Honest Dealings
Give full measure, weigh with even scales, and never shortchange people — commerce is a field of worship or of ruin.
Qur'anic Reference \u00b7 Ash-Shu'ara 26:181–183
أَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُخْسِرِينَ وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ
English Translation
\u201cGive full measure and do not be of those who cause loss; weigh with an even balance; and do not deprive people of what is theirs, nor spread corruption in the land.\u201d
Bengali Translation
\u201cমাপ পূর্ণ করে দাও এবং যারা ক্ষতি করে তাদের অন্তর্ভুক্ত হয়ো না; সঠিক দাঁড়িপাল্লায় ওজন করো; আর মানুষকে তাদের প্রাপ্য বস্তু কম দিয়ো না এবং পৃথিবীতে বিপর্যয় সৃষ্টি করে বেড়িয়ো না।\u201d
The moral, reflection, and application sections below are educational guidance inspired by the cited verse — they are not a translation or an authoritative tafsir.
Primary Moral
Deal so honestly that the other side never needs to check your scales.
Why This Matters
Markets run on trust; every cheated gram taxes an entire economy with suspicion, inspection, and dispute. The passage links shortchanging individuals to corruption in the land — small dishonesty scaled up is how societies rot.
Reflection
These are the words of Prophet Shu'ayb to a nation whose signature sin was commercial fraud — proof that a people can be devout in ritual and corrupt at the counter, and that the Qur'an refuses the separation. The 'scales' today include billable hours, product descriptions, taxes, and deadlines.
Real-Life Application
Audit your own scales: the hours you bill, the quality you promise, the flaws you disclose. Fix one place where the customer, employer, or client would object if they saw what you see.
Reflection Question
Is there any part of your work you would present differently if the other party could see it fully?
Action for Today
Today, give slightly more than agreed in one transaction — better measure, earlier delivery, or fuller disclosure.
Category
Keywords
- honesty
- trade
- business
- fairness
- fraud
- integrity
Related Moral Lessons
Bookmark this lesson
Saved privately on this device.
Audio
Recitation & audio lesson arrive in a future phase.