We share today a verse, which is part of the wider moral charter of 17:23–39, to warn those who are engaged in business but sell their products with dishonesty. The passage begins with Tawḥīd and duties toward parents, then moves through social responsibility, protection of life, chastity, orphan property, promises, honest trade, intellectual responsibility and humility. So 17:35 is not merely a rule for shopkeepers; it is part of the Qur’an’s vision of a trustworthy and just society.
The Verse
The code of conduct the sūrah outlines also speaks about fairness in commercial dealings. Surah Al-Isrāʾ 17:35 says:
وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ إِذَا كِلْتُمْ وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
“Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a straight balance. That is better and best in outcome.”
Why does the Qur’an emphasize measurement?
In the marketplaces of earlier societies, goods such as grain, dates, oil and other commodities were commonly sold by weight and measure. A dishonest merchant could secretly give less than the buyer had paid for.
The Qur’an therefore attacks corruption at one of its most ordinary starting points: the small dishonest advantage. A trader may think: “It is only a few grams.” But if thousands of transactions are conducted dishonestly, the result is a society where nobody trusts anyone. 36That is why economic justice begins not merely in courts or government offices, but at the weighing scale.
Scholarly Interpretation
1. Ibn Kathīr explains that Allah commands people to give full measure and use a just, accurate balance. He connects this principle with other Qur’anic warnings against cheating in trade, particularly Surah Al-Muṭaffifīn:
“Woe to those who give less than due.” — 83:1
For Ibn Kathīr, honesty in measurement is not merely good commercial practice; it is an act for which a person is accountable before Allah. That is why the verse ends:
ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا “That is better and best in outcome”
Meaning: honesty ultimately brings a better result in this world and the Hereafter, even when cheating appears temporarily profitable.
2. Al-Ṭabarī interprets القِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيم — al-qisṭās al-mustaqīm as a straight and just balance, one that neither deprives the buyer nor unfairly favours the seller.
His interpretation highlights impartiality. Economic justice means that neither party should be able to manipulate the transaction through superior knowledge, power or control of the market.
3. Maududi sees this verse as part of the economic foundations of an Islamic society. A marketplace cannot function morally if individuals seek profit through deception. For him, the Qur’an is establishing something larger than accurate scales: honesty in economic exchange. If a society allows commercial deception to become normal, corruption eventually spreads from shops into contracts, institutions and government.
This instruction is not confined to individuals only but it has been made a part of the duties of an Islamic Government to supervise transactions in the markets and streets to see that exact measures and weights are being observed, and prevent their breach and violation by the force of law. Afterwards it was made one of the duties of the government to eradicate dishonesty in all commercial dealings and economic transactions.
"Its end will be best in this world and it will be best in the Hereafter." It is best in this world because it produces mutual rust between sellers and buyers. As a result of this, commerce prospers and there is a general prosperity. As regards the Hereafter, there the end depends wholly on honesty, piety and fear of God.
4. Yusuf Ali stresses the connection between fair dealing and social trust. Correct weights and measures are outward symbols of a deeper principle: every person should receive what is genuinely due to them. Thus 17:35 is ultimately about giving people their rights.
5. Ghamidi declares this verse to be the the eighth directive of the passage 17:23-39. At another instance, the Qur’ān (55:7-9) says that the Almighty has set the earth and the heavens on a scale and thus it is necessary that a person in his circle should remain just and measure with the right scale and weights. It is evident from this that it is a supreme directive and in its essence is actually a corollary of the scale of justice on which this world has been created. Thus if anyone deviates from it, it means that his conception of justice and fairness has become flawed and he actually does not believe in a just God. After this, obviously the economic and social systems of the society are shaken at their bases and no ingredient of the society remains in its place.
Why this verse is exceptionally relevant today
Our scales are no longer only mechanical balances. Today, “false measurement” can take many sophisticated forms.
- A company sells a product as containing 1 kilogram when it actually contains less.
- A manufacturer hides inferior ingredients.
- A contractor bills for work that was never completed.
- A property developer exaggerates the size of a plot or apartment.
- A company manipulates financial statements.
- An online seller uses misleading photographs.
- A bank hides important charges inside complicated conditions.
- A digital platform inflates performance statistics.
All of these reflect the same moral problem: The customer believes he is receiving one thing, while the seller secretly gives him something less.
The scale has changed. The Qur’anic principle has not.
False advertising is also a dishonest scale: Modern commerce often measures not only weight but information. If a product is advertised as healthier, stronger, safer or more effective than it actually is, the customer is being given an inaccurate measure of reality.
Therefore 17:35 can reasonably be extended to: truthful labels, transparent prices, accurate specifications and honest advertising.
Corporate accounting: Financial statements are another modern “scale.” Investors, employees and governments make decisions based upon them. If accounts are deliberately manipulated, the balance is no longer straight. The same verse therefore speaks naturally to accountants, bankers, auditors and corporate executives.
Governments are also measured by this principle: Economic justice cannot exist if governments themselves manipulate figures, contracts, public procurement or taxation for private advantage.
The Qur’anic demand for a straight balance applies wherever one party possesses power over the rights of another. That includes the marketplace, but also administration.
Why honesty ultimately benefits the economy
The verse says honest dealing is: “better and best in outcome.” That can be understood spiritually, but it also makes economic sense.
When people trust one another: (1) contracts become easier, (3) business relationships last longer, (3) litigation decreases, (4) investment becomes safer, (5) customers return (6) and society spends less energy protecting itself against fraud.
Dishonesty may create short-term profit, but widespread dishonesty produces long-term economic weakness. Trust is therefore an invisible form of capital.
The poor suffer most from dishonest measurement
This deserves particular attention. A wealthy person may absorb a small commercial loss. A poor family cannot. If food is underweight, medicine diluted, wages underpaid or utilities inaccurately billed, the poorest households suffer disproportionately. Therefore commercial honesty is also a matter of social justice. The Qur’an protects the weak partly by making everyday transactions morally accountable.
The Prophet ﷺ reinforced this principle When the Prophet ﷺ encountered a seller whose grain appeared dry on top but was wet underneath, he objected to the concealment and taught: “Whoever deceives us is not one of us.” The lesson matches 17:35 perfectly: a transaction must reflect reality, not merely create a misleading appearance.
How should we act upon 17:35?
Before every commercial transaction, a believer should ask:
- Am I giving exactly what I promised?
- Have I concealed any defect?
- Is the price transparent?
- Would I accept this transaction if I were the buyer?
- Am I benefiting because the other person does not understand something I deliberately concealed?
If the answer exposes unfairness, the “balance” is no longer straight.
The deeper Qur’anic principle
17:35 teaches that economic justice is built from countless ordinary acts of honesty. We often imagine corruption only in terms of enormous scandals. But corruption begins when someone quietly thinks: “No one will notice if I take a little more than I am entitled to.”
The Qur’an says: Allah notices.
That is why a straight balance is not merely a commercial instrument. It is a symbol of conscience.
The essence of the verse
Economic justice begins when every person receives exactly what is due to them—no hidden shortage, no manipulated measurement, no deceptive information and no unfair advantage. A society that cannot trust its scales, contracts or accounts cannot remain truly just, no matter how sophisticated its economy becomes.
This verse is in fact an eye opener for all of us, specially those engaged in any form of business where manipulation, even insignificant, makes lot of undue profit by the end of the day. A .01 litre less petrol piles up to thousands of litres per day at the petrol pumps. This unfortunately goes unnoticed while the petrol pump owners' pockets swell. Choice is ours: Whether to take home pure profit or the tainted one.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 17. Al-Isra'ʾ (The Night Journey) already published from Sürah 17. Al-Isra'ʾ.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages:
- Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
- Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
- Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
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