وَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ إِذَا كِلْتُمْ وَزِنُوا۟ بِٱلْقِسْطَاسِ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا 35
Translations
And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with an even [i.e., honest] balance. That is the best [way] and best in result.
Transliteration
Wa awfu al-kayla idha kiltum wa zinuu bil-qistasi al-mustaqeem. Dhalika khayrun wa ahsanu ta'wilan.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands believers to give full measure when measuring goods for others and to use an accurate, straight scale in weighing transactions. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir emphasize this as a command for justice and honesty in commerce, with Al-Qurtubi noting that 'al-qistasi al-mustaqeem' (the straight scale) is a metaphor for precise and fair dealing. The concluding phrase indicates that fulfilling this obligation is both better for one's character and has the most beneficial consequences in this life and the Hereafter.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Isra, a Meccan chapter that addresses fundamental principles of Islamic ethics and social conduct. The command fits within the broader theme of the surah regarding moral obligations and justice. While no specific asbab al-nuzul is traditionally recorded, the context suggests it was revealed to establish principles of commercial and social fairness among the early Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi 3895), reflecting the importance of integrity in dealings. Additionally, 'Whoever cheats us is not of us' (Sahih Muslim 102) directly reinforces the prohibition against dishonest measurement and weight.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches Muslims that honest dealings in commerce are not merely economic practices but essential moral obligations reflecting obedience to Allah. In contemporary life, this principle extends beyond physical markets to all transactions—financial, professional, and interpersonal—reminding believers that integrity in small matters builds character and earns divine favor.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَوْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا
Say, "Believe in it or do not believe." Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration,
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَلَا يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ ٱلضُّرِّ عَنكُمْ وَلَا تَحْوِيلًا
Say, "Invoke those you have claimed [as gods] besides Him, for they do not possess the [ability for] removal of adversity from you or [for its] transfer [to someone else]."
وَقُلْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ لِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱسْكُنُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًا
And We said after him [i.e., Pharaoh] to the Children of Israel, "Dwell in the land, and when there comes the promise [i.e., appointment] of the Hereafter, We will bring you forth in [one] gathering."
رَّبُّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُزْجِى لَكُمُ ٱلْفُلْكَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا
It is your Lord who drives the ship for you through the sea that you may seek of His bounty. Indeed, He is ever, to you, Merciful.