Al-Mutaffifin — The Defrauders
سُورَةُ الْمُطَفِّفِين
Verses
36
Words
169
Letters
742
Revelation order
86th
Al-Mutaffifin is the longest surah in Juz Amma and stands apart from its neighbours. Most scholars classify it as the last Makkan surah or the first Madinan surah — revealed at the transitional moment of Hijrah. This gives it a unique character: it opens with the concrete, street-level sin of short-changing in trade, then rapidly expands to cosmic proportions, covering the record books of the wicked and righteous, the visions of Paradise, and a remarkable reversal scene where the tables are turned on the mockers.
The surah's genius is its structure: it begins with a very specific, almost mundane social evil — cheating in weights and measures — and reveals it as a symptom of the deepest spiritual disease: disbelief in the Day of Recompense. If you truly believed you would stand before Allah, you would never shortchange anyone by even a grain. The economic crime and the theological crime are the same crime.
Fraud in weights & measuresSijjin — record of the wickedIlliyyun — record of the righteousDelights of ParadiseThe great reversal — mockers mocked
Before you begin
Start with sincerity — ask Allah to make this easy for you and to let what you learn benefit you. A short dua to begin with:
رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
Rabbi zidni ‘ilma — “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” (Qur'an 20:114)
0/4 sections learned
Core message
The surah opens with one of the Qur'an's most direct condemnations: waylun lil-mutaffifin — woe, destruction, to those who defraud. The crime is precisely defined: they demand full measure when receiving but short-change others when giving. Then comes the cure — don't they think they will stand before Allah on a momentous Day?
1
وَيْلٌۭ لِّلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
Woe to those who give less [than due],
2–3
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا ٱكْتَالُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ•وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَو وَّزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ
Who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.
4–6
أَلَا يَظُنُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَنَّهُم مَّبْعُوثُونَ•لِيَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍۢ•يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلنَّاسُ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Do they not think that they will be resurrected For a tremendous Day - The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the worlds?
Memory hook — the crime in two verses
Verses 2–3 are a perfect before/after pair: idha aktalu 'alan-nas yastawfun (when they take — full) vs. idha kaluhum aw wazanuhum yukhsirun (when they give — short). One action, two standards. Then vv.4–6 answer with three escalating lines: resurrection → tremendous Day → standing before the Lord of all worlds. Learn the escalation: mab'uthun → yawmin 'azim → rabbil 'alamin.
Broader meaning of tatfif
Scholars extend the meaning of tatfif (short-changing) beyond trade: any relationship where you demand your full rights but withhold what others are owed — in time, attention, trust, fairness — is a form of tatfif. The surah is as relevant to modern workplaces and families as it was to Madinan markets.
Section 1 — The crime and the cure (vv. 1–6)
وَيْلٌ
waylun
Woe / destruction
v.1 — one of the Qur'an's strongest condemnations; appears again in v.10
ٱلْمُطَفِّفِينَ
al-mutaffifin
The defrauders / those who give short measure
v.1 — from tatfif: skimping small amounts fraudulently
ٱكْتَالُوا۟
aktalu
They took by measure
v.2 — when receiving for themselves
يَسْتَوْفُونَ
yastawfun
They take in full
v.2 — demand every last drop of what is owed to them
يُخْسِرُونَ
yukhsirun
They cause loss / give short
v.3 — when giving to others
مَبْعُوثُونَ
mab'uthun
They will be resurrected
v.4 — the belief that would cure their fraud
يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
yawmin 'azim
A Tremendous Day
v.5 — the scale of what awaits
رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
rabb al-'alamin
Lord of all the worlds
v.6 — before Whom all mankind will stand
Section 2 — Sijjin and the sealed heart (vv. 7–17)
سِجِّينٌ
sijjin
Sijjin — the lowly record
v.7 — from sijn (prison); the low, confined register of the wicked
كِتَٰبٌ مَّرْقُومٌ
kitabun marqum
A register inscribed / clearly written
v.9 — permanently recorded, cannot be altered
ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
al-mukaththibin
The deniers / those who reject
v.10 — those who deny the Day of Recompense
مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ
mu'tadin athim
Sinful transgressor
v.12 — the character profile of every denier
أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
asatir al-awwalin
Legends / myths of the ancients
v.13 — their dismissal of the Qur'an
رَانَ
rana
Has sealed / covered / rusted over
v.14 — unique word in the Qur'an; the sin-seal on the heart
مَحْجُوبُونَ
mahjubun
Veiled / screened from
v.15 — veiled from seeing Allah — the greatest punishment
لَصَالُوا۟ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
la-salu al-jahim
They will burn in the blaze
v.16 — consequence after the veil
Section 3 — Illiyyun and Paradise (vv. 18–28)
عِلِّيُّونَ
'illiyyun
Illiyyun — the exalted record
v.18 — from 'ala (high); the elevated register of the righteous
ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ
al-muqarrabun
Those brought near / the closest to Allah
v.21 & v.28 — the highest rank of angels and believers
ٱلْأَرَآئِكِ
al-ara'ik
Thrones / raised couches
v.23 — the resting place of the righteous in Paradise
نَضْرَةَ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
nadrat al-na'im
The radiance / glow of bliss
v.24 — visible on their faces; joy made luminous
رَحِيقٍ مَّخْتُومٍ
rahiqin makhtum
Pure sealed wine
v.25 — the finest drink of Paradise, sealed for them
خِتَٰمُهُۥ مِسْكٌ
khitamuhu misk
Its seal is musk
v.26 — fragrance of the seal; opposite of worldly wine's smell
فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ ٱلْمُتَنَٰفِسُونَ
falyatanafas al-mutanafisun
Let the competitors compete
v.26 — the famous call to race for the akhirah
تَسْنِيمٍ
tasnim
Tasnim — the highest spring in Paradise
v.27 — drunk pure by the muqarrabun; blended for others
Section 4 — Mockers and the reversal (vv. 29–36)
أَجْرَمُوا۟
ajramu
Were guilty / committed crimes
v.29 — the Makkan disbelievers who mocked
يَضْحَكُونَ
yadhakun
They laugh
v.29 & v.34 — appears twice; the key echo of the reversal
يَتَغَامَزُونَ
yataghamizun
They wink / signal mockingly
v.30 — subtle mockery as believers passed by
فَكِهِينَ
fakihin
Rejoicing / delighted
v.31 — they went home pleased with their mockery
ضَآلُّونَ
dallun
Those who have gone astray
v.32 — their label for the believers; reversed on the Day
حَٰفِظِينَ
hafidhin
Guardians / overseers
v.33 — they were never appointed to judge the believers
فَٱلْيَوْمَ
fal-yawma
So today / but on this Day
v.34 — the pivot word of the great reversal
هَلْ ثُوِّبَ
hal thuwwiba
Have they not been repaid / rewarded
v.36 — the surah's closing rhetorical question
Important note on length
At 36 verses, Al-Mutaffifin is the longest surah in Juz Amma — roughly 2.5–3 minutes at a measured pace. It is almost always split across two rak'ahs in Tarawih and Tahajjud. The Prophet ﷺ paired it with Surah Abasa (80) in a single rak'ah during qiyam al-layl, making both together one extended rak'ah.
Full surah — single rak'ah
Verses 1–36 · following the Prophetic practice with Surah Abasa
The Prophet ﷺ recited Al-Mutaffifin and Abasa (80) together in one rak'ah. If following this sunnah, recite Abasa first then Al-Mutaffifin in the same rak'ah — the combined length is manageable for Tahajjud.
Reciting the full surah alone in one rak'ah is also valid and gives the complete thematic arc its full impact: social crime → spiritual disease → record books → Paradise → the great reversal.
The closing verse — hal thuwwibal-kuffaru ma kanu yaf'alun — is a rhetorical question that lands powerfully before ruku'.
Two-part split — most common Tarawih division
Split at v.17 or v.28
Option 1 — split at v.17 (recommended): Rak'ah 1 covers vv.1–17 — the crime, Sijjin, the sealed heart, and the punishment of being veiled from Allah, ending on hadha alladhi kuntum bihi tukaththibun — a devastating close. Rak'ah 2 covers vv.18–36 — Illiyyun, Paradise, and the reversal.
Option 2 — split at v.28: Rak'ah 1 covers vv.1–28 — everything up to and including the Tasnim spring. Rak'ah 2 covers vv.29–36 — the mockery passage and the reversal. Shorter second rak'ah but a powerful one.
Three-part split — extended qiyam nights
Breaks at v.6, v.17, and v.28
Rak'ah 1 — vv.1–6: The crime defined and the cure. Short and punchy — ends on yawma yaqumun-nasu li-rabbil-'alamin.
Rak'ah 2 — vv.7–17: Sijjin, the sealed heart, the veil from Allah. The darkest section of the surah — powerful as its own rak'ah.
Rak'ah 3 — vv.18–36: Illiyyun, Paradise, and the full reversal. Starts with the mirror image of rak'ah 2 and ends on a triumphant rhetorical question.
Natural stopping points used by reciters
v.6
yawma yaqumun-nasu li-rabbil-'alamin — end of the opening section. The escalation to “Lord of all the worlds” makes a strong, complete landing before ruku'.
v.9
kitabun marqum — end of the Sijjin description. Short but resonant — the permanently inscribed register is a complete thought.
v.17
hadha alladhi kuntum bihi tukaththibun — most popular mid-surah stop. The taunt “this is what you used to deny” — delivered to the wicked in Hellfire — is one of the most powerful verse-endings in this surah.
v.21
yashhaduhu al-muqarrabun — end of the Illiyyun description. Stopping here creates a tight Sijjin/Illiyyun rak'ah (vv.7–21) for those who prefer the two record-books together.
v.28
'aynan yashabu bihal-muqarrabun — end of the Paradise description. Leaving the mockery reversal for its own rak'ah gives it full weight and impact.
v.36
hal thuwwibal-kuffaru ma kanu yaf'alun — the final verse. A rhetorical question that needs no answer — and therefore needs no more words. Perfect before ruku'.