Part 19

I was trying to keep you safe."'"58 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'oud reported that the Prophet said, "On the Day of Rising the feet of the son of Adam will not move until he has been questioned about five things: on how he spent his life; on what he did with his youth; on how he acquired his wealth; on how he spent it; and on how he acted on what he knew."59 Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "Whoever has a claim will have their right fulfilled on the Day of Rising — even a hornless sheep who has a claim against a horned sheep.'60 The Balance and the Final Reckoning Allah says: ( We will set up the Just Balance on the Day of Rising and no self will be wronged in any way. Even if it is no more than the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We will produce it. We are Sufficient as Reckoner. ) (21: 47) And He also says: ( The weighing that Day will be the truth. As for those whose scales are heavy, they are the successful. As for those whose scales are light, they are the ones who have lost their own selves because they wrongfully rejected Our Signs. ) (7: 7-8) There are four views as regards what is weighed in the Just Balance: Firstly, that it is actions which are weighed: servants' actions are translated into forms and put on the Scales. Allah says: ( Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. Whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it. ) (99: 8-9). Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet said, "There are two phrases which are very pleasing to the Most Merciful. They are very easy on the tongue to say — and they weigh very heavy in the Balance. They are Subhana' Allahi wa biHamdihi and Subhana' Allahi'l-Adheem — 'Glory be to Allah and may He be praised' and 'Glory be to Allah the Most Great'."61 Secondly, that it is the records of actions which are weighed: and this is supported by the hadith related by Amr' Ibn al-'As, in which the Prophet said, "On the Day of Rising, Allah will separate a man from his people in the presence of all His creatures and spread out ninetynine scrolls before him, each scroll stretching as far as the eye can see, and He will say, 'Do 58 Muslim, 18 /104 -105. 59 Al-Tirmidhi, 9/253, who classified it as hasan sahih. 60 Muslim, 16 / 132; Al-Tirmidhi, 9 / 255; Ahmed, 2/ 235. 61 al-Bukhari, 11 / 206; Muslim, 17/19; Al-Tirmidhi, 3534. you object to anything in these? Have My scribes who made this record wronged you?' He will reply, 'No, my Lord.' He it will ask him if he has any mitigation, and when he tells his Lord that he has none, He it will say, 'On the contrary, you have one good deed with Us — and today you will not be wronged.' A piece of paper will then be produced which states, 'I testify that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Slave and His Messenger,' and He will say, 'Come and be weighed.' He will ask his Lord, 'What is this piece of paper compared to all these scrolls?' He it will reply, 'You will not be wronged.' The scrolls will then be put on one side of the Scales and the piece of paper on the other — and the scrolls will become light and the piece of paper heavy, for nothing can compare in weight with the Name of Allah."62 Thirdly, that it is the rewards for actions which are weighed: and this is indicated in the hadith related by An-Nawwas Ibn Sam'an al-Kilani, in which he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'On the Day of Rising the Quran and those who acted in accordance with it will be brought forward with Surat'al-Baqarah and Surat'Ali'Imran preceding them.' The Messenger of Allah compared them to three things, which I did not forget afterwards. He compared them to two clouds or two black canopies with light between them, and to two flocks of birds in formation, interceding for whoever used to recite them."63 Al-Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "This means that the reward for reciting them is brought forward and weighed." Fourthly, that it is the person himself or herself who is weighed: and this is indicated in the hadith related by Abu Hurairah, in which the Prophet said, "On the Day of Rising, a huge fat man will come who will not equal the weight of the wing of a mosquito in the Sight of Allah," and then the Prophet added: ( ... and on the Day of Rising, We will not assign them any weight. ) (18: 105) So, from the above sources, we conclude that the slave, and his actions, and the record of his actions, and the reward for his actions, will be weighed on the Day of Rising, and there is no contradiction between the four views — and Allah knows best.