11:85 Hud (Hud)

{ وَيَا قَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ ْ} أي: بالعدل الذي ترضون أن تعطوه، { وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ ْ} أي: لا تنقصوا من أشياء الناس، فتسرقوها بأخذها، بنقص المكيال والميزان. { وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ ْ} فإن الاستمرار على المعاصي، يفسد الأديان، والعقائد، والدين، والدنيا، ويهلك الحرث والنسل.

ينهاهم أولا عن نقص المكيال والميزان إذا أعطوا الناس ثم أمرهم بوفاء الكيل والوزن بالقسط آخذين ومعطين ونهاهم عن العثو في الأرض بالفساد وقد كانوا يقطعون الطريق.

First, he (Shu`ayb) prohibited them from cheating in business by decreasing the weights whenever they gave (products) to people.

He commanded them to give just measure and weight whether they were giving or receiving (in transactions). He also forbade them from causing mischief and corruption in the land. This was due to their practice of highway robbery along the roads. Abu Ja`far bin Jarir said,

بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ

(That which is left by Allah (after giving the rights of the people) is better for you,) "This means what you gain from your successful business dealings in which you have given just measure, is better for you than wrongfully taking the wealth of the people." Ibn Jarir said that this statement has been reported from Ibn `Abbas and I say it is similar to Allah's statement,

قُل لاَّ يَسْتَوِى الْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ الْخَبِيثِ

(Say: "Not equal are Khabith (all that is evil) and Tayyib (all that is good), even though the abundance of Khabith may please you.")5:100 Allah then says,

وَمَآ أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ

(And I am not a guardian over you.) This means a watcher over you people. In other words, "Do this for Allah and not to be seen by the people."

O my people give full measure and weight fulfil the due of both of these in justice and do not defraud people in respect of their goods do not diminish anything of their due and do not be degenerate in the land working corruption by killing or otherwise lā ta‘thaū derives from ‘athiya meaning afsada ‘he corrupted’; mufsidīn ‘working corruption’ is a circumstantial qualifier reiterating the import of the term operating it ta‘thaū ‘do not be degenerate’.

Obviously, the very prohibition of weighing and measuring short makes weighing and measuring in full necessary. But, to emphasize it further, Sayyidna Shu'aib علیہ السلام said:

وَيَا قَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ مُفْسِدِينَ

And 0 my people, perfect the measure and the balance with justice and do not make the people short of their things, and do not go about the earth spreading disorder - 85.