Surah Ash-Shu'ara, Verse 181

Tafsir of 26:181

The Command to give Full Measure Allah commanded them to give full measure, and forbade them to give short measure. He said: أَوْفُواْ الْكَيْلَ وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ مِنَ الْمُخْسِرِينَ (Give full measure, and cause no loss.) meaning, `when you give to people, give them full measure, and do not cause loss to them by giving them short measure, while taking full measure when you are the ones who are taking. Give as you take, and take as you give.' وَزِنُواْ بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ (And weigh with the true and straight balance.) The balance is the scales. وَلاَ تَبْخَسُواْ النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ (And defraud not people by reducing their things,) means, do not shortchange them. وَلاَ تَعْثَوْاْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ (nor do evil, making corruption and mischief in the land.) means, by engaging in banditry. This is like the Ayah, وَلاَ تَقْعُدُواْ بِكُلِّ صِرَطٍ تُوعِدُونَ (And sit not on every road, threatening) (7:86). وَاتَّقُواْ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ وَالْجِبِلَّةَ الاٌّوَّلِينَ (And have Taqwa of Him Who created you and the generations of the men of old. ) Here he is frightening them with the punishment of Allah Who created them and created their forefathers.…

Source: Ibn Kathir (Abridged)