Surah Ash-Shu'ara, Ayah 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. This is like when Musa, peace be upon him, said:

رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!) (26:26). Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, As-Suddi, Sufyan bin `Uyaynah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said:

وَالْجِبِلَّةَ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(the generations of the men of old.) means, He created the early generations. And Ibn Zayd recited:

وَلَقَدْ أَضَلَّ مِنْكُمْ جِبِلاًّ كَثِيراً

(And indeed he (Shaytan) did lead astray a great multitude of you) (36:62).

قَالُواْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ

وَمَآ أَنتَ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مّثْلُنَا وَإِن نَّظُنُّكَ لَمِنَ الْكَـذِبِينَ-

فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفاً مّنَ السَّمَآء إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ-

قَالَ رَبّى أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ-

فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَأَخَذَهُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمِ الظُّلَّةِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ-

وَأَمْطَرْ‌نَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرً‌ا ۖ فَسَاءَ مَطَرُ‌ الْمُنذَرِ‌ينَ

and subjected them to a terrible rain. So evil was the rain of those who were warned. - 26:173

This verse has confirmed that if a man commits sodomy, he may be punished with throwing a wall on him or by throwing him down from a high place, as suggested by Hanafi scholars, because the people of Lut (علیہ السلام) were destroyed in a similar manner. Their township was lifted and thrown on the ground. (Shami Kitab Al-Hudud)

The area to the south and east of the Dead Sea now appears to be deserted. But, from 2300 to 1900 B.C., it was a very flourishing area, inhabited by the people of Lot. In spite of his continuous preaching, they did not reform themselves. On the contrary, they were out to kill him. Then they were destroyed by a severe earthquake. One part of this area is buried in the Dead Sea, while the other part exists only in the shape of ruins. This event happened four thousand years ago. Lot’s wife could not rise above the traditions of her community. In spite of being the prophet’s wife, she remained loyal to her community’s religion. As a result, when God’s punishment was administered, she was killed along with the common unbelievers.