Al-Mizan

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Verses 1–9 ​

Chapter 7: Al-Aʿrāf (Elevations) · Printed edition: Volume 15, pp. 1–19

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

المص ١ كِتابٌ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلا يَكُنْ فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِنْهُ لِتُنْذِرَ بِهِ وَ ذِكْرى‏ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٢ اتَّبِعُوا ما أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَ لا تَتَّبِعُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِياءَ قَلِيلاً ما تَذَكَّرُونَ ٣ وَ كَمْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْناها فَجاءَها بَأْسُنا بَياتاً أَوْ هُمْ قائِلُونَ ٤ فَما كانَ دَعْواهُمْ إِذْ جاءَهُمْ بَأْسُنا إِلاَّ أَنْ قالُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظالِمِينَ ٥ فَلَنَسْئَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ لَنَسْئَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ٦ فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِعِلْمٍ وَ ما كُنَّا غائِبِينَ ٧ وَ الْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ فَمَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوازِينُهُ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ٨ وَ مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوازِينُهُ فَأُولئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِما كانُوا بِآياتِنا يَظْلِمُونَ٩

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful

  1. Alif-Lām-Mīm-Ṣād.
  2. [This is] a Book that has been sent down to you, so let there be no disquiet in your heart on its account, that you may warn thereby and as a reminder for the believers.
  3. Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow any masters besides Him. Little is the admonition that you take!
  4. How many a town We have destroyed! Our punishment came to it at night, or while they were taking a midday nap.
  5. Then their cry, when Our punishment overtook them, was only that they said, “We have indeed been wrongdoers!”
  6. Then We will surely question those to whom the messengers were sent, and We will surely question the messengers.
  7. Then We will surely recount to them with knowledge, and We have not been absent.
  8. The weight [of deeds] on that day is the truth. As for those whose scales are heavy, it is they who are the felicitous.
  9. As for those whose scales are light—it is they who have ruined their souls, because they used to wrong Our signs.

Introduction ​

This sūrah includes the main themes that are found in chapters which start with Alif-Lām-Mīm [Chapters 2, 3, 29, 30, 31 and 32], and the one chapter which starts with Ṣād [Chapter 38]. We shall elaborate this further when we discuss the disjointed letters in the Qur’an at the beginning of Chapter 42 (al-Shūrá), by the will of God.

What seems to be central in this chapter is God’s covenant with humankind to serve Him alone and not associate anything with Him. The chapter discusses how humanity has kept up with this covenant throughout its history, explaining how the divine covenant was broken and forgotten by most nations and societies. As a result, whenever they faced divine signs or prophets that reminded them of their covenant and called them to it, most people denied the signs, persecuted the prophets, and failed to pay heed—except for a minority.

The divine covenant is a concise version of the entire religious call. Meanwhile, people vary in terms of their capacity to accept or reject this call when they face it, and the call also varies in terms of the place, conditions and environment where it appears. The result is that some souls—not all— find their way to believing in God and His signs, because they have remained loyal to their initial purity and pristine disposition (fiṭrah). However, the souls of most people incline toward the earthly life and plunge into worldly pleasures. Thus, they end in disbelief and defiance. Following this division, the believers receive aid, support and victory from God in this world; and are saved from hell, admitted to paradise, and blessed with abundant heavenly pleasures in the hereafter. As for the disbelievers, in this world they meet God’s wrath, curse and punishment which kills them, cuts their line of progeny, extinguishes their fire of mischief, and turns them into shattered stories in history. Yet the punishment of the hereafter is surely more disgraceful, and they will not be helped (). This has been God’s custom in dealing with the previous nations, and it shall be the same with the future generations. Allah judges, and there is none who may repeal His judgement (); and He is on a straight path ().

Explaining this custom of God to the unbelievers so that they may believe in God and His communications would be an example of “warning” (indhār). If the audience are already believers who have an overall knowledge of God and His Lordship, the discussion would serve as a “reminder” (tadhkīr) of God’s signs, whereby they are taught what they need to know about God, His excellent names, His splendid attributes, and His custom in dealing with people in this world and the next. This twofold objective is mentioned in the second verse of the chapter, saying that the purpose of the sūrah is to warn and remind: that you may warn thereby and as a reminder for the believers.

This chapter was revealed in Mecca, although there is some difference of opinion about some of its verses. Accordingly, the verses are directed at the polytheists and a minority of believers who had believed in the Prophet in Mecca. The beginning and ending verses show that the chapter is a general warning for all people, as it includes proofs, admonitions and lessons. This is seen throughout the chapter, discussing the stories of Adam, Satan (Iblīs), Noah, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Lot, Shuʿayb (Jethro, Reuel) and Moses. At the same time, it is a reminder for the believers because it includes a brief description of their faith in God, the hereafter, and the signs of God.

Some of the sublime discussions in this chapter are:

  1. The Hour, the scale (mīzān), and aʿrāf (heights, elevations, ramparts) [, ];
  2. Satan and his hosts [];
  3. The idea that the Qur’an has taʾwīl (fulfillment, underlying reality) [];
  4. The Throne [];
  5. God’s manifestation (tajallī) [];
  6. God’s covenant with humankind in ʿālam al-dharr (world of pre-existence, world of scattered particles) [];
  7. God’s excellent names (al-asmāʾ al-ḥusná) [];
  8. Those who are mindful of God [].

The chapter also includes a concise reference to religious obligations and prohibitions, as we read: Say, “My Lord has enjoined justice” () and: Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good things of [His] provision?” (). We can infer that this chapter was revealed before Chapter 6 (Sūrah al-Anʿām), because there we read: Say, “I do not find in what has been revealed to me that anyone be forbidden to eat except…” (). Based on this verse, the lawfulness of consuming anything that God has not specifically forbidden was revealed prior to Chapter 6. This law of permissibility is to be found in verse .

Another sign that this chapter was revealed before Chapter 6 is that the legal and practical rulings found in this chapter are more concise and less differentiated than the ones mentioned in Sūrah al-Anʿām, where we read: Say, “Come, I will recount what your Lord has forbidden you from…” (). This is how the rules in Islam were legislated: through a gradual process from concise laws to more elaborate ones.

Commentary ​

المص ١ كِتابٌ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلا يَكُنْ فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِنْهُ لِتُنْذِرَ بِهِ وَ ذِكْرى‏ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٢

(7:1-2) Alif-Lām-Mīm-Ṣād. [This is] a Book that has been sent down to you, so let there be no disquiet in your heart on its account, that you may warn thereby and as a reminder for the believers.

The word “Book” (kitābun) is mentioned in an indefinite form, and the sender (the subject of the sentence) is not mentioned. Both these points serve to glorify and aggrandize the Book and its Sender. There is something special about this Book and its Sender. That is why the next part of the verse is mentioned as a consequence and conclusion to this, indicated by the letter fāʾ (so, then, therefore): so let there be no (fa-lā) disquiet in your heart on its account. It is as if God is saying: “This is a blessed Book which discusses God’s communications, sent down to you by your Lord. Therefore you should feel no anxiety in yourself.” This implies that if the Book were a different book, or if it were revealed by anyone other than your Lord, then it you could rightfully feel constrained and constricted by it because of the difficulties and troubles involved in preaching it to the people and calling them to its message of guidance.

… that you may warn thereby…: This is the purpose and objective of God sending the Book. The same is true about the next phrase:

… and as a reminder for the believers: Since the verse specifically ascribes “reminder” [in this phrase] to the believers, it shows that the “warning” [in the previous phrase] is for everyone. The meaning is: “God has sent down this Book to you so that you may warn the people; and it is a reminder for the believers in particular.” It is a reminder exclusively for the believers because it reminds them of their Lord through its divine signs and teachings. Thus they increase in faith and revel in these teachings. As for the rest of the people, this Book is a warning because it talks about God’s wrath and punishment for the wrongdoers in the hereafter, and His exterminating punishment in this world, as found in the stories of the previous nations discussed in the Qur’an.

According to some exegetes, that you may warn thereby is a continuation of let there be no disquiet in your heart. The meaning would be: “Let there be no disquiet in your heart in warning the people by means of this Book.” This interpretation, however, is problematic because it is inconsistent with the what follows after: and as a reminder for the believers.

Other exegetes have said that “believers” include both those who were already believers at the time of revelation of the Qur’an, and those whom God knew would believe later. Given our interpretation above, the problem with this view should be clear, because the “reminder” mentioned in this verse would only be applicable to those who were believers actually, not potentially.

اتَّبِعُوا ما أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَ لا تَتَّبِعُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ أَوْلِياءَ قَلِيلاً ما تَذَكَّرُونَ٣

(7:3) Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord, and do not follow any masters besides Him. Little is the admonition that you take!

Since God clarified to His Prophet that this Book is revealed to him for the purpose of warning the people, He launches into the actual warning. That is why the verse is addressed to the people, because a message of warning should be directed at its audience. The point in addressing the Prophet was achieved in the last verse.

The verse is an imperative statement, where God orders the people to follow what has been sent to them from their Lord. That corresponds to the Qur’an, which preaches to them correct belief and right practice. Correct belief means belief in God and His communications, and right practice means righteous action. God has enjoined both of these in His Book and has prohibited their opposites. The first part of the verse—Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord— is expressed in an indirect way. What is really meant by it is: “Embrace the wilāyah (guardianship, authority, mastership) of God.” This can be inferred from the second part of the verse, where God does not contrast the first part by saying, “and do not follow other than what has been sent down to you,” but He says: and do not follow any masters besides Him. The meaning of the second part is: “You should not follow other than God, which are many. Otherwise, they will be your masters (in plural form) besides Him.”

… Little is the admonition that you take: If you listen and pay attention, then you will realize that God alone is your Lord, not anyone or anything else. You have no other master besides Him.

وَ كَمْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْناها فَجاءَها بَأْسُنا بَياتاً أَوْ هُمْ قائِلُونَ ٤

(7:4) How many a town We have destroyed! Our punishment came to it at night (bayātan), or while they were taking a midday nap (qāʾilūn).

This verse reminds the audience about God’s consistent custom with regards to the polytheists of the previous nations. They adopted masters besides God, and thus God destroyed them by sending them a punishment, either at night or during the day, while they admitted that they were wrongdoers.

Bayāt is the same as tabyīt, which means “raiding at night.” Qāʾilūn means people in a state of qaylūlah, which is a “midday nap.” Instead of saying, “at night or during the day,” the verse says, “raiding at night or while they were taking a midday nap.” This expression apparently refers to God’s punishment overtaking them while they were resting peacefully, feeling secure from the grievous divine punishment awaiting them. The mention of “nocturnal raid” and “midday nap” points to their state of heedlessness [of the divine message].

فَما كانَ دَعْواهُمْ إِذْ جاءَهُمْ بَأْسُنا إِلاَّ أَنْ قالُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا ظالِمِينَ ٥

(7:5) Then their cry, when Our punishment overtook them, was only that they said, “We have indeed been wrongdoers!”

This verse continues the admonition in the last verse. It points to the fact that we humans admit it in our soul and conscience when we adopt other masters besides God and associate them with Him. Now, if we do not acknowledge this willingly and do not humble ourselves voluntarily before our Lord, then God’s custom is to make us confess to it by punishment. Therefore, we had best recognize God’s Lordship on our own accord, or else we will soon admit it by force.

فَلَنَسْئَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ لَنَسْئَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ٦

(7:6) Then We will surely question those to whom the messengers were sent, and We will surely question the messengers.

The message of the previous verses was that people are responsible for accepting monotheism and abandoning other masters besides God. They are not left on their own to act as they wish and pursue any path that they want. Therefore, it follows that they will be accountable for what they have been commanded: faith and righteous deeds. In other words, they will be questioned concerning correct beliefs and right actions. This responsibility rests on two sides: (1) the messenger who is sent to the people; and (2) the people who receive the messenger. The questioning mentioned in this verse is a logical consequence of the previous verses about the towns which were destroyed, and which confessed to wrongdoing. That is why this verse starts with the letter fāʾ (then, so, therefore), which shows tafrīʿ (consequence, conclusion): Then We will surely question those to whom the messengers were sent, and We will surely question the messengers.

Given the above explanation, the two groups mentioned in this verse should be clear: (1) those to whom the messengers were sent refer to the people; (2) the messengers refer to the prophets and messengers [from humankind]. Some exegetes have identified the first group as the prophets, and the second group as the angels. However, this does not comply with the theme and context of the verse, because it excludes the polytheists from the verse, while the whole discussion revolves around them. Moreover, the next verse is not congruent with the suggested interpretation. Finally, there was no mention of the angels in the previous verses, neither primarily, nor in light of others.

فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِعِلْمٍ وَ ما كُنَّا غائِبِينَ ٧

(7:7) Then We will surely recount to them with knowledge, and We have not been absent.

The last verse was based on the idea that people are under the Lordship and direction of God; thus they will face questioning and retribution for their actions. This will only be effective if the inquirer is aware of what they did. Otherwise, the people may lie in order to gain a benefit or avoid a loss, especially given their critical and frightening position in the hereafter, where they are at the risk of eternal damnation and everlasting loss. That is why the verse starts with the letter fāʾ (then, so, therefore), showing consequence: Then We will surely recount to them with knowledge.

The word ʿilm (knowledge) is in the indefinite form, which indicates the significance of divine knowledge. It means such knowledge that is free from error and mistake. This is further emphasized by adding: and We have not been absent. This statement shows that God is ever present, watching, and never missing from the scene. He has assigned angels who keep record of people’s deeds by writing, and He Himself encompasses them all.

وَ الْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ فَمَنْ ثَقُلَتْ مَوازِينُهُ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ٨ وَ مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوازِينُهُ فَأُولئِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِما كانُوا بِآياتِنا يَظْلِمُونَ٩

(7:8-9) The weight [of deeds] on that day is the truth. As for those whose scales are heavy, it is they who are the felicitous. As for those whose scales are light—it is they who have ruined their souls, because they used to wrong Our signs.

These two verses talk about weighing in the hereafter, which pertains to the deeds, or to the people in terms of their deeds. What will be weighed on scales are the actions of the people based on the following verses: (1) We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged in the least. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed We shall produce it and We suffice as reckoners (). Based on this verse, “scales” are part of God’s “reckoning,” and reckoning pertains to actions. (2) So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it (). These verses are even clearer evidence, because they talk about the weight of ʿamal (action, work, deed), both good and bad.

Therefore, the weighing will be for acts, not for the agents. Based on this verse, every action, whether good or bad, has some weight. Elsewhere God says: They are the ones who deny the signs of their Lord and the encounter with Him. So their works have failed. On the Day of Resurrection We will not set for them any scale (). This verse refers to the case of ḥabṭ (failure, cancellation, annulment) of actions, where there will be nothing to be weighed. Hence, only those actions which remain until that day will be weighed. We discussed the concept of ḥabṭ under verses . Based on this, whatever good or evil deed that remains and is not annulled until the Day of Judgment will have some weight which will be measured.

Meanwhile, the verses of the Qur’an talk about the relative weights of deeds [not absolute weights]. That is, according to the Qur’an, good deeds will be heavy on the scale, while evil deeds will make one’s scale light. This is contrary to the idea of weighing both good and evil deeds, and then comparing the two to see which one is heaver—and thus judging whether one should go to paradise or to hell, depending on whether their good deeds or evil deeds dominate. If that were the case, then it could be that the two weights may equal, as we see in two-plate or single-plate scales and other types of scales in this world.

Instead, the verses of the Qur’an suggest that good deeds will appear heavy on one’s scale, while evil deeds will appear light. This is the apparent meaning of the current two verses of discussion (). We also see the same idea in the following verses: Then those whose scales are heavy—it is they who are the felicitous. As for those whose scales are light—they will be the ones who have ruined their souls, [and] they will remain in hell [forever] (); As for him whose scales are heavy, he will have a pleasing life. But as for him whose scales are light, his home will be the Abyss. And what will show you what it is? It is a scorching fire! (). As we can see, these verses consistently ascribe heaviness to good deeds, and lightness evil deeds.

The above observation strengthens another view about the scales: There must be an objective and external standard for weighing the deeds, where the deeds are classified as heavy or light based on how well they match that standard. That standard is what determines the heaviness or lightness of one’s scale. This is exactly the same as what we see in our ordinary scales, where there is a unit of weight with which we measure objects. We place the unit in one side of the scale, and the object on the other side. If the two sides match, then we judge that the object has the desired weight. Otherwise, we take it off and reject it. This means that the real “means or instrument of weighing” (which is the literal meaning of “scale,” mīzān) is that unit or standard, not what we conventionally call a “scale.” The conventional scale—such as the two-plate or single-plate scales that we use—is rather a preparative instrument to the real weighing. Otherwise, it is our standard unit which determines the weight of objects. The same is true in other measurements such as length, where we have units like meters or feet which are used to determine the length of objects and distances. To get a desired length, we must match our object with the unit. If it does not match, then our object lacks the desired measurability, and we will leave it aside.

This shows that there must be a standard unit to weigh the deeds. In the case of the prayer (ṣalāh), for instance, the unit would be the perfect prayer, which means meeting and fulfilling the reality of prayer (ḥaqq al-ṣalāh). The same can be said about obligatory almsgiving, optional charity, and so on. Likewise, the unit for weighing speech would be truthful speech which is free from any mix of falsehood. This idea [that one should perform every act as it is due to its reality] can be seen in the verse: O you who believe! Be wary of Allah with the wariness due to Him ().

The weight [of deeds] on that day is the truth…: Given the above picture, the meaning of this phrase is that “the truth” will be the standard for measuring the deeds on the Day of Judgment. To the extent that there is truth in any action, it will have weight and value. Good deeds will be heavy on the scale because they include the truth, while evil deeds will have no weight because they are nothing but falsehood and vanity. Therefore, God will weigh the deeds on that day with the measure of truth, and the weight of each deed will be according to how much truth there is in it.

A similar expression to this is seen elsewhere in the Qur’an, about “judgment by the truth”: And the earth will glow with the light of her Lord, and the book will be set up, and the prophets and the martyrs will be brought, and judgment will be made between them with truth, and they will not be wronged (). The “book” mentioned in this verse will be set up for the purpose of making judgment. It is the same book mentioned in the verse: This is Our book, which speaks against you with truth (). This verse shows that the book will reveal the truth in the deeds, and the scale will determine their weight.

Based on the above explanation, wazn in this verse is a noun meaning “weight” or “heaviness” (thiql). It is not a verb referring to the act of weighing and measuring. It is also notable that the verses talk about “scales” (mawāzīn) in the plural form: As for those whose scales are heavy (); As for those whose scales are light (). This refers to the fact that every individual will have multiple scales, since each deed will have a measure of its own. The truth of prayer, for instance, is different from the truth of almsgiving, the truth of fasting, the truth of pilgrimage, and so on. This should be evident, and it should clarify our interpretation above.

Another suggested interpretation is: “The true weighing [of deeds] will be on that day,” where “weighing” (wazn) is the subject, “true” (ḥaqq) is its adjective, and “will be on that day” is the predicate. This is how al-Kashshāf has interpreted the verse, with the following explanation: “It means: The weighing on that day—when God shall question the nations and their messengers—will be a true weighing.” This is an unlikely interpretation, unless we consider the verse on its own, disconnected from the context of the previous verses.

The majority of exegetes, however, have suggested a different interpretation. They have interpreted the first sentence as: “The weighing [of deeds] on that day is a true weighing,” where the first “weighing” (wazn) is the subject; “on that day” is the temporal container (that is, the time when the event will occur); the second “is a weighing” is an implied predicate; and “true” (ḥaqq) is its adjective which means “just” or “fair” (ʿadl). Based on this interpretation, the verse is effectively saying: We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection ().

… As for those whose scales (mawāzīnuhu) are heavy…: As we said above, mawāzīn is the plural of mīzān (scale). This is how the term is used in the verse that we just quoted: We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection ().

According to the popular interpretation of most exegetes [that the verse’s first sentence means: “The weighing [of deeds] on that day will be fair”], mawāzīn would be the plural of mawzūn (lit. “that which is weighed,” in the accusative case), referring to the actions that will be weighed. Another possibility is to interpret mawāzīn as the plural of mīzān, on the basis that there will be multiple [true] scales according to the variety of actions being weighed. However, there is a problem with these interpretations. It is assumed that ḥaqq (true, truth) means ʿadl (just, fair), as an attribute of the scales. This does not explain how the scales become heavy with good deeds and light with sins. Instead, the Qur’an says: We shall set up the scales of justice (al-mawāzīn al-qisṭ) on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged in the least. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed We shall produce it and We suffice as reckoners (), where qisṭ is synonymous with ʿadl (just, fair). In this verse, the adjective “just” refers to God’s act of weighing. It is not an attribute of scales. That is why the verse says: and no soul will be wronged…, which effectively means that “God will not wrong them.” Hence, qisṭ (justice, fairness) is a quality of God’s act [of setting up the scales], not a quality of the scales [themselves]. In other words, we cannot say that “the scales will be just” but we should say, “the setting of the scales will be a just setup.” The reader should reflect on this.

In order to solve the above problem, some exegetes have opted for a metaphorical interpretation, saying that “the scales being heavy or light” refers to “the good deeds dominating the evil deeds, or vice versa.” The verse would then mean: “The scales on that day will be just, meaning that one side will outweigh the other justly. Those whose good deeds overbalance their evil deeds, it is they who are the felicitous. As for those whose scales do not tilt in favor of their good deeds—due to their many sins—they are those who have ruined their souls because they were unjust to Our signs through their denial.” The idea of “ruining their souls” refers to losing their most important asset, which is their own selves.

In response to the above explanation, we ask: What is the criterion for determining which act overbalances the other? Especially when a person has both good deeds and evil deeds, and when different deeds have different weights? How can we know which side dominates the other? When God says that the weighing on that day will be fair, it means that the weighing will have such solid basis that will leave no excuse or objection for the people against God’s judgment. This means that there must be some reality which is absent from evil deeds but is present in good deeds, and that is what determines the heaviness or lightness of the actions, and the resulting position of the scales. Otherwise, the weight of each deed would be something arbitrary and baseless.

Therefore, we are back to our suggested interpretation—that the actions will be weighed by the standard of ḥaqq (truth, reality, fact of the matter). That is the meaning of “fair weighing.” Then, those who have a heavy balance—due to having truth in their actions— it is they who are the felicitous. And those whose scales are light—due to not fulfilling the necessary right of servitude by their deeds— it is they who have ruined their souls, because they used to wrong Our signs. They “wronged Our signs” by rejecting them; and they “ruined their souls” by not advancing the provision that they need for their eternal life. They destroyed themselves by landing in the house of ruin: hell, which they shall enter, and it is an evil abode ().

This is the most apparent and straightforward interpretation of the verses, without involving any indirect or hidden meaning. Based on our interpretation, two points should be clear: (1) The weighing on the Day of Resurrection will consist of matching the deeds with the standard of truth. To the extent that an act comprises of the truth, it will be rewarded. Otherwise, it will result in perdition. This is the just balance. (2) Every person will have multiple scales that will be set up to weigh their deeds. The touchstone for weighing every deed will be its perfect performance which does justice to that act. The Day of Resurrection is a day when nothing will have any power of influence except the truth. On that day all authority will belong to God, Who is the Truth. God says: That is the day of truth (); There, all authority belongs to Allah, the Truth (); There every soul will examine what it has sent in advance, and they will be returned to Allah, their True Master, and what they will lose what they used to fabricate ().

As we discussed above, some exegetes have suggested that the verse’s language is figurative, where ḥaqq (true, truth) means ʿadl (just, fair), and the “heaviness of scale” refers to the outweighing of good deeds.

Others have favored a more literal meaning, saying that on the Day of Judgment, God will set up a scale like scales in this world with two plates and balancing arrows. This is how the good and evil deeds of people will be weighed. These exegetes have differed over the details of such weighing. According to them, actions are accidents (aʿrāḍ) which have vanished, and it is metaphysically impossible to bring an accident back to existence once it turns into non-existence. Moreover, actions do not have weights to be set on a scale. To circumvent these problems, they have offered the following interpretations:

  1. It is the books of deeds which will be weighed, not the deeds.
  2. Every good or evil deed will have a particular effect and sign which will appear on that day. It is these signs which will be weighed before everyone.
  3. Good deeds will appear in forms that are fair, and evil deeds will appear in forms that are foul. It is these forms which will be weighed.
  4. It is the people which will be weighed, meaning the believers and disbelievers, not their good or evil deeds.
  5. Weighing (Wazn) refers to a stage where the value and merit of every person will manifest. The “heaviness of scale” means one’s high worth and lofty rank. The “lightness of scale” indicates one’s ignobility and wickedness.

Despite their discrepancy, the above views have one thing in common: there is no textual proof in the verse to support any of them. In addition, none of them defines the basis for the weight of deeds; they all assume that the weights are arbitrary. As we explained above, this is problematic because an arbitrary basis is not sufficient to conclude God’s argument against His servants [which is the whole point of setting up the scales and weighing the deeds on the Day of Judgment].

Examining Narrations ​

  1. Ibn ʿAbbās said: Sūrah al-Aʿrāf was revealed in Mecca.
  2. Qatādah said: There is one verse in Sūrah al-Aʿrāf which is Medinan: Ask them about the town that was situated on the seaside… (). The rest are Meccan.

Author’s comment: This is Qatādah’s personal opinion. We will discuss this below [under verses ff].

  1. Concerning verse (Then We will surely question those to whom the messengers were sent…) the Messenger of God said: Indeed my Lord shall call me and He will certainly ask me, “Did you convey [My message] to My servants?” I will respond, “My Lord! Surely I conveyed [Your message] to them.” Those of you who are present must transmit [the message] to those who are absent. You will also be summoned after [me], while your mouths will be muzzled. Your thighs and palms will be the first members [of your body] which will disclose about you [your deeds and secrets].
  2. The Prophet said: All of you are guardians, and all of you shall be questioned about your subordinates. A ruler will be asked about his citizens. A man will be questioned regarding his family. A woman will be asked about her husband’s house [and/or household]. A servant will be questioned concerning the possessions of his master.

Author’s comment: There are many narrations to this effect. There are abundant narrations about questioning (suʾāl) on the Day of Resurrection, through both Shia and Sunni chains of transmission. We will present them under the relevant verses, by the will of God.

  1. The Messenger of God said: The scale will be set up on the Day of Resurrection, whereby [one’s] good deeds and evil deeds will be weighed [against each other]. If one’s good deeds outweigh his evil deeds, he will enter paradise. If one’s evil deeds outweigh his good deeds, he will enter hell.
  2. ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib said: One whose exterior prevails over his interior [in terms of goodness and piety], his scale will be light on the Day of Resurrection. One whose interior prevails over his exterior [in terms of goodness and piety], his scale will be heavy on the Day of Resurrection.

Author’s comment: There is no problem with the last two narrations in terms of content. However, they are not fit for interpreting the verse in question here [] because they ascribe outweighing to both good deeds and evil deeds. Note that these two narrations make no reference to the verse either [and thus do not claim to be its interpretation].

  1. The Messenger of God said: God created the two pans of the scale like the heaven and the earth. The angels then asked, “Our Lord! Whom shall You weigh with this?” He replied, “I shall weigh with it whomever I will.” And God created the Bridge (ṣirāṭ) as sharp as a sword. The angels then asked, “Our Lord! Whom shall You let pass this?” He replied, “I shall let pass it whomever I will.”

Author’s comment: Apparently what is meant by this tradition is that the scale on the Day of Resurrection will be similar in terms of function to the common scales that we are familiar with in this world, in the sense that it is used to determine the weight of things. There are various narrations in this regard, all of which are meant to simplify the matter to our unsophisticated minds. We shall see this in the narrations below.

  1. Once an atheist asked Imam al-Ṣādiq, “Don’t you claim that actions will be weighed?” “No,” the Imam replied. “Actions are not objects [to be weighed]. They are rather descriptions of one’s behavior. In addition, weighing is needed when the person is ignorant of the number, heaviness and lightness of things, but nothing is hidden from God.”

The man asked, “So what is meant by the scale (mīzān)?”

The Imam replied, “It means [God’s] justice.”

The man asked, “What does it [scale] mean in God’s Book: As for those whose scales are heavy ()?”

The Imam answered, “[It means] as for those whose [good] deeds prevail.”…

Author’s comment: This narration confirms our interpretation of weight (wazn). A subtle part of the Imam’s speech is that actions “are rather descriptions of one’s behavior.” In other words, when we talk about the weighing of actions in the hereafter, “actions” do not refer to merely physical movements, because these movements are equally found in acts of obedience and disobedience. Instead, they denote the quality, description and classification of these movements according to social contracts and/or religious laws. For instance, the act of sexual intercourse consists of certain physical movements in and of itself. But then it is classified as either “marriage” or “adultery” based on whether or not it complies with social conventions and/or religious legitimacy. Otherwise, both cases consist of the same movements. The Imam’s argument is based on two points: (1) Actions are rather qualities and descriptions [of outward movements], and hence they do not have any weight. (2) God is needless of weighing things because He is not ignorant of anything.

One exegete has challenged the above narration as follows:

Based on the embodiment of actions (tajassum al-aʿmāl) in the hereafter, which is a fact, it is perceivable that the virtue of an act would make it heavy. Furthermore, weighing the deeds has many wisdoms, such as deterring those who disobey [in this world], disclosing their sins [in the hereafter], encouraging those who obey [in this world], making them more delighted [in the hereafter], and revealing God’s perfect justice. Therefore, the above narration suffers from several problems. If we do not want to reject it we must either assume that it was issued out of taqiyyah (precautionary dissimulation), or interpret it in an indirect or figurative way.

It should be noted that the above narration does not contradict any of these points. We already had a discussion on the embodiment of deeds, where we said that it is possible that actions may appear in physical forms on the Day of Judgment. It is also possible that God’s justice—which is the ultimate judge on that day—may appear in the form of a scale, where the embodied acts would be placed like objects to be weighed. The above narration does not deny these, but it denies the idea of actions being physical objects like the objects in this world, with heaviness and lightness resulting from the force of gravity which pulls toward the earth. Moreover, the above objection is based on the notion that good deeds will be placed on one side of the scale, and evil deeds will be placed on the other, and then the two will be weighed and compared against each other. However, the readers should know by now that there is no basis whatsoever in the verse for this image.

  1. Concerning As for those whose scales are heavy () and As for those whose scales are light () Imam ʿAlī said: It means that good deeds will be used to weigh both good deeds and evil deeds. Good deeds will be heavy on the scale, while evil deeds will be light on the scale.

Author’s comment: This narration clearly confirms our interpretation of the verse. It shows that there is a single standard that is used in weighing all deeds. This standard can only be the ḥaqq (truth, due justice) of every act.

  1. Hishām b. Sālim says: Once I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq about the verse, We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged in the least (). He said, “They [the scales of justice] are the prophets and their successors.”

Author’s comment: The meaning of this hadith should be clear in light of what we explained above. The standard is truth in action and belief, which is found in the prophets and their successors.

  1. A recurrent part of Imam ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn’s sermons was: God addresses sinners and evil-doers in His Book, where He says: Should a whiff of your Lord’s punishment touch them, they will surely say, “Woe to us! We have indeed been wrongdoers!” (). You might say this is directed at the polytheists, but that is not true, because He says [in the next verse]: We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged in the least. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed We shall produce it and We suffice as reckoners (). Know, O servants of God, that for the polytheists, neither any scale will be set up, nor any book [of deeds] will be opened. Instead, they will be mustered toward hell in throngs. It is only for people of submission [or Islam] that scales will be set up and books [of deeds] will be opened…

Author’s comment: This sermon refers to the verse: On the Day of Resurrection We will not set for them [the disbelievers] any scale ().

  1. Concerning verse (The weight [of deeds] on that day is the truth…) Tafsīr al-Qummī says: This refers to the retribution of deeds: good for good, and evil for evil.

Author’s comment: This interpretation presents the end result [of weighing].

  1. Concerning because they used to wrong Our signs () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: [It means] they used to reject the Imams.

Author’s comment: This interpretation presents some of the examples and applications of the verse. There are more narrations to the effect of the ones we quoted above.

  1. The second group does not refer to those who would be born later, but to unbelievers at the time of revelation who would convert later. (Trans.) ↩︎

  2. In other words, the plural pronouns and verbs refer to God and His angels. (Trans.) ↩︎

  3. See volume 3, pp. 218ff of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎

  4. Another similar verse is: And strive for Allah’s cause with the striving that is due to Him (). (Trans.) ↩︎

  5. The meaning would be: “As for those whose actions are heavy…” (Trans.) ↩︎

  6. The meaning would be: “The scale [of deeds] on that day is a just scale. As for those whose scales are heavy…” (Trans.) ↩︎

  7. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn al-Ḍarīs, Ibn Mardawayh, al-Naḥḥās’s al-Nāsikh, and al-Bayhaqī’s al-Dalāʾil. Al-Durr al-manthūr has also narrated this from Ibn al-Zubayr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh. ↩︎

  8. Apparently this also includes the next few verses which continue the same story. (Trans.) ↩︎

  9. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn al-Mundhir and Abū al-Shaykh. ↩︎

  10. This refers to verses which talk about different organs testifying to one’s deeds: , , . Given the parlance of narrations, “thighs” will acknowledge sexual sins and “palms” will admit financial sins and unlawful acquisitions. (Trans.) ↩︎

  11. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Aḥmad, on the authority of Muʿāwiyah b. Ḥaydah. ↩︎

  12. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Bukhārī, Muslim, al-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar. ↩︎

  13. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Abū al-Shaykh, on the authority of Jābir. ↩︎

  14. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī al-Dunyā’s al-Ikhlāṣ. ↩︎

  15. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of ʿĀʾishah. Al-Ḥākim has also reported a similar narration to this in his al-Ṣaḥīḥ, on the authority of Salmān. ↩︎

  16. Al-Iḥtijāj, on the authority of Hishām b. al-Ḥakam. ↩︎

  17. Taqiyyah means “concealment of one’s true beliefs due to fear.” Due to unfavorable socio-political conditions during the time of many Imams, they sometimes had to speak in conformity with the dominant views of their time, especially in public meetings, in order to avoid unnecessary difficulties for themselves and/or their followers. (Trans.) ↩︎

  18. Al-Tawḥīd, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū Maʿmar al-Saʿdānī. ↩︎

  19. Maʿānī al-akhbār, via its chain of narration, on the authority of al-Minqarī. It is also reported in al-Kāfī, on the authority of Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, on the authority of Ibrāhīm al-Hamdānī, from the Imam, via an unconnected chain of transmission (marfūʿ). ↩︎

  20. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Saʿīd b. al-Musayyab. ↩︎