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Surah 83 · Makkah · 36 āyāt
Phase 04 · Ṭāʾif, al-Isrāʾ and the final Makkan years(c. 5–1 BH) — view in timelineAl-MuṭaffifīnThose Who Give Less
المطففين
Opens with a severe warning (waylun) against those who cheat in measure and weight — taking full when they receive, giving short when they give. This everyday commercial sin becomes the doorway to the surah's central contrast: the record of the wicked (fujjār) is in sijjīn, a register sealed with rejection, while the record of the righteous (abrār) is in ʿilliyyīn, witnessed by those brought near to Allah. The surah closes with a vivid scene of the disbelievers who used to mock and wink at the believers in this world, and how on the Day of Judgement the roles reverse: the believers will laugh at the disbelievers from thrones, watching them, and it will be said, 'Are the disbelievers rewarded for what they used to do?'
Why it was revealed
Ibn ʿAbbās and others report that the people of Madinah were among the worst in cheating with measures and scales; when the Prophet ﷺ arrived, this surah was revealed, after which they became known for fair dealing. Whether the precise setting is Makkan or the earliest Madinan revelation, its subject — commercial fraud as a symptom of disbelief in the Hereafter — reflects a widespread pre-Islamic practice the Qur'an targeted directly.
Drawn fromIbn Mājah 2223; Ibn Mājah 2223 (Ibn ʿAbbās); Ibn Kathīr on 83:1–3; Ibn Kathīr on 83:29–36; Ibn Kathīr, introduction to Sūrat al-Muṭaffifīn
Ibn Mājah narrates from Ibn ʿAbbās: 'When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, they were among the worst people on measure; so Allah sent down "Woe to al-muṭaffifīn" and they gave good measure after that.' Ibn Kathīr cites this report while noting the surah's style is consistent with Makkan revelation, and some scholars hold it to be the last Makkan surah rather than the first Madinan one.
Cited toIbn Mājah 2223; Ibn Kathīr, introduction to Sūrat al-Muṭaffifīn
In the Prophet's ﷺ life
Widespread fraud in measure and weight before Islam
Merchants routinely demanded full measure when buying and gave short measure when selling, a common injustice the surah confronts by its very name.
Recalled in āyah 1, 2, 3
وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
Woe to those who give less [than due],
الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ
Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full.
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 83:1–3
- Madd — 2 vowels
- Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
- Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
- Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
- Ghunnah — 2 vowels
- Qalqalah
- Ikhfāʾ
- Ikhfāʾ shafawī
- Idghām shafawī
- Idghām with ghunnah
- Idghām without ghunnah
- Idghām mutajānisayn
- Idghām mutaqāribayn
- Iqlāb
- Hamzat al-waṣl
- Lām shamsiyyah
- Silent letter
Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).
Woe to those who give less
Woe to al-muṭaffifīn — those who, when they take a measure from people, demand full measure, but when they give by measure or weight to others, they give less. Do they not think that they will be resurrected for a tremendous Day, the Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:4–6; Ibn Kathīr on 83:1–3
وَيْلٌ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
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Woe to those who give less [than due],
الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُوا عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ
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Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full.
وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
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But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُولَـٰئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ
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Do they not think that they will be resurrected
لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
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For a tremendous Day —
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ النَّاسُ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
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The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?
From the tafsīr
Taṭfīf denotes cheating in even small amounts of measure or weight; the severity of the warning (waylun, a word denoting a valley in Hell in some reports) applied to what may seem a minor commercial dishonesty shows how seriously the Qur'an treats hidden injustice in transactions.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 83:1–3
The rhetorical question 'do they not think they will be resurrected' ties dishonesty directly to weak or absent belief in the Hereafter — one who is fully certain of standing before Allah does not cheat even in small measures.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 83:4–6
Key takeaways
- Cheating in small, seemingly minor transactions is condemned with one of the Qur'an's strongest warnings.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:4–6; Ibn Kathīr on 83:1–3
- Double standards — demanding full for oneself while shortchanging others — reveal a deeper spiritual corruption.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:4–6; Ibn Kathīr on 83:1–3
- Belief in the Day of Standing before the Lord of the worlds is what should govern everyday commercial honesty.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:4–6; Ibn Kathīr on 83:1–3
Reflect
Where in your dealings — money, time, effort — do you quietly apply a double standard favouring yourself?
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Question 1 of 2
What does al-Saʿdī link the practice of cheating in measure to?
Question 2 of 2
What does 'taṭfīf' specifically refer to in āyāt 1–3?
The record of the wicked is in Sijjīn
No! Indeed the record of the wicked is in Sijjīn — a written, inscribed register. Woe that Day to the deniers who deny the Day of Recompense, denied by none except every sinful transgressor who, when Our verses are recited to him, says 'legends of the former peoples.' No! Rather, their hearts have been covered by that which they used to earn (rān). No! Indeed they will be veiled from their Lord that Day, then will surely enter to burn in Hellfire, then it will be said: 'This is what you used to deny.'
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:15; Ibn Kathīr on 83:14; Ibn Kathīr on 83:7–9
كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْفُجَّارِ لَفِي سِجِّينٍ
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No! Indeed, the record of the wicked is in sijjīn.
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سِجِّينٌ
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And what can make you know what is sijjīn?
كِتَابٌ مَّرْقُومٌ
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It is a written record.
وَيْلٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
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Woe that Day to the deniers,
الَّذِينَ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ
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Who deny the Day of Recompense.
وَمَا يُكَذِّبُ بِهِ إِلَّا كُلُّ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
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And none deny it except every sinful transgressor.
إِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ
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When Our verses are recited to him, he says, 'Legends of the former peoples.'
كَلَّا ۖ بَلْ ۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِم مَّا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
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No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.
كَلَّا إِنَّهُمْ عَن رَّبِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ لَّمَحْجُوبُونَ
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No! Indeed, from their Lord, that Day, they will be partitioned.
ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَصَالُو الْجَحِيمِ
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Then indeed, they will [enter and] burn in Hellfire.
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَـٰذَا الَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِ تُكَذِّبُونَ
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Then it will be said, 'This is what you used to deny.'
From the tafsīr
Sijjīn is understood as a narrow, confining place beneath the earth's lowest depths where the records of the wicked and disbelieving jinn and men are kept, in contrast to ʿIlliyyīn which is elevated and honoured.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 83:7–9
'Rān ʿalā qulūbihim' — a rust or covering formed over their hearts — is explained via the Prophetic ḥadīth that every sin leaves a black mark on the heart; if one persists and does not repent, the marks multiply until the heart is entirely covered, described in the Qur'an as this 'rayn'.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 83:14
Being 'veiled from their Lord' (maḥjūbūn) on that Day is understood by the majority of scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah as a proof that the believers, by contrast, will see their Lord, since the veiling is stated specifically as a punishment distinguishing the wicked.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 83:15
Key takeaways
- Sijjīn is a real, specific register for the deeds of the wicked, located in a confined, lowly place.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:15; Ibn Kathīr on 83:14; Ibn Kathīr on 83:7–9
- Persistent sin accumulates as a covering (rān) over the heart until it can no longer perceive truth.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:15; Ibn Kathīr on 83:14; Ibn Kathīr on 83:7–9
- The veiling of the wicked from seeing their Lord is used by scholars as evidence that the righteous will see Him.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:15; Ibn Kathīr on 83:14; Ibn Kathīr on 83:7–9
- Denial of the Qur'an as 'legends of former peoples' is tied to habitual sin (iʿtidāʾ and ithm), not intellectual honesty.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:15; Ibn Kathīr on 83:14; Ibn Kathīr on 83:7–9
Reflect
What small sin have you stopped feeling bad about — could that be the beginning of 'rayn' on your heart?
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Question 1 of 2
What does the ḥadīth referenced by Ibn Kathīr say happens to the heart with persistent sin?
Question 2 of 2
What do scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah infer from the wicked being 'veiled from their Lord' (āyah 15)?
The record of the righteous is in ʿIlliyyīn
No! Indeed the record of the righteous is in ʿIlliyyīn — a written, inscribed register, witnessed by those brought near [to Allah]. Indeed the righteous will be in pleasure, on adorned couches, observing; you will recognize in their faces the radiance of pleasure. They will be given to drink a pure sealed wine, whose seal is musk — and for that let the competitors compete — mixed with Tasnīm, a spring from which those brought near drink.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:26; Ibn Kathīr on 83:18–21; Ibn Kathīr on 83:27–28
كَلَّا إِنَّ كِتَابَ الْأَبْرَارِ لَفِي عِلِّيِّينَ
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No! Indeed, the record of the righteous is in ʿIlliyyīn.
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا عِلِّيُّونَ
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And what can make you know what is ʿIlliyyūn?
كِتَابٌ مَّرْقُومٌ
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It is a written record
يَشْهَدُهُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ
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Witnessed by those brought near [to Allāh].
إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ
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Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure.
عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ
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On adorned couches, observing.
تَعْرِفُ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ نَضْرَةَ النَّعِيمِ
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You will recognize in their faces the radiance of pleasure.
يُسْقَوْنَ مِن رَّحِيقٍ مَّخْتُومٍ
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They will be given to drink [pure] wine [which was] sealed.
خِتَامُهُ مِسْكٌ ۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ
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The last of it is musk. So for this let the competitors compete.
وَمِزَاجُهُ مِن تَسْنِيمٍ
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And its mixture is of Tasnīm,
عَيْنًا يَشْرَبُ بِهَا الْمُقَرَّبُونَ
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A spring from which those near [to Allāh] drink.
From the tafsīr
ʿIlliyyīn, from ʿuluww (loftiness), is described as located in the highest heavens, its register witnessed by the angels brought near to Allah, in direct contrast to the lowly confinement of Sijjīn.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 83:18–21
'And for that let the competitors compete' redirects worldly competitive drive (which normally chases wealth, status, and pleasure) toward its only worthy object: the eternal bliss of Paradise, achieved through righteous deeds in this life.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī on 83:26
Tasnīm is described as the loftiest and finest drink of Paradise, reserved undiluted for those brought nearest to Allah (al-muqarrabūn), while others receive it mixed into their drink — showing gradation of reward according to rank.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 83:27–28
Key takeaways
- ʿIlliyyīn, the register of the righteous, is as elevated and honoured as Sijjīn is confined and lowly.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:26; Ibn Kathīr on 83:18–21; Ibn Kathīr on 83:27–28
- The joy of the people of Paradise is visible on their very faces — outward radiance reflecting inward bliss.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:26; Ibn Kathīr on 83:18–21; Ibn Kathīr on 83:27–28
- The Qur'an redirects competitive human ambition toward the pursuit of eternal reward rather than transient worldly gain.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:26; Ibn Kathīr on 83:18–21; Ibn Kathīr on 83:27–28
- Reward in Paradise is graded — Tasnīm undiluted for the muqarrabūn, mixed for others — mirroring differing ranks of righteousness.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī on 83:26; Ibn Kathīr on 83:18–21; Ibn Kathīr on 83:27–28
Reflect
What are you currently competing for that is worth less than what āyah 26 calls you to compete for?
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Question 1 of 2
What does 'ʿIlliyyīn' signify, in contrast to Sijjīn?
Question 2 of 2
According to al-Saʿdī, what should āyah 26 redirect people's competitive drive toward?
Today the believers laugh at the disbelievers
Indeed, the criminals used to laugh at those who believed, and when they passed by them, they would exchange winks, and when they returned to their people, they would return jesting, and when they saw the believers, they said, 'Indeed, these are truly lost' — though they were not sent as guardians over them. So today those who believed will laugh at the disbelievers, on adorned couches, observing. Are the disbelievers [not] rewarded for what they used to do?
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:34–36; Ibn Kathīr on 83:29–32
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا كَانُوا مِنَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يَضْحَكُونَ
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Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed.
وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِهِمْ يَتَغَامَزُونَ
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And when they passed by them, they would exchange derisive glances.
وَإِذَا انقَلَبُوا إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمُ انقَلَبُوا فَكِهِينَ
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And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting.
وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّ هَـٰؤُلَاءِ لَضَالُّونَ
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And when they saw them, they would say, 'Indeed, these are truly lost.'
وَمَا أُرْسِلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ حَافِظِينَ
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But they had not been sent as guardians over them.
فَالْيَوْمَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنَ الْكُفَّارِ يَضْحَكُونَ
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So today those who believed will laugh at the disbelievers,
عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ يَنظُرُونَ
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On adorned couches, observing.
هَلْ ثُوِّبَ الْكُفَّارُ مَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ
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Are the disbelievers [not] rewarded [in this way] for what they used to do?
From the tafsīr
The scene describes the specific mockery the early Makkan believers endured from the Quraysh elite — ridicule, mutual winking behind their backs, and dismissing them as fools — despite the mockers having no religious authority or right to judge them so.
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 83:29–32
The exact reversal — 'so today those who believed will laugh at the disbelievers' — mirrors the earlier verbs used for the mockers, a precise literary retribution (mujāzāh min jins al-ʿamal) in which the punishment matches the form of the original sin.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī on 83:34–36
Key takeaways
- Mocking believers for their faith has ancient precedent and is answered by the Qur'an with a promised reversal.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:34–36; Ibn Kathīr on 83:29–32
- The mockers had no religious authority to judge the believers as 'lost'; their scorn was baseless arrogance.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:34–36; Ibn Kathīr on 83:29–32
- Divine justice often takes the precise form of the original wrong — 'a punishment of the same kind as the deed.'
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:34–36; Ibn Kathīr on 83:29–32
- The final rhetorical question closes the surah by affirming that requital exactly fits what was earned.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī on 83:34–36; Ibn Kathīr on 83:29–32
Reflect
Have you ever mocked someone's sincere faith or practice — and how would this surah reframe that memory?
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Question 1 of 2
What literary device does al-Qurṭubī highlight in āyāt 34–36?
Question 2 of 2
What does Ibn Kathīr note about the mockers' claim that the believers were 'truly lost'?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ط ف ف
āyāt 1to give short measure, skim off
- لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَthose who give less measure
- تَطْفِيفshortchanging
و ف ي
āyāt 2to fulfil, give in full
- يَسْتَوْفُونَthey take fully
- وَفَاءfulfilment
خ س ر
āyāt 3to lose, cause loss
- يُخْسِرُونَthey cause loss
- خُسْرَانloss
س ج ن
āyāt 7, 8to imprison, confine
- سِجِّينٍSijjīn
- سِجْنprison
ر ي ن
āyāt 14to rust over, cover, stain
- رَانَcovered/rusted over
- رَيْنrust, stain
ح ج ب
āyāt 15to veil, partition
- لَّمَحْجُوبُونَsurely veiled
- حِجَابveil, barrier
ع ل و
āyāt 18, 19to be high, elevated
- عِلِّيِّينَʿIlliyyīn
- عُلُوّloftiness
ق ر ب
āyāt 21, 28to be near, close
- الْمُقَرَّبُونَthose brought near
- قُرْبnearness
خ ت م
āyāt 25to seal, conclude
- مَّخْتُومٍsealed
- خَاتَمseal, ring
ن ف س
āyāt 26to compete eagerly, be precious
- فَلْيَتَنَافَسِlet them compete
- نَفِيسprecious
ض ح ك
āyāt 29, 34to laugh
- يَضْحَكُونَthey laugh
- ضِحْكlaughter
ث و ب
āyāt 36to reward, requite, return
- ثُوِّبَwas rewarded
- ثَوَابreward
Carry this with you
- Cheating in measure and weight, though seemingly minor, is condemned with one of the Qur'an's strongest warnings.
- The record of the wicked (Sijjīn) is confined and lowly; the record of the righteous (ʿIlliyyīn) is elevated and witnessed by those brought near to Allah.
- Persistent sin accumulates as a covering (rayn) over the heart, eventually blocking perception of truth.
- The veiling of the wicked from seeing their Lord implies, by contrast, that the righteous will see Him.
- Mockery of sincere believers is answered with a promised reversal on the Day of Judgement.
- Human competitive drive is redirected by the Qur'an toward pursuing eternal reward rather than transient worldly gain.
Where this surah connects
Cross-surah threads
Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.
All threads →Sources behind Sūrah Al-Muṭaffifīn
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Al-Muṭaffifīn — full exam
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8 questions across 4 themes.
Al-Muṭaffifīn · The record of the righteous is in ʿIlliyyīn
According to al-Saʿdī, what should āyah 26 redirect people's competitive drive toward?
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