Holy Ramzan: Woe unto the, defrauders

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Abdul Muqit Chowdhury :
Lawful earning is a pre-condition to acceptance of any prayer and worship to Allah. Fasting is also subject to honest livelihood according to Hadith. So, lawful earning and balanced economic relations in the
society are of great importance. The businessmen, who are dishonest in weighing and selling of commodities and accustomed to hoarding, should abstain from such heinous activities.
The Holy Quran says:
“Woe unto the defrauders :
Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full.
But, if they measure unto them or weigh for them, they cause them less.” (Sura Al-Mutaffifeen 83: 1-3, The meanings of the Glorious Quran by Muhammad Mormaduke Pickthall)
“But, observe the measure strictly, nor fall short thereof” (Sura Ar-Rahman 55:9, do)
Allama Yusuf Ali in ‘The Holy Quran’ Translation and Commentary’ comments on ‘Fraud’: “Fraud’ must here be taken in a widely general sense. It covers giving short measure or short weight, but it covers much more than that. The next two verses make it clear that it is the spirit of injustice that is condemned, – giving too little and asking too much. This may be shown in commercial dealings, where a man exacts a higher standard in his own favour than he is willing to concede as against him. In domestic or social matters an individual or group may ask for honour, or respect, or services which he or they are not willing to give on their side in similar circumstances. It is worse than one-sided selfishness: for it is double injustice. But it is worst of all in religion or spiritual life : with what face can man ask for Mercy or Love from God when he is unwilling to give it to his fellow- men? In one aspect this is a statement of the Golden Rule, ‘Do as you would be done by’. But it is more completely expressed. You must give in full what is due from you, whether you expect or wish to receive full consideration from the other side or not.” (P. 1703)
The fourth, fifth and sixth verses of Sura Al-Mutaffifeen:
“Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again.
Unto an awful Day,
The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds?”
(The Meanings of the Glorious Quran by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall)
Here ‘they will be raised again’ means ‘they will be called to account’.
Allama Yusuf Ali comments: “Legal and social sanctions against Fraud depend for their efficacy on whether there is a chance of being found out. Moral and religious sanctions are of a different kind. ‘Do you wish to degrade your own nature?’ ‘Do you not consider that there is a Day of Account before a Judge Who knows all, and Who safeguards all interests, for He is the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds? Whether other people know anything about your wrong or not, you are guilty before God.” (P.1703)
Cheating the buyers in weighing and hoarding of commodities for speedy rise in market price to gain undue profit by creating crisis in the market, are crime.
The Holy Quran and Hadith clearly forbids such weighing and hoarding. These cause misery to the buyers. The businessmen who perform fasting but go on with such unlawful activities, should evaluate their behaviour in the light of the Quran and Hadith. They should be above anti-social activities. Otherwise, their fasting will be in vain.
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