Surah Al Kahf Tafseer

وَوُضِعَ الْكِتَابُ

And the Book will be produced,

the Book of deeds, which contains a record of everything, major or minor, significant or insignificant, great or small.

فَتَرَى الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ

and you will see the criminals, fearful of that which is therein.

of their evil deeds and reprehensible actions.

وَيَقُولُونَ يَا وَيْلَتَنَا

They will say, "Woe to us!"

expressing words of regret for having wasted their lives.

مَالِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ لَاا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَاا كَبِيرَةً إِلاَّ أَحْصَاهَا

What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a large thing, but has recorded it with numbers!

it has left no sin, major or minor, and no action, no matter how small, but it has recorded it with the utmost precision and accuracy.

وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا

And they will find all that they did, present,

everything, both good and evil, as Allah says,

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا

On the Day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done. (3:30)

Allah says:

يُنَبَّأُ الاِنسَـنُ يَوْمَيِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ

On that Day man will be informed of what he sent forward, and what he left behind. (75:13)

And Allah says:

يَوْمَ تُبْلَى السَّرَايِرُ

The Day when all the secrets will be exposed. (86:9)

meaning, everything that is hidden in people's hearts will become known.

Imam Ahmad recorded from Anas that the Prophet said,

لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُعْرَفُ بِه

Every traitor will have a banner on the Day of Resurrection, by which he will be known.

It was also narrated in the Two Sahihs, where one narration says,

يُرْفَعُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عِنْدَ اسْتِهِ بِقَدْرِ غَدْرَتِهِ يُقَالُ هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَنِ بْنِ فُلَن

On the Day of Resurrection, for every traitor a banner will be erected by his backside, and it will be said, "This is the betrayer of so-and-so the son of so-and-so."

وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا

and your Lord treats no one with injustice.

means, He will judge between His creatures for all of their deeds, and He will not treat any of His creatures with injustice. He will overlook and forgive and have mercy, and He will punish whomever He wills by His power, wisdom and justice. He will fill Hell with the disbelievers and those who have been disobedient. Then He will rescue the disobedient, and leave the disbelievers there for eternity. He is the Judge Who never wrongs or oppresses.

Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَـعِفْهَا

Surely, Allah wrongs not even of the weight of a speck of dust, but if there is any good, He doubles it. (4:40)

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَ تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْيًا فَلَ تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْيًا

وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ

And We shall set up Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And sufficient are We to take account. (21:47)

And there are many similar Ayat.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Aqil heard Jabir bin Abdullah say,

"I was told about a Hadith which a man heard from the Prophet, so I bought a camel and put my saddle on it, then I traveled on it for a month until I came to Ash-Sham, where Abdullah bin Unays was. I said to the doorkeeper, `Tell him that Jabir is at the door.'

He said, `Jabir bin Abdullah!'

I said, `Yes.'

So he came out, still putting his garment on, and embraced me, and I embraced him, and said:

`I heard a Hadith narrated by you, that you heard from the Messenger of Allah about reciprocal punishments. I was afraid that you or I would die before I could hear it.'

He said, `I heard the Messenger of Allah say:

يَحْشُرُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ قَالَ الْعِبَادَ عُرَاةً غُرْلاً بُهْمًا

Allah will gather the people -- or His servants -- on the Day of Resurrection, naked, uncircumcised and Buhman.

I asked, `What is Buhman?' He said,

لَيْسَ مَعَهُمْ شَيْءٌ

ثُمَّ يُنَادِيهِمْ بِصَوْتٍ يَسْمَعُهُ مَنْ بَعُدَ كَمَا يَسْمَعُهُ مَنْ قَرُبَ

أَنَا الْمَلِكُ أَنَا الدَّيَّانُ لَا يَنْبَغِي لاَِحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ النَّارَ وَلَهُ عِنْدَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَقٌّ حَتَّى أُقِصَّهُ مِنْهُ وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لاَِحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَهُ عِنْدَ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ حَقٌّ حَتَّى أُقِصَّهُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى اللَّطْمَة

They will have nothing with them.

Then a voice will call out to them that will be heard by those far away just as easily as it will be heard by those near:

"I am the Sovereign, I am the Judge. None of the people of Hell should enter Hell if he is owed something by one of the people of Paradise, until I have settled the matter, and none of the people of Paradise should enter Paradise if he is owed something by one of the people of Hell, until I settle the matter -- even if it is only the case of a slap."

We said, `How will that be, when we have come before Allah barefooted, naked, uncircumcised and having nothing with us?'

He said,

بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّيَات

By (merit for) good deeds, and (recompense) for evil deeds.

Shubah narrated from Al-Awwam bin Muzahim from Abu Uthman from Uthman bin Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:

إِنَّ الْجَمَّاءَ لَتَقْتَصُّ مِنَ الْقَرْنَاءِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة

The animal who lost a horn will settle the score with the one that has horns on the Day of Resurrection.

It was recorded by Abdullah the son of Imam Ahmad, and there are corroborating narrations through other routes