The Seventh Event

The Books of Deeds are Distributed

People’s books of deeds will be distributed, open for them to read. An individual’s book of deeds is the register with every action he did in life written inside. These deeds are being written now by the angels entrusted with recording the actions of all the children of Adam. Allah (تعالى) says:

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

And indeed, (appointed) over you are keepers, honorable recorders. They know whatever you do. [Surah al-Isrā, 82:10-12][69]

These angels record in a book everything a person does because they are always with him. And on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will bring forth this book, making it known to the person as he says:

وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا

Every person, we have imposed his fate upon his neck. And we will produce for him, on the Day of Resurrection, a record which he will find spread open. (It will be said to him,) “Read your book. You are sufficient today as a reckoner against yourself. [Surah al-Isrā, 17:13-14.]

The Recording of Good Deeds

Both good deeds and bad deeds are written in these books. As for the good deeds, the actions a person actually does are recorded, as are his good intentions and even those deeds he intends to do but may not have actually done them. So there are three types of rewarded behavior: 1) good deeds performed, 2) good intentions, and 3) good deeds intended but not performed.

1. Good Deeds: It is clear that a person’s good deeds are written.

2. Good Intentions: Intending to do a good deed is also recorded in a person’s favor.

But a reward is given for only the intention and not necessarily the action intended. This is based on the hadith of a rich man who spends his wealth in charity and a poor man who says, “If I had wealth, I would do what he does.” About these two, the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

فَهُوَ بِنِيَّتِهِ فَأَجْرُهُمَا سَوَاءٌ

He is rewarded for his intention, and the reward is the same for both.[71]

So both the rich and poor are equally rewarded in intention but not in action. This is also confirmed by the narration in which the poor immigrants of Medina complained to the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) saying, “Oh messenger of Allah, the wealthy have overtaken us (in reward).” The prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said (as a way to catch up with the wealthy in rewards):

تُسَبِّحُونَ وَتُكَبِّرُونَ وَتَحْمَدُونَ دُبُرَ كُلِّ صَلاةٍ ثَلاثًا وَثَلاثِينَ مَرَّة

Glorify Allah, declare his greatness, and thank him after each prayer thirty-three times.

But when this advice reached the wealthy, they too did likewise. So the poor returned, complaining to the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) again that the rich are now doing both— giving charity and praising Allah after the prayers. He (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) then said:

ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ

That is the favor of Allah he gives to whom he wishes. [Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The prophet did not reply the second time that the poor, despite their sincere intentions, would have the same reward as the rich in deed. And this is fair because a man who does not perform a certain deed is not the same as the one who actually does it, yet he may still get a similar reward for the intention alone.

3. Good Deeds Intended but Not Performed: The third type of rewarded behavior which a person may find written in his book of deeds is the actions he may sincerely intend to do but did not actually do them. The difference between this type and the second is that for these intentions, he does receive a reward for the action itself. These are the deeds that an individual may intend to do and perhaps he does as much as he is able to of such deed. Then something prevents him from completing the deed. In such case, a full good deed will be recorded based on the statement of Allah:

وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِن بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ

And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and his messenger and then death overtakes him, his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah.[Surah al-Nisa, 4:100]

In this is also good news for students of religious knowledge. For example, if someone intends to study religious knowledge for the purpose of benefiting others with such information, defending the Sunnah of the messenger (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) and spreading Allah’s religion throughout the earth, yet he is unable to complete his studies—perhaps he dies in the process, for example—he will still have those good deeds recorded for him and he will achieve its rewards.

Even if a person has a habit of performing a particular good deed but for some reason he is unable to do it under certain circumstances, he still has the good deed recorded for him. The prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

إِذَا مَرِضَ الْعَبْدُ أَوْ سَافَرَ كُتِبَ لَهُ مِثْلُ مَا كَانَ يَعْمَلُ مُقِيمًا صَحِيحًا

When a servant becomes sick or travels, whatever he used to do while residing at home or healthy will still be recorded for him. [Recorded by al-Bukhari]

The Recording of Bad Deeds

As for bad deeds, they are written against a person if: 1) he actually does a bad deed, 2) he intends and hopes to do the bad deed, and 3) he intends to do the bad deed and tries to commit it but for some reason he is unable to.

1. Bad Deeds: This is clear; if someone does a bad deed, he has it recorded against him.

2. Bad Intentions: Sins an individual intends or hopes to do are also written against him. But like good intentions, he has a bad deed recorded for the intention and not a full bad deed for the action intended. The proof of this is in the same hadith mentioned about good intentions. The prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) spoke about a person Allah had provided wealth but no knowledge so that he aimlessly wasted his wealth. A person Allah had given neither wealth nor knowledge then said, “If I had wealth, I would do what he does,” admiring the former’s wasteful spending. So the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

فَهُوَ بِنِيَّتِهِ فَوِزْرُهُمَا سَوَاءٌ

He is recorded for his intention, and the sin is the same for both of them. [75]

As for an individual intending to do a bad deed but refrains from it, this is of three types:

• 1) If the person does not do the deed because he was unable though he tried to do it, he is just like a person who actually did the bad deed,
• 2) If he refrains from doing the deed for the sake of Allah, he is rewarded, and
• 3) If he simply decides not to do it (but not for the sake of Allah) or even if committing the deed did not seriously cross his mind, then he has neither sin nor reward written for him.

3. Bad Deeds Intended but Not Performed: These are also recorded against a person as complete bad deeds if the person tried his utmost to do them based on the statement (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) of the prophet:

ذَا تَوَاجَهَ الْمُسْلِمَانِ بِسَيْفَيْهِمَا فَكِلاهُمَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ

If two Muslims face off with their swords (i.e. if they fight to the death), both of them are people of the fire.

After hearing this, the companions asked, “Messenger of Allah, we understand about the killer, but why the one killed too?” He replied:

إِنَّهُ أَرَادَ قَتْلَ صَاحِبِهِ

He also wanted to kill his opponent.[Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.]

Similarly, if someone wanted to drink alcohol but something happened so that he was unable to do it, it is still recorded against him as a bad deed because he tried as much as he could to commit it.

To conclude this topic we must know that Allah rewards good deeds with rewards greater than the original good deed, but He recompenses a bad deed only equivalent to the original sin; He says (تعالى) :

مَن جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَن جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلا يُجْزَى إِلاَّ مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لا يُظْلَمُونَ

Whoever comes (on the Day of Judgment) with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof, and whoever comes with an evil deed will not be recompensed except the like thereof, and they will not be wronged. [77]

Receiving the Books of Deeds

About the distribution of these books and the ways in which people will receive them, Allah (تعالى) says:

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُو ثُبُورًا وَيَصْلَى سَعِيرًا

Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will be judged with an easy reckoning, and he will return to his people in happiness. But as for he who is given his record behind his back, he will cry out for destruction, and he will burn in a blaze.[Surah al-Inshiqaq, 84:7-12]

And he says:

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيَهْ

But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had never been given my record.” [Surah al-Haqqah, 69:25]

On the Day of Judgment, people will receive their books of deeds in different ways. Some will be given their books in their right hands – these are the believers. In this is also an indication that the right hand is more honorable and so a believer is given his book in his right hand. When the believer receives his book of deeds, he will take it with his right hand, rejoice, then cry out:

فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَيَقُولُ هَاؤُمُ اقْرَءُوا كِتَابِيَهْ

So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, “Here,read my record!” [Surah al-Haqqah, 69:19]

But as for a disbeliever in Allah, he receives his book of deeds in his left hand or from behind his back. He will then cry out for destruction:

وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِشِمَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أُوتَ كِتَابِيَهْ وَلَمْ أَدْرِ مَا حِسَابِيَهْ

But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had never been given my record and had never known what my account was.[Surah al-Haqqah, 69:25-26.]

So the manner in which people receive their books of deeds is of three types: in the right hand, in the left hand, and behind the back. But these three types are only different in description and are not three separate ways books will be distributed. This is because if an individual receives his book of deeds from behind his back, he is at the same time given his book in his left hand—he takes it with his left hand, reaching his hand behind him. And since he receives his book with his left hand, he is known as one of the “People of the Left.” [82] He receives his book behind his back because during his life, he turned his back on the book of Allah. So it is only befitting that in return, he is given his book of deeds from behind his back, and Allah knows best.

To conclude, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا

Every person, we have imposed his fate upon his neck. And we will produce for him, on the Day of Resurrection, a record which he will find spread open. (It will be said to him,) “Read your book. You are sufficient today as a reckoner against yourself. [Surah al-Isra, 17:13-14.]

As for his fate (i.e. his deeds) imposed on his neck, this is the most befitting attachment for a person’s deeds – bound to his neck – because he will never be separated from them until he dies. He will find his book open; he neither expends effort nor does he find difficulty in opening it. “Read your book” Read what has been written for or against you. “Your own self is sufficient as a reckoner against you today“. This is the perfection of justice and fairness – that the individual will be responsible for taking himself to account.

We have in front of us now a door we may close on every bad deed, every sin: repentance. Regardless of how great a sin may be, when someone repents to Allah, he will forgive him. Even if a person continuously repeated the same sin but he repents, Allah will forgive him. The matter is still within our hands, so we must ensure that nothing is written in this book except righteous deeds before Allah judges creation.

Footnotes:

[69] Surah al-Isrā, 82:10-12.

In Surah Qaf, 50:17-18, Allah informs us that the angels are seated on the right and left of us:

إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلاَّ لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left. Not a word does he utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).

[71] Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah and al-Albani said it is authentic in “Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi” (no. 1894).

The full text of the hadith is:

ثَلاثَةٌ أُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا فَاحْفَظُوهُ ، قَالَ : مَا نَقَصَ مَالُ عَبْدٍ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ ، وَلا ظُلِمَ عَبْدٌ مَظْلَمَةً فَصَبَرَ عَلَيْهَا إِلاَّ زَادَهُ اللَّهُ عِزًّا ، وَلا فَتَحَ عَبْدٌ بَابَ مَسْأَلَةٍ إِلاَّ فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بَابَ فَقْرٍ – أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا – وَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا فَاحْفَظُوهُ ، قَالَ : إِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا لأَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ : عَبْدٍ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً وَعِلْمًا فَهُوَ يَتَّقِي فِيهِ رَبَّهُ وَيَصِلُ فِيهِ رَحِمَهُ ، وَيَعْلَمُ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ حَقًّا فَهَذَا بِأَفْضَلِ الْمَنَازِلِ ، وَعَبْدٍ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ عِلْمًا وَلَمْ يَرْزُقْهُ مَالاً فَهُوَ صَادِقُ النِّيَّةِ يَقُولُ : لَوْ أَنَّ لِي مَالاً لَعَمِلْتُ بِعَمَلِ فُلانٍ ، فَهُوَ بِنِيَّتِهِ فَأَجْرُهُمَا سَوَاءٌ ، وَعَبْدٍ رَزَقَهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً وَلَمْ يَرْزُقْهُ عِلْمًا فَهُوَ يَخْبِطُ فِي مَالِهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لا يَتَّقِي فِيهِ رَبَّهُ وَلا يَصِلُ فِيهِ رَحِمَهُ وَلا يَعْلَمُ لِلَّهِ فِيهِ حَقًّا فَهَذَا بِأَخْبَثِ الْمَنَازِلِ ، وَعَبْدٍ لَمْ يَرْزُقْهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً وَلا عِلْمًا فَهُوَ يَقُولُ : لَوْ أَنَّ لِي مَالاً لَعَمِلْتُ فِيهِ بِعَمَلِ فُلانٍ ، فَهُوَ بِنِيَّتِهِ فَوِزْرُهُمَا سَوَاءٌ 

There are three things that I attest to; I will mention them so remember them.

• 1) Charity will never decrease a person’s wealth,
• 2) no servant is wronged and patiently endures that except that Allah will increase him in honor, and
• 3) no servant opens the door of begging except that Allah will open the door of poverty (or he said similarly).

And I will mention something else so remember it.

The world is for four types of people:

• 1) a person Allah has provided with wealth and knowledge so he is conscientious of his Lord regarding them and thus gains his mercy therewith. He knows Allah has a right upon him with regards to them, and this is the best of the (four) types.
• 2) A person Allah has provided with knowledge but not wealth, yet he is truthful in his intention when he says, “If I had wealth, I would do what so-and-so does (the first type of person).” So he is rewarded for his intention, and the reward is the same for both of them.
• 3) A person Allah has provided wealth but no knowledge so that he aimlessly wastes his wealth without knowledge. He is neither conscientious of his Lord with it nor does he achieve his mercy. He does not even know that Allah has a right upon him regarding it, and this is the worst of the (four) types.
• 4) A person Allah has provided no wealth and no knowledge. But he says, “If I had wealth, I would do what so-and-so does (the third type of person).” So he is also recorded for his intention, and the sin is the same for both of them.

[75] Recorded by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah and al-Albani said it is authentic in “Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi” (no. 1894). See page 53 for the full hadith.

[77] Surah al-Anaam, 6:160.

Evidence from the Sunnah of a ten-fold reward for a good deed and only a single recompense for a bad deed is the hadith recorded by Muslim in which the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

يقول الله : مَنْ جَاء بالحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أمْثَالِهَا أَوْ أزْيَد ، وَمَنْ جَاءَ بالسَيِّئَةِ فَجَزاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِثْلُهَا أَوْ أغْفِرُ . وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي شِبْرًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ ذِرَاعًا ، وَمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ مِنِّي ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ مِنْهُ بَاعًا ، وَمَنْ أتَانِي يَمْشِي أتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً ، وَمَنْ لَقِيني بِقُرَابِ الأرْض خَطِيئةً لا يُشْرِكُ بِي شَيئاً ، لَقِيتُهُ بِمِثْلِهَا مَغفِرَةً

Allah says, “Whoever does a good deed will have ten times reward for it or even more. And whoever does a bad deed will have a single bad deed for it or I will forgive it. Whoever comes close to me a hand-span, I will come close to him an arm’s length; and whoever comes close to me an arm’s length, I will come close to him the distance of two outstretched arms. Whoever comes to me walking, I will come to him running. And whoever meets me with the earth full of sins but associated nothing with me in worship, I will meet him with as much forgiveness.”

[82] A similar description is used in the Surah al-Waqi’ah, 56:8-9:

فَأَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَيْمَنَةِ وَأَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْمَشْأَمَةِ

The Companions of the Right – what are the Companions of the Right? And the Companions of the Left – what re the Companions of the Left?

Posted from the article : The Resurrection, A Summary of Events to Occur – Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullaah | Translated by Abu az-Zubayr Harrison rahimahullaah

Related Links:

• https://abdurrahman.org/finaljourney
• https://abdurrahman.org/category/islam/deeds
• https://abdurrahman.org/angels
• https://abdurrahman.org/translations/authentic-translations-com

The Sixth Event

The Scales are Placed & Deeds are Weighed

In one of the verses that proves the scales will be setup on the Day of Resurrection, Allah says:

فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

And those whose scales are heavy (with good deeds), it is they who will be successful.[Sūrah al-Muminūn, 23:102]

The verse contains a conditional clause; the condition is “those whose scales are heavy“, and if that condition is met, the consequence is “it is they who will be successful.” By “scales are heavy“, what is meant is that one’s good deeds outweigh his bad. “Successful” here describes an individual who achieves what he hopes for and is saved from what he fears. So he is given safety from what he hates and rewarded with what he loves. Allah also says:

وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فِي جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ

But those whose scales are light, it is they who have lost their souls. In Hell they will abide forever. [Sūrah al-Muminūn, 23:103]

Those who do not believe in Allah will “have lost their souls.” They will lose themselves, their families, and the possessions they hold dear:

قُلْ إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ أَلا ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ

Say: Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the clear loss.[Sūrah al-Zumar, 39:15]

But as for a believer in Allah whose behavior was righteous, he will have succeeded, gaining his soul, his family, and his possessions, having benefited from all of them. People who do not believe in Allah (or disbelieve in Allah’s “oneness”) will lose themselves because they will have not benefited from their very existence in life. In fact such people, despite what they presumably achieve in life, actually achieve no true benefit and gain only harm (in the hereafter). In a sense, they even lose their wealth in life as they gain no real benefit from it. Even when they may share it with others among creation, such charity does not benefit the givers. Allah (تعالى) says:

وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَن تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِ

And nothing prevents their spending from being accepted from them except that they disbelieved in Allah and in his messenger.[Sūrah al-Tawbah, 9:54]

They also lose their families because their families will either be in the fire with them, or if their families are in Paradise, such disbelievers will still have lost them because they themselves will be in the fire. Any individual who dies while disbelieving in Allah will never again enjoy the company of his family. Such enjoyment will be locked out from a disbeliever as soon as he is locked in his coffin, and each one will imagine no one else is receiving a harsher punishment than he.

As for “whose scales are light“, this means his bad deeds will outweigh his good or he will have no good deeds whatsoever. This is the meaning if we accept the position that disbelievers will have their deeds weighed which seems apparent from the verse in Sūrah al-Muminūn, 23:103 and others like it. And this position is one of the two held by religious scholars. The other opinion, that disbelievers will not have their deeds weighed, is the second position and it is based on the verses:

قُلْ هَلْ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِالْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالً الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَائِهِ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا

Say: Shall we inform you of the greatest losers as to (their) deeds? Those whose effort is lost in the worldly life while they thought they were doing good work. Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in (their) meeting him. So their deeds have become worthless, and we will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight. [Sūrah al-Kahf, 18:103-105]

As for the two positions, whether disbelievers will have their deeds weighed or not, Allah knows best which is correct.

The Arabic word for scales used in some verses, ( مَوَازِيْن mawāzīn), has been reported in other texts in both the singular and plural forms. As for the plural form, Allah (تعالى) says:

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا

And we place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly in any way. [Sūrah al-Anbiyā, 21:47]

And:

وَالْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ ۚ فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ فَأُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُم بِمَا كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَظْلِمُونَ

And the weighing (of deeds) that day will be true. So those whose scales are heavy, it is they who will be successful. And those whose scales are light, they will lose themselves for what injustice they were doing toward our verses. [Sūrah al-‘Arāf, 7:8-9]

As for the singular form, the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

كَلِمَتَانِ حَبِيبَتَانِ إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ : سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ

There are two statements beloved to the Most Merciful, light on the tongue but heavy on the scale: “Glorified is Allah and all thanks are for him,” and “Glorified is Allah the greatest.” [59]

In this ḥadīth, the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) mentioned the singular form, ( مِيْزَان mīzān), “scale.” So how do we understand the Quran verses which mention “scales” and this ḥadīth which mentions “scale?”

Perhaps it is mentioned in the plural form only as a way of speaking about what is weighed – deeds – which is plural. Then it is mentioned in the ḥadīth in singular form because the scale is actually one. It could also be because perhaps there is one scale for each nation or even that the prophet meant “heavy in weight” when he said, “heavy on the scale.”

However, what is apparent—and Allah knows best—is that the scale is actually one but is mentioned in plural form with regards to what is weighed (i.e., deeds). This linguistic usage can also be seen in the verse:

… فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ

So those whose scales are heavy…[Sūrah al-A’rāf, 7:8]

In this verse, it is not actually the scales that are heavy, rather it is a form of Arabic speech in which one word (e.g. scales) is used to mean another word relating to the former (e.g. deeds).

There is a related issue but one into which people have not delved: Will there be a single scale setup for all nations, all mankind, or will there be one for each nation (e.g., one for Muhammad’s nation, one for Jesus’ nation, one for Moses’, etc.)? This question may be relevant because some texts indicate the rewards for deeds vary for different nations. [61]

These texts, taken at face value, are apparent in that the scale will be real and tangible as this is exactly how the word “scale” is commonly understood. This is because the principle of understanding religious texts reported in the Quran or Sunnah is that they are to be understood upon the commonly known, real and actual meanings of their words unless there is clear evidence that they should be understood differently (i.e. metaphorically). The commonly understood meaning to all Muslim teachers, writers, and lecturers ever since the Quran was revealed up until today is that the scale is real. However, some misguided sects have differed in understanding. For example, those who incorrectly believe any texts can be figurative, having metaphorical meanings instead of what the words actually mean, they claim that there will not be a real scale setup on the Day of Resurrection. They insist that there is really no need for an actual scale to weigh actions because Allah already knows the deeds of his servants and their worth. Instead, they claim that “scale” is allegorical and it really means Allah’s “fairness” or “justice.”

No doubt, the claim of such people is incorrect because it contradicts the outward, apparent meaning of the word and the consensus of all the righteous predecessors who understood the word to mean what the word actually means – scale. If we say the meaning is figurative and it really means fairness or justice, then there is little meaning in the several texts which mention “scale,” they would simply say “justice” (as other texts do) because the characteristics of fairness and justice are closer to and speak more directly to people’s souls than the word “scale” anyway. For this reason, Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct.[Sūrah al-Naḥl, 16:90]

The correct understanding is to take the word “scale” on its intended, actual meaning. We say that the correct understanding is the same one revealed – scale. The “Ḥadīth of the Card” (to be mentioned soon) also proves that it is a real, actual scale with weighing pans. This ḥadīth mentions that scrolls of bad deeds placed in one pan will be lighter than a single card placed in the other pan which will be heavier. So it is clear, what is correct is what was revealed – the scale is real.

The actions of the servants will then be weighed. And with that, there are two points of discussion.

The first point is this: How will deeds be weighed when it is known that a deed is simply a description or action of the one who performed it, and a deed has no physical form? The answer is that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will make these deeds into actual, physical forms. This should not be unbelievably strange when considering the capability of Allah (عزّ وجل). As an analogy, death will be made into the form of a ram on the Day of Judgment and it will be slaughtered between Paradise and Hell [63] while death now is simply a concept and not a physical form. And to clarify a side-note, the Angel of Death is not the one slaughtered here; it is actually death that Allah (تعالى) will make into a physical form everyone will witness and see. Similarly, Allah (عزّ وجل)جلwill turn deeds into actual forms that will be actually weighed with this actual scale.

The second point: Deeds will actually be weighed, both good and bad. This is the apparent understanding as Allah (تعالى) says in the Quran:

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِّيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ  فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ

That day, people will depart, separated (into categories) to be shown their deeds. So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it. [Sūrah al-Zalzalah, 99:6-8]

So it is clear that deeds will really be weighed whether they are good or bad. Also, as has previously been mentioned, the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم)said, “There are two statements beloved to the Most Merciful, light on the tongue but heavy on the scale…” This ḥadīth is also clear, even explicit, in that actions will actually be given form and weight and then weighed, and there are several other texts that prove this.

However, there are other reliable texts that indicate that it may not be the actual deeds weighed but rather the records of deeds. An example of this type is the “Ḥadīth of the Card” in which the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

« إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُخَلِّصُ رَجُلاً مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْخَلائِقِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيَنْشُرُ عَلَيْهِ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ سِجِلاًّ كُلُّ سِجِلٍّ مِثْلُ مَدِّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ.: أَتُنْكِرُ مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئًا ؟ أَظَلَمَكَ كَتَبَتِي الْحَافِظُونَ ؟ فَيَقُولُ : لا يَا رَبِّ ، فَيَقُولُ : أَفَلَكَ عُذْرٌ ؟ فَيَقُولُ : لا يَا رَبِّ ، فَيَقُولُ : بَلَى إِنَّ لَكَ عِنْدَنَا حَسَنَةً فَإِنَّهُ لا ظُلْمَ عَلَيْكَ الْيَوْمَ ، فَتَخْرُجُ بِطَاقَةٌ فِيهَا أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ، فَيَقُولُ : احْضُرْ وَزْنَكَ ، فَيَقُولُ : يَا رَبِّ مَا هَذِهِ الْبِطَاقَةُ مَعَ هَذِهِ السِّجِلاَّتِ ؟ فَقَالَ : إِنَّكَ لا تُظْلَمُ ، قَالَ : فَتُوضَعُ السِّجِلاَّتُ فِي كَفَّةٍ وَالْبِطَاقَةُ فِي كَفَّةٍ فَطَاشَتْ السِّجِلاَّتُ وَثَقُلَتْ الْبِطَاقَةُ فَلا يَثْقُلُ مَعَ اسْمِ اللَّهِ شَيْءٌ »

Allah will single out a man from my nation at the head of all the creations on the Day of Resurrection. Ninety-nine scrolls (of bad deeds) will be spread out before him, each as far as the eye can see. He will be asked, “Do you deny doing any of this? Did my recording, guardian angels wrong you in any way?” The man will answer, “No, my Lord.” He will be asked, “Do you have any excuse?” to which he will again reply, “No, my Lord.” It will then be said, “Rather you certainly do have a good deed with us and there will be no injustice on you today.” A card will then be brought out, written on it: “I testify there is nothing deserving of worship but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is his servant and messenger.” The man will be told, “Present yourself for your weighing.” He will ask, “My Lord, what is this card compared to all these scrolls (of bad deeds)?” He (Allah) will tell him, “You will certainly not be wronged.” So the scrolls will be placed in one pan (of the scale) and the card in the other, and the scrolls will be lighter and the card heavier as nothing is heavier than the name of Allah.

[Recorded by al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, and Aḥmad. al-Albānī said it is authentic in his “Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan al-Tirmidhī” (no.2127)]

From this ḥadīth, it is apparent that it is the written records of deeds weighed instead of the deeds themselves.

There are other texts that indicate what is weighed is the person who does the deeds. For example, Allah says:

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَلِقَائِهِ فَحَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا

Those are the ones who disbelieve in the verses of their Lord and in (their) meeting with him, so their deeds have become worthless. And we will not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight.[Sūrah al-Kahf, 18:105]

But it has been said that the meaning of “weight” in the verse could mean “significance” or “importance” instead of weight. Another indication that it may be the person himself that is weighed is the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah ( رضي الله عنه)in which he narrated that the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

« إِنَّهُ لَيَأْتِي الرَّجُلُ الْعَظِيمُ السَّمِينُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لا يَزِنُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ »

A huge, fat man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and he will not weigh in the sight of Allah even as much as a gnat’s wing [Recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim]

The understanding that it is the person who will be weighed is also indicated by the ḥadīth of Ibn Mas’ūd ( رضي الله عنه)when he was once trying to break a siwāk branch from a tree. He used to have thin legs and the wind blew and started to move him. Because of this, other companions ( رضي الله عنه)مbegan laughing at him. So the prophet ( صلّى الله ) عليه وسلّمasked them, “What are you laughing at?” They answered, “At the skinniness of his legs.”

The prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم)then said:

« وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ ، لَهُمَا أَثْقَلُ فِي الْمِيزَانِ مِنْ أُحُدٍ »

I swear by the one in who hand is my soul (Allah), they (his legs) are both heavier in the scale than Mt. Uḥud. [Recorded by Aḥmad (1/421) and al-Albānī classed its chain of narrators as ḥasan in “Sharḥ al-A’qīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah.]

So to conclude, we have texts indicating three things that will be weighed in the scale: the deeds, the records of deeds, and the person who performed the deeds.

Some scholars said the way to understand these together is simply that some people will have their deeds weighed, some will have their records of deeds weighed, and others will be weighed themselves. Other scholars said that when texts mention deeds being weighed, what is really meant is the records of deeds, and as for a person being weighed, this is specific to certain individuals.

Other scholars have combined these texts with the understanding that in reality only the records of deeds are weighed, but they will be heavy or light based on the merit and greatness of the deeds written in them. So in essence, it is as if the deeds are weighed. But after reflecting on the texts relevant to this issue, we find most of them indicate that it is the deeds that are weighed. Yet some people will be exclusively chosen to have their records of deeds weighed or even the individual himself. As far as the ḥadīth of Ibn Mas’ūd or the “Ḥadīth of the Card,” it could be that these are specific situations for which Allah chooses whomever he wants from his servants.

So the scales are placed, people’s deeds are weighed, then the books of deeds are distributed.

Footnotes:

[59] Recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. The transliteration of these two statements:

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ

SubḥānAllahi al-‘Aẓīm SubḥānAllahi wa biḥamdihi
Glorified is Allah the greatest Glorified is Allah and all thanks are for him

Another ḥadīth which mentions “scale” in the singular form and indicates the greatness of this scale is classified as authentic by al-Albānī in “Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah” (no. 941). In it, the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said:

« يُوْضَعُ المِيْزَانُ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ فَلَوْ وَزِنَ فِيْهِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ لَوَسَعَتْ فَتَقُوْلُ المَلائِكَةُ : يَا رَبّ لِمَنْ يَزِنَ هَذَا ؟ فَيَقُوْلُ اللهُ تَعَالَى : لِمَنْ شِئْتُ مِنْ خَلْقِي . فَتَقُوْلُ المَلائِكَةُ : سُبْحَانَكَمَا عَبَدْنَاكَ حَقَّ عِبَادَتِكَ . وَيُوْضَعُ الصِّرَاطُ مِثْلَ حَدِّ المُوْسَى فَتَقُوْلُ المَلائِكَةُ : مَنْ تَجِيْزُ عَلَى هَذَا ؟ فَيَقُوْلُ : مَنْ شِئْتُ مِنْ خَلْقِيْ . فَيَقُوْلُوْنَ : سُبْحَانَكَمَا عَبَدْنَاكَ حَقَّ عِبَادَتِكَ »

The scale will be set up on the Day of Resurrection, and if the heavens and the earth were to be weighed in it, it would be sufficient to hold them. The angels will ask, “Oh Lord, who is this for?” Allah will reply, “For whomsoever I want among my creations.” The angels will then say, “Glory to you, we have not worshipped you as you rightfully deserve to be worshipped.” And the bridge will be placed (over Hell) and it will be like the edge of a razor. The angels will ask Allah, “Who will be saved from this?” to which Allah will again reply, “Whomsoever I want among my creations.” They will say, “Glory to you, we have not worshipped you as you rightfully deserve to be worshipped.”

[61] One example of such texts is the ḥadīth recorded by al-Bukhārī in which the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم)said comparing Muslims to Jews and Christians:

« مَثَلُكُمْ وَمَثَلُ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابَيْنِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَأْجَرَ أُجَرَاءَ فَقَالَ : مَنْ يَعْمَلُ لِي مِنْ غُدْوَةَ إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ عَلَى قِيرَاطٍ ؟ فَعَمِلَتْ الْيَهُودُ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : مَنْ يَعْمَلُ لِي مِنْ نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ إِلَى صَلاةِ الْعَصْرِ عَلَى قِيرَاطٍ ؟ فَعَمِلَتْ النَّصَارَى ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : مَنْ يَعْمَلُ لِي مِنْ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى أَنْ تَغِيبَ الشَّمْسُ عَلَى قِيرَاطَيْنِ ؟ فَأَنْتُمْ هُمْ ، فَغَضِبَتْ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى فَقَالُوا : مَا لَنَا أَكْثَرَ عَمَلاً وَأَقَلَّ عَطَاءً ؟ قَالَ : هَلْ نَقَصْتُكُمْ مِنْ حَقِّكُمْ ؟ قَالُوا : لا ، قَالَ : فَذَلِكَ فَضْلِي أُوتِيهِ مَنْ أَشَاءُ »

Your example compared to those of the two former scriptures can be likened to a man who hires a number of laborers. He asks, “Who will work for me from morning until midday for a certain sum?” The Jews are the ones to work at this time. Then he asks, “Who will work from midday to the late afternoon for the same sum?” The Christians are the ones to work at this time. Then he asks, “Who will work from the late afternoon until sunset for double that sum?” You (Muslims) are these people. This angers the Jews and Christians who ask, “Why did we have to work more only to receive less?” He answers, “Have you been cheated of any of your rights?” They answer, “No.” He then says, “This is my favor that I give to whom I please.”

[63] The proof is the ḥadīth recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim in which the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم)said:

« يُؤْتَى بِالْمَوْتِ كَهَيْئَةِ كَبْشٍ أَمْلَحَ فَيُنَادِي مُنَادٍ : يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ ، فَيَشْرَئِبُّونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ ، فَيَقُولُ : هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ : نَعَمْ هَذَا الْمَوْتُ ، وَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ رَآهُ ، ثُمَّ يُنَادِي : يَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ ، فَيَشْرَئِبُّونَ وَيَنْظُرُونَ ، فَيَقُولُ : هَلْ تَعْرِفُونَ هَذَا ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ : نَعَمْ هَذَا الْمَوْتُ ، وَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ رَآهُ ، فَيُذْبَحُ ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ : يَا أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ خُلُودٌ فَلا مَوْتَ وَيَا أَهْلَ النَّارِ خُلُودٌ فَلا مَوْتَ ، ثُمَّ قَرَأَ : “وَأَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ “وَهَؤُلاءِ فِي غَفْلَةٍ أَهْلُ الدُّنْيَا “وَهُمْ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ »”

Death will be brought in the form of a black and white ram and a caller will call out, “Oh people of Paradise!” and they will stretch their necks and look. They will be asked, “Do you know what this is?” to which they will answer, “Yes, that is death,” and each of them will be able to see it. Then it will be called out, “Oh people of Hell!” They will also stretch out their necks and look. They will be asked, “Do you know what this is?” and they too will say, “Yes, it is death,” and each of them will see it. It will then be slaughtered. Then it will be said, “Oh people of Paradise, eternity and no death. Oh people of Hell, eternity and no death.”

Then the prophet (صلّى الله عليه وسلّم)recited:

وَأَنْذِرْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْحَسْرَةِ إِذْ قُضِيَ الأَمْرُ وَهُمْ فِي غَفْلَةٍ

And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded. And yet they are in heedlessness.

He then said, “And these people are headless, people of this life,” and finished the verse:

وَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

And they do not believe. [Sūrah Maryam, 19:39]

Posted from the article : The Resurrection, A Summary of Events to Occur – Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullaah | Translated by Abu az-Zubayr Harrison rahimahullaah

Related Links:

• https://abdurrahman.org/finaljourney
• https://abdurrahman.org/translations/authentic-translations-com