Wednesday 10 August 2016

WEIGHING LESS AND MEASURING SHORT

Translation of Surah Hud:85-86

"And O my people, perfect the measure and the balance with justice and do not make the people short of their things, and do not go about the earth spreading disorder. Whatever is left (with you) by Allah is better for you, if you are believers."

Whenever the Quran talks about historical events where whole communities were destroyed it always says that it was due to their Kufr (non-believing) and Shirk (believing that someone else shared Allah's greatness and powers), and doesn't mention specific practices and behaviours, with two exceptions. Hazrat Shuaib's (AS) people were one of those two communities, about whom the Quran specifically mentions that they were punished, in addition to their Kufr and Shirk, because of their practice of weighing less and measuring short when selling something.

Hazrat Imam Malik RA has quoted Hazrat Farooq e Azam RAA as saying that this verse applies not just to actually weighing and measuring things when selling something. This verse applies to all those situations when someone does not fulfilled another person's rights due towards him. For example, if an employee in an office does not discharge his duties properly, or an employee or a labourer works for less than the contracted hours for which they are being paid, then they are also 'weighing less and measuring short'.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RA

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