Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (Woe to those who give less)
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Exegesis of His saying, the Exalted: (Woe to those who give less)
Indeed, Allah began this surah with the word (Woe), and (Woe) is repeated frequently in the Qur'an,And the most correct view is: It is a word of warning with which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, threatens those who oppose His command or commit what He has forbidden, in the manner specified in the clause that follows it,Here Allah Mighty and Majestic says: [Al-Mutaffifin: 1] So who are these mutaffifin (those who give less)? The mutaffifin are explained by the verse that follows,So Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Mutaffifin: 2-3] (When they take a measure from people) meaning: when they buy from them what is measured, they take their full right without any reduction, (and when they measure or weigh for them) meaning: when they measure for them,Meaning: when they sell food by measure, if they measure for people or sell to them by weight, (they give less) meaning: they reduce it. So these people, may Allah protect us from them, take their full right and reduce the right of others, thus combining both matters: stinginess and miserliness; stinginess in demanding their full right without consideration or leniency, and miserliness in withholding what is obligatory upon them regarding completing the weight and measure.
And this which Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mentioned regarding measuring and weighing is, in reality, an example. Everything similar to it is judged by analogy: whoever demands his full right from one who owes it to him, and withholds the right that is due to that person, falls under this noble verse.
For example: The husband wants his wife to give him his full right and not be lenient in any of his rights, but when it comes to fulfilling her right, he is lenient and does not give her what is hers. How many women complain about this type of husband, may Allah protect us from them! For many husbands want their wives to fulfill his right completely, but he does not give her her full right, and perhaps he reduces most of her rights: financial maintenance, good treatment, and so on.
And it is strange, O brothers! that this happens frequently among people who appear to be committed to religion, to the extent that some women indicate that they did not choose this husband except for his good reputation and commitment. Yet he turns out to be in a worse state regarding his wife than the people of open sinfulness! So I do not know about these people who appear to be committed! Do they think that commitment is only for a person to worship Allah and neglect the rights of people? Oppressing people is more severe than a person oppressing himself by transgressing against the right of Allah; for a person's oppression of himself regarding the right of Allah is subject to Allah's will; if it is less than shirk (associating partners with Allah), He may forgive it if He wills, or He may punish him for it if He wills. But the rights of human beings are not subject to will; they must be fulfilled.For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Do you know who the bankrupt is?They said: The bankrupt among us is the one who has no dirham and no property! He said: The bankrupt is the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with many good deeds, having wronged this one, insulted this one, beaten this one, and taken the money of this one. So this one takes from his good deeds, and this one from his good deeds, and this one from his good deeds. If anything remains of his good deeds, otherwise, their bad deeds are taken and placed upon him, and then he is thrown into the Fire).
So my advice to these brothers who neglect the rights of their wives, whether they are among the committed or not, is to fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised regarding this in the greatest gathering witnessed by the Islamic world during the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), on the Day of 'Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage,He said: (Fear Allah regarding women, for you have taken them in trust from Allah, and you have made their private parts lawful by the word of Allah), so we were commanded to fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, regarding women,And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Treat women with kindness, for they are in a state of captivity with you) meaning: they are in the position of captives; because a captive may be released by the one who captured him or kept, and the woman is with her husband in the same way; if he wishes, he divorces her, and if he wishes, he keeps her. So she is in the position of a captive with him, so let him fear Allah regarding her! Likewise, we find some people wanting their children to fulfill his rights completely, but he is negligent in their rights. He wants his children to be dutiful to him and fulfill his rights; to be dutiful to him with wealth and body and in everything that constitutes dutifulness, but he is neglecting these children, not fulfilling what is obligatory upon him toward them.
We say: This is a mutaffif (one who gives less) as we said in the first issue;The issue of the husband with his wife: if he wants her to fulfill his right completely and shortchanges her of her right, we say: he is a mutaffif. And this father, if he wants his children to be fully dutiful to him while he is short in their rights,So we say: he is a mutaffif, and we say to him: Remember the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Mutaffifin: 1-3].
Indeed, Allah began this surah with the word (Woe), and (Woe) is repeated frequently in the Qur'an,And the most correct view is: It is a word of warning with which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, threatens those who oppose His command or commit what He has forbidden, in the manner specified in the clause that follows it,Here Allah Mighty and Majestic says:
Woe to those who give less
وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ(2) Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. (3) But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.
الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ * وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَAnd this which Allah, Mighty and Majestic, mentioned regarding measuring and weighing is, in reality, an example. Everything similar to it is judged by analogy: whoever demands his full right from one who owes it to him, and withholds the right that is due to that person, falls under this noble verse.
For example: The husband wants his wife to give him his full right and not be lenient in any of his rights, but when it comes to fulfilling her right, he is lenient and does not give her what is hers. How many women complain about this type of husband, may Allah protect us from them! For many husbands want their wives to fulfill his right completely, but he does not give her her full right, and perhaps he reduces most of her rights: financial maintenance, good treatment, and so on.
And it is strange, O brothers! that this happens frequently among people who appear to be committed to religion, to the extent that some women indicate that they did not choose this husband except for his good reputation and commitment. Yet he turns out to be in a worse state regarding his wife than the people of open sinfulness! So I do not know about these people who appear to be committed! Do they think that commitment is only for a person to worship Allah and neglect the rights of people? Oppressing people is more severe than a person oppressing himself by transgressing against the right of Allah; for a person's oppression of himself regarding the right of Allah is subject to Allah's will; if it is less than shirk (associating partners with Allah), He may forgive it if He wills, or He may punish him for it if He wills. But the rights of human beings are not subject to will; they must be fulfilled.For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Do you know who the bankrupt is?They said: The bankrupt among us is the one who has no dirham and no property! He said: The bankrupt is the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with many good deeds, having wronged this one, insulted this one, beaten this one, and taken the money of this one. So this one takes from his good deeds, and this one from his good deeds, and this one from his good deeds. If anything remains of his good deeds, otherwise, their bad deeds are taken and placed upon him, and then he is thrown into the Fire).
So my advice to these brothers who neglect the rights of their wives, whether they are among the committed or not, is to fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised regarding this in the greatest gathering witnessed by the Islamic world during the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), on the Day of 'Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage,He said: (Fear Allah regarding women, for you have taken them in trust from Allah, and you have made their private parts lawful by the word of Allah), so we were commanded to fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, regarding women,And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Treat women with kindness, for they are in a state of captivity with you) meaning: they are in the position of captives; because a captive may be released by the one who captured him or kept, and the woman is with her husband in the same way; if he wishes, he divorces her, and if he wishes, he keeps her. So she is in the position of a captive with him, so let him fear Allah regarding her! Likewise, we find some people wanting their children to fulfill his rights completely, but he is negligent in their rights. He wants his children to be dutiful to him and fulfill his rights; to be dutiful to him with wealth and body and in everything that constitutes dutifulness, but he is neglecting these children, not fulfilling what is obligatory upon him toward them.
We say: This is a mutaffif (one who gives less) as we said in the first issue;The issue of the husband with his wife: if he wants her to fulfill his right completely and shortchanges her of her right, we say: he is a mutaffif. And this father, if he wants his children to be fully dutiful to him while he is short in their rights,So we say: he is a mutaffif, and we say to him: Remember the saying of Allah the Exalted: