What does the act of defrauding apply to?
هل ينطبق التطفيف على غير الكيل والميزان؟
Islam teaches that integrity is indivisible. A person who is dishonest in giving Allah His due rights in worship is just as guilty of defrauding as the one who cheats people in business or slacks off at work.
يعلمنا الإسلام أن النزاهة لا تتجزأ. فالشخص الذي يقصر في إعطاء الله حقه في العبادة مذنب بالتطفيف تماما كالذي يغش الناس في التجارة أو يقصر في عمله.
Defrauding in Professional Life and Business | التطفيف في العمل والتجارة
1. Business Transactions and Specifications
Defrauding happens at work, in businesses, and in trades. You may find that someone gets paid for merchandise, but he does not supply the full quantity or the exact specification required and paid for by the customer. (And do not defraud people of their property) Ash Shuara 26: 183.
1. المعاملات التجارية والمواصفات
من صور التطفيف ما يقع في العمل والمهن والحرف التجارية، فالكسب يشمل نقصان الكمية، ونقص المواصفات المطلوبة في كيفية السلعة والخدمات. قال الله تعالى: (وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ) الشعراء 26: 183.
2. Salaries and Work Effort
When someone gets paid a salary and does not put in the hours he gets paid for, this becomes the most common case of defrauding. This occurs when someone takes his full right as a salary and then fails to give the full required effort in return. This deprives the customers or citizens of their rights, such as delaying the service they paid for without a valid reason.
2. الرواتب والجهد الوظيفي
التقصير في العمل من أكثر الأشكال رواجا، ومن صور التطفيف هو أن يأخذ الإنسان حقه كاملا في الراتب ثم ينقص حقوق المواطنين إذا راجعوه ويؤخرهم لغير سبب.
Defrauding in Acts of Worship | التطفيف في العبادات
1. Defrauding in Prayers
Defrauding applies to everything, including acts of worship. In prayers, it occurs when someone performs only the bare minimum of what Allah has ordained. A person defrauds by not taking his time to properly complete the kneeling (Ruku) or prostrating (Sujood). For such a person, his act of worship is not rewarded, as the Prophet pbuh said to the one who did not pray perfectly: "Go back and pray, for you have not prayed."
1. التطفيف في الصلاة
التطفيف يكون في كل شيء، فنجد السرقة في الصلاة بأن يأتي بأدنى مما أوجب الله، كأن لا يقيم الركوع ولا السجود ولا يطمئن فيها، فمثل هذا لا حظ له في تلك العبادة كما قال النبي ﷺ للمسيء في صلاته: "ارجع فصل فإنك لم تصل".
2. Defrauding in Ablution and Other Deeds
It also happens in ablution when a person does not wash his body parts well or does not wet all the required areas. The Prophet pbuh said: "Woe to the heels from fire" because he saw a man who washed his leg but left a dry spot the size of a dirham that was not wet by water. Similarly, this concept of defrauding extends to fasting, Zakat, Hajj, and all other deeds.
2. التطفيف في الوضوء وسائر الأعمال
كما يكون في الوضوء بأن لا يحسن غسل أعضائه أو لا يستوعب جميع العضو المغسول، كما في قوله ﷺ: "ويل للأعقاب من النار" لأنه رأى رجلا لم يغسل رجله وترك كقدر الدرهم لم يصبه الماء. وهكذا في الصيام والزكاة والحج وسائر الأعمال.
Scholarly Insight: Classical Islamic scholars profoundly expanded the understanding of this concept. They stated: "Defrauding happens in weighing, ablution, and prayer, and the worst people are those who steal from their prayers." Furthermore, a scholar from the generation of the Tabiun noted: "One's prayer is measured, so he who has given its full right, has done so for himself, and he who has defrauded then you know what Allah Almighty says." He meant the verse: "Woe to the worshippers who are heedless in their prayers."
قال بعض العلماء: التطفيف في الكيل والوزن والوضوء والصلاة، وأسوأ الناس سرقة من يسرق في صلاته. وعن بعض علماء التابعين أنه قال: الصلاة بمكيال فمن أوفى أوفي له، ومن طفف فقد علمتم ما قال الله عز وجل. ويعني بذلك قول الله تعالى: (فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَن صَلَاتِهِمْ سَاهُونَ).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Can an employee be guilty of defrauding at work?
Yes. If an employee demands their full salary but intentionally slacks off, works fewer hours, or delays providing services to people without a valid reason, they are committing a form of professional defrauding.
How does a person defraud in their prayer?
A person defrauds in prayer by rushing through it, failing to properly complete the bowing and prostration, and not finding tranquility in the movements, which essentially robs the prayer of its validity and reward.
What did the Prophet say about improper ablution?
The Prophet pbuh warned "Woe to the heels from fire" when he saw someone leaving a small dry spot on their foot, indicating that failing to wash the required parts completely is a form of defrauding in worship.