The Meaning of the Saying of Allah the Exalted: "Woe to those who give less [than is due]! Those who, when they take a measure from people, take it in full. But when they give them a measure or a weight, they give less."
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : The word "Woe" is a word of warning with which people are threatened. The *mutaffifun* (those who give less) are those whom Allah the Exalted has distinguished in His saying: [Al-Mutaffifin 83:2-3] And this is an interpretation of the Qur'an by what?
The student: By the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : By the Qur'an, interpreting the Qur'an by the Qur'an. The *mutaffifun* are those who, when they take a measure from people, take it in full, meaning they measure for them, : meaning they weigh for them, : meaning they give less. This *mutaffif*, if the right belongs to him, he takes it in full, and if the right is upon him, he gives less. So let us look: is this specific to what is measured and weighed? Or is this by way of example, and does it include all [rights], with the ruling being general for all rights? Answer.
The student: General.
The Shaykh : The first or the second?
The student: The second.
The Shaykh : The second. The ruling is general for all rights, but Allah the Exalted mentioned measuring and weighing by way of example.
For example, if an employee comes to the cashier and his salary is ten thousand riyals, and he gives him ten thousand riyals minus one riyal, minus one riyal from ten thousand, what does the employee say to the cashier? What does he say?
The student: ... One riyal is left.
The Shaykh : He says: One riyal is left, give it to me. But you find this employee coming one hour after the start of work, and leaving one hour before the end of work. Is this one of the *mutaffifun*?
The student: Yes.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No or yes?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is one of the *mutaffifun*. If he takes a measure from people, he takes it in full. If he comes to the cashier, he says, "Give me my full right." But if he wants to perform his job, he does not perform it fully. He is late at the start of work or leaves early at the end of work. Perhaps he comes at the start of work and does not leave until the end of work, but when people come to consult him, he is busy on the phone. "What is the value of that land?" ... "What is the value of that car?" "Today we are short of iron," "Today we are short of cement," "Today the workers did not come." "Man, people are now ... consulting you, saying they are waiting until tomorrow instead of today." Is this considered fulfilling the obligation?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Is this one of the *mutaffifun* or not one of the *mutaffifun*?
The student: Not one of the *mutaffifun*.
The Shaykh : Not one of the *mutaffifun. Look, this man is negligent in the right of the state and encroaches on the right of the people. So he combines negligence and encroachment, may Allah protect us from that. The opposite of that are people who are honest, innocent, and careful to clear their conscience. They come at the start of work and leave at the end of work. They ask: "If I have no work, is it permissible for me to read the Qur'an? I take the mushaf and read. I am sitting in my chair, no one has come to me, and I have no work. Is it permissible for me to read the Qur'an? What do we say to him? No or yes?"
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible because he has not been negligent and has not encroached. Is it permissible for him to pray the two rak'ahs of Duha because no one is there? We say yes, but do not exceed the place of work. Pray in the place of work, in the room where you work, so that if someone comes, you are present. Do not go to the prayer hall to pray there. Pray in your place. So the result is that the criterion for *tutaff* (giving less) is: that a person takes all his rights and gives less of the rights that are upon him. This is the criterion. A man with his wife demands that she fulfill all his rights, while he falls short in her rights. What do we call him? We call him a *mutaffif*. So everyone who demands his right and falls short in the rights of others is a *mutaffif*, and for him is this warning:[Al-Mutaffifin 83:1-3]
(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.
الذين إذا اكتالوا على الناس يستوفون وإذا كالوهم أو وزنوهم يخسرونThe student: By the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : By the Qur'an, interpreting the Qur'an by the Qur'an. The *mutaffifun* are those who, when they take a measure from people, take it in full,
And when they give them a measure
وإذا كالوهمOr a weight
أو وزنوهمthey give less
يخسرونThe student: General.
The Shaykh : The first or the second?
The student: The second.
The Shaykh : The second. The ruling is general for all rights, but Allah the Exalted mentioned measuring and weighing by way of example.
For example, if an employee comes to the cashier and his salary is ten thousand riyals, and he gives him ten thousand riyals minus one riyal, minus one riyal from ten thousand, what does the employee say to the cashier? What does he say?
The student: ... One riyal is left.
The Shaykh : He says: One riyal is left, give it to me. But you find this employee coming one hour after the start of work, and leaving one hour before the end of work. Is this one of the *mutaffifun*?
The student: Yes.
The student: No.
The Shaykh : No or yes?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, he is one of the *mutaffifun*. If he takes a measure from people, he takes it in full. If he comes to the cashier, he says, "Give me my full right." But if he wants to perform his job, he does not perform it fully. He is late at the start of work or leaves early at the end of work. Perhaps he comes at the start of work and does not leave until the end of work, but when people come to consult him, he is busy on the phone. "What is the value of that land?" ... "What is the value of that car?" "Today we are short of iron," "Today we are short of cement," "Today the workers did not come." "Man, people are now ... consulting you, saying they are waiting until tomorrow instead of today." Is this considered fulfilling the obligation?
The student: No.
The Shaykh : Is this one of the *mutaffifun* or not one of the *mutaffifun*?
The student: Not one of the *mutaffifun*.
The Shaykh : Not one of the *mutaffifun. Look, this man is negligent in the right of the state and encroaches on the right of the people. So he combines negligence and encroachment, may Allah protect us from that. The opposite of that are people who are honest, innocent, and careful to clear their conscience. They come at the start of work and leave at the end of work. They ask: "If I have no work, is it permissible for me to read the Qur'an? I take the mushaf and read. I am sitting in my chair, no one has come to me, and I have no work. Is it permissible for me to read the Qur'an? What do we say to him? No or yes?"
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Yes, it is permissible because he has not been negligent and has not encroached. Is it permissible for him to pray the two rak'ahs of Duha because no one is there? We say yes, but do not exceed the place of work. Pray in the place of work, in the room where you work, so that if someone comes, you are present. Do not go to the prayer hall to pray there. Pray in your place. So the result is that the criterion for *tutaff* (giving less) is: that a person takes all his rights and gives less of the rights that are upon him. This is the criterion. A man with his wife demands that she fulfill all his rights, while he falls short in her rights. What do we call him? We call him a *mutaffif*. So everyone who demands his right and falls short in the rights of others is a *mutaffif*, and for him is this warning: