وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلْوَزْنَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا۟ ٱلْمِيزَانَ 9
Translations
And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance.
Transliteration
Wa aqīmū al-wazna bi-al-qisṭ wa lā tukhsirū al-mīzān
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the establishment of justice and equity in weighing and measuring, prohibiting fraud and deception in commercial transactions. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this directive applies both to literal scales used in commerce and metaphorically to all matters of justice and fairness in dealings between people, reflecting the Quranic emphasis on honesty and integrity as pillars of social morality.
Revelation Context
Surah Ar-Rahman is a Medinan surah that enumerates the blessings of Allah and emphasizes justice and social responsibility. This ayah appears in a section addressing practical ethics and community conduct, reflecting the Medinan period's focus on establishing a just Islamic society with fair commercial and social practices.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said: 'The best among you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3895), and more directly related: 'Whoever cheats is not from us' (Sahih Muslim 102), emphasizing integrity in all dealings.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that maintaining fairness in all transactions—whether financial, social, or moral—is a sacred obligation that reflects God-consciousness and respect for others' rights. In modern contexts, it calls Muslims to uphold integrity in business, education, and all interpersonal dealings as a manifestation of taqwa (God-fearing consciousness).