Tafsir of Surah Al Ankabut

Here Allah tells us that those who call others to disbelief and misguidance will, on the Day of Resurrection, bear their own sins and the sins of others, because of the people they misguided. Yet that will not detract from the burden of those other people in the slightest, as Allah says:

لِيَحْمِلُواْ أَوْزَارَهُمْ كَامِلَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ الَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ

That they may bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection, and also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge. (16:25)

In the Sahih, it says:

مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الاَْجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْيًا

وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلَلَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الاْثْمِ مِثْلُ اثَامِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ اثَامِهِمْ شَيْيًا

Whoever calls others to true guidance, will have a reward like that of those who follow him until the Day of Resurrection, without it detracting from their reward in the slightest.

Whoever calls others to misguidance, will have a burden of sin like that of those who follow him until the Day of Resurrection, without it detracting from their burden in the slightest.

In the Sahih, it also says:

مَا قُتِلَتْ نَفْسٌ ظُلْمًا إِلاَّ كَانَ عَلَى ابْنِ ادَمَ الاْاَوَّلِ كِفْلٌ مِنْ دَمِهَا لاِاَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَنَّ الْقَتْل

No person is killed unlawfully, but a share of the guilt will be upon the first son of Adam, because he was the first one to initiate the idea of killing another.

وَلَيُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate.

means, the lies they used to tell and the falsehood they used to fabricate.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah conveyed the Message with which he was sent, then he said:

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظُّلْمَ فَإِنَّ اللهَ يَعْزِمُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيَقُولُ وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَلِي لَا يَجوزُنِي الْيَوْمَ ظُلْمٌ ثُمَّ يُنَادِي مُنَادٍ فَيَقُولُ أَيْنَ فُلَنُ بْنُ فُلَنٍ فَيَأْتِي يَتْبَعُهُ مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ أَمْثَالَ الْجِبَالِ فَيَشْخَصُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهَا أَبْصَارَهُمْ حَتَّى يَقُومَ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الرَّحْمنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ثُمَّ يَأْمُرُ الْمُنَادِيَ فَيُنَادِي مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ تِبَاعَةٌ أَوْ ظَلَمَةٌ عِنْدَ فُلَنِ بْنِ فُلَنٍ فَهَلُمَّ فَيُقْبِلُونَ حَتَّى يَجْتَمِعُوا قِيَامًا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الرَّحْمنِ فَيَقُولُ الرَّحْمنُ اقْضُوا عَنْ عَبْدِي فَيَقُولُونَ كَيْفَ نَقْضِي عَنْهُ فَيَقُولُ خُذُوا لَهُمْ مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَلَ يَزَالُونَ يَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهَا حَتَّى لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهَا حَسَنَةٌ وَقَدْ بَقِيَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الظَّلَمَاتِ فَيَقُولُ اقْضُوا عَنْ عَبْدِي فَيَقُولُونَ لَمْ يَبْقَ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ فَيَقُولُ خُذُوا مِنْ سَيِّيَاتِهِمْ فَاحْمِلُوهَا عَلَيْه

Beware of injustice, for Allah will swear an oath of the Day of Resurrection and will say:

"By My glory and majesty, no injustice will be overlooked today."

Then a voice will call out, "Where is so-and-so the son of so-and-so?"

He will be brought forth, followed by his good deeds which appear like mountains while the people are gazing at them in wonder, until he is standing before the Most Merciful.

Then the caller will be commanded to say:"Whoever is owed anything by so-and-so the son of so-and-so, or has been wronged by him, let him come forth."

So they will come forth and gather before the Most Merciful, then the Most Merciful will say:"Settle the matter for My servant."

They will say, "How can we settle the matter?"

He will say, "Take from his good deeds and give it to them."

They will keep taking from his good deeds until there is nothing left, and there will still people with scores to be settled.

Allah will say, "Settle the matter for My servant."

They will say, "He does not have even one good deed left."

Allah will say, "Take from their evil deeds and give them to him."

Then the Prophet quoted this Ayah:

وَلَيَحْمِلُنَّ أَثْقَالَهُمْ وَأَثْقَالاً مَّعَ أَثْقَالِهِمْ وَلَيُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own; and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate.

There is a corroborating report in the Sahih with a different chain of narration:

إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِحَسَنَاتٍ أَمْثَالِ الْجِبَالِ وَقَدْ ظَلَمَ هَذَا وَأَخَذَ مَالَ هَذَا وَأَخَذَ مِنْ عِرْضِ هَذَا فَيَأْخُذُ هَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَإِذَا لَمْ تَبْقَ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ أُخِذَ مِنْ سَيِّيَاتِهِمْ فَطُرِحَ عَلَيْه

A man will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds like mountains, but he had wronged this one, taken the wealth of that one and slandered the honor of another. So each of them will take from his good deeds. And if there is nothing left of his good deeds, it will be taken from their evil and placed on him