The Qur’anic Concept of Tatfif in the Light of Tafsir Mazhar al-Qur’an: An Anaylatical Study تفسیر مظہر القران کی روشنی میں تطفیف کی قرآنی معنویت: ایک تجزیاتی مطالعہ

الملخص

The Holy Qur’an does not seek to reform human beings through acts of worship alone; rather, it regulates the entirety of human life according to principles governing morality, transactions, social conduct, and human relationships. Just as prayer, fasting, and zakat are important in Islam, honesty, integrity, justice, truthfulness, fulfillment of covenants, and the rights of others (huquq al-‘ibad) are likewise fundamental Islamic values. For this reason, the Holy Qur’an does not regard even a minor form of dishonesty in financial dealings as an insignificant matter; instead, it connects such conduct with accountability in the Hereafter. One such form of misconduct is tatfif (giving short measure or weight), which Allah Almighty has mentioned in Surah al-Mutaffifin. In this Surah, the Qur’an presents the character of a person who is extremely conscious of his own rights and is highly sensitive to any possibility of receiving less than what is due to him. However, when it comes to the rights of others, he acts carelessly. He neither fulfills the rights of others properly nor, when he does fulfill them, does so without reducing or diminishing what is due to them. Although this behavior is initially discussed in the context of trade, which is why the Qur’an mentions measurement and weighing, the Qur’anic injunctions concerning tatfif cannot be restricted solely to deficiencies in measures and weights. Rather, an effort should be made to apply their underlying principles to every sphere of life. From an ethical perspective, tatfif is rooted in a broader self-centered and selfish mentality, which ultimately gives rise to social corruption and disorder. Therefore, the need was felt to undertake a research-based study of this subject, and the researcher has conducted a brief investigation into it. Among the fundamental questions addressed in this paper are: What is tatfif? Is the scope of tatfif limited merely to reducing weights and measures, or does it also encompass a broader moral attitude? Furthermore, how does the mention of the fujjar (wicked/sinful people) after the mutaffifin (those who give short measure and weight), followed by the mention of the abrar (the righteous), present a comprehensive moral picture in Surah al-Mutaffifin? This paper seeks to provide research-based answers to these questions.