The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 437
CHAPTER 83 AT-TAṬFIF (Revealed before Hijrah) Introductory Remarks The Surah opens with a severe condemnation of the use of false measures and weights for the purpose of defrauding others. It takes its title from the word which means "who give short measure. " According to scholarly opinion, it was revealed early in the Meccan period. Nöldeke and Muir assign its revelation to about the fourth year of the Call. The preceding Surah had ended with a warning to disbelievers that they will have to render account of their deeds and will have to make up their spiritual loss themselves, and that the sacrifice or intercession of no one else would be of any use to them on the Day of Judgement. In that Surah man's relations with his Creator were discussed, particularly the grave injustice perpetrated by Christians in relation to Divine attributes, in that they have set up a weak human being as God and have invented other untenable doctrines. In the present Surah stress has been laid on man's dealings with his fellow- beings, with special reference to the cruel exploitation by Christian powers of weaker and less developed nations after depriving them of their liberty of action. The Surah ends on a note of stern warning to the unjust and dishonest people that they will not be allowed to go unpunished. The Day of Reckoning awaits them in all its frightfulness and severity. 3333