83. Sūrat Al-Mutaffifin · The Defrauding

Woe to the defrauders!

Woe unto the defrauders:

WOE UNTO THOSE who give short measure:

Woe is to those who give short measure.

Woe to those who give less in measure or weight

Those who take full measure ˹when they buy˺ from people,

Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full,

those who, when they are to receive their due from [other] people, demand that it be given in full –

Those who, when they take by measure from other, take it full.

When (they) take by measure from others, they take (from them) full

but give less when they measure or weigh for buyers.

But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss.

but when they have to measure or weigh whatever they owe to others, give less than what is due!

But when they give by measure to others or weigh to them, they diminish.

And when they (themselves) give by measure or weigh to others, they give them less

Do such people not think that they will be resurrected

Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again

Do they not know that they are bound to be raised from the dead

Do not these people imagine that they are to be raised?

Do they not believe that they will be raised up (again after death)

for a tremendous Day—

Unto an Awful Day,

[and called to account] on an awesome Day –

On a mighty day.

For a Terrible Day

the Day ˹all˺ people will stand before the Lord of all worlds?

The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds?

the Day when all men shall stand before the Sustainer of all the worlds?

The day when all persons will stand before the Lord of the Worlds.

The Day when all mankind will stand before the Lord of all the worlds

But no! The wicked are certainly bound for Sijjîn ˹in the depths of Hell˺—

Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin -

NAY, VERILY, the record of the wicked is indeed [set down] in a mode inescapable!

Undoubtedly, the record of the infidels is in the lowest place sijjin.

It is true that the record of the evildoers is kept in Sijjin (the ante-chamber of Hell)

and what will make you realize what Sijjîn is?—

Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is! -

And what could make thee conceive what that that mode inescapable will be?

And what do you know, what Sijjin is?

And what do you know what Sijjin is

a fate ˹already˺ sealed.

A written record.

A record [indelibly] inscribed!

That record is a writing sealed.

It is an inscribed book (set down in the large ante-chamber of the prison of Hell, with the names and evil deeds of every inmate of Hell registered in it)

Woe on that Day to the deniers—

Woe unto the repudiators on that day!

Woe on that Day unto those who give the lie to the truth –

Woe is on that day to the beliers.

Woe to the deniers on that Day

those who deny Judgment Day!

Those who deny the Day of Judgment

those who give the lie to the [coming of] Judgment Day:

Those who belie the Day of Judgement.

Those who deny the Day of Recompense

None would deny it except every evildoing transgressor.

Which none denieth save each criminal transgressor,

for, none gives the lie to it but such as are wont to transgress against all that is [and are] immersed in sin:

And none will belie it but every contumacious.

And no one else denies it except every defiant and sinner

Whenever Our revelations are recited to them, they say, “Ancient fables!”

Who, when thou readest unto him Our revelations, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old.

[and so,] whenever Our messages are conveyed to them, they but say, "Fables of ancient times!"

When Our signs are read to him, (he) says, 'fables of the ancients'.

When Our Revelations are read out to him, he says (or thinks) that (they are) tales of the ancients

But no! In fact, their hearts have been stained by all ˹the evil˺ they used to commit!

Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.

Nay, but their hearts are corroded by all [the evil] that they were wont to do!

Nothing but rather, their earnings have rusted their hearts.

That is not at all (the case); rather (the fact is that the evil deeds) which they earned have rusted their hearts. (The Revelations, therefore, do not move their hearts.

Undoubtedly, they will be sealed off from their Lord on that Day.

Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord.

Nay, verily, from [the grace of] their Sustainer shall they on that Day be debarred;

Yes, certainly they are deprived of the sight of their Lord that day.

The truth is that they will be screened off (to deprive them of) the sight of their Lord

Moreover, they will surely burn in Hell,

Then lo! they verily will burn in hell,

and then, behold, they shall enter the blazing fire

Then, undoubtedly they are to enter the Hell.

Then they will be cast into Hell

and then be told, “This is what you used to deny.”

And it will be said (unto them): This is that which ye used to deny.

and be told: "This is the [very thing] to which you were wont to give the lie!"

Then it shall be said, 'this is what you used to belie'.

Then it will be said to them: ‘This is (the punishment of Hell) which you used to belie.

But no! The virtuous are certainly bound for ’Illiyûn ˹in elevated Gardens˺—

Nay, but the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyin -

NAY, VERILY - the record of the truly virtuous is [set down] in a mode most lofty!

Yes, certainly, the record of the virtuous is in the highest palace 'Illiyyin'.

This is (also) true that the record of the truly pious is for sure maintained in ‘Illiyyin (the ante-chamber of Paradise)

and what will make you realize what ’Illiyûn is?—

Ah, what will convey unto thee what 'Illiyin is! -

And what could make thee conceive what that mode most lofty will be?

And what do you know, what Illiyyin is?

And what do you know what ‘Illiyyin is

a fate ˹already˺ sealed,

A written record,

A record [indelibly] inscribed,

That record is a writing sealed.

It is an inscribed book (set down in the large ante-chamber of a lofty mansion of Paradise with the names and pious deeds of those who will be allocated superior stations in Paradise)

witnessed by those nearest ˹to Allah˺.

Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord).

witnessed~ by all who have [ever] been drawn close unto God.

The chosen one see to it.

The angels closest (to Allah) remain present here

Surely the virtuous will be in bliss,

Lo! the righteous verily are in delight,

Behold, [in the life to come] the truly virtuous will indeed be in bliss:

Undoubtedly, the virtuous are in bliss.

Indeed, the truly pious, (joyful and glad,) will be in blissful Paradise

˹seated˺ on ˹canopied˺ couches, gazing around.

On couches, gazing,

[resting on couches, they will look up [to God]:

They look at thrones.

Reclining on couches, enjoying the wonderful sights

You will recognize on their faces the glow of delight.

Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight.

upon their faces thou wilt see the brightness of bliss.

You recognize the freshness of bliss in their faces.

You will find on their faces the glow and freshness of bliss and delight

They will be given a drink of sealed, pure wine,

They are given to drink of a pure wine, sealed,

They will be given a drink of pure wine whereon the seal [of God] will have been set,

They shall be made to drink pure wine, which is already sealed.

They shall be served with securely sealed delicious and holy beverage

whose last sip will smell like musk. So let whoever aspires to this strive ˹diligently˺.

Whose seal is musk - for this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss -

pouring forth with a fragrance of musk. To that [wine of paradise], then, let all such aspire as [are willing to] aspire to things of high account:

The seal is on Musk, and for this let the aspirers aspire.

Its seal will be musk. And (it is this beverage which) all aspirants should hastily strive and compete to acquire. (Some seek the drink of bliss whilst others long for the drink of nearness, and still others yearn for the drink of countenance—all will be served according to their respective tastes)

And this drink’s flavour will come from Tasnîm—

And mixed with water of Tasnim,

for it is composed of all that is most exalting

And its mixture is with the water of Tasnim.

And this (beverage of Paradise) will be mixed with the water of Tasnim

a spring from which those nearest ˹to Allah˺ will drink.

A spring whence those brought near (to Allah) drink.

a source [of bliss] whereof those who are drawn close unto God shall drink.

A spring of which the chosen ones drink.

(This Tasnim) is a fountain at which only those drawn close will drink

Indeed, the wicked used to laugh at the believers,

Lo! the guilty used to laugh at those who believed,

BEHOLD, those who have abandoned themselves to sin are wont to laugh at such as have attained to faith

Undoubtedly, the culprits used to laugh at those who believed.

Surely (in the worldly life), the evildoers used to ridicule the believers

wink to one another whenever they passed by,

And wink one to another when they passed them;

and whenever they pass by them, they wink at one another [derisively];

And when they pass by them, they wink at them among themselves.

And winked at one another when they passed by them

and muse ˹over these exploits˺ upon returning to their own people.

And when they returned to their own folk, they returned jesting;

and whenever they return to people of their own kind, they return full of jests;

And when they return to their household, return rejoicing.

And when they went back to their families, they used to exult over the believers (by comparing the believers’ destitution and their own affluence) and returned speaking of them with jests

And when they saw the faithful, they would say, “These ˹people˺ are truly astray,”

And when they saw them they said: Lo! these have gone astray.

and whenever they see those [who believe,] they say, "Behold, these [people] have indeed gone astray!"

And when they see muslims. they say, 'undoubtedly, they are the strayed ones'.

And when they (the arrogant people) saw these (the indigent believers), they used to say: ‘They have gone astray,’ (i.e., they have lost the world whilst the Hereafter is nothing but fiction.

even though they were not sent as keepers over the believers.

Yet they were not sent as guardians over them.

And, withal, they have no call to watch over [the beliefs of] others...

And they were not sent as keepers over them.

Yet they had not been sent to watch over their (state of affairs)

But on that Day the believers will be laughing at the disbelievers,

This day it is those who believe who have the laugh of disbelievers,

But on the Day [of Judgment], they who had attained to faith will [be able to] laugh at the [erstwhile] deniers of the truth:

This day, therefore, the believers laugh at the infidels.

So (see) Today the believers are laughing at the disbelievers

as they sit on ˹canopied˺ couches, looking on.

On high couches, gazing.

[for, resting in paradise] on couches, they will look on [and say to themselves]:

They look seated on thrones.

Reclining on ornamented couches, they are viewing the sight (comparing their own prosperity and the disbelievers’ impoverishment)

˹The believers will be asked,˺ “Have the disbelievers ˹not˺ been paid back for what they used to do?”

Are not the disbelievers paid for what they used to do?

"Are these deniers of the truth being [thus] requited for [aught but] what they were wont to do?"

How the infidels have been recompensed of their doings

So, have the disbelievers been rewarded in full for (the mockery), which they used to inflict upon (the believers)