contracted with the purchaser/buyer is not approved by Almighty Allah. Allah does not obligate anyone beyond his capacity and be just when you speak, even though the one (against whom you are speaking) is a relative; and fulfill the covenant of Allah. This is what He has enjoined upon you, so that you may observe the advice. Trust upon Allah and He does not burden anyone beyond his capacity and covenants with Allah have very importance and the people have been enjoined upon to fulfill/complete them. “Scale’ is a symbol of balance, equity and fairness. Keep the scale straight. Straight scale denotes that weight has been done correctly/exactly. The ayats enjoin upon the Muslims to keep balance and justice in all human activities. These basically relate to weighing and measuring of commodities, but it also regulates the principle to prohibit having two different standards when behaving with others. Now-a-days duplicity has become a rule of the day. We are maintaining double standards. When we have to take something from people we take in full and when we have to give something we give them less than due. It also amounts dishonesty. In other words, we have changed the values. Likewise, we do not say that we have done dishonesty with someone but we say; look how we have played cleverness with that man. Dishonesty is the cause of all evils. It has ruined us. We should not like for others which we do not like for ourselves. When have to receive commodities, we like that its weight should be full, exact and just, then we should weigh for others with straight scale and do not inflict damage/harm to others while we are weighing for others. The treatment disapproved for one’s own self must not be approved for others. Less weighing and less measuring also results in stoppage of rizaq and also attracts the wrath of Allah. In other words, you are also a culprit of breaking the promise. To fulfill your promises is enjoined upon you by Allah. In less measuring and less weighing you are also not fulfilling your promises. The enemy overpowers the people who do not fulfill their promises. Extracting money through unfair means is not approved by Almighty Allah. It means that honesty is the best policy. Allah says in Surah Rahman that He raised the sky high, and has placed the scale, so that you should not be wrongful in weighing. Observe the correct weight with fairness, and do not make weighing deficient. Correct weight with fairness is approved by Allah and it pleases Him and has warned from weighing deficient. Deficient weighing is a sin which would be taken to task on the Doomsday. I have downloaded the following for the immediate reference of readers: Honesty in financial dealings Islam has stressed and asserted the importance of honesty in monetary dealings and highlighted its vital role in social stability and peacefulness. The Holy Qur’an and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) have made it clear to us that the true Muslim is he who is honest and upright in his business and monetary dealing with others, even if they weren’t Muslims. Also the true Muslim should keep his word and fulfill his promises, shun fraud and avoid deceit and perfidy, encroach not upon the rights of others, nor take part in wrongful litigation. Also a good Muslim does not give false testimony, and abstains from making unlawful money as from usury and graft. According to Islam whoever is not free from these vices is not a true believer but a renegade and a worthless transgressor. And the Qur’an is rich with verses that confirms all this. Allah says in the Qur’an: Oh ye who believe! Eat not up each others property by unfair and dishonest means. Qur’an (4:29) Allah forbids all unclean and corrupt means of making money, such as, dishonest trading, gambling, and bribery. And the Holy Qur’an has explained and described such practices in many of its verses. In this verse, for instance, Allah warns those traders who cheat in weighing, he says: 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 when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds. Qur’an (133: 1-6) Another example is given in the coming verse, where Allah urges Muslims to be very particular about their trusts and about other peoples rights. Allah does command you to render back your trust, to those to whom they are due. Qur’an(4:58) At two places in the Qur’an a chief distinguishing feature of Muslims is said to be that they are: Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants. Qur’an (24:8) Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has stressed the importance of honesty in most of his sermons, saying: Remember, there is no faith in him who is not trustworthy; there is no place for him in religion who cares not for his pledged word or promise. He (PBUH) also said: “The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he is false, when he promises, he fails; and when he is trusted, he plays false. Condemning those who cheat in business Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has said: He who cheats is not of us. Deceitfulness and fraud are things that lead one to Hell. Once Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) came upon a heap of corn in the market of Madinah and thrust his hand onto it. His fingers felt damp. On being asked, the trader replied that rain had fallen upon it. The Prophet (PBUH) observed, Why did you not then keep (the wet portion of) it above the dry corn, so that men may see it? He who deceives, is not one of us. Thus traders who deceive by showing to customers a false sample or by concealing from them the defects of the product they’re selling are not true Muslims in the judgment of Allah Prophet (PBUH) and, they are going to end up in hell. Another example: Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: The seller must explain to the buyer the defects, if any, in the quality of the article offered for sale. Should this not be done, the seller will permanently be caught in the Wrath of Allah (according to another narrator the exact words, ‘he will always be cursed by the angels). In short, all manner of deceit and dishonesty in business is prohibited in Islam. It has been proclaimed to be an act worthy of unqualified condemnation. The Holy Prophet has expressed his strong dislike for those who do so. He has said he will have nothing to do with them; they do not belong to him. Likewise, bribery and usury, although might be practiced by mutual consent and agreement, are totally prohibited and forbidden and those who are guilty of them have been condemned by Allah and His Prophet (PBUH). Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: The curse of Allah rests on him who offers loan on usurious terms, and on him who receives, and on those who are witnesses to the transaction, and on the writer who writes the deed thereof. As for bribery, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) according has condemned alike the giver of bribes, and the taker of bribes in deciding cases. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: If a person made a recommendation for anyone in a just manner and gratified party gave him something as a gift (in return for it) and he accepted it, then he committed a grave error (meaning that it, too, is a form of bribery). Usurpation of anothers property by force or fraud or dishonest litigation is even worse. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) made this clear, as he says: Whoever occupies land belonging to another unjustly will be sunk into the ground along with the plot of land on the Doomsday till he reaches the lowest layer of the earth. He who acquires the property of a Muslim unjustly by taking a false oath (before an Officer) is debarred by Allah from entering Paradise and the Fire of Hell is made inevitable for him. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) again, is reported to have warned a person who was very fond of entering into litigation with others in these strong words: ”Remember, he who will obtain the property of another by swearing a false oath will appear as a leper before Allah (on the Day of Judgment).” And, again he (PBUH) said: “Whoever laid a claim on a thing that was not his is not of us.”
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 06:42:47 +0000
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