Quran Universe
17:35

وَأَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡكَيۡلَ إِذَا كِلۡتُمۡ وَزِنُواْ بِٱلۡقِسۡطَاسِ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمِۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرٞ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِيلٗا

Waawfoo alkayla itha kiltum wazinoo bialqistasi almustaqeemi thalika khayrun waahsanu taweelan

And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with an even balance. That is the best [way] and best in result.

Word by word
  1. وَأَوۡفُواْAnd give full
  2. ٱلۡكَيۡلَ[the] measure
  3. إِذَاwhen
  4. كِلۡتُمۡyou measure
  5. وَزِنُواْand weigh
  6. بِٱلۡقِسۡطَاسِwith the balance
  7. ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمِۚthe straight
  8. ذَٰلِكَThat
  9. خَيۡرٞ(is) good
  10. وَأَحۡسَنُand best
  11. تَأۡوِيلٗا(in) result
Al-Isra · 17:35Makkah

Give full measure and weigh with an honest scale.

Honesty in what you hand over

The scale
short weighta little less each time
straight balancefull measure
is
betternow and in the end
What cheating gains
a little extrano one notices
a better endhonesty pays later

Ibn Kathir explains the balance must be straight, not distorted. Qatadah said this is better in reward and in outcome. Ibn 'Abbas used to say: you are trusted with two things that destroyed the people before you, weights and measures.

The timesheet with an extra half hour. The product photo that hides the flaw. The rounding up on the expense claim. Small, quiet, everyday. Giving people exactly what they paid for is better for you in the end.

Shaving a little off is normal business, everyone does it.

Fair measure is good for me now and better for me later.

Try this

Check one thing you hand over today, hours, work, change, and make sure it is full.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 17:34)

And come not near to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength. And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily, the covenant will be questioned about (34)And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good (advantageous) and better in the end (35)

The Command to handle the Orphan's Wealth properly and to be Honest in Weights and Measures

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ

(And come not near to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength.) meaning, do not dispose of the orphan's wealth except in a proper manner.

وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا ۚ وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ

(but consume it [the orphan's property] not wastefully and hastily fearing that they should grow up, and whoever (among guardians) is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labor).)[4:6] In Sahih Muslim it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Abu Dharr:

يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ ضَعِيفًا، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ لَكَ مَا أُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِي: لَا تَأَمَّرَنَّ عَلَى اثْنَيْنِ، وَلَا تَوَلَّيَنَّ مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ

(O Abu Dharr, I see that you are weak (in adiministering), and I like for you that which I like for myself. Do not let yourself be appointed as Amir over two people, and do not let yourself be appointed as guardian of an orphan's property.)

وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ

(And fulfill (every) covenant.) meaning, everything that you promise people, and the covenants that you agree to, because the person who makes a covenant or a promise will be asked about it:

إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا

(Verily, the covenant will be questioned about.)

وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ إِذَا كِلْتُمْ

(And give full measure when you measure.) meaning, do not try to make it weigh less nor wrong people with their belongings.

وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ

(and weigh with a balance) meaning scales,

الْمُسْتَقِيمِ

(that is straight.) meaning that which is not distorted nor that which will cause confusion.

ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ

(that is good) for you, in your daily life and in your Hereafter. So Allah says:

وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

(and better in the end.) meaning, with regard to your ultimate end in the Hereafter.

ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

(That is good (advantageous) and better in the end.) Sa'id narrated that Qatadah said that this means "Better in reward and a better end. " Ibn 'Abbas used to say: "O people, you are entrusted with two things for which the people who came before you were destroyed - these weights and measures."