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
أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ أَن يُعِيدَكُمْ فِيهِ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ فَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَاصِفًا مِّنَ ٱلرِّيحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُم بِمَا كَفَرْتُمْ ۙ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُوا۟ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا بِهِۦ تَبِيعًا
Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back into it [i.e., the sea] another time and send upon you a hurricane of wind and drown you for what you denied? Then you would not find for yourselves against Us an avenger.
وَلَئِن شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ بِهِۦ عَلَيْنَا وَكِيلًا
And if We willed, We could surely do away with that which We revealed to you. Then you would not find for yourself concerning it an advocate against Us.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا
Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, [striving as to] which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.
وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا۟ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَـٰهَا تَدْمِيرًا
And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein; so the word [i.e., deserved decree] comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction.