Tafseer of The Earthquake · Az-Zalzala · 99:7
So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it,
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.
And His statement: فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ ("So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it").
He says: Whoever, in this world, performs the weight of an atom of good will see its reward there. وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ("And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it"). He says: And whoever, in this world, has performed the weight of an atom of evil will see its requital there. And it has been said: "whoever does (yaʿmal)" — while the report about it takes place in the Hereafter — because of the listener's comprehension of that meaning, on the basis of the indication that has preceded, namely that the meaning is: "whoever has done." The indication of this is His statement: يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ ("On that Day the people will come forth in scattered groups, that they may be shown their deeds"). But because the meaning of the statement was clear to the listeners, and because in His statement يَعْمَلْ ("does") there is an exhortation to the people of this world to act in obedience to Allah and a deterrence from being disobedient to Him — together with the indication of the statement which I mentioned before it, that thereby is intended the report about his completed deed and what is due to them for it — He presented the report in the form of a report about a future action.
And in agreement with what we have said, namely that they will all see their deeds, the people of interpretation have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ ("So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it"), he said: There is no believer and no disbeliever (kāfir) who has done good or evil in this world but that Allah makes him experience it. As for the believer, He shows him his good deeds and his bad deeds, and Allah then forgives him his bad deeds. And as for the disbeliever, He rejects his good deeds and punishes him for his bad deeds. And something other than this statement has been said concerning it. Some said: As for the believer, the punishment for his bad deeds is brought forward for him in this world, and the reward of his good deeds is deferred for him; and the disbeliever, the reward of his good deeds is brought forward for him, and the punishment of his bad deeds is deferred for him.
* Mention of who said that:
Mūsā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Masrūqī related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Bishr related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Muslim al-Ṭāʾifī related it to me, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Qatāda, he said: I heard Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī, while he was interpreting this verse: فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ("So whoever does an atom's weight"), say: Whoever performs the weight of an atom of good, from a disbeliever, will see its reward in this world, in himself, his family, his wealth, and his children, until he departs from this world with nothing of good remaining for him with Him. وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ("And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it"), from a believer, will see its punishment in this world, in himself, his family, his wealth, and his children, until he departs from this world with nothing remaining for him with Him.
Maḥmūd ibn Khidāsh related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Yazīd al-Wāsiṭī related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Muslim al-Ṭāʾifī related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, he said: I asked Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī about this verse: فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ * وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ("So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it"). He said: Whoever performs the weight of an atom of good, from a disbeliever, will see its reward in himself, his family, and his wealth, until he departs from this world with no good remaining for him; and whoever performs the weight of an atom of evil, from a believer, will see its punishment in himself, his family, and his wealth, until he departs with no evil remaining for him.
Abū al-Khaṭṭāb al-Ḥassānī related to me, saying: al-Haytham ibn al-Rabīʿ related to us, saying: Simāk ibn ʿAṭiyya related to us, on the authority of Ayyūb, on the authority of Abū Qilāba, on the authority of Anas, he said: Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was eating together with the Prophet, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, when this verse was sent down: فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ * وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ("So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it"). Then Abū Bakr raised his hand from the food and said: O Messenger of Allah, will I be requited for whatever evil I have done of the weight of an atom? He said: "O Abū Bakr, everything you see in this world of what you find unpleasant, those are the atom-weights of evil, and Allah preserves for you the weights of good, until it is fully repaid to you on the Day of Resurrection."
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Ayyūb related to us, saying: We found in the book of Abū Qilāba, on the authority of Abū Idrīs: that Abū Bakr was eating together with the Prophet, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, when this verse was sent down: فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ * وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ("So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it"). Then Abū Bakr raised his hand from the food and said: Indeed, I will see what I have done. He said: I do not know but that he said: of what I have done of good and evil. Then the Prophet, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, what you see of what you find unpleasant, those are the weights of many atoms of evil, and Allah preserves for you the weights of the atoms of good, until it is given to you on the Day of Resurrection." And the confirmation of this is in the Book of Allah: وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ ("And whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your hands have earned, and He pardons much").
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Ayyūb related to us, saying: I read in the book of Abū Qilāba, he said: There was sent down فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ * وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ("So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it"), while Abū Bakr was eating together with the Prophet, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him. Then he held back and said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, will I see what I have done of good and evil? He said: "Whatever you have seen of what you find unpleasant, that belongs to the weights of the atoms of evil, and He preserves the weights of the atoms of good, until it is given to you on the Day of Resurrection." Abū Idrīs said: And I see the confirmation of this in the Book of Allah, He said: وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ ("And whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your hands have earned, and He pardons much").
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, he said: ʿĀʾisha said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān used to maintain the ties of kinship and used to do such and such — does that benefit him? He said: "No, for he never said on any day: 'My Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment.'"
Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Ḥafṣ related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, on the authority of Masrūq, on the authority of ʿĀʾisha, she said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, Ibn Judʿān, in the time of ignorance (jāhiliyya), used to maintain the ties of kinship and feed the needy — does that benefit him? He said: "It does not benefit him, for he never said on any day: 'My Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment.'"
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of ʿĀmir al-Shaʿbī, that ʿĀʾisha, the Mother of the Believers, said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān used to maintain the ties of kinship, entertain the guest, and free the captive — does that benefit him at all? He said: "No, for he never said on any day: 'My Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment.'"
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of ʿĀmir, on the authority of ʿAlqama, that Salama ibn Yazīd al-Juʿfī said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, our mother died in the time of ignorance; she used to maintain the ties of kinship, entertain the guest, and do such and such — does that benefit her at all? He said: "No."
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: al-Ḥajjāj ibn al-Minhāl related to us, saying: al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: Dāwūd related to us, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, on the authority of ʿAlqama ibn Qays, on the authority of Salama ibn Yazīd al-Juʿfī, he said: My brother and I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, and I said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed, our mother, in the time of ignorance, used to entertain the guest and maintain the ties of kinship — does her deed benefit her thereby at all? He said: "No."
Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Ṣudrān and Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, both of them saying: al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān related to us, saying: Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind related to us, on the authority of al-Shaʿbī, on the authority of ʿAlqama, on the authority of Salama ibn Yazīd, on the authority of the Prophet, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, something similar.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb, that he said: As for the believer, he sees his good deeds in the Hereafter, and as for the disbeliever, he sees his good deeds in this world.
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: Abū Nuʿāma related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bashīr al-Ḍabbī related to us, on the authority of his grandfather Salmān ibn ʿĀmir, that Salmān ibn ʿĀmir came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, and said: Indeed, my father used to maintain the ties of kinship, fulfill the obligation of protection, and honor the guest. He said: "Did he die before Islam?" He said: Yes. He said: "That will not benefit him." Then he turned away, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said: "Bring me the old man." He came, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, it will not benefit him, but it will be among his descendants; you will never be humiliated, you will never be disgraced, and you will never be impoverished."
Ibn al-Muthannā and Ibn Bashshār related to us, both of them saying: Abū Dāwūd related to us, saying: ʿImrān related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of Anas, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, Allah does not wrong the believer regarding a good deed; he is rewarded for it with provision in this world and is requited for it in the Hereafter. As for the disbeliever, He gives him for it in this world, and when the Day of Resurrection comes, he has no good deed left at all."
Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Layth related to us, saying: al-Muʿallā related to me, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī, he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said: "No doer of good performs a good deed, believer or disbeliever, but that its reward rests upon Allah, either in the nearness of his worldly life or in the distance of his Hereafter."
Yūnus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbd Allāh informed me, on the authority of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Ḥubulī, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ, that he said: There was sent down إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الأرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا ("When the earth is shaken with its quaking"), while Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq was sitting, and he wept when it was sent down. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said to him: "What makes you weep, O Abū Bakr?" He said: This sūra makes me weep. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, said to him: "If you were not to make mistakes and commit sins so that Allah would forgive you, then Allah would create a people who would make mistakes and commit sins, so that He might forgive them."
These reports about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, indicate that the believer sees only the punishment of his bad deeds in this world, and the reward of his good deeds in the Hereafter; and that the disbeliever sees the reward of his good deeds in this world, and the punishment of his bad deeds in the Hereafter; and that the disbeliever is not benefited in the Hereafter by what he performed of good in this world, together with his disbelief.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn ʿAlī related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Ibrāhīm al-Taymī, he said: I met seventy of the companions of ʿAbd Allāh, the youngest of whom was al-Ḥārith ibn Suwayd, and I heard him recite: إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الأرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا ("When the earth is shaken with its quaking"), until he reached: وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ("And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it"). He said: Indeed, this is a severe reckoning.
And it has been said: The atom (dharra) is a red worm without weight.
* Mention of who said that:
Isḥāq ibn Wahb al-ʿAllāf and Muḥammad ibn Sinān al-Qazzāz related to me, both of them saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: Shabīb ibn Bishr related to us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ("an atom's weight"). Ibn Sinān said in his narration: the weight of a red atom. And Ibn Wahb said in his narration: a red ant. Isḥāq said: Yazīd ibn Hārūn said: And they claimed that this red worm has no weight.
