Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:49
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The exposition of the interpretation of the words of the Exalted: وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً إِلا أَحْصَاهَا وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا وَلا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا (18:49)
Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: And on that Day Allah places the book of the deeds of His servants in their hands — one receives it in his right hand, another in his left hand. فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ — Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: Then you see the criminals, the polytheists (mushrikūn) who ascribed associates to Allah, full of fear and dread of what is written therein of their evil deeds which they committed in the world, fearing to be called to account for them. وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً إِلا أَحْصَاهَا — This means that, when they read their book and see what is written therein against them of their small and great sins, they cry out "woe" when they have certainty about the punishment (ʿadhāb) of Allah, and they lament over the evil deeds which they recognize and which their book has tallied up, and they are unable to deny its correctness.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً إِلا أَحْصَاهَا : "The people complained, as you hear, about the reckoning (iḥṣāʾ), and no one complained about injustice. So be warned against the sins that are deemed trivial, for they heap up upon the one who has them until they destroy him." It has been related to us that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ gave a parable concerning this and said: "It is like the example of a people who set out on a journey and descended into a barren desert; they began to cook, and every man went to gather firewood — one brought a stick, another brought a stick — until they had gathered a great pile and kindled a fire. So it is with the small sin: it heaps up upon the one who has it until it destroys him."
It has also been said that by the small deed in this place he means laughter.
Mention of those who said this:
Zakariyā ibn Yaḥyā ibn Abī Zāʾida related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dāwūd related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Mūsā related to us, on the authority of al-Zayyāl ibn ʿAmr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning لا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً : "Laughter," he said.
Aḥmad ibn Ḥāzim related to us, saying: My father related to us, saying: My mother Ḥammāda the daughter of Muḥammad related to me, saying: I heard my father Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān say concerning this verse — concerning the words of Allah, Exalted and Mighty: مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً إِلا أَحْصَاهَا — "The small deed: laughter," he said.
By His words مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ He means: What is the state of this book? لا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلا كَبِيرَةً — He says: It leaves out no small nor great sin of our sins and deeds. إِلا أَحْصَاهَا — He says: Rather it preserves it. وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا in the world of deeds حَاضِرًا in that book of theirs, written down and recorded — they are requited for the evil with something equivalent, and for the good with what Allah will requite them for it. وَلا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا — He says: And your Lord requites no one, Muḥammad, with other than what he deserves: He requites with good only the people of good, and with evil only the people of evil — and that is justice.