وزن

Core meaning

To weigh: to give each thing its exact weight, in trade, in creation and in the judgment of deeds.

Uses

1. وَزِنُوا۟ → "weigh" : the order to weigh rightly.

   • «وَزِنُوا۟ بِٱلْقِسْطَاسِ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِ» — "And weigh with the straight scale" (26:182)

2. ٱلْمِيزَان / مَوَٰزِين → "the balance" : the instrument of weighing, in the market as on the Day.

   • «وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ» — "sent down with them the Scripture and the balance" (57:25)
   • «فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ» — "Those whose balances are heavy" (7:8)

3. ٱلْوَزْن / وَزْنًۭا → "the weighing" : the act of weighing, and the weight granted to a thing.

   • «وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلْوَزْنَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ» — "maintain the weighing with equity" (55:9)
   • «فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ وَزْنًۭا» — "We shall not assign them, on the Day of Appearance, any weighing" (18:105)

4. مَّوْزُونٍۢ → "weighed" : each thing created in its right measure.

   • «مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مَّوْزُونٍۢ» — "everything weighed" (15:19)

Evidence from the text

Three registers, one gesture. In the market, the balance is given with equity (6:152, 55:9); the defrauders cause loss when they weigh for others (83:3). In creation, the earth bears everything weighed (15:19), and the balance is set up with the raised sky (55:7).

At the judgment, the weighing on that day is the truth: those whose balances are heavy succeed, those whose balances are light have caused the loss of their Selves (7:8-9, 23:102-103, 101:6-8). Those whose works have collapsed have no weighing (18:105). The balance comes down with the Scripture (42:17, 57:25): exact measure accompanies the word.

Distinctions

• كيل — كَيْل: the measure of volume; وَزْن: the measure of weight.
• قسط — قِسْطَاس: the precision scale, instrument of just weighing; قِسْط: the equity it serves.

See also

ثقل (the weight that makes the balances heavy) · خفف (the lightness of the balances)