Allah Almighty has warned us from defrauding. So what is it?

حذر الله تعالى من الوقوع في إثم التطفيف. فما هو التطفيف؟

In Islamic law, defrauding (Tatfif) refers to the unjust practice of manipulating weights and measures in trade. It is a form of subtle theft where a person demands extra when buying, but intentionally gives less than the rightful amount when selling.

في الشريعة الإسلامية، يشير التطفيف إلى الممارسة الظالمة المتمثلة في التلاعب بالمكاييل والموازين في التجارة. وهو شكل من أشكال السرقة الخفية حيث يطالب الشخص بالزيادة عند الشراء، ولكنه يعمد إلى إعطاء أقل من المقدار المستحق عند البيع.

Islam strictly forbids deceit in commercial transactions, ensuring absolute fairness and protecting people's wealth from exploitation and dishonest business practices.

يمنع الإسلام منعا باتا الخداع في المعاملات التجارية، مما يضمن العدالة المطلقة ويحمي أموال الناس من الاستغلال والممارسات التجارية غير النزيهة.

The Definition and Historical Warning | التعريف والتحذير التاريخي

1. The Meaning of Defrauding
Defrauding is to decrease the measure or weight of merchandise when one is selling it to others, and to demand an increase in weight when one is the buyer.
1. معنى التطفيف
التطفيف هو النقص في الكيل والميزان لمن كان له المال (عند البيع)، والزيادة فيه لمن كان له الموزون (عند الشراء).

2. The Punishment of the People of Shuaib
Allah avenged the people of Prophet Shuaib, who were notorious for cheating the balance and the scale. When buying, they would take more than what they paid for. Conversely, when selling, they would charge the full price but give a lesser amount. Therefore, they would steal from the seller if they were buying, and steal from the buyer if they were selling.
2. عقوبة قوم شعيب
لقد انتقم الله من قوم شعيب الذين اشتهروا بتطفيف الكيل والميزان، وهو أخذهم السلعة زائدة الوزن، وبيعهم إياها ناقصة الوزن، فكانوا يسرقون من البائع إذا باعهم، ومن المشتري إذا باعوه.

The Quranic Command | الأمر القرآني

(Woe to the defrauders! Those who take full measure when they buy from people, but give less when they measure or weigh for buyers. Do such people not think that they will be resurrected for a tremendous Day the Day all people will stand before the Lord of all worlds?) Surah Al Mutaffifin 83: 1 to 6.
نزل فيهم قول الله تعالى: (وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ ﴿٣﴾ أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ ﴿٤﴾ لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٥﴾ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٦﴾) المطففين 83: 1 إلى 6.

Scholarly Insight: In Islamic Jurisprudence, commercial honesty is a foundational pillar of a moral society. "Tatfif" is an Arabic term that derives from a root word meaning something slight or trivial, indicating that even stealing small, seemingly insignificant amounts through the scale is a major sin. Scholars explain that the essence of Tatfif applies beyond physical scales to any transaction or relationship where a person hypocritically demands their full rights but falls short in giving others their due rights. The severe warning in Surah Al Mutaffifin serves to remind believers that all business dealings are witnessed by Allah and will be judged on the Day of Resurrection.

Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة

What exactly is "Tatfif" in Islamic trade?

Tatfif is a form of cheating where a person demands more than their right when buying goods, but gives the customer less than what they paid for when selling.

Which nation was punished for cheating in weights and measures?

The people of Prophet Shuaib were notorious for defrauding others in trade, stealing from both buyers and sellers, which ultimately brought Allah's severe punishment upon them.

Does defrauding only apply to physical weights and scales?

While it originally refers to physical measuring scales, Islamic scholars explain that the principle applies to any interaction where a person demands their full rights but intentionally gives less to others.

Chapter 4.3 - Morality

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