Tatfif (short measure or weight in trade)

Tatfif is the shortfall in measure and weight by which the seller betrays, the opposite of full measure, and it is forbidden. ¹

In the lexicon tatfif is short-changing in measure and weight; tawfiya is giving a thing in full, and tatfif is its opposite. ¹

Tatfif is a kind of betrayal and of eating wealth falsely, with the loss of manliness. God ordered full measure in several verses and pronounced woe upon the short-changers in the surah of the defrauders. ^{1 2}

In the hadith of the five-for-five: no people break a covenant without God giving their enemy power over them; no people short-change measure without being denied plants and struck by years of drought. Ibn Umar would pass a seller and say: fear God, and give full measure and weight. ²

Ibn Hajar reports the scholars' statement that it is among the major sins, and he favours it. ²

The market inspector must prevent short measure and cutting in measures, scales and weights; he warns the measurers and weighers, and punishes and exposes whoever is caught so that others are deterred. If a dispute leads to denial, the judges have the better right to hear it than the inspectors. ^{2 3}

Tatahhur and tathhir refer to the entry on purity and have no entry of their own. ³

The Sheikh tells of two merchants, one of whom saw the other cheat in weighing, and he describes cheating on the scale between buyer and buyer (needs_source). ^{4 5} He says that whoever tastes fruit in the markets without reckoning should hold himself to account, and that betrayal in small things is among the causes of fear (his view). ⁶ He says a small sin does not excuse its doer (his view). ⁷